Cindhura Reddy
Spuntino | Denver
April 2017
Cindhura Reddy fell in love with food while cooking alongside her Indian-born parents. A Cleveland native, Reddy studied government and pre-law at Oberlin and was on the path to becoming a lawyer when her classmate and future husband, Elliot Strathmann, convinced her to follow her passion.
After graduating, Reddy and Strathmann moved to Philadelphia, where she attended culinary school and joined the opening team of Mike Solomonov’s Zahav. Reddy absorbed Zahav’s vibrant flavors and soulful cooking while working for Solomonov for four years. She and Strathmann married in 2011, and the couple went on an epic eating adventure through Southeast Asia and Europe, picking up techniques and ideas in nearly two dozen countries. They worked on a farm in Abruzzo and on a winery in Tuscany, and Reddy fully embraced Italian cuisine.
Upon their return, she and Strathmann moved to Colorado in search of their next project. In 2014, six months after Strathmann took over the bar program at Spuntino, Reddy joined the team as chef de cuisine, working under ChefOwners John Broening and Yasmin Lozada-Hissom and earning a spot on Zagat’s “30 Under 30” list. The next year, Reddy and Strathmann took over the restaurant, making it all their own with Strathmann’s robust house amari program and Reddy’s brand of Italian cuisine accented with Indian touches and global influences. The duo expanded their reach in 2018 with the opening of Namkeen, which serves South Indian street food in the Zeppelin Station food hall.
