Audio By Carbonatix
From now ’til we publish the 2012 edition of Best of Phoenix, New Times and Chow Bella present 100 Tastemakers — Valley residents who make the cut in our culinary scene. Some you’ll know; for others, it’ll be a first introduction (but likely not the last). While you’re here, check out our 100 Creatives on Jackalope Ranch.
Today we introduce our final tastemaker. Aren’t you dying to know who it is?! Here’s a hint: We have yet to hear even the pickiest food snob among you offer anything but rave review’s for this Tastemaker’s restaurant.
See also:
– The Tastemaker 2012 Archives
Tastemaker 1: Nick Rocha
If you’ve been paying attention, you may already have heard of this little spot with “a lotta Seoul.”
Co-owners Nick Rocha and Sun Johnson met while working at a Korean restaurant in the West Valley. Since then, they’ve opened up their own place (just up the street) called Café Ga Hyang. Rocha, a true Phoenician, says he always enjoyed cooking and learned to make authentic dishes like bibim bap and handmake soba noodles during his years of experience in the kitchen. At their small slice of Koreatown, you’ll find Rocha and Johnson working as cooks, owners, managers – and everything in between.
I arrived in Phoenix with… I was born here.
If I was sitting down to dinner for six, my five dream dining companions would be…
- Marvin Gaye
- My grandmother
- One more dinner with “the one that got away”
- The most whiny customer I have here, because I would love to know what’s going on in their mind.
- The President
One place everyone in Phoenix must eat is… my place.
One menu item this city could do without is… lettuce on your burger. It doesn’t add anything except color.
My last meal in Phoenix would be… at home.
The Tastemakers so far:
100: Tracy Dempsey
99: Craig DeMarco
98: Lara Mulchay
97: M.J. Coe
96: Betty Alatorre de Hong
95: Eric Schaefer
94: Hanna Gabrielsson
93: Shinji Kurita
92: Silvana Salcido Esparza
91: Mike Pitt
90: Christina Barrueta
89: Christopher Gross
88: Jan Wichayanuparp and Helen Yung
87: DJ Fernandes
86: Cullen Campbell
85: Chris Lee
84. Gwen Ashley Walters
83: Tony Morales
82: Lylah Ledner
81: Andrea White
80: Lori Hashimoto
79. Mrs. White
78: Eugenia Theodosopolous
77: Lou & Lovey Borenstein
76: Anthony Patafio
75: Carl Seacat
74: Sacha Levine
73: Sharon Salomon
72: Johnny Chu
71: Susie Timm
70: Jason Silberschlag
69: Gina Miller
68: Cindy Gentry
67: Amy Binkley
66: Dave Anderson
65: Mark Tarbell
64: Marianne Belardi
63: Audrey Lasalle
62: Brandon Gauthier
61: Brad and Kat Moore
60: Denise Clayton
59: Nobuo Fukuda
58: Richie Moe
57: Robin Trick
56: Alberto Della Casa and Letizia de Lucia
55: Farah Khalid
54: Dave Andrea
53: Vincent Guerithault
52: Danielle Leoni
51: Stan Zawatski
50: Maya Dailey
49: Duc Liao
48: Lisa Reinhardt
47: Isam Saed
46: Greg Peterson
45: Marco Bianco
44: Mark Fratu
43: Wendell Crow
42. Barb Harris
41: Michael Perry
40: Jeff Kraus
39: Ryan Avery
38: Charleen Badman
37: Damon Brasch
36: Dwayne Allen
35: Jason Asher
34: Pamela Hamilton
33: Victoria Chavez
32: Giovanni Scorzo
31: Tim Wilson
30: Travis Nass
29: Jason Alford
28: Clint Spotleson
27: Daniel Wayne
26: Korina Adkins
25: Carla Wade Logan
24: Jeff Zimmerman
23: Gabriele Bertaccini
22: Claudio Urciuoli
21: Peter DeRuvo
20: Natalie Morris
19: Eliot Wexler
18: Sam Fox
17: Bryan Dooley
16: Bernie Kantak
15: Jim Cerreta Sr.
14: Josh Hebert
13: Michael Brown
12: Dave Johnson
11: Chrysa Robertson
10: Joe Johnston
9: Eytan Zias
8: Bob McClendon
7: Snir and Kierstin Mor
6: Francesca Bianco
5: Stephen Jones
4: Cathy Hayes
3: Matt Pool
2: Ashley Ryder
