Executive Chef & Owner
Hosea Rosenberg is the Executive Chef and Owner of Santo, his second restaurant concept located in Boulder, CO. In 2011, he started Blackbelly; originally as a boutique catering operation with a farm and food truck. The business eventually evolved into an acclaimed restaurant in its brick- and- mortar location in 2014, followed by the opening of Boulder's only independent whole animal butchery, Blackbelly Butcher. Rosenberg's menus always highlight seasonal ingredients and utilize responsibly raised animals, with flavor being paramount.
The Chef's culinary path began while earning a degree in Engineering Physics at the University of Colorado. The jobs he held in multiple restaurants as a means to pay for school helped him discover that his life's passion was in the kitchen. During his formative years, he trained under established chefs such as Wolfgang Puck, Kevin Taylor and Dave Query. This experience and his competitive work ethic prepared him to achieve national culinary fame as the winner of Bravo TV's Top Chef, Season 5, in 2009.
To date, he has achieved numerous accolades such as: Best Chef of Denver International Wine Festival, Guest Chef at the James Beard House in NYC, and he was recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration as a business owner inspiring the entrepreneurial spirit of the nation. Santo was awarded recognition by the Michelin Guide in 2023 and 2024 as a recommended restaurant for its quality ingredients and skillful preparation. And, Chef Hosea was named a James Beard Semifinalist for Best Chef Mountain region in 2025.
Head Chef
Chris Canales began his career in the kitchen at the ripe age of 12 years old at Giovanni's, an Italian restaurant and grocer, and an institution where he grew up in Orange County, California. Known for its fresh pastas, pizza and chianti, the family business was passed down through generations who were friends of Chris' family. What started as a job washing dishes and bussing tables in exchange for free pizza, led to rolling dough, prepping the line, working the meat slicer, and learning to make handmade pasta from first-generation- Italian grandparents, the original owners. This experience clarified his culinary path forward, and, although Chris went on to work in other esteemed restaurants in Southern California, he was always a reliable help to the family operation at Giovanni's until it ultimately closed in the early 2000's.
At the age of 22, Chris was ready for a change of environment and moved to Colorado to work at Toscanini in Beavercreek Village. While enjoying his stint in the world class ski town, he was unexpectedly offered an amazing opportunity back in California to be the Chef de Cuisine of a brand- new fine dining concept, Palazzo Guiseppe, in San Luis Obispo. He was inspired by their earnest farm- to- table ethos, the fresh caught fish they accessed off the coast daily to put on the plate, and their ability to grow heirloom san Marzano tomatoes, Italian cucumbers, and other seeds transplanted from Italy to their restaurant property. After an incredible experience leading the charge at Palazzo Guiseppe, Colorado was still in Chris's heart, and he decided to move back to the Rocky Mountains with his wife in 2008. He started working at The Kitchen in Boulder, and then accepted a Sous Chef position at Gold Lake Mountain Resort, where he bought goats from Haystack Mountain and made goat cheese on a regular basis, picked lettuces out of the garden, and created a new menu every day. From there he took a leap into working in an urban milieu in the city of Denver, as Sous Chef of Trillium cooking Scandinavian food. This was followed by a stretch as Sous at Olivea, a Mediterranean restaurant under the mentorship of Chef John Broening. Eventually ready to work closer to his home in Nederland, Chris became the Executive Chef of Greek-inspired Volta in Boulder, followed by the Head Chef position at Salto, creating a thoughtful menu of café food with fresh pastas.
Chris became the Head Chef here at Santo, running all aspects of the kitchen, starting in the Fall of 2019. It is due to his hard work, talent, sense of leadership and creativity that Santo has thrived under the global stresses of the pandemic. His ability to continuously pivot while keeping the menu delicious, the business viable, and maintain a positive outlook, has been key to Santo's continued designation as an outstanding dining destination in Boulder.
General Manager
Sam joined the Santo family in 2022, beginning behind the bar, where they quickly became known for their warm hospitality, thoughtful attention to detail, and genuine ability to connect with guests. Whether guiding someone through the menu, mixing a delicious santo margarita, or creating an atmosphere that felt welcoming to both regulars and first-time visitors, Sam became an integral part of the Santo experience. After stepping away briefly to work on a farm and gain a new perspective on food and agriculture, they returned to the restaurant in the spring of 2026. Dedication, natural leadership, and deep commitment to the team led Sam to step into the role of General Manager shortly thereafter.
Their appreciation for New Mexican cuisine began while serving at a New Mexican restaurant in Santa Cruz and quickly grew into a genuine passion. Visits to New Mexico to reconnect with friends introduced Sam to the region's vibrant food culture, along with what they proudly describe as their first real breakfast burrito. They became fascinated by the central role that chiles play in everyday life and the deep connection between communities and their local food systems, a subject they had already explored extensively in college.
Sam credits former Santo General Manager, and now Morso General Manager, Irving Mares as a true mentor, admiring his thoughtful leadership, unwavering support of his team, and ability to create an environment where people felt both empowered and challenged to grow.
As General Manager, Sam's goal is simple: to ensure every guest leaves feeling genuinely welcomed, exceptionally well cared for, and wonderfully well fed, as though they've just shared a meal in the home of an old friend.
A 7% Kitchen Support Fee is added to every full service dining check. Unlike simply increasing menu prices, which primarily increases gratuities for front-of-house staff while also raising guests' overall dining costs, this fee allows us to simply provide direct additional compensation to our hourly kitchen team. 100% of the Kitchen Support Fee is distributed to our hourly back-of-house staff.
This approach helps reduce the longstanding wage gap between front- and back-of-house employees, complies with state regulations governing tip distribution, and supports a healthier, more sustainable workplace.
Any additional gratuity you choose to leave is entirely optional and is distributed to our front-of-house service team.
If you have any questions about this policy, please contact Chef/Owner Hosea Rosenberg at hosea@lpiggy.com.
