Finding one’s path in life is often the result of a series of winding roads. Each of these award-winning chefs, for example, fell in love with cooking under deliciously different circumstances, and today they are all in Valley kitchens collectively raising the culinary bar every day.
Sammy DeMarco, Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen
Brooklyn-born Sammy DeMarco grew up in a big Italian family, cooking with his great-grandparents often. However, he never considered becoming a chef until he took a home economics class to meet girls. Blowing the women and teacher away with his talent, he decided to try doing it professionally. By 1994, he was leading his own New York eatery and would eventually be recruited by Steve Wynn to develop concepts in Las Vegas. His culinary prowess has taken him around the world, but last year, he chose Scottsdale as his family’s forever home and Andaz Scottsdale’s Weft & Warp as his home kitchen. AndazScottsdale.com
Sara Garrant, Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina
Sara Garrant grew up in a family of salmon fishermen in Alaska, where it was common to cook the day’s fresh catch on the dock. By the time she was a teen, Garrant was skilled at catching and cooking a variety of fish herself, so much so that after graduating high school, she enrolled in culinary school in Canada and then made her way to the U.S. to cook on a grander scale. After wowing guests at Fontainebleau Michael Mina 74 and Fairmont Grand Del Mar, she became executive chef of Bourbon Steak at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in 2018. ScottsdalePrincess.com
Raul Del Pozo, Prime Steak Concepts
As the research and development chef at Prime Steak Concepts, Raul Del Pozo is charged with innovating new dishes for Steak 44, Dominick’s Steakhouse, and Ocean 44, a role he relishes because it gives him the chance to marry art and science. However, he initially planned an entirely different scientific route, earning his degree in nuclear medicine and physics. Thankfully, he worked in kitchens during his studies, and eventually his passion for “food science” won out. After roles with a slew of award-winning eateries across the country, Del Pozo found his new home with Prime Steak Concepts earlier this year. PrimeSteakConcepts.com
Chris Curtiss, North Italia
Chris Curtiss helped set up farmers’ markets while in high school. In addition to a paycheck, Curtiss was compensated with unique ingredients from the various vendors. He and his mother delighted in crafting recipes with them. Despite his passion, Curtiss studied psychology and business in college. Throwing caution to the wind, he left school senior year to follow his dreams, first working at a winery and then getting into the kitchen for good. He served as North Italia’s opening chef in 2002, and 20-plus years later, he serves as the fast-growing brand’s corporate chef and director of culinary research and development nationwide. NorthItalia.com
Gregory James, Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, A Gurney’s Resort & Spa
Gregory James’ parents owned a restaurant in his native Wisconsin that had a tiny window separating the front and back of the house. As a child, James would watch diners’ faces through that window, so moved by their delight in the dishes that he began cooking. That window began James on a journey to the Culinary Institute of America and on edible adventures across Europe, Asia, and much of the U.S. In 2023, friend and fellow chef Beau MacMillan encouraged him to take on the enormity of the culinary operations at Sanctuary, including leading its iconic signature eatery, Elements. GurneysResort.com
Russell LaCasce, ZuZu
Ever seen a house on stilts? While not the norm here, it is common for seaside homes to be built on them in Russell LaCasce’s home state of South Carolina. As a child, LaCasce delighted in hunting under his stilted house for fresh oysters, kick-starting his love affair with food. Initially more an eater than a creator, LaCasce worked several jobs in other areas of hospitality before relocating to Arizona in 2006 for culinary school, which changed his life. He found experience and mentorship here, especially at Sanctuary, before becoming executive chef of ZuZu at Hotel Valley Ho in 2017. EatAtZuZu.com