Madeline Hotel: New Food & Beverage Execs

Madeline Hotel & Residences is pleased to announce two management-level appointments to its dining operations: Flynt Payne as Director of Food & Beverage and George Morris as Executive Chef.

“By appointing Flynt and George to these key culinary roles, the hotel is continuing to reinforce our ongoing mission to deliver the finest dining experiences in Telluride,” said Duncan Hogarth, General Manager, Madeline Hotel and Residences. “Both appointees bring an abundance of experience to their respective roles and will further the hotel’s recent property-wide enhancements.”

As Director of Food & Beverage, Flynt Payne oversees dining operations at Madeline Hotel and Residences, working closely with Executive Chef George Morris on M Club, Black Iron Kitchen and Dylan’s Candy Bar, as well as with area farmers, ranchers, fish mongers, distillers, and brew masters to source the finest local products.

Payne has been integral in enhancing the menu at Black Iron Kitchen & Bar, previously known as SMAK Bar, to include a more modern take on casual family favorites, as well as the development of the brand new menu at M Club, previously known at Restaurant REV.

Payne’s extensive experience includes serving various roles in and out of the kitchen. He joins the Madeline Hotel and Residences following an extensive culinary redesign and rebranding of Montage Kapalua Bay in Maui, Hawaii. Previous roles included an apprenticeship training at Café Mariposa at the Silver Lake Lodge at Deer Valley Resort in Utah, and at the landmark restaurant Geronimo in Santa Fe, New Mexico before  joining the opening team as Chef de Cuisine at Joy America Café at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. During his tenure as Executive Chef at Inn of the Anasazi in Santa Fe, Payne was named “The Rising Star Chef” at the Santa Fe Wine and Chile Festival. He went on to serve as Executive Chef of the Esperanza Resort in Cabo San Lucas, becoming Cabo’s chef to the celebrities.

The James Beard Foundation has recognized Payne throughout his career, inviting him to cook at the prestigious New York house on six occasions. Payne’s passion for hospitality took shape at the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, VT.

George Morris recently joined the award-winning Madeline Hotel and Residences in Telluride, Colorado, as Executive Chef. Well-traveled and widely experienced, Chef Morris oversees all culinary operations for the boutique property including the two restaurants, Black Iron Kitchen & Bar and M Club. He also oversees dining for banqueting, special events and guest cooking programs.

Upon arrival at Madeline Hotel and Residences, Chef Morris enhanced the menu at Black Iron Kitchen & Bar, previously known at SMAK Bar, to include more shareable dishes and a menu that features his modern mountain take on casual family favorites. M Club, previously known at Restaurant REV, features an entirely new menu inspired by locally-sourced ingredients, including foraged mushrooms and regional cuts of steak, as well as Chef Morris’ signature shareable starter Jars.

Chef Morris arrived at Madeline Hotel and Residences following tenures as Executive Chef at Beaumont’s Eatery in San Diego, and The Truffle Pig in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. His culinary career began at Spiaggia in his native Chicago, working for celebrity chef Tony Mantuano. While at Spiaggia, Chef Morris immersed himself in a world-class culinary environment and sharpened his skills in refined Italian cooking. Ready to broaden his horizons, he then moved to New York City to work under the mentorship of esteemed Chef Zak Pelaccio where he discovered cooking as an all-encompassing form of self-expression. Chef Morris then returned to Chicago to work with Chef Michael Kornick at Mk, Chef Steven Wambach at Epic and at May Street Market.

Chef Morris’ passion for cooking began early in life, stemming from an interest in food when he started cooking at home at the age of seven. He attended the prestigious Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts.