Chris Bianco
If you stumbled upon Chris Bianco trying
out a new recipe in his test kitchen
or trolling a farmers market for fresh
ingredients, you probably wouldn’t place
him as one of the most revered chefs
in the country. However, the Valley’s
renowned culinary genius has earned the
most prestigious awards in the culinary
kingdom, from the New York Times’ “best
pizza in the U.S.” (a real slam on New
York and Chicago) to Vogue’s “best pizza
in the world.” He’s also one of the few
chefs to be named a James Beard award
recipient.
Bianco invited The Times into his office
for a look at his culinary workspace. You
won’t find a single award displayed in
Bianco’s office, or even a phone for that
matter. You will find a Bianco-designed
8- by 8-foot brick oven and loads of fresh
ingredients. Bianco leaves all finances to
his business partner, focusing his energies
on his celebrated sandwiches and
pies.
Though Bianco could open a lucrative
chain of restaurants, he has opted not to,
expressing instead his desire to personally
touch every pizza served at his pizzeria.
He buys Arizona-grown ingredients
at Arizona farmers markets, from farmers
he knows by name. “When you break it
down to individuals, that’s when it gets
important. It’s every ingredient,” Bianco
says.
Food connoisseurs the world over
agree: Bianco’s pizza is something you
have to taste for yourself. But you’ll have
to get in line.
Pizzeria Bianco opens at 5 p.m. Tuesday
through Saturday. For more information,
visit pizzeriabianco.com. |
