West of Western, one of the Valley’s premier culinary festivals, takes place next weekend. Fifty of the state’s top chefs will gather on the grounds of the Heard Museum in Phoenix to prepare signature entrees and answer questions about recipes and techniques. Here are five of my favorite participating chefs (for the full list, as well as a schedule of festival activities, go to westofwestern.com):
Brian Peterson, Cork: Formerly chef de cuisine at Lon’s and The Boulders, Peterson has established the year-old, small-plates restaurant as one of the Valley’s best. His New American menu ranges from foie gras BLTs to prosciutto-wrapped elk. 4991 S. Alma School Road, Chandler, (480) 883-3773.
Michael O’Dowd, Kai: As executive chef at Wild Horse Pass, O’Dowd oversees all the resort’s restaurants, including its centerpiece, Kai, whose globally inspired American Indian cuisine earned five stars from the Mobil Travel Guide. 5594 W. Wild Horse Pass Boulevard, Chandler, (602) 385-5726.
Payton Curry, Digestif: Since Peter Kasperski’s hip hangout opened at SouthBridge just over a year ago, Curry (pictured) has dazzled diners with his “Cal-Ital” dishes made with house-made pastas, hand-cut meats, fresh-pulled mozzarella and seasonal ingredients. 7114 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, (480) 425-9463.
Aaron May, Sol y Sombra: The busy May opened breakfast spot Over Easy in 2008 and Italian eatery Autostrada in January (and is working on a Basque restaurant, Leche), but remains best-known for his stylish, Barcelona-inspired tapas nightspot at DC Ranch. 20707 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, (480) 443-5399.
Claudio Urciuoli, Prado: After launching Taggia at Scottsdale’s FireSky Resort, the Italian-born Urciuoli was hired to apply his “slow food” mastery to Prado, the fabulous Spanish restaurant at the just-opened Montelucia Resort & Spa. 4949 E. Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley, (480) 627-3004.
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