Taste
CUISINE
CHEF CONVERSATIONS In the kitchen with Brendan Ayers, senior executive chef at The Henry
BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ / PHOTO BY MARK MORGAN
Chef Brendan Ayers focuses on developing recipes and cooking simple yet hearty dishes ranging from handmade pastas to truly great steaks and fish. So, you are a locally grown culinary success story? Practically – our family moved to Scottsdale from California when I was in third grade. I graduated from Horizon High School – go Huskies! – in 1999. Did you always plan on being a chef? I initially studied architecture at Arizona State University – math always came easy to me. However, sitting still at a drafting table all day did not. I always worked part time in restaurants, but really got the bug after cooking a special dinner for my family. Their shock and awe it brought – and resulting support – changed the course of my life. If you weren’t a chef, you’d probably be: In real estate. What was your big break? After leaving ASU for a specialized culinary program at Scottsdale Community College, I had some great opportunities, but the biggest early on was earning a spot as sous chef at Tarbell’s back in 2004, followed by a position with the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa. Then, of course, joining the Fox Restaurant Concept (FRC) family in 2010. One can’t-miss dish from The Henry’s new fall menu: Don’t miss the roasted pork loin ($24) with apple sage stuffing, wilted spinach and drip pan squash. Tell us a non-culinary fact readers would be surprised to know about you: I can play the drums. I also love to golf and “zen out” with my son as he trains in taekwondo. What food is your guilty pleasure? As funny as it sounds, I love me some Haribo gummy bears. The Henry, 4455 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix; 602.429.8020; www.foxrc.com.
Uptown October '17
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