Kirt Martin's passion for cooking is reflected in the ordinary to the extraordinary. His enthusiasm for cooking was first influenced by his French grandmother's cooking of wild game and by his mother, who is an incredible pastry and cuisine chef.

Kirt toured the Gulf of Tolkin in Vietnam with the U.S. Navy, expanding his culinary horizons in every port of call. After completing his tour of duty, he took the helm as the third generation in the family's restaurant for almost two decades, drawing acclaim from food critic Oliver Town as "an oasis in southern Minnesota's dining desert." Eager to embrace new challenges, Kirt moved to Idaho in 1988, falling in love with the beautiful scenic wilderness, abundant wildlife, and the people of the Magic Valley.