When Denver Chef and Owner of local restaurant Prohibition Jimmy Callahan designs a kitchen, he considers every inch of space and every little detail…especially when it’s in his own house!
His gorgeous home in Uptown is no exception, currently listed for sale by West + Main Homes, the entire space is full of surprises, and the love definitely shows through in every decision. By combining two units into one rare and spacious home, Jimmy and his partner Angie Scartezina created a place that’s truly an unexpected surprise in their coveted neighborhood, nestled in a classic brick Denver Victorian on 17th Street.
The showstopper is definitely the kitchen, so we asked Jimmy to spill all the tea!
Q: So, when a Chef like yourself starts to think about building a new kitchen from scratch, where do you even begin?
Jimmy: I wanted my cooking area on the island. A lot of people put their sink in the island, but I wanted to be able to cook and entertain at the same time. With this layout, I can cook and engage with my guests at the same time. People can sit at the bar and have a drink while I’m cooking. Everyone gets to be part of the conversation.
Q: What trends are you seeing in kitchens that you’re really into?
Jimmy: I really like the soft close and electronic doors, these are super nice to have. There’s no handles in anything in the kitchen, so it’s all super sleek. They’re crazy expensive, but worth it.
Q: Is there anything about your kitchen that tends to surprise people (other than the fact that it literally looks like it should be in a modern art museum)?
Jimmy: We don’t have a microwave in the kitchen, which people always wonder how we function without one. Most of the stuff we heat up, we use the little mini oven. I love to warm up like three trays of food for my family, so we all get a little bit of everything from the last few days.
Q: I know the whole kitchen was definitely a splurge and you guys didn’t cut corners on anything, but is there one thing that was a must-have that people should maybe consider investing in if they are thinking about upgrading their kitchen?
Jimmy: We love having the big 48” fridge, once you have one, you really can’t go back. We also love the range top in the island. It has four burners, and then a 24” griddle in the middle. It’s great to cook breakfast or do hibachi-style dinners.
Those dinners are one thing the kids love. There’s a warming drawer on the right side which is great for when you’re cooking a big brunch for a bunch of people, and you can keep the bacon and pancakes warm while you’re cooking other things.
Q: Anything else you’re going to miss and look to do again at the new house?
Jimmy: Definitely the outdoor kitchen. We put it in during quarantine, while we found ourselves spending a bunch of time outside. It has a big island, a couch, 6 bar stools, and a napoleon grill, which is so awesome.
Q: We know that you obviously love to cook, especially for friends + family. Is there one standout meal or dish that you’ll always enjoy remembering as you say goodbye to your Uptown digs?
Jimmy: Favorite memory. We love doing New Year’s dinners. We’ve done three in this kitchen. The first year we did it with my friend and his wife, and we cooked an amazing five course meal. The next year during covid we did it with the kids, which they loved. This last year we went a little easy and only did three courses. The New Year’s dinners are one of my favorite things!
Q: Amazing. Soooo…your new house. You haven’t even moved in yet, but we hear it’s pretty dreamy. How’s the kitchen though?
Jimmy: Oh it sucks. You can’t even tell the temperature in the oven. I can’t wait to get in there and get started. It’s going to be similar and I’ve already started planning…the layout is going to be very similar and the island will be exactly the same, but one thing we’re doing differently is we aren’t going to have anything over counter level, since we have some more space over there.
Jimmy, thank you so much for taking the time to share all of this advice, and especially the memories, you’re the best…and we can’t wait to interview you again once the new house is finished! Best of luck and congrats to you, Angie and the kiddos!
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