Former Vegas chef departs local hospital for his own gig

Chester Wright, head chef at the new Memorial Hospital North, has moved on.

The former executive chef at the Mirage in Las Vegas started working at the hospital when it opened in April and recently received funding to open his own restaurant in northern Colorado, said Joy Powell, Memorial Hospital North's vice president and administrator.

The hospital's Garden Terrace Cafe, which is building a reputation on serving gourmet-inspired healthy cuisine, is run by independent contractor Sodexho, which is narrowing the list of chef candidates, Powell said.

Four finalists are competing in a cooking contest with five-course meals administrators taste as part of the selection process for the job.

"We have people from the community coming daily to eat lunch and dinner here because of the good food and great prices," Powell said.