JUNE 2026 16 In the Kitchen with Chef Josh Winters of Flint by Baltaire 2425 E. Camelback Road • flintbybaltaire.com In the Kitchen A t the helm of Flint by Baltaire, Chef Josh Winters brings decades of passion and hands-on experience to the kitchen. From growing up in Wisconsin and discovering his love for cooking alongside his nonna to leading kitchens across Arizona, Winters has built a career fueled by curiosity, relentless work ethic and a deep appreciation for the camaraderie that comes with the industry. Where are you from? I grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin. I’ve been out here for about 15 years and I’ve been cooking since I was 18. I moved out here to get a piece of paper [laughs] . I was working at a country club and applied for the chef de cuisine position and they asked for my credentials. I had no idea what they meant. ‘I already work here? You want my birth certificate?’ They wanted my culinary degree and I didn’t have one – and that lit a fire. I was sick of being in Wisconsin – at the time I was in college studying psych and hurt myself pretty bad playing football, so I dropped out and found Arizona Culinary Institute. It was a 12-month program, and I’d already done the technical courses, and at ACI it was really hands-on, small classes, so it was great. How did you go from studying psych to becoming a chef? My mother and father owned an electrical company, so I was pulling wires by the time I was six. I didn’t know what I wanted to do but I wanted to try a bunch of different things. I was a mason, I’ve laid concrete, framing… I always also had a kitchen job at some point. Once you start, it pulls you in. We’re all gluttons for punishment [laughs] , with the hours and stress that come with the job. I didn’t really care for school, so I left and moved around a couple times and worked at a few mom-and-pops. The whole country club thing was the impetus for researching culinary schools and moving out here. My girlfriend at the time wanted to move somewhere warm so we came out to Phoenix. She was here for a year and moved back, so I buried myself in work at Olive and Ivy. Where else have you worked? I worked at Bourbon Steak at the Fairmont Scottsdale. Resorts had a big appeal for me at the time but then I got burned out on cooking the same food every day. There’s a big hierarchy there and the menus don’t change. I started working at Noca (where Matt’s Big Breakfast is now) and that was extreme fine dining, menu changes every day, you’re working sixteen hours a day, six days a week… I learned a tremendous amount. I opened the Montelucia and moved up to Executive Sous Chef; from there I went to The Boulders, then Valley Ho, and then I helped open Francine. That was a very interesting time, right in the midst of the pandemic. I transitioned to private events and cheffing for around a year but I missed restaurants. I missed the camaraderie. I found Flint and I’ve been here for about a year. What’s the first thing you remember cooking? My nonna was a great chef but she hated cooking. I would be the veggie cutter when she was in the kitchen. She was a huge influence on me, and everything she made was amazing. Dinner was a huge production. Watching her and my parents – my dad thinks he’s the best grill master in the world – was influential. We weren’t the wealthiest family, and we made do with what we had – but there was always dinner on the table. Cooking is something you can always fall back on. If you have passion, drive, a talent, you can do this. Growing up, I would try to elevate dishes, like… how do you elevate tater tot hotdish? You make your own tater tots, grind the seasonings, ‘I’m going to make this a white tablecloth dish,’ but I need to play with it. That’s part of the fun. What’s one of your favorite parts of the industry? I love to build people up and coach them and pass them on. It’s not that I want to lose anyone, but you’re ready to go, ready to keep growing, you know? The coaching and teaching – I feel like I wear so many hats – but I feel like that’s one of my driving forces. I enjoy the science of food. I’ve dedicated a lot of my life to ‘okay, what can I learn, how can I push myself?’ I spent three years teaching myself pasta and different doughs that I can create by hand. The little moments where you can see that a guest is enjoying their meal are so worth it. In the middle of the rush and everything is chaotic, fires are going, people are communicating, I love it. …your least favorite parts? Some people act like we’re saving lives, but all we’re doing is feeding people. Yes, we have to push things out in a timely manner, but I feel like sometimes guests don’t realize, ‘hey, you’re being fed by professionals,’ and the dining room is full, it takes time, what can we do so you enjoy your experience? Especially since we’re an open kitchen and you can see what’s going on behind the glass. It’s interesting to watch people, and I’ve met so many in this industry. This is a passion, and if you’re not passionate about it, and realize that you’ll most likely be working 80 hours a week, this isn’t for you. I think people don’t realize how demanding this industry is. Make sure you know what you’re getting into.

17 JUNE 2026 Tell us about your food travels. When I got married, we had plans to go to Italy for our honeymoon but then the world shut down, so we had to wait. Last summer we flew over and I just kept extending our stay [laughs] . My wife is a pastry chef at The Phoenician – that’s where we met! She had a bunch of connections in Europe so after Italy, we went to Barcelona for a week. I’m telling you I was ready to buy a house. It was spectacular. This summer we’re thinking about going to Albania because I have a truffle guy who lives there and he said we can come stay with him. He’s an amazing guy, too. I’ve been to a lot of states but there’s inspiration everywhere. I can find inspiration from locations but there’s also inspiration from chefs who are from different places, if that makes sense? What can people find on the menu? Think of us like a Mediterranean steakhouse. All proteins are center-of- the-plate, and we’re seafood driven: branzino, salmon, swordfish, tuna, plus ribeye, bone-in, wagyu hangar steak and of course, a filet. Everyone loves a filet. Wood-fired pizzas, hummus – there are three variations that take three days to make – and we have a kid’s menu, too, so you can bring the kids! The burger is one of the most popular items on the menu. Every time a ticket comes in, the grill guys are betting on how many burgers there will be [laughs] . What about the wine dinners? I have done wine dinners throughout my whole career – when I was at The Boulders I would do 12-14 wine dinners a year! But the community up there loved the events, so I wanted to bring that to this community. I’d like to do one a month, but the summer is pretty sparse, you know? We did restaurant week, we wanted to get ourselves out there and share our food. We also host events for the complex – doesn’t matter how silly they are, I’m in. I want to make this place as busy as I possibly can, at the highest level I can. What is your favorite kitchen utensil? A cake tester and a pair of tweezers. It helps if I want to move something around or fixing a plate without having to manhandle it. It’s my security blanket [laughs] . A palette knife, tweezers and spoons are my secret weapons. On a personal note, I collect knives and spoons. Spoons? Yes [laughs] . My wife is always asking if I’m going to use them, like, absolutely! I’ll stop at rummage sales – even on the way to work – and if I see a set of spoons, I’ll buy them. Her best friend went to an estate sale and the guy was a woodworker and had wooden spoons, so she bought them and gave them to me for Christmas! How do you handle the chaos of a kitchen? Well, it’s organized chaos. There’s always going to be moments where you have to push through. My thing is consistency. Make sure stations are set up for success. We have pre-shift meetings every day so everyone is on the same page. When I was younger, I would lose my mind, but that never got me anywhere. I want to be as supportive as possible, and nonstop communication is key. Every day is different and I love it. The cooks love it. Kitchens are families! Who are some other chefs that inspire you? That is a tough question. Francis Mallman is very successful and very rustic – he cooks outside, and I like that. Thomas Keller – everyone knows his name. Grant Atkins and gastronomy is cool; Heston Blumenthal and The Fat Duck; Chris Curtis is a local and he’s awesome. I don’t think there’s one specific person, though. I find inspiration from lots of people. I’ve been very fortunate in my career to meet some of the best chefs – and you might not even know their names. The Arizona food scene is really good and super talented. When you’re not working, what are you doing? When is that? [laughs] My wife and I always try to take Sunday off together. I don’t have a glorious life outside of work; it’s shopping and errands and doing all the stuff. We just bought a house so there’s always something to do there. On Sunday nights, though, we make it a point to sit down and have dinner together. I love being outdoors, I like to hunt and fish. Go to the gym, you know, the usual! What restaurants would you recommend to newcomers? Filthy Animal and Cleaverman are great. Glai Baan. Gallo Blanco has an epic brunch. Bad Jimmy’s for the burger. It’s so good. Welcome Diner, Fire at Will, Hush, Vecina – James is actually my neighbor! What’s next for Chef Winters? Time will tell! This company is growing exponentially; there are a lot of things in the works. I’m ever pushing myself as hard as I can. I’m always going to be in a kitchen – this is my life, my kitchen, my craft. I’ll continue to teach people about food. 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