about us
a bit about our family
paul c. reilly
executive chef + co-owner
more about paul
Paul C. Reilly is the co-owner/executive chef of beast+bottle, a rustic American craft restaurant in Denver centered on local, farm-focused food, which he co-owns with sister Aileen V. Reilly. Since opening in 2013, beast + bottle has earned multiple accolades, inclusions on ‘best restaurant’ lists and nods to its well-rounded beverage program. Drawing from his upbringing in New York’s lush Hudson Valley, Paul is committed to sourcing only the highest quality ingredients. Realizing the depth of his culinary passion while attending CU Boulder, he subsequently moved to Telluride, where he worked at award-winning restaurants Allred’s and 221 South Oak. Wanting to hone his skills even further, Paul returned to New York to attend the esteemed French Culinary Institute for formal culinary training. In 2004, chef moved back to Denver to help open the acclaimed Mirepoix, followed by a move to Executive Chef and Owner of Encore on Colfax, a longtime Denver favorite. Following Encore’s closure in 2012, Paul won the prestigious Jean-Louis Palladin Professional Work/Study Grant, issued to just eight chefs from around the world, and apprenticed at Browne Trading Company in Portland, Maine. In March 2013, Paul and Aileen opened beast + bottle, where Paul puts his unique spin on new American cuisine nightly. Paul’s constantly evolving menus highlight the creative use of whole animals and ingredients from the twenty plus local purveyors with whom the Reillys have partnered.
aileen v reilly
general manager + co-owner
more about aileen
Aileen V. Reilly is the co-owner and general manager of beast + bottle, a rustic American craft restaurant in Denver centered on local, farm-focused food. Aileen runs the front of house while her brother, Paul C. Reilly, mans the kitchen as co-owner/executive chef. Aileen began her culinary career early, working at a local Italian restaurant in high school and eventually managing the establishment. Leaving her home in New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley, Aileen enrolled at the University of Denver and pursued her restaurateur ambitions there. Upon graduating with a degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management, she moved to Los Angeles to work with Marriott International, simultaneously running several of the corporation’s restaurants. Aileen has experience in every position from back to front of house, but thrives in front of guests. In 2012, Aileen spent several months traveling in the Northern Rhone and Piedmont, studying the major wine regions of France and Italy. She was responsible for redesigning wine lists and instituting mixology programs at several restaurants in California before moving back to Denver to run Encore on Colfax with her brother. In March 2013, the pair opened beast + bottle, where Aileen has brought her extensive managerial experience and beverage expertise to create a carefully selected, approachable beverage program for guests to enjoy in the restaurant’s cozy interior space. beast +bottle’s meticulously curated wine list was chosen for Wine Spectator Magazine’s 2014 Restaurant Wine List Awards and as Westword’s Best By-the-Glass Wine List in 2014.
jp taylor, jr
wine director
more about jp
JP Taylor, Jr. is the ‘Wine Consigliere’, also known as the advisor of wine at beast + bottle. A Denver native, JP began his career in the kitchen, attending culinary school at Johnson & Wales in Denver. It soon became clear that JP’s passion lay in the front of the house, focusing on service, especially wine. In 2011, JP received a B.S. in Hospitality, Tourism, and Events from Metropolitan State University in Denver. During the summer of 2012, JP lived in both France and Italy, educating himself on how European culture shapes the way wine and food coalesce. This philosophy is what drives the wine program at beast + bottle. After a brief tenure at Denver’s Luca d’Italia, JP helped open beast + bottle as the wine director. He is also a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, while currently studying for Advanced Certification. In addition to several local awards, beast + bottle’s wine program was named among ‘Best Wine Lists 2014’ by Wine Spectator.
beast + bottle
719 e. 17th ave
denver, co 80203
take-out:
wednesday – saturday,
4:30-8:30pm
for media inquiries, please contact Baltz & Company:
sarah abell, sabell@baltzco.com