P icture a cook’s life in Chicago. Long, loud nights in hot, mean kitchens. Your sharp-elbowed co-workers all vying to go from line cook to the next celebrity chef. You’re so amped up after shifts, not even a few drinks can calm you down. Kenny Cuomo lived that sprint. When he describes it today, the pressure still seeps through. “There were points in my life where, you know, going out drinking all night, then maybe laying down for an hour, getting a shower, going to work,” he says. “And that was 10 years of that lifestyle.” One night, at the legendary steakhouse Charlie Trotter’s, he burned a dish in a copper rondeau. Those wide, shallow pots were important — every one was polished by hand. Panicked, he snuck the pot out of the kitchen. He had to hide the evidence. “I was so embarrassed that I threw the pot, not in our garbage. I ran down the alley, threw it in a different Dumpster,” Cuomo says. That sort of manic pressure forged Cuomo in his youth. Today, as the driving force behind Maeva — a new Heritage District destination for French cuisine, and almost certainly the best restaurant of any kind in Gilbert — he has traded the big-city grind for streets lined with palm trees. He maintains an intense focus on perfecting his food and his hospitality. His new all-day restaurant has set the bar for dining in the East Valley. Now fully in control, Cuomo is ready for the moment. But is Gilbert ready for him? A TASTE OF FRANCE IN GILBERT I first met Cuomo in December when I made the trek from central Phoenix to the East Valley for dinner roughly six weeks after Maeva opened. The trip required a 30-mile drive, mostly on the wide lanes of Interstate 10 and U.S. Route 60, to reach the multistory parking lot behind Maeva. Plenty of people have made that drive, and not looked back. Gilbert has ballooned by some 80,000 residents since 2010, to nearly 300,000 people. It’s now the fourth- largest city in Arizona and is trying, sorta, to shake its reputation as the world’s hay- shipping capital. Young professionals with above-average salaries and an above- average number of kids have filled a sea of sand-colored starter houses over the years, looked around, and wondered what, exactly, there is to do in Gilbert. The downtown’s historic Heritage District pulls them in like moths to a lamp. An area with a deep history in agriculture and the Mormon Church is now home to a buzzy entertainment district that tilts conservative and accessible. Outside Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row, customers in cowboy boots and wide- brimmed hats wait in line for their chance to dance to twangy country pop. At O.H.S.O. Brewing, millennial parents sip craft beer while their kids pinball around and munch on chicken fingers. Postino, a casual upscale chain, attracts moms who share bottles of wine and bruschetta boards at happy hour. Maeva, by contrast, promises classic French cooking, carefully plated and delivered with fine-dining-level service. It seemed so out of place, I had to see it for myself. On my first visit, just before the holi- days, strands of sparkling lights deco- rated the streets outside. Inside, the restaurant was moody, romantic. Small lamps bounced light off white marble tables. At that time, dinner at Maeva was a four-course prix fixe menu for $90 per person. The meal wowed me from the jump. It started with a plate of intricate, carefully crafted bites. A honey-drizzled, layered Parmesan crisp challenged expectations of the Italian cheese. A pork trotter croquette made me wonder how adventurous Gilbert diners might get. Plate after plate hit the table. Refreshing albacore tuna crudo. Herbaceous, tangy goat cheese served with tender slices of grilled squash. Somehow, the four courses kept multi- plying. At one point, Cuomo popped out of the kitchen to present a chicken soup en croute. Its cross-hatched pastry lid flaked as it gave way to a savory medley of meat and vegetables. The chef, built sturdy, with a tightly shaved head, excitedly told us he learned to make the dish while studying in Lyon, France. I wondered: How did a classically trained chef and world traveler end up in the East Valley ‘burbs? On a sunny Friday this spring, I returned to ask him just that. I got more than I bargained for. THRIVING AMID THE CHAOS When I arrived, Maeva was at full brunch pitch. I made my way to the host stand, pausing to wait behind a mom in a floral dress wrestling her stroller through the doorway. A group of young women in pastel athleisure outfits, expensive headphones around their necks, rushed to meet friends sipping bright green matchas and snacking on cheffed-up avocado toasts. Behind the white marble bar, the espresso machine whistled. Chatter flowed through the open doors from groups squeezing the last out of patio season. Sunlight filled the space, revealing the subtle greens in the dark walls and the pops of color from funky artwork hung throughout the space. The art belongs to the restaurant owners’ private collection. Dawn and Treg Bradley are local real estate investors who dreamed of bringing a taste of their world travels to Treg’s hometown. The inspiration? Monaco. The location? Gilbert. Amid the brunch chaos, the owners sat at a central table in matching butter-yellow outfits, sampling teas, symmetrical sandwiches and petite desserts for a new tea service. Then, I showed up for an interview. No way the chef has time for this right now, I thought. The hostess showed me to a table, and a petite woman with thick hair and a warm smile brought menus and water. I’d later learn that this was Nina Cochrane, the chef’s business partner and wife. “Hello!” a familiar voice boomed. Cuomo was dressed in a striped mustard and white button-down with a black apron tied in the front. He shook my hand and launched into the day’s “itinerary,” intending to walk me through lunch. When I explained I was just here for the interview, he reluctantly settled in. In the seven years I’ve covered the Valley’s dining scene, I’ve found that most conversations with chefs follow a template. Chefs are busy, so they want to stay concise. After a minute of small talk — some heat we’re having! How’s business? and so on — we talk about their inspiration, what they’ve got on the menu, what’s next. Then I close my notebook, and they head back to the kitchen. But when chefs have more time, it’s a joy to dig deeper, to have a real conversation. Even if they don’t have time, some are so passionate, they talk anyway. On the day of my visit, that was Cuomo: totally slammed, yet game to keep dishing. FISHING AND FINDING A PASSION Cuomo is from northern New Jersey, and food is in his blood. His great-grandfather moved from Italy to New York City, where he worked as a fishmonger. Cuomo remembers gardening with his grand- mother, “a real adventurer,” who grew her own celery and shallots. His dad was a food distributor and his mom was among the During the mornings, Maeva serves a selection of house-made pastries. (Jacob Tyler Dunn) Gilbert GOurmet At Maeva, Chef Kenny Cuomo brings big-city flavor to the East Valley. BY TIRION BOAN
