Alex Slagle joined the Mountain Standard & Sweet Basil team as the Chef de Tournant in May of 2024. Going by his last name Slagle (because there are at least 3 Alex’s at all times in the kitchen he says).
Originally from Cinicnnati, Ohio, Chef Slagle originally moved from Vail in 2014. His childhood best friend was moving to St. George, Utah and he impulsively quit his job, offered to help drive and headed west. He had no money, no car, no fallback plan and no idea what to do next. He wanted to prove he could make it, not only to survive, but to thrive. He refused to accept failure and removed the option to quit or give up. Through hard work and dedication, he has built a very successful career in the valley.
Without any formal education in the culinary arts, Chef Slagle built his career from the ground up starting in 2010 as a busboy. From there he worked as a cook, Sous Chef, Chef de Partie, and farm hand. Notably, he was a cook, Sous Chef, Executive Sous Chef and Executive Chef at Grouse Mountain Grill of Beaver Creek, CO. Before his time at Sweet Basil and Mountain Standard he was the Executive Sous Chef and Executive Chef at Zach’s Cabin, Arrowhead Yurt, Bachelor Gulch Club, and Red Sky Ranch Golf of Beaver Creek, CO.
When asked what got him interested in restaurants he said:
I’ve been very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with some incredibly gifted chefs. It is fascinating learning new techniques and sharing ideas and philosophies ways of thinking with mentors and chefs I look up to. For me it is an endless amount of knowledge for an endless hunger to learn.
On his days off you can find him with his two-year old Newfoundland mix, Barbara Coal. They enjoy hiking, running, and hunting/foraging for mushrooms.
