JUNE 2025 16 with Phil Rubino, Executive Chef at Élephante 7014 E. Camelback Road • elephanterestaurants.com In the Kitchen E xecutive Chef Phil Rubino’s culinary journey covers Michelin-starred kitchens, family traditions, and a deep-rooted love for Italian cuisine. With a background shaped by his Chicago upbringing and years in fine dining, Chef Rubino brings passion and personality to every dish he creates. Tell us about the restaurant and Wish You Were Here Group. There are two locations – one in Santa Monica, and one in Scottsdale. Wish You Were Here group has restaurants in New York, Vegas, Los Angeles and now Arizona. Élephante opened in 2018 as a coastal Italian restaurant where everything is made in-house. In New York is a concept called Ruby’s, which is an all-day Australian café. That was the first restaurant Nick Mathers launched before Wish You Were Here came about. He opened the café because he couldn’t find any good coffee in the neighborhood he was in [ laughs ] – that’s how the group started, and now there are eight Ruby’s. Dudleys has a more neighborhood-y corner pub and bistro vibe. There’s Belles, in Venice, which is a Hawaiian tiki bar; Leoncito is in Vegas at the Red Rock, that one is more Mexican themed – fajitas, tacos, things like that. Kassi Beach House in The Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas is the closest to Élephante as far as the menu goes, but it’s more Mediterranean, less Italian. What was the inspiration for choosing Scottsdale? Scottsdale has a little bit of the Los Angeles and Santa Monica feel, and the same kind of demographic. Outside of being a beautiful city, it’s very up-and-coming so there’s a lot of great companies and restaurants opening here. We saw that happening and wanted to get ahead of it. Did you always know you’d be in the restaurant industry? From a pretty young age, yeah. I grew up in a bakery that my dad owns in Chicago. It’s been in the family since 1956 and my dad bought it from his uncle in 1983. I grew up there, never had a ‘real job’ in high school and I was accustomed to the industry. I knew that I wanted to be a chef. My younger brother is a baker, he runs the family business now. As a child, my grandmother would sit me in front of the TV and we’d watch Yan Can Cook and The Frugal Gourmet . She’d set up a tray with some dried beans or something and I’d cook along with the chefs. In high school, cooking and working in restaurants was all I thought about. There was a moment when I wanted to be a history teacher, but going to a four year college for the certificate wasn’t for me. Right out of high school I went to culinary school and my journey started there. Which restaurants did you gain experience from while in culinary school? I worked at a three Michelin Star restaurant called L20 under Laurent Gras, at a two Michelin Star restaurant called Acadia; Spiaggia, which was a very famous Italian restaurant in Chicago that’s now closed; I worked for master sommelier Alpana Singh as the executive chef at Boarding House; for Jared Wentworth of Longman & Eagle and Dusek’s – both Michelin Star restaurants. I have a fine dining background, but Italian food has always brought me comfort. It’s something I’ve always been interested in, regardless of where I was working or what I was cooking. When I started finding my own way in cooking, Italian was a natural fit. How did you come to be in Scottsdale? When I left Chicago, I was working for the Kimpton hotel group. I decided to move to Los Angeles to help open a hotel called The Everly in Hollywood and I just… didn’t really enjoy my time there. I met Thomas Lim [chef partner for Wish You Were Here] and he told me about Élephante and showed me the space. It was right up my alley, all the stuff I’m good at and enjoy cooking, so it was a natural fit. I left LA in 2021 and went back to Chicago to spend time with my parents; right around 2023 is when we started talks about opening Élephante in Scottsdale. What can guests find at the restaurant? Southern Italian, coastal cuisine. We use more olive oil than dairy; a lot of citrus and vinegar. The food is lighter and brighter. It’s not a ‘heavy’ menu. The pizzas are not a thick, doughy crust. They’re like a hybrid between a New York slice and a Napolitana pizza. We use a 25-year-old starter that gives the dough a sourdough taste.Our pasta is the same way.

17 JUNE 2025 Talk to us about the drink program. Our VP of beverage is Julien Calella. He’s been with the company as long as I have and oversees the beverages at all the company’s restaurants. We juice orange, lime and lemon juice daily. The bar program represents the kitchen in the aspect that they make garnishes in house and the drinks aren’t super fancy or crazy, they’re all straightforward. We looked at the Mediterranean ‘cocktail world’ and added some tequilas and mezcals. Light, refreshing, citrusy. What’s Bar Bambino? It’s next door; it’s our version of a speakeasy cocktail lounge. It’s more beverage forward but there’s a small food offering with a few items that aren’t on the regular menu. It’s open nightly Wednesday through Sunday. On the weekends it’s open a bit later with a DJ and bottle service, and it’s geared toward grownups only. We want it to be a cool little date spot. What, in your opinion, makes Élephante a popular spot? A lot of things. I think it’s the décor, the cocktails, the vibe. When you walk in, there’s a certain energy in the room, whether it’s the early part of the evening or later when we’re busy. The music, the employees, the patrons – it’s not just food and drinks that make Élephante, Élephante. What is the most popular item on the menu? Hands-down the whipped eggplant – and that came about accidentally. I’d used the dish previously in Chicago. It was always a recipe I had in my back pocket. When we were developing the Santa Monica venue, I’d made the whipped eggplant for some other reason, I can’t remember why, but we were testing pizza dough at the same time. Thomas decided to use the dough to dip into the cold eggplant puree, looked at me and said, ‘this is a thing we’re going to do.’ Now we’re known for it. And after more than seven years of making it – I love it – but I never want to eat it again [ laughs ]. When you’re not working, what are you doing? Hanging out with my dog or riding my motorcycle – but not for much longer. I learned the hard way that summer gets a little hot here [ laughs ]. After 20 plus years in the industry, how do you stay calm when things get crazy? I have my moments, as all chefs do. I think as you grow and mature, you realize that those moments don’t solve any problems. You see situations for what they are, and regardless, you’re going to get out of that situation at some point. What’s your favorite thing to cook? I don’t really cook at home, but if I do, it’s chicken cutlets. As a good Italian American boy, I grew up on cutlets, so they hold a lot of good memories. There’s always chicken in the freezer and breadcrumbs and seasonings within arm’s reach at my house. What advice do you have for a novice chef or restaurateur? Don’t get discouraged. Good things come, but you must work really hard at it, especially in this industry. I’ve worked for a lot of great people and learned so much, and sometimes I’ve had to take a step back and ref lect on that. Patience is the game, and knowing that this industry has something for everyone. Where’s your go-to spot for a night out? Trevor’s in Arcadia. It was one of the first places I went when I moved here. I have an extensive bourbon and tequila collection at home, so I love Trevor’s for that. Outside of the liquor selection, the pizza is fantastic. The white pizza with the sausage and caramelized onions… so good! What’s next for Wish You Were Here? We’re working on a Dallas location and hoping to have that up and running next summer. After that, we’ll see where we end up! J M Chapman Agency Inc Jay Chapman, Agent Bus: (480) 945-7122 7055 E Thomas Rd Scottsdale, AZ 85251 jchapman@amfam.com American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. & its Operating Companies, 6000 American Parkway, Madison, WI 53783 ©2015 006441 – Rev. 2/20 – 12923221 CALL (480) 945-7122 FOR A NO-OBLIGATION FREE QUOTE. INSURANCE DESIGNED WITH YOU AND YOUR DREAMS IN MIND. J M Chapman Agency Inc Jay Chapman, Agent Bus: (480) 990-8855 7055 E Thomas Rd Scottsdale, AZ 85251 jchapman@amfam.com American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. & its Operating Companies, 6000 American Parkway, Madison, WI 53783 ©2015 006441 – Rev. 2/20 – 12923221 CALL (480) 945-7122 FOR A NO-OBLIGATION FREE QUOTE. INSURANCE DESIGNED WITH YOU AND YOUR DREAMS IN MIND. J M Chapman Agency Inc Jay Chapman, Agent Bus: (480) 945-7122 7055 E Thomas Rd Scottsdale, AZ 85251 jchapman@amfam.com American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. & its Operating Companies, 6000 American Parkway, Madison, WI 53783 ©2015 006441 – Rev. 2/20 – 12923221 CALL (480) 945-7122 FOR A NO-OBLIGATION FREE QUOTE. INSURANCE DESIGNED WITH YOU AND YOUR DREAMS IN MIND. INSURANCE DESIGNED WITH YOU AND YOUR DREAMS IN MIND. CALL (480) 990-8855 FOR A NO-OBLIGATION FREE QUOTE.