Arizona Food Service Network

The Arizona Food Service Network connects all people, events, resources, and organizations associated with Arizona food, food service, and food science.

Arizona Restaurants / Operation News

The James Beard Award Semifinalists for 2020

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Drum roll, please….. The James Beard Foundation published the list of the 2020 Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists and here’s the list for Arizona. Many new categories, many new faces, and many familiar ones too.

Best New Restaurant

Vecina, Phoenix

Outstanding Baker

Don Guerra, Barrio Bread, Tucson, AZ

Outstanding Bar Program

Little Rituals, Phoenix

Outstanding Chef (Presented by All-Clad Metalcrafters)

Nobuo Fukuda, Nobuo at Teeter House, Phoenix

Outstanding Hospitality (Presented by American Airlines)

Kai, Phoenix

Outstanding Pastry Chef (Presented by Lavazza)

Country Velador, Super Chunk Sweets & Treats, Scottsdale, AZ

Outstanding Restaurant (Presented by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water)

Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix

Outstanding Restaurateur (Presented by Magellan Corporation)

Mike Mastro and Jeff Mastro, Prime Steak Concepts, Scottsdale, AZ (Dominick’s Steakhouse, Steak 44, Ocean 44)

Outstanding Wine Program

FnB, Scottsdale, AZ

Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Producer

Stephen Paul, Hamilton Distillers, Tucson, AZ

Rising Star Chef of the Year (Presented by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water)

Cassie Shortino, Tratto, Phoenix

Best Chefs (Presented by Capital One)

Stephen Jones, The Larder + The Delta, Phoenix

Bernie Kantak, Citizen Public House, Scottsdale, AZ

Shinji Kurita, Shinbay Omakase Room, Scottsdale, AZ

Danielle Leoni, The Breadfruit & Rum Bar, Phoenix

Maria Mazon, BOCA Tacos y Tequila, Tucson, AZ

Chrysa Robertson, Rancho Pinot, Scottsdale, AZ

Silvana Salcido Esparza, Barrio Café Gran Reserva, Phoenix

Samantha Sanz, Talavera, Scottsdale, AZ

Jeff Smedstad, Elote Cafe, Sedona, AZ

Ryan Swanson, Kai, Gila River Indian Community, Chandler, AZ

The 2020 James Beard Awards Gala will take place on Monday, May 4, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

The 2020 Leadership Awards will be held on Sunday, May 3 in Chicago, and the 2020 Media Awards will take place on Friday, April 24, at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in New York City.

For more information and tickets, jamesbeard.org/awards.

Upcoming Webinar! Best Practices for Completing a Smarter Lunchrooms Scorecard Assessment

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From the Healthy Food Choice in Schools email April 30, 2019

“Tuesday, May 7th from 2:00 to 2:30 pm EST”

Join Patty Hammond, Senior Nutritionist at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County’s SNAP-Ed/Eat Smart New York: Western New York Region program, as she shares strategies for completing Smarter Lunchrooms Scorecards in school cafeterias.

Through this webinar, participants will learn…

  • How to get their foot in the door at schools
  • Approaches to excite food service staff about the Smarter Lunchrooms process
  • Tips for overcoming barriers to making positive changes in school cafeterias
  • Strategies for conducting actual scorecard assessments and reassessments

*This webinar will be recorded and a link to the recording will be available at learn.extension.org afterward* 

For more information please visit: https://learn.extension.org/events/3658

McDaniel new chef at Pinetop Country Club

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The Pinetop Country Club has a new executive chef.

He’s Bradley McDaniel, 44, who has worked behind the scenes at the club for the past three years as the sous chef, the second in command of the kitchen.

Before joining PTCC, he was executive chef at the highly-regarded Salt Restaurant in Pinetop-Lakeside.

Read more from the source: McDaniel new chef at Pinetop Country Club


White Mountain Independent

Hash Kitchen sibling The Sicilian Butcher coming to Chandler

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The Sicilian Butcher , a recently introduced Italian concept known for craft meatballs, house-made pastas, and charcuterie, is coming to the Chandler Fashion Center. The 4,600-square-foot restaurant will be located on the southwest corner of the 101 and Frye in the mall’s 25-acre Primegate development.

Read more from the source: Hash Kitchen sibling The Sicilian Butcher coming to Chandler

Mouth by Southwest

Cheddar’s targeted in cyberattack

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Legacy POS system possibly compromised, parent Darden says

Data from as many at 567,000 customer payment cards may have been exposed in a cyberattack on the point-of-sale system at some Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen restaurants, parent Darden Restaurants Inc. says.

The Orlando, Fla.-based casual-dining company said federal authorities notified it that hackers may have targeted legacy POS systems at Cheddar’s in 23 states.

Read more from the source: Cheddar’s targeted in cyberattack

Ultimate surf and turf: An exclusive look at Ocean 44, Steak 44 restaurant plans in Phoenix

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Ultimate surf and turf: An exclusive look at Ocean 44, Steak 44 restaurant plans in Phoenix AZCentral.com ‘Ocean 44’ holding job fair to hire 240 people before opening this winter 

Read more at the source: Ultimate surf and turf: An exclusive look at Ocean 44, Steak 44 restaurant plans in Phoenix