FOOD & DRINK
SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 3, 2022
Food & Drink
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Chef �ills The Living Room’s missing ingredient BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer
W
hen Tom Kaufman opened The Living Room at DC Ranch in 2014, he knew he wanted to differentiate his business from other wine bars and restaurants in the Valley. He decorated his dining room with plush seating, offered myriad wine options and utilized every inch he could of a kitchen he describes as being smaller than his bathroom. Yet, Kaufman still felt there was a missing ingredient to elevate The Living Room from a neighborhood wine lounge to a recognized restaurant. “When I wrote the business plan, I said to myself and the possible investor, ‘I don’t want to be one of 10,000 restaurants in Arizona and I don’t want to be one of six or
Owner Tom Kaufman and chef BJ Dalumpinis have become the dynamic duo behind The Living Room at DC Ranch. (David Minton/Progress Staff Photographer)
seven lounges. I equate this place more to a resort lounge,’” Kaufman recalled. “I’m a wine guy and I always wanted to do a wine bar that wasn’t cork dorky. I wanted it to be more a place to come and hang out that still has great wine options.” Kaufman also became alarmed when he learned of statewide criteria an establishment has to meet to be de�ined as a restaurant. “Arizona has certain criteria for certain liquor licenses. So, to be de�ined as a restaurant, you have to sell at least 40% food,” he said. “So we were, with all humility, popular and we sold a lot of wine and alcohol but I wanted to have great food offerings because that’s that sustainability in the restaurant business. Buyers come and go, but if you have great food that’s the anchor of a great restaurant.” In its �irst year of selling food, the food accounted for 39% of the restaurant’s sales, allowing Kaufman to get a six-month extension to get over the hump set by state regulations. The Living Room at DC Ranch cleared the hurdle but Kaufman still knew there was room for improvement in the cuisine that was marched from his kitchen to his tables. That was until 2021, when a chef who had been raised in Hawaii and graduated from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Scottsdale (formerly the Scottsdale Culinary Institute) in 2007 reached out to Kaufman’s corporate chef about working in his restaurant. In came BJ Dalumpinis, who had worked in restaurants since he was 14 and had a plethora of skills and knowledge when it came to cooking various dishes. Dalumpinis immediately impressed Kaufman with his kitchen prowess and Kaufman decided to further invest in his kitchen by doubling its size. He purchased an additional 424 square feet of space from a neighboring business to �it two walk-in coolers that
Chef BJ Dalumpinis has added his skills in the kitchen to The Living Room at DCRanch. (David Minton/Progress Staff Photographer)
he could �ill with ice-cold beverages and fresh vegetables. Kaufman also invested in induction burners and reach- refrigerators for his kitchen to take his cuisine to the next level. With top-of-the-line equipment purchased, Kaufman tasked his new chef with devising a new menu that would sensationalize customers’ tastebuds. “We worked on (the menu) for about a month and that month consisted of a lot of tasting, a lot of experimenting and knowing what goes good with what,” Dalumpinis said. Since revamping the menu, Dalumpinis has seen several tickets print for items like The Living Room’s heirloom salad, housemade lobster potstickers and prime rib sliders. As the weather begins to heat up, Dalumpinis has also noticed diners dash to his �ish options. Dalumpinis has also found a way to take advantage of his restaurant’s laid-back atmosphere and cook each culinary concoction to perfection for patrons who are patiently willing to wait for their perfect
pairing to their choice of beverages. “We’re a lounge, so there’s no ticket time. With normal restaurants that have an appetizer, a main course and a dessert and they have a 2-hour turn time, it’s kind of predictable,” Kaufman said. “Here, I have no idea how long somebody is going to stay. I’ve had come in at 5 p.m. and they’re still here at 12:30 a.m. Because it’s a lounge and they’re partying, I’m not looking to turn the tables.” Because of this, Dalumpinis feeds off of the laid-back atmosphere of his establishment of employment and utilizes every second to spruce up his dishes to the best of his availability. “It’s fun to work here. You have to keep it light and have fun with what you’re doing, otherwise, you are just going to be miserable,” Dalumpinis said. Kaufman also reported that his gamble has paid off as his cuisine now rivals his alcoholic beverage sales and he has 50% of his sales coming from both categories. Information: livingroomwinebar.com
