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wo restaurants inspired by south-of-theborder flavors, La Hacienda and Toro Latin Restaurant & Rum Bar, are a delicious part of the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess’ awardwinning culinary program, and we got to know the mastermind behind them both. How did you get your start as a chef? I initially went to school for psychology and then nursing. It wasn’t until I worked at an oyster bar in San Diego that I found my calling, though you would never guess it from week one. On one of my first days, which happened to be the same week as my wedding, I was eager to show I could shuck an oyster with the best of them. I ran the knife all the way up that oyster but didn’t stop once I hit my fingers. Two days later, with stitches and my hand wrapped up, I walked down the aisle to marry the love of my life. It has all been uphill from there, in more ways than one.
CHEF CONVERSATIONS In the kitchen with Forest Hamrick, executive chef at two Fairmont Scottsdale Princess restaurants BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ PHOTO BY CARL SCHULTZ
Tell us about your journey to the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. After a few years shucking oysters – which I did master, by the way – I moved to Arizona to enroll in culinary school. I got lucky and secured an externship at Lon’s at the Hermosa Inn, where I met my first real mentor in Chef Patrick Poblete. I stayed with Lon’s well after graduation, eventually becoming their sous chef. From there, I helped open a few spots in Scottsdale before joining the Princess team in 2003. All these years later, I am still here. I love what the Princess has become, and I look forward to what we will offer in the future. Please share a few stories from your time at the Princess. I’ve had the pleasure of working with master chef, restaurateur and TV personality Richard Sandoval for many years at both La Hacienda and Toro, so the stories abound. A few years ago, I traveled with him to the James Beard House in New York to cook a Mexicaninspired dinner for some of the biggest and brightest culinary thought leaders across the globe. Perhaps the only thing that topped that was traveling to Mexico to prepare a feast for the Governor of Puebla, who was hosting 300 world leaders in his city. What are a few stand-out items on your current menus? At La Hacienda, people go nuts for our lobster tacos. And at Toro, try the El Papi, which is an Argentinian sausage wrapped in bacon with homemade Peruvian red chile salsa and chipotle mayonnaise. What’s a fun fact not everyone knows? I love Mexican culture. I’ve been visiting Mexico for 40-plus years and have spoken and written the language my entire life. My wife, who is Hispanic, says I have the “heart of a Mexican and the body of an American.” I’ll take it. 7575 E. Princess Drive, Scottsdale; 480.585.4848; www.scottsdaleprincess.com.
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| MARCH 2016
2/22/16 11:02 PM