cuisine La Bocca Wine Bar & Urban Kitchen dishes out Italian-inspired creations in an approachable, contemporary setting. Chef Danny Rubio, who also oversees the restaurant’s other Valley locations, shares his background and what diners can look forward to sampling and sipping.
CHEF CONVERSATIONS
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE LA BOCCA’S MENU? Like most of the best wines here, we are a blend. La Bocca brings together the best of both the Mediterranean and Italy itself – from fresh basil and creamy hummus to savory bruschetta and housemade pasta.
In the kitchen with Danny Rubio, chef and kitchen manager for La Bocca Wine Bar & Urban Kitchen BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ
DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE A CHEF? Absolutely not. It wasn’t until I was 16, as a butcher for my father’s meat shop, that I even handled food. While I could prepare any standard cut of meat with the best of them by age 18, when I got to ASU, I studied communication arts, not culinary ones. I took a few jobs at pizza shops, which ignited my passion. By the time I joined La Bocca as a line cook just 18 months ago, I had twice the experience of most people my age. That experience put me on the fast track – both to learn and to lead.
PHOTO BY CARL SCHULTZ
HOW DO YOU APPROACH RUNNING YOUR KITCHEN? My goal is to be someone people love to work with and to learn from. While the job can certainly get stressful, and the hours can be long, we work in one of the most innovative, exciting industries out there. So when you are in my kitchen – act like it. Have fun, work hard and learn from each other every day. And smile! LA BOCCA IS A WINE BAR, BUT HOW IS YOUR TEAM WORKING TO EXPAND ITS BEVERAGE MENU? Our team of chefs has actually been working with a master mixologist, J.T. Tillman, to pair our menu with an entirely new lineup of cocktails. The stand-out for me has to be the Bocca Old Fashioned, where we make the Old Fashioned new using Buffalo Trace Bourbon, figgy pudding, orange bitters and cinnamon. It is beyond perfect with our bruschetta, especially the prosciutto and fig. WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER CHEFS JUST STARTING OUT? Aside from always tasting and always experimenting, I recommend local chefs learn a foreign language, even just a few key words and phrases. If you are working in a kitchen in Arizona, many of your team members will be diverse. There is no better way to earn respect than by giving it to them from the onset by understanding their language and culture. I’m fluent in Spanish and use it constantly within our team. La Bocca, 5415 E. High St., Phoenix; 480.840.1799; www.laboccanorth.com.
SO SCOTTSDALE! |
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| FEBRUARY 2016
1/25/16 12:18 PM