While the newest or glitziest restaurants tend to dominate today’s social media feeds, some places have fed a city long enough to become a part of its culinary identity. Vincent on Camelback in Phoenix is one of them.
Since its debut in 1986, Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame Chef Vincent Guerithault, alongside his wife Leevon, continues a legacy that outlasts trends. “I’ll be celebrating 57 years in the kitchen,” says Guerithault, reflecting on a career that has taken him from France to Chicago and then Arizona. He was the first Arizona chef to win a James Beard Award (Best Chef: Southwest in 1993) and the first chef to be recognized with the International Food & Wine Society’s Citation of Excellence. In addition to stacks of local accolades, he’s garnered praise worldwide, from France’s recognition of Officier de L’Ordre du Mérite Agricole to a spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
A French native, Guerithault sharpened his skills at Paris landmarks like Maxim’s and Fauchon to build a classical foundation that later led to his signature style—letting the Southwest speak through French techniques. Nearly forty years on, that approach still draws devoted regulars and delighted newcomers for his celebrated cuisine and award-winning wine list, in addition to hands-on cooking classes and wine club memberships.
Early signatures like duck tamales and lobster chimichangas remain, joining newer dishes such as plump sea scallops and roasted endive, New York strip steak paired with black olive sauce and potato dominoes, and lobster and golden chanterelles in a basil-flecked beurre blanc. Local purveyors are part of the story, too. “They’re great people who do a wonderful job elevating the scene with their products,” Guerithault says of Chula Seafood and Hypha Foods, whose seafood and mushrooms appear throughout the menu.
For a more relaxed experience, Guerithault added Vincent’s Market Bistro next door in 2003. The equally charming spot features iconic dishes like smoked salmon quesadillas and stuffed poblano peppers with classic bistro fare of trout amandine and steak frites, along with a chalkboard list of seasonal specials.
Join us as we learn more about one of Arizona’s culinary icons.
What brought you to Arizona?
I arrived in November 1979 to open a restaurant in North Scottsdale on Pinnacle Peak called Oaxaca. I was in charge of the French side of a kitchen, which I shared with Mexican chefs. It was very interesting. We had mariachis, and the menu had French dishes on the left and Mexican dishes on the right. After two or three months, the owner split the operation, and I had Vincent’s French Cuisine on the ground floor while Oaxaca was on the second floor.
How did that influence Vincent on Camelback?
When we opened in early January in 1986, I wanted to incorporate my French techniques with what I had learned looking over the shoulder of those Mexican chefs. So instead of doing, let’s say, lobsters, I would do lobster chimichangas, or smoked salmon quesadillas, or duck tamales. I think I was the first one in Phoenix to do something people called French-Mex. It gave me the opportunity to showcase really different, interesting dishes.
Why do you think it still resonates today?
I think it’s the creativity. Using foie gras is great. But using foie gras with poblano chile is different. We try to have fun without making things too crazy or too spicy to overpower the French wines we have.
What dishes have been on the menu since day one?
Our rack of lamb with bell pepper jelly, poblano chile with wild mushroom duxelles and goat cheese, and the duck tamales, lobster chimichangas, and smoked salmon quesadillas. We’re always coming up with new things, but those are still very popular, and it would be difficult to remove them from the menu.
Tell me about your cooking classes.
Most of the food TV shows today are dramas, and I miss shows like Julia Child and Jacques Pépin, where you really were learning things. I thought the classes would be a good opportunity for us to teach people how to make sauces, souffles, crepes, or croissants, or how to trim a beef tenderloin. We teach small groups in the bistro dining room, and it’s been very successful.
How do you create new dishes?
I’m always researching. When our family goes back to France, we visit all kinds of restaurants—from fancy to simple—and I’m always thinking, how could I incorporate a Southwest influence? If you are creative, you always find a way to learn. And it’s interesting to see what the younger chefs are doing and what the younger generations like. We have three sons in their thirties, two who are interested in continuing the business, and it’s good to listen to what they have to say. Where do they go? What are they looking for?
How has Vincent on Camelback stood the test of time?
The scene has changed so much, but I don’t always agree with the trends—on both sides of the Atlantic. Lately, it seems like restaurants here need to be noisy with huge bars, so we navigate those challenges. We might not be loud or have that big bar, but in a way, that makes us more special. We just try to do the best we can. Every day is a different show, and when you look back, forty years have gone by very fast. It would be so easy to slow down, but it’s more fun to keep going.
written by: christina barrueta
photographed by: luke irvin
𖡡 3930 east camelback road, phoenix, az 85018