16 OCTOBER 2022 16 In the Kitchen with Executive Chef Alejandro Martinez of Lon’s at the Hermosa Inn C hef Alejandro Martinez has a desire to learn all he can about food cultures from around the world. As the product of multiple ethnicities, Martinez spent time taste-testing his grandmothers’ recipes, ultimately leaving his home country of Argentina to explore the culinary world and ending up right here in the southwest – for now. Start from the beginning. I was born in Argentina and lived there until I was 23. I left for a brief period to work on a cruise ship and moved to Arizona in 2012. My dad’s craft was restoring paintings. He always had an artist’s touch. I remember as a kid, I used to hang around his shop, which originally belonged to my grandfather, and watch him restore these paintings or make custom frames. On the other side, my mom was a nurse. So the cooking “gene” didn’t come from family? My entire family is from Europe. I have two parts Spanish, one part Italian, and one part Ukrainian. My paternal grandma was from Ukraine, my maternal grandma was of Spanish heritage, and they were married to Spanish and Italian men. Sunday family dinners were a fusion of those cuisines. I would hang out and watch my grandmas make Italian and Ukrainian dishes – I always tried to help in the kitchen. My biggest approach to food was trying all the dishes. I was like the taste tester, you could say. The first thing I cooked myself was a couple of fried eggs. Did you always know you wanted to be a chef? Far from it. I was always attracted to the litigation side of being a lawyer. At the same time, I wanted to travel the world. If I chose law school, I would have to invest six years of my life before becoming a lawyer. During high school, I was attending a cooking class outside of my regular classes. I was side by side with a bunch of women trying to learn some techniques. I was working in a kitchen on the weekends to learn all I could. I did not go to culinary school. All I know is from working – learning from doing – and reading books. I did online courses for Cornell while I was in Bermuda and learned much about revenue management, hospitality, marketing, etc. Did the cooking class cement your desire to cook professionally? Kind of. My goal was to work in one of the popular hotel chains: Sheraton, Hyatt, Marriott, or something like that – and then ask for a transfer. It didn’t work out that way, but I was able to get a job in the best restaurant in Buenos Aires at the time, La Bourgogne, which was part of Relais & Chateaux chain. That opened the doors to Europe. In 2000, I sent emails to every single property that was affiliated with the chain, and a place in Italy responded. In 2001, I was off. What was it like working in Italy? I was there for almost ten years – it was amazing and eye-opening; I re-learned everything I thought I knew. When I was young, I had a big ego. I thought I knew everything. I did not. So being in Italy helped a lot in establishing the mindset when it comes to the philosophy of what you’re looking for when creating a dish. Where did you go after Italy? I spent a month and a half in France, worked four months on a cruise ship, then went back to Italy. I moved around a bit there, up north and down south to Apulia and Tuscany. I spent most of my time there. After Italy, I went to Bermuda. I got a job and was there for 2.5 years – it’s where I met my current wife. She’s from Michigan but was living in Scottsdale and, at the time, was working at the same hotel as me. She got an opportunity to move back, so I moved with her. What other restaurants have you worked at? My first job in the states was at Silverleaf Country Club in North Scottsdale. Then, Lon’s for two years. From there, I became executive chef at Troon Country Club. After four years there, I came back to Lon’s. What recognitions have you received? The latest was from Troon – it was the Distinguished Leadership Award; I was lucky enough to obtain one of those. Within Troon corporate, we did an Iron Chef competition, and I won that in 2019-20. I was voted Best Chef in Bermuda during one of the years I was there. I was working at an Italian restaurant, and ours was voted “the best lasagna on the island.” That one was fun. What do you love most about the hospitality industry? When you go to a restaurant, you’re basically going there to be entertained. Whether it’s the ambiance, people watching, drinks, food, service or a combination. I feel a lot of reward when we are presenting something to our guests that are coming here with expectations – and we get to match or even exceed those expectations. It pays off when you and your team are trying to figure out the best way to transform or showcase an ingredient. People don’t see what goes on in the back of the house and the time invested in creating a dish. It’s not something that happens overnight. The seasonality, how to combine, what is the best way to represent where we are at Lon’s, and how can we let the dish speak for itself – these are things we look to do. It’s fun to make it work. When you see the reviews, it really fulfills what we’re trying to accomplish. What is something you wish you could change? In a way, I think the pandemic exposed a lot of things that the industry has been abusing for a long time. At the same time, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to maintain the same standards that we had before because labor and ingredients were cheaper. The bottom line is that working in a kitchen is something that takes a toll physically, mentally and psychologically. You have to be dedicated to work in a kitchen. It’s not 9-to-5, Monday through Friday. You’ll be here on your birthday, on holidays. Some people don’t get that we are dedicating our craft to those who come through the door. I wish that there was more understanding from customers, owners, and peers that maybe you’re having a bad day, but it doesn’t reflect on how the restaurant is run on a daily basis. Obviously, if something is wrong, speak about it. Communication is important. Most of the time, problems can be fixed right away if we know about them. What is your favorite thing to cook? If you were to ask me ten years ago, I’d probably say beef. I’m from Argentina. I love meat. Over the years, my palette has changed, so now, I love transforming seafood. There’s so much you can do. Vegetables and pasta are amazing, too. My favorite technique is curing. It’s a technique you can apply to almost everything that can change texture, consistency, flavors and colors. 5532 N. Palo Cristi Road • hermosainn.com

17 OCTOBER 2022 Do you apply your background to the dishes at Lon’s? Some of them, yes. We have a wood- burning grill, so we use pecan wood to get that smoky flavor, so that’s similar. Argentinian cuisine is based on Spain and Italy – we apply some charred elements to dishes. Any unique anecdotes you’d like to share? I’ve been cooking for 30 years, so I have a lot of those [ laughs ]. This one goes back to the old school and how the industry used to be. It was funny to me because I wasn’t directly involved but was a witness to it: I’ve seen hot pans flying through the kitchen, directed at the individual who messed up. If you got hit, it was your own fault for not being fast enough! In retrospect, it’s not funny because the kitchen should have addressed it in a different way, but back in the day, it was a normal thing to do that I’ve actually seen happen. That makes me think of a certain televised chef... He was in the kitchen a few years before I started. He was trained by French chefs, as well, and – you know – they are very passionate. I’ll just put it that way. Speaking of chefs, who are a few that inspire you? Thomas Keller. I think he opened the doors for so many talented people nowadays. Alain Ducasse, Michel Roux, Michel Bras, Marco Pierre White, Gualtiero Marchesi from Italy – they’re the foundation of the newer type of culinary chefs. Right after that, you have Adrià in Spain and all the Spanish avant-garde chefs that transformed everything you see these days. It’s a great combination – I was witness to a lot of things that should not happen but was fortunate to be part of that era. How do you keep yourself calm when things get crazy? By default, I’m already calm. Years ago, I used to snap – I realized it’s not as effective as tackling the problem before it happens. With proper training and materials to do the job, you should be able to do it as expected. You’ve traveled the world – where else would you like to go? I’d love to go to Asia. I’m fascinated by their cultures and history. Japan, China, and all the cultures that have been there for thousands of years. They have a lot that they can teach people. Singapore, where they blend everything. Africa – but it’s so massive you’d need a lifetime to explore there. What’s next for Chef Martinez? Within five years, I’d like to become a GM somewhere. I’m always trying to learn more and see what goes on outside the kitchen. My goal is for the team to become better in every way. FDI-1867K-A © 2022 EDWARD D. JONES & CO., L.P. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. > edwardjones.com | Member SIPC Compare our CD Rates Bank-issued, FDIC-insured Serving Arcadia/Biltmore for over 20 years. % % % Minimum deposit Minimum deposit Minimum deposit APY* APY* APY* Richard M Ross Financial Advisor 4040 E Camelback Rd Suite 200 Phoenix, AZ 85018 602-955-7654 3-month 6-month 3.35 4.00 1-year 4.05 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 If you have $100,000 or more to invest today, call me. FDI-1867K-A © 2022 EDWARD D. JONES & CO., L.P. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. > edwardjones.com | Member SIPC Compare our CD Rates Bank-issued, FDIC-insured Serving Arcadia/Biltmore for over 20 years. % % % Minimum deposit Minimum deposit Minimum deposit APY* APY* APY* Richard M Ross Financial Advisor 4040 E Camelback Rd Suite 200 Phoenix, AZ 85018 602-955-7654 3-month If you have $100,000 or more to invest today, call me. FDI-1867K-A © 2022 EDWARD D. JONES & CO., L.P. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. > edwardjones.com | Member SIPC Compare our CD Rates Bank-issued, FDIC-insured Call or visit your local financial advisor today. % % % Minimum deposit Minimum deposit Minimum deposit APY* APY* APY* * Annual Percentage Yield (APY) effective 09/22/22. CDs offered by Edward Jones are bank-issued and FDIC-insured up to $250,000 (principal and interest accrued but not yet paid) per depositor, per insured depository institution, for each account ownership category. Please visit www.fdic.gov or contact your financial advisor for additional information. Subject to availability and price change. CD values are subject to interest rate risk such that when interest rates rise, the prices of CDs can decrease. If CDs are sold prior to maturity, the investor can lose principal value. FDIC insurance does not cover losses in market value. Early withdrawal may not be permitted. Yields quoted are net of all commissions. CDs require the distribution of interest and do not allow interest to compound. CDs offered through Edward Jones are issued by banks and thrifts nationwide. All CDs sold by Edward Jones are registered with the Depository Trust Corp. (DTC). Richard M Ross Financial Advisor 4040 E Camelback Rd Suite 200 Phoenix, AZ 85018 602-955-7654 3-month If you have $100,000 or more to invest today, call me.