Meet the Chefs at Hotel Alex Johnson Restaurants

STORY BY DOWNTOWN RAPID CITY PHOTOS BY VISIT RAPID CITY

Carrie Cisle and Chris Stamp come from two very different backgrounds. After joining forces in 2014, they have used their experiences to craft menus and create remarkable food for Paddy O’Neill’s and Vertex Skybar at Rapid City’s iconic Hotel Alex Johnson.

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Carrie Cisle relocated to Rapid City in 1993 to be closer to family. After a short career in the tech industry and part owner of the Tip Top Motel in Downtown Rapid City, Carrie found herself at the Canyon Lake Chophouse (now Canyon Lake Resort), where she worked as the Sales, Restaurant, and Kitchen Manger. Over time she found her passion in catering, which was a perfect fit for The Chophouse. “We had so many great events for the community; we watched people grow up,” Carrie reflected. “We did their 16th birthday, their graduation, their wedding, and their baby shower. We were part of the community in so many ways.”

Looking back there are two events that stand out the most for Carrie so far in her career. She and her staff were contracted with the US Forest Service to feed hundreds of firefighters during regional forest fires. And in 2021, she was able to cater an event called Under Canvas at Mt. Rushmore. This was a highend “glamping” event outside of Keystone. Carrie got to execute a large-scale catering event several miles from her home base at the Hotel Alex Johnson, but it was a perfect marriage with her culinary companion, Chef Chris Stamp.

Chris Stamp grew up working in his family’s Italian restaurant in the southside of Chicago. Like most cooks, he got his start in the kitchen doing dishes and worked his way to line cook at 15. When Chris and some members of his family began finding trouble in the Chicago streets, he felt it was best to move to a quieter area closer to extended family. “My grandfather retired from the military here in Rapid City, and I was taking care of my brothers and sisters…we needed to get out of the cities,” Stamp explained. “I had gone to culinary school in Minneapolis. When I got back to Chicago, I got caught up in that kitchen lifestyle, and I had to make a change,” he added.

That change led Chris to bounce around kitchens in the Rapid City area and even a stint in Montana before leaving the kitchen to help his father-in-law with his painting business.

It was one phone call that changed Chris’ mind about cooking.

“The general manager of Hotel Alex Johnson at the time called and asked if I wanted to come to AJ’s and help revive the food and beverage here,” Stamp explained. Not long after, he accepted. “I started as the sous chef working with Carrie to elevate the menu and food experience at AJ’s.”

When asked what their first thoughts of working together with such a tall task in front of them, Chris’s response was simple: “When I first met Carrie, I made her some food and she told me that it was good, but she wasn’t going to put up with any […],” laughed Stamp. Carrie added, “I had been burned by chefs previously, but Chris is different, he is a people person and a people pleaser, he is not your typical chef so he’s easy to work with.”

This partnership has turned the food around at both Paddy O’Neill’s and Vertex.

Carrie’s expertise in catering allows the food from Chef Chris to make it to the tenth floor of the Alex Johnson. “There are so many aspects from the catering world that apply here at AJ’s. Our kitchen is on the second floor, and we have to make sure that food makes it up 8 floors to the Vertex and still be hot and presentable,” Carrie explained. “I’m passionate about my food, and Carrie and I make a good team because my ideas play out on a plate, and we are able to give people a good experience despite some logistical hurdles,” added Stamp. With additional upgrades coming to the Alex Johnson, including a kitchen on the 10th floor, the creations from Carrie and Chris should become easier to execute moving forward. There is also an additional elevator being added to better help the culinary experience at the hotel for room service and execution at Paddy O’Neill’s and Vertex Sky Bar. The dynamic duo of Carrie and Chris have participated in 7 restaurant weeks and will continue to come up with great food as long as they remain a team.