COMPETITOR

Copper Onion Bistro

HEAD COOK: Kenneth Rakstad

COMPETITION: World Burger Championship

Chef Ken started cooking as a young man, both in his parents' house as well as the Boy Scouts where he was found often in the commissary of many camps helping in the kitchen. His father was a baker for 20 years and his stepfather was as good of a home cook as any seasoned chef both of which had a huge and amazing impact on him. As he began cooking in professional restaurants at 15 he quickly fell in love with the Kitchen life. He moved from Montana to Idaho to Oregon and Wyoming, he rounded out his early career improving his art working under an Italian and French trained Chef for 6 years honing his skills in everything from basic sauces, butchering beef and trimming seafood he finally landing back in Wyoming opening his first restaurant as Chef/Owner opening Coyote Creek Steakhouse in Rock Springs Wyoming at the young age of 27. After 9 years in big, beautiful Wyoming he decided to come back home to Montana where he soon bought and revived The Local Kitchen and Bar and then opening Copper Onion Bistro 3 years later. His burger expertise comes from a particular item served at Local Kitchen and Bar where they have what's called the "Staff Burger" where the customer orders it and the chef is challenged to make an off the menu burger for them on the fly using ingredients that are on hand. Each Staff burger has to be different for each guest for that evening, so it pushes him to learn to be creative in a second's notice. Being a chef for Ken has been the biggest and best parts of his life for over 30 years and the best part in that time has always been getting to know his guests and building a relationship with them over tasty drinks, great conversation and of course, amazing and relatable food. Greatest accomplishment is being able to bring his son Jace Molk and Chef Nathan Peterson to this competition.... Nathan worked with Ken as Sous Chef for nearly 15 years between Rock Springs and Billings and has now landed a Chef position at the Bask Steakhouse in Roswell Georgia. Teaching a skill that can be passed on to generations is not only priceless, honorable and never forgotten but cements your place in history.