Q & A: Chef Scott Conant of Mora Italian

 
 
 

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It is safe to say that Chef Scott Conant is a busy man, with the recent opening of Phoenix's super well-received Mora Italian. However, the superstar chef is making time to do a meet-and-greet with fans at the Maricopa County Home & Landscape Show, March 3 to 5 at University of Phoenix Stadium. Chef Conant has partnered with Sogno Toscano to launch VARRO Select, a line of 40-year aged balsamic vinegar, Fattoria Suvereto olive oil, sun dried tomatoes, olives and artichokes, and he will be on site 12 to 2 p.m. each day to discuss what is in store for the brand. Here, we chat with Chef Conant about Mora, his local favorites and tips for at-home chefs.

 


 

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With the opening of Mora, your reception to Phoenix has been the warmest of welcomes. How has that felt? The fact of the matter is, I always just want everyone to be happy. My focus is streamlining and improving the experience all the time. I appreciate being welcomed, but I really want people to be blown away by Mora,

Have you developed any local favorites in the short time you have been in the Valley? Unfortunately, my work schedule hasn’t allowed for enough down time, but I’ve really come to appreciate the relationships I’ve created with chefs like Chris Bianco, Beau McMillan, Aaron May, Aaron Chamberlain, Justin Beckett, Gio Osso and many others here in the Valley.

At Mora, what do you have in store for spring? We are always making seasonal changes to the menu and are still in the process of perfecting the dishes that we have for the volume that we have been doing since we opened.

There are certain aspects of luxury at Mora (like bringing leftovers directly to valeted vehicles) that many people haven’t experienced before locally. Why are such experiences important to you? I always love little touches like that and those are the things people remember. It’s about taking hospitality and making it even more thoughtful.

What is it about Sogno Toscano that prompted you to want to partner with the brand? Sogno is a company that I’ve used for several years now. I have always appreciated their commitment to quality. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?

When choosing ingredients such as balsamic vinegar, what should at-home chefs know? When they choose something from Varro Selections, it’s a truly authentic product. It’s not over extracted or mixed with things to stretch it. It’s genuine and pure, truly great quality you can rely on.