Life & Work with Paul Reilly

Today we’re excited to be connecting with Paul Reilly again. If you haven’t already, we suggest you check out our prior conversation with them here.

Paul, always such a pleasure connecting with you and thank you for sharing your stories, insights and inspiring messages with our community. We’re looking forward to getting the download and what you have been up to since our last interview, but first can you briefly introduce yourself to folks who might have missed the prior conversation.
MY NAME IS PAUL C REILLY. I AM THE PROPRIETOR AND ALL AROUND RESTAURANT DUDE AT COPERTA. COPERTA IS OUR LOVE LETTER TO THE SOUTHERN ITALIAN TRATTORIA. HALF THE MENU IS VERY TRADITIONAL TO ROME AND SOUTHERN ITALY AND THE OTHER HALF IS OUR TAKE ON WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU DROPPED A SOUTHERN ITALIAN CHEF IN COLORADO; THEY WOULD COOK SIMPLE, SEASONALLY INSPIRED DISHES. HOUSEMADE PASTAS, LOCAL VEGETABLES, AND PASTURE RAISED MEATS ARE OUR CENTERPIECES ALONG WITH SCRATCH COCKTAILS AND AN AWARD WINNING ALL ITALIAN WINE LIST.

I HAVE COOKED IN KITCHENS FOR THE LAST 30 PLUS YEARS, BUT IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF I HAVE GRAVITATED MORE TOWARDS THE FRONT OF HOUSE, WHERE I GET TO HOST, DESIGN PLAYLISTS, AND CHAT ABOUT FOOD AND WINE WITH GUESTS EVERY NIGHT, WHICH I HAVE FOUND I TRULY HAVE A PASSION FOR

COPERTA IS HOUSED IN A TURN OF THE CENTURY BUILDING IN DENVER’S UPTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH GIVES THE DINING ROOM A TON OF OLD WORLD CHARM. WHILE MANY OF DENVER’S BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANTS ARE SUPER FANCY, WE FOCUS ON AN EVERYNIGHT DINING EXPERIENCE. A PLACE YOU CAN COME IN SOLO AT THE BAR AND GRAB A PASTA AND A GLASS OF WINE FOR UNDER $25, OR COME IN WITH A BIG GROUP AND THROW DOWN ON A FAMILY STYLE ITALIAN FEAST.

I DO NOT HAVE A DROP OF ITALIAN BLOOD IN ME. I TRAVELLED TO ITALY AS A YOUNG MAN AND FOUND MY CULINARY SOUL THERE. THE HOSTS I WERE STAYING WITH STARTED TALKING ABOUT WHAT TO HAVE FOR DINNER DURING MORNING COFFEE, AND I THOUGHT ” WOW! THIS IS ME!”

Great, so let’s jump into an update on what you have been up to since we last spoke. What can you share with us?
LIKE I MENTIONED, I HAVE BEEN IN THE BACK OF HOUSE SINCE I HAVE BEEN 14 YEARS OLD AND IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS, I HAVE BEEN WORKING AS BASICALLY THE MAITRE’D AT COPERTA. THIS HAPPENED PARTLY DUE TO CURIOUSITY AND PARTLY DUE TO NECESSITY. I LOVE BEING HOST AND CHATTING ABOUT THE MENU AND THE WINE LIST WITH OUR GUESTS. EVERYONE ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FOOD MENU, BUT I LOVE WHEN GUESTS GET INQUISITIVE ABOUT OUR WINE MENU AND WE CAN MATCH THEIR WINE PREFERENCES TO A SOUTHERN ITALIAN VARIETAL THEYVE NEVER HEARD OF OR HAVENT TRIED YET

RESTAURANTS IN DOWNTOWN DENVER CONTINUE TO NAVIGATE THE POST-COVID RESTAURANT WORLD. THAT IS TO SAY, ITS STILL VERY CHALLENGING FOR INDPENDENT OPERATORS SUCH AS MYSELF AND MY PARTNERS. DENVER, AS A CITY, HAS DONE VERY LITTLE TO MAKE DOWNTOWN ATTRACTIVE AGAIN, AND NO ONE FEELS THAT MORE THAN RESTAURANTEURS.

WHILE WE HAVE STRUGGLED WITH STAFFING SINCE COVID, I AM SUPER THANKFUL FOR THE TERRIFIC TEAM WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, WHO ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE AT COPERTA. WE HAVE UPDATED OUR MENU INTO 2 SECTIONS TO HIGHLIGHT CLASSICS AND FEATURES AND GUESTS SEEM TO REALLY BE DIGGING IT

WE HAVE ALSO LAUNCHED A MONTHLY POP UP AT COPERTA CALLED “LITTLE ITALY NIGHT”. ONCE A MONTH, WE FEATURE A MENU OF THE RED SAUCE CLASSICS I GREW UP EATING IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY. WE THROWN DOWN RED CHECKERED TABLECLOTHS AND CANDLES AND TURN UP THE BILLY JOEL ALBUMS AND DRESS UP AS A DIFFERENT RESTAURANT FOR THE NIGHT. ITS HAD SUPER GREAT FEEDBACK FROM OUR GUESTS AND REGULARS AND WERE DOING IT AGAIN FOR NEW YEARS EVE

We have now arrived at one of our favorite parts of the interview – the lightning round. We’ll ask you a few quick questions to give us all some fun insights about you.

• Favorite Movie: THE PRINCESS BRIDE, FERRIS BUELLERS DAY OFF, THE MUPPET MOVIE,
• Favorite Book: FAVOURITE COOKBOOKS: THE FLAVOR BIBLE, MOLTO ITALIANO, SHAPES AND SAUCES
• Favorite TV Show: ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, SEINFELD, MR SHOW
• Favorite Band or Artist: WHITE STRIPES, LCD SOUNDSYSTEM, REM, PRINCE, DAVID BOWIE
• Sweet or Savory: SWEET
• Mountains or Beach: BEACH
• Favorite Sport (to watch): BASEBALL #LFGM
• Favorite Sport (to play): SKIING
• Did you play sports growing up (if so which ones): BASEBALL. I WAS A CATCHER
• As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up: A CHEF OR A MUSICIAN
• French Fries or Onion Rings: ONION RINGS. I ACTUALLY THINK FF ARE MAYBE THE WORLDS MOST OVERRATED FOOD. THEY ARE SO OFTEN DONE POORLY
• Favorite Cartoon growing up: PEE WEES PLAYHOUSE, THE HANNA BARBERA ROAD RACE, GARFIELD
• Favorite Childhood movie: MARY POPPINS, JULIE ANDREWS WAS MY FIRST CRUSH
• Favorite Breakfast Food: COLD PIZZA, SMOOTHIE, OATMEAL

Was there a moment in your career that you can tell us about that illustrates or demonstrates the kind of person you are, your approach, ethos, etc.
I WAS WORKING A HOT APP STATION AT A RESTAURANT IN NYC AND THERE WAS A POPULAR SEARED FOIE GRAS DISH ON THE MENU THAT CAME OFF OF MY STATION. THE CARBON STEEL PAN HAD TO BE SCORCHING HOT FOR THIS DISH, SO I KEPT A STACK OF PANS ON THE BACK BURNER ON LOW. TICKETS WOULD COME IN WITH THE FOIE AND I WOULD MOVE A PAN TO ANOTHER BURNING AND GET IT RIPPING, TURN AROUND AND PLATE ANOTHER DISH OR TWO AND COME BACK TO DROP THE FOIE IN THE HOT PAN. EXCEPT THE PAN WASNT HOT. THIS HAPPENED A FEW MORE TIMES AND THE CHEF STARTED NOTICING AND WOULD YELL AT ME FOR NOT HAVING A HOT PAN.

THE NEXT NIGHT THIS HAPPENED AGAIN AND THE CHEF REALLY YELLED AT ME. I WAS CONFOUNDED AS TO HOW THE PAN WASNT HOT. I LOOKED OVER AND THE MILD MANNERED COOK WORKING ENTREMETIER STATION WAS STEALING MY PANS. SHE SAW ME AS A THREAT TO TAKE OVER HER STATION, SO SHE WAS DELIBERATELY SAND BAGGING. (MIND YOU THIS WAS BACK IN THE DAY WHERE COOKS WERE SUPERFLUOUS AND YOU HAD TO WORK HARD JUST TO KEEP YOUR PSOTIION IN A NICE PLACE). THE REST OF THE LINE KNEW THIS WAS HAPPENING TOO AND FOUND IT FUNNY.

MOST CERTAINLY THIS WAS A TEST, TO SEE IF I COULD HANG WITH THE MOST EXPERIENCED COOKS IN THE KITCHEN. I GET THAT BUT IT ALSO BRED MISTRUST AND WASTED MONEY. AND I VOWED THAT IF I RAN MY OWN KITCHEN, THINGS WOULDNT BE THIS WAY

BECAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT, TODAY AT COPERTA, MY KITCHENS ARE DIFFERENT. WE ARE ALL ABOUT COLLABORATION AND LIFTING EACH OTHER UP. WE ARE BETTER WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER.

Image Credits
HEADHSOT CREDIT : SCOUT WEST MARKETING

OTHERS: PAUL C REILLY