Pretty Penny/Course/Atria/Fat Ox
Audio By Carbonatix
When four talented chefs who are great friends join forces to collaborate on a menu, guests can expect a night to remember.
“The Four Top dinner series was created to bring friends and colleagues together. These gatherings are a great way to share ideas, connect and create lasting memories for our guests,” Rochelle Daniel said.
She is the James Beard-recognized chef behind Atria in Flagstaff, and one of the Four Top chefs, along with Matt Carter of Fat Ox, The Mission and Zinc Bistro, Cory Oppold of Course and Steven “Chops” Smith of Pretty Penny in downtown Phoenix.
The Four Top series kicked off at Atria last summer, followed by the second dinner at Oppold’s Scottsdale restaurant in November. The third dinner in the series will take place on May 14 at Fat Ox.
The May dinner is billed as the homecoming edition, as Daniel and Smith both formerly worked at Fat Ox with Carter, helping him open the restaurant a decade ago. Oppold and Smith met early in their careers working at Different Pointe of View in Phoenix.
“Even though we see through different lenses, we understand each other and share the same goals and vision for dining and the guest experience,” Smith said. “Not only are they my best friends, but I also believe they are the best chefs in Arizona.”
The collaborative menu process for the Four Top dinners is designed to reflect a collective culinary vision. The planning starts with a brainstorming session where the chefs share ideas and preferred courses. Each chef brings a unique background, skills and experiences to create a diverse menu.
“We consider the ingredients available during that specific season and draft a menu that showcases a variety of flavors, textures and balance among all courses,” Daniel said.
The menu for the May 14 dinner includes tuna Stroopwafel, a creative play on the Dutch treat with foie parfait and barley caramel, as the opening course by Daniel. Carter is creating two courses, a spring-driven cappelletti with charred sweet corn and jalapeno pepperonata, and Manhattan cut prime beef with black garlic and mushroom au poivre.
Smith’s course features Chilean seabass with oxtail marmalade, goose liver velouté and smoked trout roe. Oppold will share his take on Chicken Scarpariello with sausage, fennel and peppers.
The meal will close with a dessert course from Arizona baking icon Tammie Coe and Fat Ox’s pastry chef Lisa Graf.
“While we are all very busy, we can always reach out to bounce ideas off each other and seek professional advice from one another,” Oppold said. “We don’t get to see each other much, but that’s what makes these dinners so much fun, especially working in the same kitchen for the evening.”
The May 14 dinner costs $165 per person with optional beverage pairings; reservations can be made on OpenTable.
As they make final preparations for this spring’s dinner, the group of chefs and friends are already looking forward to the fourth event, which is scheduled to take place in the fall.
“This series of dinners has been the best collaboration I’ve ever been a part of,” Smith said. “We have a blast and the guests do too.”
