Just like most squads, each member of the Metropolitan Culinary Collective contributes to the success of the team. Chris Durfee and Justin Shifflett lead Metropolitan's kitchen. Thay are the genisis behind our nightly tasting menus as well as our seasonal a la carte, lounge and lunch menus. “Watch The Culinary Team in action via our open kitchen or ask for the chef's table for a close up experience.

Chris Durfee
Born and raised in the Salt Lake area, Durfee knows his clientele. His culinary education comes from working alongside some of Salt Lake’s best chefs and cooking in exciting local venues.

Originally lured into the idea of cooking to earn a season ski pass, Durfee managed Snowbird’s Keyhole Junction kitchen for years. He made a high-altitude change to sous chef at The Canyons Lookout Cabin, a gourmet ski-in spot located at 9,000 feet. During the summers, Durfee was a chef for Diamond Creation, a catering company for big name bands and sports teams visiting Salt Lake.

Throughout his resort tenure, Durfee learned from Sabastian Lizarzaburu and Todd Mark Miller, with whom he reunited in Metropolitan’s kitchen. Durfee has been an integral part of Metropolitan’s kitchen staff since 2006 and views The Culinary Team as a great opportunity for both collaborative and creative expression.

Justin Shifflett
As a result of his dad’s job in the Air Force, Justin has traveled around the world. He was born in Denver, lived in Germany, then moved to Layton, Utah. Justin’s mom likes to tell him his career as a chef began with his childhood cookset. Justin begs to differ, hopes he never had a cookset, and gives his father credit for his embrace of a culinary profession. Justin’s grandfather encouraged him to go to culinary school after seeing his grandson’s passion for cooking at Staja, a restaurant that saw great success during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. After a stint cooking at a retirement home in Sandy, Justin agreed.

He was off to the Atlantic Culinary Academy in Dover, New Hampshire, where he took initiative in all his course work. He entered the Ice Carving Club and catered local events. His post-grad internship took him to the Red Mountain Spa in St. George, Utah. While he appreciated the healthy menus, he realized he was looking for a more challenging opportunity to break in his culinary chops. It was then, Justin sought out Metropolitan to finish his internship. He enjoys the creative latitude he has at Metropolitan and thrives on the synergy of The Culinary Team.