See more TJG listings on back cover Call To Learn Why So Many People Trust The Joffe Group 602.989.8300 | robert@thejoffegroup.com | TheJoffeGroup.com Robert Joffe Adam Joffe Jonah Joffe Dan Lombard Andrew Mehlman Z. Jawanmardi $6,150,000 5521 East Lafayette 5 bedrooms, 6 baths, 5,522 square feet $1,400,000 8675 East Via De Los Libros 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2,412 square feet 8675viadelloslibros.com $1,895,000 7181 East Camelback #301 3 bedrooms, 4 baths, 2,503 square feet 7181eastcamelback.com $2,149,000 6914 East 2nd Street 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, 3,014 square feet oldtown5.com $2,550,000 7133 North 40th Street 1.33 acre lot $750,000 4549 East Campbell 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, 949 square feet 4549campbell.com $2,895,000 4035 East McDonald 5 bedrooms, 6 baths, 4,365 square feet 4035Mcdonald.com $2,795,000 3905 East Sierra Vista 3 bedrooms, 4 baths, 4,363 square feet 3905sierravista.com $9,995,000 5022 East Orchid Lane 5 bedrooms, 6 baths, 7,500 square feet 5022orchid.com NEW LISTING $5,199,000 8441 East Cortez 5 bedrooms, 6 baths, 5,765 square feet $1,250,000 5001 East Flower Street 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2,650 square feet 5001flower.com $9,735,000 9790 North 56th Street 4 bedrooms, 5 baths, 8,144 square feet JUST SOLD NEW LISTING $3,840,000 4642 North Alta Hacienda 1.09 acres Phoenician Golf Course View Lot, $1,000,000 under appraisal! Altahaciendalots.com NEW LISTING JUST SOLD NEW LISTING

JULY 2026 16 In the Kitchen with Head Chef Jesus Rodriguez at My Slice of the Pie Pizzeria 3724 E. Indian School Road • mysliceofthepiepizzeria.com In the Kitchen B orn in Mexico and shaped by kitchens across New York, San Francisco, New Orleans, Europe, and Australia, Jesus Rodriguez’s culinary journey has taken him around the world before landing in Phoenix in 2023. Now the head chef at My Slice of the Pie Pizzeria, Rodriguez blends fine-dining discipline, global technique, and personal inspiration into every slice he creates. Where are you from originally? I was born in Mexico but lived a good chunk in New York and San Francisco. I lived in New Orleans before I moved to Arizona in 2023. I also lived in Australia, where I had the privilege of studying the business part of the restaurants. During my time there, I learned basically the 360 of the restaurant business, because I was studying during the day and working for a Spanish restaurant in the evening. What industries were your parents in? My father has always worked in the food industry, either at soda companies or within the restaurant realm. My mother has always been involved with kitchens and food. I used to work with my father in the operations part of the restaurant. Other than the kitchen itself, that was one part of the industry that made me fall in love with it. Where else have you worked? A lot of places; I’ve been privileged to work in some of the best kitchens. I worked in New York, in Napa Valley, Houston, in Europe – Barcelona and Madrid, Mexico City. If you have a passion for cooking, those are definitely some of the places you want to be. I’ve been around the world, basically. In Napa, I worked with French cuisine and French techniques. In New York, I had my first encounter with pizza in basically getting to know everything about it. Did you work in fine dining, or mom and pops? Well, pizza has always been a passion of mine but I did a lot of work in fine dining. It’s a lot of pressure; a lot of hours. In fine dining, everything is time consuming and everything has to be perfect. There’s not much space for creativity. It all has to be done by the book, so you can learn a lot but you can’t really create anything for yourself. I did work for a couple mom and pops and a ghost kitchen or two during the pandemic. When we first arrived in Arizona, it was a little hectic just trying to find a place to set down roots. In 2024 I found My Slice and I’ve been here since. Which cuisine is your favorite? Mexican food is much more than just one country’s cuisine, because the food can change so dramatically from one region to another. That’s what makes Mexican food so special. You can basically find a whole country’s food identity in just one region. It’s one of the best cuisines in the world. Did you always know you wanted to be a chef? Yes! Food and kitchens are something I’ve grown up with. My grandparents loved to cook and were always trying to get the family together on Saturdays. My mom studied in culinary school and my dad worked in restaurants so it’s something I’ve always enjoyed doing. When you find something you’re passionate about, you can put in as many hours as you want and you may be physically tired but it won’t feel like work. You’ll wake up with a smile, wanting to go to work, wanting to learn as much as you can. Food is so special. It’s how we survive, how we come together. Kitchens are hectic and if you don’t have the stomach for it, this industry is not for you. If you don’t mind burning your hands and getting your hands dirty and getting your apron wet, you’ll be okay [ laughs ]. What’s the first thing you remember cooking? Tomato sauce with my mom. Mexico has a super-traditional dish called entomatadas that’s basically a quesadilla with tomato sauce on top of it. It’s one of my father’s favorite dishes. I remember starting to want to get to know the kitchen and remember my mom was always there – she cracked open a can of tomatoes and the rest is history. Who are some of your favorite chefs? Being around pizza, the greatest is Chris Bianco. I think what he’s done for the pizza industry is amazing. He’s given the world a chance to see the human part of the kitchen by telling people the stories from those employees that aren’t necessarily in the customer’s view. Those that “run the show.” I think Chris has been doing amazing work. He’s the greatest to do ever do it in creating pizzas, the dough, sauces, etc. I got to talk to him a couple times and what a great human being. His personality and the way he does things is what I think the restaurant industry has been lacking a little bit, lately. Letting people hear the voice of the people in the kitchen. It’s more than just a dish. It’s a story. Everyone in the restaurant is important to that restaurant. In other cuisines, I think what Thomas Keller has been doing with technique is amazing. What Massimo Bottura did with