Daniel Patino

Executive chef Daniel Patino
Bourbon Steak at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort
7575 E. Princess Drive, Scottsdale
480-513-6002
Fairmont.com/Scottsdale

Bourbon Steak is a sleek, chic, updated take on the steakhouse genre created by San Francisco chef Michael Mina. In other words, it’s not your father’s steakhouse, and in fact, some of the best stuff here comes from the sea – including Mina’s famous lobster pot pie. Daniel Patino has a hand in all of it.

Patino is the new executive chef at Bourbon Steak at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. He works closely with Mina on the seasonally changing menu, putting his own stamp on the operation with expertise he’s gleaned over the years at other top restaurants. He went to high school in Phoenix, and his passion for restaurants was kindled at the historic U.S. Grant Hotel in San Diego during his enlistment with the U.S. Marine Corps. From there, he attended the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and worked at Stars. After graduating, he opened Stars in Seattle.

Stints at lauded Italian restaurants in Washington and California, plus internships at Daniel in New York City and Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, further boosted Patino’s stock. He landed with Mina at Arcadia Modern American Steakhouse in San Jose in 2006, where he headed the kitchen, and he joined Bourbon Steak in Scottsdale in December 2009.

How do you distinguish yourself and your style while working at places developed under the umbrella of a “big name” chef?

I take what I’ve learned from all the chefs I’ve ever worked with and take the fundamentals of technique. I also take from my surroundings … we use indigenous ingredients – Arizona products. I truly believe if an ingredient is good by itself, don’t mess with it. Just highlight it on the plate.

What are some of your favorite dishes on the Bourbon Steak menu?

I would have to say the tapioca-crusted snapper has everything we as chefs strive for: sweet, salty, savory and texture, all in one dish.

What would you like to put on the menu?

I love Black Mission figs. I eat them raw; with bacon and cheese; and on a pizza.

Do you see yourself staying with an organization like Mina’s or starting your own place someday?

I really, really like where I landed. My plan was to go out and explore whatever I could when I was younger, but now I’m planning to stay here.

What’s the biggest difference between the restaurant scene in San Francisco and Phoenix/Scottsdale?

People are not afraid to try new things here. In San Francisco, people know what they want. They’ve already made up their minds what they want. Here, when we talk to the tables and say, “We have this,” they’re more open to trying it. Scottsdale is a great food city. It’s up and coming. I think in five years, we’re going to be talking about Scottsdale as a food city in the same way we talk about Los Angeles or San Francisco or New York.