DECEMBER 2023 16 with Executive Chef Charles Kassels of El Chorro I t’s more than just a place with famous sticky buns. Whether you’ve spent the holidays here for the past 50 years or have lunch on the patio every Saturday, El Chorro has been a staple for many since it opened in 1937. The 22-acre property was originally a schoolhouse built by Dr. John C. Lincoln in 1934 called the Judson School for Girls. Lincoln built the school so his daughter could get an education while he was constructing the Camelback Inn. In 1937, the school was purchased by Jan and Mark Gruber and converted to a restaurant and lodge. Fast forward 30+ years: Bartender Joe Miller and his wife Evie purchased El Chorro and expanded seating from 70 to 200. In 2009, the property was acquired by Jacquie Dorrance and Kristy and Tim Moore and in 2021, Grossman Company Properties and Classic Hotels & Resorts took over. Behind the scenes and manning three on-site kitchens, though, is Executive Chef Charles Kassels. Where are you from originally? I’ve been in Arizona for about 45 years. I’m originally from upstate New York but moved out here during my freshman year of high school, so I grew up here. Any specific reason for choosing Arizona? The winter of 1978 was brutal. My mother – who had visited Arizona a couple of times prior – never wanted to deal with that weather again. After my parents divorced, she said, ‘If the weather is one less thing to worry about…’ It was like the television show Alice , a couple of kids in a beat-up old station wagon moving out to the Wild West. It was a fun four-day road trip! Where was your first job? I worked at C. Steele & Company. It was an old-school gourmet shop on 74th and Indian School. Carol Steele was the original visionary of fine food. It had plates, cheeses, a bakery – it was incredible and far ahead of its time. It was across the street from my high school, too, so I could walk there. Where else have you worked? I’ll go backward [ laughs ]. I’ve been at El Chorro for 14 years. Before that, I was the Executive Chef of the El Dorado Hotel in Santa Fe for four years; I opened up the Westin Kierland and was there for four years. I worked for an off-premise catering company, Continental Catering, for about ten years. Before that, I worked at The Boulders Resort for seven years. That covers most of my career. Are there many differences between working at a catering company and large events at El Chorro? We don’t have to load a truck! Continental was off-site catering. They were the first group to cater the Phoenix Open; we used to do the NASCAR races and the golf tournament at Desert Mountain – a lot of high-end catering for homes and businesses. It’s easier at El Chorro because everything is here. I don’t have to go off the premises. We have seven venues on the property and do around 300 catered events a year – 160 of those are weddings. We keep out of trouble [ laughs ]. One of those events was the Super Bowl, correct? Yes! Last year, the NFL bought out El Chorro for a week before the Super Bowl. This was their headquarters. I saw Joe Montana on the wedding lawn throwing footballs to a kid – it was cool. While they were here, we set up six different food areas, each with its own theme, that would change three times a day: lunch, dinner and late-night. There was a southwest station, a grill and seafood station, etc. Do you curate specific menus for each event? For the Kentucky Derby, for example… it’s such a big event. There were 150 chefs from across the country brought in for that. The executive chef put everything together, and we helped execute. Each event gets a theme. NASCAR fans aren’t the same as horseracing fans, you know? What was your inspiration for becoming a chef? I realized I liked cooking more than finance – what I was studying at ASU at the time – so I moved back to New York, went to the Culinary Institute, and flew back to Arizona. I still didn’t like the winters [ laughs ]. Growing up out here, I knew and loved the Valley. I had friends. It was easy to come home. What was your favorite class at the Culinary Institute? Oh, wow. You’re going back a while! Anyone who went to the institute would remember Seafood Kitchen with Chef Clark. He was a crazy old redneck chef with a big, tall hat. He always had a chew in. Just a great, old-school teacher. He was a trip. What is the inspiration behind the dishes at El Chorro? We’re very history-driven and respectful of the history of El Chorro. Everything is on-brand, keeping what the three original owners had set up. For lack of a better word, we’ve been kind of a supper club with some old school dishes, a steak and seafood house. It’s clean and simple – veg, starch, meat on the plate. Tell us about the famous sticky buns. They’ve been around since the beginning! It’s an original family recipe from the Grubers. We give the first round of buns compliments of the house, and they go fast. During a weekend seating, we’ll go through 1,000 of them. Holidays, we have about 60 dozen orders. They’re pretty popular. What is the most challenging part of working in the industry? That’s a double-edged sword. Probably giving up weekends and holidays with the family and having them understand it. They’ll be at El Chorro for Christmas meals, though. …your favorite part? I’m never bored! There’s always something new and different happening. No two days are alike. What is your favorite ingredient to use when you’re cooking? I love working with fresh fish. We have an incredible fish purveyor I’ve been working with for the past 14 years. We fly it in six days a week. I love working with and eating fresh fish. Who is your biggest inspiration? I hate to only have one, but it’s my mom. She was so tough. My parents got divorced, and she moved three kids out here all by herself and established a life. What industries are your siblings in? My brother is a medical engineer in Silicon Valley, and my sister is retired. She worked for London Insurance on 44th St. for 20 years – she’s now a gypsy. She’s got a motor home and travels around the country. If you weren’t in this industry, what would you be doing? I can’t even imagine. I’ve been doing this since high school, and nothing else sounds good. I wish I had been smart enough to get into real estate in Arizona 40 years ago or hold on to that first house that wasn’t great but is now worth… [ laughs ] What advice has stayed with you? It’s simple: work hard, show up early, stay late, and be fair to everybody. I’d give that advice to anyone doing anything. The world’s changed, and I don’t think the next generation takes it quite as seriously. Being late is one of my pet peeves, so I tell my kids, ‘always be early. It puts you ahead of 90 percent of the people.’ What do you do when you’re not working? Golf – half the time when I’m not here, I’m on the course. My kids are grown, so as long as the chores are done and the wife is happy, I’m golfing. What’s next for Charles Kassels? We’ve got some newer owners that took over, so I’m going to help them pass it along to the next generation. I don’t see myself getting another job before I retire, so I’ll be here! 5550 E. Lincoln Dr., Paradise Valley • elchorro.com In the Kitchen

17 DECEMBER 2023 By Jennifer Marshall On a warm, clear October morning, Veritas Prep and Archway Veritas students Zoe Wong and Hollyann Mortenson headed to the Ben Avery Shooting Facility to participate in the 2023 USA Archery Arizona State Outdoor Championships. Ten-year-old Hollyann placed first. She has competed in various tournaments since she started two years ago. Twelve-year- old Zoe – participating in her very first competition that day – placed third out of eight contenders in the Under 13 Division. Zoe’s third-place win happened after a pressure-packed match that came down to the last arrow in the final set. Hollyann, facing the No. 1 seed, shot a perfect 30 in her final set to clinch first place. This is Hollyann’s second state title in 2023 – she also won the USA Archery Arizona State Indoor Championship earlier this year. “It was an extremely fun tournament to watch, especially in that division, as all of our girls were so dominant,” Coach Kevin Ikegami said. “It was amazing to watch how kind and supportive they were to each other. I’m looking forward to watching them all grow into amazing archers.” Both girls got their start in archery by participating in Veritas’ after-school archery club, led by Coach Ikegami’s American Archery Academy. “I suggested Hollyann give the after-school club a try. At first, she was pretty upset about it, but a few weeks into the club, Coach Kevin brought pizza to one of the sessions, and she decided it was fun,” Hollyann’s dad Larry said. “She progressed quickly due to excellent coaching and her own efforts. It is a great sport for kids. Coaches Kevin Ikegami, Kelsey Lard, and Waylon Hjerpe are amazing!” Zoe’s dad is a novice archer, and the pair started practicing together a year ago. Hollyann and Zoe are also members of the Papago Archery Association and the Papago Junior Olympic Archery Development Program (JOAD). “I like the challenge of target shooting and the monthly ‘Pin Shoots’ in our Papago JOAD Club,” Hollyann said. Pin Shoots simulate a tournament environment and reward an archer’s progress and development. The “pin” is a reward earned when an archer shoots the required score at their designated distance to get the corresponding achievement. Archers shoot 36 arrows for outdoor pins and 30 for indoor pins. The indoor distance is 18 meters – but the targets are either 40 cm or 60 cm in diameter, depending on the archer’s age. Each arrow shot earns a value between 0 and 10, depending on where it hits the target. The archer gets a pin if they meet the cumulative score designated to get the next colored pin after shooting all 30 or 36 arrows. “Archery is very relaxing because you get to be outdoors and focus on only yourself and your target,” Zoe said. “I like to see my improvement by shooting higher scores and earning pins.” Hollyann has participated in six tournaments and plans to compete in eight more next year. She said that one of her favorite aspects of the sport is all the friends she’s made. Now that she has a third-place win under her belt, Zoe is excited to enter more competitions. “I like to compete because I can be with my friends while we cheer each other on,” Zoe said. “After the most recent competition, we all went to In-and-Out and ate burgers and drank milkshakes – that was one of my favorite moments.” Hollyann will enter Veritas Prep next year and hopes to eventually become a veterinarian. Along the way, she will continue to grow her archery talents. In 2024, she will compete nationally at tournaments like The Vegas Shoot and the USA Outdoor Target Nationals. usarchery.org Tween archers finish their year with top three wins The USA Archery Arizona State Outdoor Championship was Zoe’s first tournament, where she placed third among eight competitors. (right) Hollyann Mortenson participated in six archery tournaments in 2023. PHOTOS COURTESY OF LARRY MORTENSON AND MARK WONG