While today Dean Waziry is a successful lifestyle entrepreneur and restaurateur here in the Valley, his journey began in a vastly different desert. Waziry grew up in Cairo as one of six children in a […]
Some people are mama’s boys. TJ Culp will proudly tell you he is a grandma’s boy. And his being a grandma’s boy has been game-changing for the Arizona food scene. Born in Orange County, Culp’s […]
What do computer science, Olive Garden, and Amazon all have in common? All were central to Wael Yaziji’s journey to open Noor Mediterranean, a stunning fine-dining concept focused on ingredients and dishes from Yaziji’s heritage. […]
One of the Valley’s most ambitious culinary concepts all started with an Ember. Make that Embers. Long before Chef Tandy Peterson opened Tandy’s, her warmly eclectic all-day café and restaurant in the former Binkley’s and […]
There is a modern parable about two wolves. One feeds on anger, regret, chaos, and fear. The other thrives on joy, peace, love, and hope. The version of ourselves that ultimately wins, the story goes, […]
Long before launching Hi Noon Hospitality in 2022, Adam Strecker sharpened his skills with some of the country’s most respected operators. After studying hospitality in New Orleans, he joined Hillstone Restaurant Group, overseeing brands including […]
In 2007, self-taught cook Stacey Weber—who made national culinary headlines when she built the Arizona Cardinals’ lauded culinary department—launched a personal chef and catering company grounded in local ingredients and wellness-minded recipes. Despite her timing […]
Though only open for a few months, Heritage Kitchen + Cocktails has quickly become one of North Scottsdale’s most popular eateries, offering a dining experience that feels worldly yet warmly familiar. Created by three local […]
When Nick Hogan was a student at the University of Arizona in the early 1990s, he often treated himself to sushi dinners with friends. At the time, sushi was still considered a novelty in much […]
Chris “Nellie” Nelson’s path to creating one of Arizona’s most beloved culinary institutions started thousands of miles away from the desert. Born in Connecticut and raised between Miami and northern Virginia, Nelson grew up surrounded […]
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