OCTOBER 2025 16 with David Codney, Director of Operations at Adobe Bar & Grille 2400 Biltmore Estates Dr., Phoenix • azbiltmoregc.com In the Kitchen F rom the bustling kitchens of Beverly Hills to the laid-back charm of Adobe Bar & Grille, David Codney has carved out a culinary path as fun as the dishes he serves. With a career spanning top-tier hotels, TV appearances, and leadership roles, he hopes to bring a refreshing energy to the table – one plate, and one conversation, at a time. Where are you from? I was born in a country called Cleveland [ laughs ]. The more I’ve traveled, the more I’ve realized Cleveland is a very unique place – in a good way, in an endearing way. It’s good people. Ohio is my home base but I’ve lived so many places; Colorado Springs, Naples, Florida – all over. Where were you before Arizona? I moved from Beverly Hills. I lived there for the better part of 12 years. I was the executive chef of The Peninsula (an upscale resort), which was an awesome experience I’m so grateful for. Beverly Hills is similar to Phoenix in that it’s a city built of a bunch of suburbs. You have all these cool spots all around you, my kids were on the t-ball team, everybody knows everybody. It’s interesting to live in a big city with a small town feel. Was anyone in your family in the restaurant business? No, and I remember sitting my parents down when I was 17 and telling them I wanted to be a line cook. Their jaws dropped [ laughs ]. I do have a lot of memories of food. I’m like an old grandmother who wants to feed people and make people happy. I love using food as a conduit for conversation. What cemented your love for hospitality and culinary? A rule growing up was you were either in sports or you went to work…I chose work, and fell in love with kitchens. I wish I had a cool story with a grandmother and, ‘I did it for the love,’ and I for sure have these memories, but the reality was kitchens were like pirate ships. As an impressionable 14-year-old kid and dishwasher, I was hooked. There was fire, there was knives, a lot of stories that we cannot print [ laughs ]… that was how it started. I actually never wanted to be a chef, I wanted to become a really good line cook. Next stop was culinary school? Yes! I moved to New York to attend school and worked at some of the best restaurants. I understood that the profession that I loved so much for the “piracy” side was actually a job that you could learn to do very well and make money with. In the beginning, I just wanted to be where the cool kids hung out. It was more of a drive, then the professional part came later. There were a lot of cool aspects to culinary school. I enjoyed butchering and there was the Junior Culinary Olympic Team, which was like practice after school between 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. I was really knee-deep into it. That’s what I do, I dive in and go off the deep end. It wasn’t just about culinary school; it was everything that went along with it. Tell us about some of the kitchens you’ve worked in. The Baricelli Inn was the first one. That was in Cleveland and at the time was one of the Top 50 Restaurants in the U.S. I worked in New York for a little bit. Left there, worked for the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas. Then I started working in the hotel industry, starting with the Ritz Carlton for almost a decade. I had a stint at The Broadmoor in Colorado and then moved to Beverly Hills and The Peninsula. What was it like going from standalone restaurants to busy hotels? Part of being a corporate chef meant I had to oversee all the restaurants, all the production. Morphing into the director of operations encompasses the front and back of house, which is what I like the most. I’m going to say something and it’s going to sound horrible, but it’s all about control. I really view things differently. If you look at hotels versus restaurants, restaurants have the unique ability to do things really well in a small setting. Hotels have the ability to have a poolside offering, something casual, a steakhouse… it’s more cookie cutter. You have to have those things. At a standalone restaurant, you can hone in on your identity and what makes you unique. What does your day- to-day look like? I’m all over the place. When I walk in, I make sure everything was done the night before and is ready to go for the new day. I try and keep things pretty habitual so I can take care of any one-offs that might happen during the day shift. It really comes down to understanding the dynamic of the restaurant. My number one job is to talk to people. Talk to your staff, talk to your customers, so you can change their dynamic right away. ‘How was your meal?’ It’s that simple. What is one change you’ve noticed in the industry over the years? The culture of food and beverage has gotten so far away from the people. It’s gotten so into weird details, like… ‘this fork is beautiful, this wall painting…’ if I asked you what the color of the walls are at your favorite restaurant, could you tell me? Probably not, but you could tell me the feelings you had and if you liked the vibe. My job is to understand that from people. We’re an evolving industry and at Adobe, it’s not a destination, it’s a journey. What can guests find at Adobe Bar & Grille? I want people to come hang out, have a round of golf, have a round of drinks in a comfortable chair and enjoy the sunset. I want people to love the music and the staff. People used to describe the Adobe

17 OCTOBER 2025 as charming, which is nice, but I want to keep the feeling of us being the ‘Cheers’ bar, where everyone knows who you are and even if we don’t you’re still welcome. Are we perfect? No. But we’ve got beautiful views and awesome people. You’ve traveled the world – where is your favorite place thus far? My favorite place in the world to go for food is split between Mexico and Peru. The first time I went to Peru was in 2004, to an area right on the coast. It’s so beautiful and different. The food is a mix of Asian, Spanish and Inca National influences. They pride themselves on corn and potatoes. There are over 3,000 types of the potatoes there! In one part, there’s a huge cross up on a hill, and below it is a bar called Ayahuasca – also a hallucinogenic drink they have. We went to that bar and for the first time ever, I heard Japanese people speaking Spanish and doing tapas…and it blew my mind. Tell us about your time as a television chef. Working with Peninsula comes with a lot of awards, accolades, ego, but also a lot of opportunities. It was really fun! I don’t mean to come across cocky here, but I translate really well on television. I have good energy. I lived a very LA life – if you know what I mean – and I was fortunate to be involved. I met so many cool people, but I enjoy telling stories and using food to start conversations, so that made the experiences fun. Master Chef had a massive team involved. It was a big deal and we relaunched a restaurant, so it was kind of glitzy but it was more a learning experience. My life has been big… almost a TV show in itself. I’m really grateful; I’ve been so fortunate. What is the inspiration behind the dishes at Adobe? We’re an amalgamation of characters – in the front and back of the house. We wanted to make sure we have good, understanding dishes. This is not a nightclub, and it’s not a place where you’ll spend $400 on caviar. If you want it, I can get it for you, but this is a spot to grab a local beer, great cocktails and great food. Our hot dog is notorious; we have amazing steaks and amazing pancakes; we have braised oxtail rigatoni with meatball dish, like a nonna-style meatball that fills you up, but it’s not something that’s cute and cheeky. Same with the Reuben… it’s just a good hangout, and the dishes represent that. I believe the philosophy for all food is ‘keep the basics and do them well.’ What is your most memorable meal? That is difficult to whittle down. In this industry, there are so many experiences that are memorable. I went to Tokyo and there was a restaurant below the hotel and everyone gets their own room – you’re in your own room, kneeling on pads, it’s so beautiful. The whole experience was mind blowing, almost to the point where I felt I wasn’t worthy to be there. I felt very humbled. The chopsticks were carved out of petrified wood! There was a bar that was in a random spot down an alley. The menu was made out of children’s books, and the bar itself was in an old library and all the patrons were placed throughout these nooks and crannies. The bartender would come out with a basket of fruits and vegetables and you could point to the ones you wanted and the bartender would make your cocktail. When we left, all the chefs were outside smoking and they stopped and waved as we were leaving. I got choked up! They saw us leaving and they wanted to say thank you for dining with us. It’s such a core memory. Who are some other chefs that inspire you? There is this guy, Fergus Henderson, who owns a meat/pie shop in London. He came out with a book called Nose to Tail and he’s just a phenomenal chef. He was doing this before the whole ‘clean cooking’ movement. I love him. Dan Barber from Blue Hill in upstate New York blew my mind. Kelsi Armijo is one of my faves, she started off as a sous chef and now she works with Jean-Georges Management. I’m also inspired by the local guys who run the taco stand, who took his family’s dishes and made them with love. He’s proud, and that’s endearing and inspirational. It’s not perfect, but the love for the food makes up for it. What restaurant would you recommend to someone who’s new to the Valley? I went to Filthy Animal and it was really good, I enjoyed that spot even though it made me feel old [ laughs ]. My kids and I like to go to Taco Viva. I’m from LA so I’m missing taco culture a lot. I’m still on the hunt for a good ramen spot. Parlor has a phenomenal grinder. Here’s something crazy: I went to Dick’s Hideaway and didn’t understand the whole vibe but I ordered a Caesar salad along with the entrée, and the entrée was good but the Caesar is one of the best I’ve ever had. Highly recommend! What’s next for Adobe Bar & Grille? We’re excited for a lot of things. We partnered with The Shop Beer Co. to create our own beer, which is huge. We’re excited to hone in on our identity; to unveil our new cocktail program and upcoming menu. It’s going to be a great season – we can’t wait to welcome people home.