Aaron Chamberlin likes being the boss. The chef and owner of casual Phoenix Public Market Cafe and upscale St. Francis has been in the culinary business since he was a 14-year-old dishwasher. Today, he thrives on his curiosity to make people happy.
“I’m always trying to learn and improve my life and the people around me,” Chamberlin said. “I’m an ambitious person. I have my standards and these are the kind of things important to me.”
Chamberlin is one of four nominees for this year’s Chef of the Year honor through the Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame. The winner will be announced on April 13 during the Wine Country Brunch at the Scottsdale Culinary Festival.
Other nominations are for categories including “Beverage Master of the Year” and “Restaurateur of the Year.” Chef of the Year is commended for “innovative, high-quality cuisine, breakthrough menu and outstanding execution,” according to an Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame document.
“People nominate their peers that they think are deserving of awards,” said Allie Marconi, spokeswoman for Phoenix Public Market Cafe. “The nominees are selected as finalists by the Scottsdale League for the Arts.”
When Chamberlin opened up his own business, he said he realized he needed to take a more administrative role as a business owner, which meant leaving the heat of the kitchen.
“I had this dream in my head that I was going to come into my restaurant and be the chef and work in the kitchen everyday with my guys,” Chamberlin said. “I realized that I had to make sure accounting was done right … it takes you away from cutting cabbage.”
He describes himself as a “fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants kind of guy” because he tackles the day as soon as he wakes up in the morning. He divides his time between both of his restaurants. Taking advantage of his flexible schedule, Chamberlin does a routine critical check of all the facilities in each restaurant.
“It’s going where the loopholes are and how do we tighten things up so we can deliver things on a higher level,” Chamberlin said.
The well-traveled business owner and chef gained his culinary knowledge from working with some of the best restaurants in San Francisco, New York City and Boston. He also tries to travel to a new country every year, he said.
“I spent basically about 20 years trying to work in the best places I possibly could,” Chamberlin said. “It’s a craft to work in a kitchen. I honed my craft and traveled all over.”
He said his favorite part about running businesses is the people he works with, especially his employees, because he gets to see them grow.
Drew Decker, Phoenix Public Market Cafe’s general manager, met Chamberlin when he was a pantry chef. With Chamberlin as his mentor, Decker worked his way up the ladder and felt inspired to improve himself in ways including healthy living and local awareness.
“(Chamberlin) is awesome, innovative and intelligent,” Decker said. “He’s always looking to do the next best thing.”
Chamberlin believes in hard work and keeps up on feedback from customers because he always strives to make those around him happy, he said.
“In five years, I see a couple more projects in the works… and hopefully with a family,” Chamberlin said. “I want to stay in downtown Phoenix and continue to grow as an individual, grow my business and just be a part of downtown.”
Contact the reporter at samantha.incorvaia@asu.edu
