In addition to paying special attention to freshness, she believes that simplicity in quality raw ingredients is the kind of nourishment that the body requires. As a result, she's partnered up with local farmers to ensure the highest caliber of ingredients. She also engages in volunteering and fundraising with Singh Farms in Scottsdale to benefit the American Diabetes Association. It's this community mindedness that makes the experience of her restaurant unique and memorable.
On the importance of fresh foods. I go to the market, and whatever the farmers have, that's what I'll put on my menu. [It will change] not even by the season, but by the week. Not the whole menu. That would be too much, especially for where we are, but we try to change what we have every day... When you have [fresh] products like that, you don't have to eat a lot, because a small amount nourishes your body.
On what's lacking in American cuisine. Every region in America is very different from the others. Of course, it combined and it becomes, "everybody united with hamburger." In France...you go to a region and you'll be eating foie gras, and you go to another region and you'll be eating...whatever is grown in this region. And this is what we're missing in America, because we are so spoiled...we get strawberries all year, and you can get your watermelon all year round -- all these things at our disposal. So we're trying to incorporate all this together.
Attention to detail. Integrity is key to what we do here. We have so many other restaurants around us. People can go to those other restaurants...but whenever they come here we want[them] to come here for an experience...I'm sure the other [restaurants] are good...but I want to be able to look someone in the face and say, "I know where this product comes from -- where this salad comes from, where this fish comes from." That's very important.
On opening a restaurant in Surprise. It's such a nice community. There's so much going on in Surprise...We wanted to have something more community-oriented. When you're in the Midwest, you know who's getting married -- their first date...then their kids grow up, and they come to your restaurant. So we were looking to bring something different...and we were hoping that people would embrace it.
Tomorrow we'll continue our conversation with Chef Aurore and on Friday, she'll share her recipe for a salad featuring heirloom tomatoes and purple basil.
