cuisine
CHEF CONVERSATIONS In the kitchen with Brady Cohen, executive chef of Salty Sow BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ PHOTO BY MARK MORGAN
Salty Sow serves contemporary farmhouse fare with a heart for what’s local and seasonal. Executive Chef Brady Cohen tells us about his journey to chefdom and the offerings at this American gastropub. WHY DID YOU BECOME A CHEF? When I was 14, my mom opened a coffee shop in my hometown of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where I got exposed to the restaurant industry. When I left for college, my roommates and I found ourselves with big appetites but no working oven or stove. So we improvised and came up with some pretty outrageous food. Though I was studying business, I got so into cooking that I transferred my scholarship funds to enroll in the Scottsdale Culinary Institute. TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY TO BECOMING AN EXECUTIVE CHEF. While at the Scottsdale Culinary Institute, I completed an externship at Epcot Center at Disney World. Once I came back, I connected with Fox Restaurant Concepts and worked for them in virtually every culinary position you could imagine. Eventually, however, I knew I wanted to train in fine dining in a culinary mecca. Thanks to help from my brother, I actually ended up in London on a work visa, working for Galvin at Windows, a Michelin star restaurant on the 30th floor of the Hilton Park Lane. HOW DID YOU END UP BACK IN AMERICA – AND AT SALTY SOW? For all reasons people do things: a girl, of course! I also missed home and was ready for a new challenge. When I saw Salty Sow would be opening, I met with the ownership team and everything clicked. We share very similar values – we respect the farmers and growers who provide our ingredients, the members of our team, and supporting local whenever possible. WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT IF THEY VISIT YOU AT SALTY SOW? Salty Sow is one of the area’s hidden gems and our patio is perfection. We like to think of ourselves as both a neighborhood bar and unpretentious gastropub focused on sustainable ingredients mindfully sourced from local farms and purveyors. Don’t miss our crisp chicken thighs and prime rib! We have a ton of regulars, and we work hard to give back to this community as it has given us so much. TELL US SOMETHING SURPRISING. Last November, in honor of the movie “Burnt” and its star Bradley Cooper, Marie Claire set out to find “America’s Most Eligible Chef Bachelors.” Somehow, I made this list. It was equal parts very kind and completely embarrassing. Salty Sow, 4801 E. Cactus Road, Phoenix; 602.795.9463; www.saltysow.com.
SO SCOTTSDALE! |
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| APRIL 2016
3/28/16 7:48 PM