Cochinito Taqueria

Travis first discovered the restaurant business at the age of 15, washing dishes at the Coeur d’Alene Resort in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho. He soon found himself cooking on the line, and directing their famous Sunday brunch program. He came to Portland to enroll in the Western Culinary Institute, graduating at the top of his class in 2000. Travis took a job as a sauté cook at Hall Street Grill in 1999. He soon worked his way up to become Sous Chef and was directing the dinner program. Between shifts, Travis took the time to travel, eating his way through Napa, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Europe. Along the line, he found time to work guest shifts in the kitchens of Chez Panisse in Berkley, CA and Fife, Sel Gris and Clark Lewis in Portland. After nine years at Hall Street, Travis realized it was time to further develop his craft and left to help reopen Genoa and its café, Accanto, as Sous Chef. “Accanto was a great experience, and a chance to work with a very talented crew and the best local ingredients we could find”, says Travis. After a successful opening and first four months at Accanto, Travis was given the opportunity to come back to Hall Street Grill as Executive Chef. It was one he couldn't pass up. “Hall Street has been a huge part of my life for ten years now, and the chance to come back and recreate the menu was impossible to pass on”. Travis returned with a focus on updating the menu and taking advantage of Oregon’s bounty of local product. In 4 years as Executive Chef at Hall Street Grill, Chef Dickinson completely updated the menu, grew sales to record breaking numbers and reinvented the concept at the restaurant. In September of 2014, Travis made the move back to his roots in the Eastern Washington/North Idaho area and accepted the position as Executive Chef at Clover restaurant in Spokane, WA. He worked to bring a new style of food and focus on top quality, sustainable product to the Spokane restaurant scene. In December of 2017 Travis left Clover to begin work on Cochinito Taqueria, his casual taco concept focused on using fine dining ingredients and technique in a more approachable setting. Cochinito opened in February of 2018 and has become a staple of Spokane’s growing food scene. Cochinito combines fine dining technique, product and sourcing in an approachable taqueria atmosphere. In its first year it was voted by the Spokane Culinary Arts Guild as “Best New Restaurant”, “Best Restaurant-Fast Casual”, “Best Tacos” and “Best Front of the House” as well as receiving positive reviews in The Spokesman Review, 1889 Magazine, Spokane/Coeur D Alene Living and The Inlander Magazine.

Justin Curtis was born in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and outside of a brief period working in Elko, Nevada and spending a portion of his college career at Boise State University he has remained in the area all of his life. He currently resides in Hayden, Idaho with his wife, two sons (9 & 6 years old), and daughter (1 year old). Justin began his career in restaurants at the age of 16 as a dishwasher at a local restaurant. He has continued to work in restaurants ever since, working his way through college and eventually putting his bachelor’s degree in business management, from Lewis and Clark State College, to use as an assistant manager at the Cedars Floating Restaurant. Through the experience he gained in this position he was able to move into the role of general manager and ultimately had the opportunity to open and manage the front of house at the Clover Restaurant, one of Food and Wine magazines top 100 bars in America. Justin was instrumental in developing the systems and service practices that have made Clover one of the most respected restaurants in the city. Justin has built regular clientele at Clover, and in doing so has built his reputation as one of the best managers in Spokane. This experience along with other restaurants he has worked at along the way has allowed him to excel in both behind the scenes budgeting and planning as well as upfront communication and promotions with the community. Justin is well versed in service practices, all aspects of the beverage program, and all financial and management functions required to run a successful restaurant. His passion for greatness in personnel, product, and service challenges those around him to reach their potential while making it apparent to all who meet him that he truly cares.