AZ Insider: He Won Chef of the Year Western Region

 
 
 

Kathy Shayna Shocket has the inside view on the stories that make headlines.

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Why the Country Club at DC Ranch is celebrating.

When Executive Chef Lenard Rubin pops his head out of the busy kitchen at the Country Club at DC Ranch, he’s stopped by member after member, wanting to chat. 

It’s burger night and Chef Lenny, as he’s affectionately known, is treated like family. In fact, some members eat his culinary creations at the club twice daily.  It’s their home away from home. 

Now Chef Lenny has a new title. That’s because he took home a bronze medal at the American Culinary Federation’s competition in Reno and was named Chef of the Year for the Western Region. “Being named the regional champion is the honor of a lifetime,” he says of the ACF honor presented at the Academy of Arts, Careers & Technology.   

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Chef Lenny (pictured above at the competition) vied against four other chefs at the ACF Western Regional Culinary Salon in Reno, Nevada. Here’s the dish he prepared in 1 hour 40 minutes: smoked maple-scented breast of pheasant, cooked sous vide, and roasted pheasant leg roulade; medley of chestnuts, wild mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, micro carrots, pearl onions and lardons; celeriac-potato puree; huckleberry agrodolce; sauce Périgueux; and micro celery!  

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While cooking at the CC at DC Ranch in north Scottsdale, Chef Lenny will now train to compete for the national title in Phoenix this summer. Pictured above is the part of the clubhouse's dining room. And check out the views in the photo below in another part of the restaurant of the Mcdowell Mountains, the golf course and city below!

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Chef Lenny says to train for the next competition, he'll meet with Chef Walter Leible. "He's the only Certified Master Chef in Arizona and has been my competition mentor and friend for nearly 30 years. He has competed, coached and judged in the highest levels of competitions nationally and internationally and knows what it takes to win."

"I am also required to choose a culinarian who is under the age of 21 to be my assistant during the competition. The next phase of training will be to practice executing the dishes with my assist within the parameters of the competition which I believe is two hours.  I’ll study as much as possible   I’ll study and practice as much as possible to get myself ready for the ultimate culinary throw-down! "

Congratulations Chef Lenny and the CC at DC Ranch!

kathy shayna shocket

Kathy Shayna Shocket is a freelance Writer and TV-Field Producer based in Phoenix, AZ. The former TV Reporter has also written for national publications such as TIME Magazine, MONEY Magazine, PEOPLE Magazine, the Hollywood Reporter and The NEW YORK TIMES. She can be reached at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it