Arizona Calling

PHOTO BY THOMAS INGERSOLL

A childhood trip transformed Derek Biazo’s life. Raised in Kingman, Arizona, Biazo, now a Sub-Zero corporate chef in Scottsdale, grew up surrounded by delicious home cooking. When he was 13, however, his family visited relatives in Maine, and his great-uncle made an impromptu suggestion to go to Montreal, Quebec. “Uncle Rupert took us out to a French restaurant for a four-hour dinner. I tried lobster, caviar, truffles, and even sweetbreads. I was allowed to have a little bit of wine with my meal, too.” He enjoyed everything. “The flavors were awesome, and I just fell in love with the food.”

Back home, a newly inspired Biazo enrolled in home economics classes at junior high school. Then, when he entered Kingman High School, he took advantage of a fantastic opportunity. “My school was one of the first schools in Arizona to start a culinary arts program,” he says. The chef who taught him was Michael Gall, a Culinary Institute of America alumnus who had worked at fine restaurants in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. “Michael became my mentor and took me under his wing,” says Biazo.

This experience led Biazo to pursue a career in cooking. “I won a small scholarship that I used to go to Scottsdale Community College for their culinary arts program,” he says. “Michael had also told me to find out if I could handle the fast pace and crazy hours of restaurant work.” Biazo could, and soon after finishing college, he found a position at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain. “I was lucky to work with Executive Chef Chuck Wiley, Chef De Cuisine Beau Macmillan, and Sous Chef Danny Grant (who went on to earn two Michelin stars).”

There, Biazo developed a feel for high-end French cuisine, which remains his favorite to prepare. Over the following decade, Biazo moved from line cook to sous chef, then to head chef, at various fine-dining establishments in the Scottsdale area.

Eventually, his wife’s career took them to California. “She got a job at Stanford University, and I jumped into the Bay Area’s culinary scene.” After a stint as an executive sous chef, Biazo transitioned to corporate dining, working at the headquarters of Johnson & Johnson and Silicon Valley Bank in Santa Clara. “Silicon Valley Bank manages a majority of the winery accounts for the West Coast, so they have an amazing wine cellar, which was a really cool experience,” he says.

The Biazos ultimately returned to Scottsdale to raise their growing family. “We always will love the Bay Area, but we both decided we wanted our kids to grow up in Arizona,” he says. His wife’s career was flourishing, and while Biazo did occasional work as a private chef, he was mostly a stay-at-home dad to their two children. “I had a couple of amazing offers to take over resort dining, but I didn't want to go back to that kind of grind,” explains Biazo.

A perfect position emerged at the ideal moment: Sub-Zero Group Inc. was seeking a corporate chef at its Scottsdale showroom. “I’ve used and loved Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances for years, so I was quite intrigued by the job.”

Now two years in, Biazo is loving his role more each day. “I enjoy showcasing the products and encouraging customers to explore different ways to use them,” he says. ”I want them to leave feeling empowered to replicate the process with the same confidence I have.”

PHOTO BY THOMAS INGERSOLL

After many years in the hectic restaurant world, Biazo is thrilled to have the wonderful work-life balance his role with Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove provides.

Beyond the kitchen, Biazo indulges in another of his interests: music. “Music has been a huge part of my life since I was young,” he says, noting that he began learning guitar at 14 and played in a few groups in high school. “Now I go to shows whenever a favorite band rolls through town.”

Most often, however, Biazo spends his leisure time with his family, having movie nights, seeing the Arizona Cardinals play, or taking weekend getaways to the mountains or longer trips to California.

Recently, the chef shared his unparalleled youthful fine-dining experience with his kids. “We brought them to Quebec last year to show them where I fell in love with cooking,” he says. “We took them out to their first tasting menu, and they loved it. They tried everything—just like I did all those years ago.”