In the September issue of Arizona Foothills Magazine, we unveiled the top 11 chefs in the Valley based on votes by dozens of most talented local culinary luminaries. Here, we reveal each chef’s complete Q & A. Get to know Chef Anthony DeMuro of Different Pointe of View.
Has the culinary arts always been your passion?
Yes, culinary arts has always been my passion. My mother and grandmother were great cooks. My first job was also in a kitchen, so I’ve been around food all my life
Tell me about your first culinary job.
It was a small Italian restaurant where we made pizza, pasta and good classic Italian food. I started as a dishwasher and quickly moved up to the sauté station and pizzas. It was a great experience, and I learned a lot.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Doing the daily feature. Every day I can create something different, bring new items and experiment. Can’t beat that!
What is your tastiest dish?
I like our diver scallops. They’re pan-seared until well caramelized, served with charred organic cauliflower, roasted sun chokes, baby squash, strawberry port wine olive oil emulsion and black garlic puree. It’s a tasty dish loaded with super foods and is nice and light.
What are your thoughts on the Valley dining scene?
It is a wonderful culinary scene. We have several great chefs in the Valley. It’s great to see a lot of chefs using sustainable foods and healthier menus.
What inspires your dishes?
Seasons. They challenge us to constantly use different ingredients. All of the different flavors and colors of ingredients that come with the different seasons are very inspiring and exciting.
How do you keep creative in the kitchen?
Having a strong culinary team is always inspiring and pushes us all to keep striving for perfection with each other. We also do daily features, a five-course tasting menu that changes daily and constantly change our menu. These are all great outlets for our creativity.
Photo by Cassandra Tomei
Get to know Chef Doug Robson of Gallo Blanco here.
Get to Know Chef Anthony DeMuro of Different Pointe of View
