Three different Coloradans win coveted James Beard Awards; find out which restaurants they run

Three different Coloradans won James Beard Awards on Monday night. The awards are the most coveted in the country's dining industry.

The awards were announced during the awards show held in Chicago this year.

Erika and Kelly Whitaker won the Outstanding Restaurateur award. The Whitakers operate Id Est Hospitality Group. Their Denver restaurants include Hey Kiddo, OK Yeah, Bruto and The Wolf's Tailor, and Basta in Boulder. The Wolf's Tailor and Bruto are two of the five Colorado's restaurants that have a Michelin star.

The Whitakers call themselves "food advocates" who strive for zero waste as much as possible and on stage, Kelly talked about their food supply system, which is focused on sustainability practices, while accepting the award.

"This year alone we've contracted and built with farmers over 200 acres of virginitive land for growing grains and milling flour and this isn't just applicable to our tasting menu restaurant, this is applicable for a pizza, it's applicable for a sandwich, so this is really touching restaurants everywhere in Colorado right now," he said.

Matt Vawter from Colorado's high country won the "Best Chef of the Mountain Region" award. Vawter is the chef at Rootstalk in Breckenridge and hopes the award will elevate the dining scene overall in Summit County.

Vawter worked in kitchens in Denver for several years and then "went out on my own and back to my hometown in Breckenridge," he said.

"It was really about bringing home what I've learned and sharing that with my community," he said in a Summit Daily YouTube video recorded at the awards show.