Creamy cheese, rich meats and fresh heirloom tomatoes. These are all ingredients restaurateur Joey Maggiore uses in the dishes at his Phoenix restaurant, The Sicilian Butcher. Try them for yourself at Best Fest and learn more about the illustrious Italian chef below.
What can attendees expect from you at Best Fest?
We are going to serve amazing food for people. We are going to do a fazzoletti, which is basically a mini lasagna that is folded instead of layered and we are going to do it with a three-meat ragu, ricotta and mozzarella. We are going to do one of those per person and then also the Tomasco’s famous meatballs with a fresh heirloom tomato sauce.
What are you most looking forward to about Best Fest?
Mingling with the right people.
What’s the importance of Best Fest for you?
It helps give you name recognition amongst your peers and in the community. When you stand next to the name PHOENIX magazine, it makes you feel like one of the best.
When and why did you start The Sicilian Butcher?
I started it five years ago and the dream was to create a concept that pays homage to my father and his Sicilian background. I wanted to make what they make in Sicily, but bring it over here.
Shout out another Valley business that you admire. What do you admire about them?
Mark Tarbell, but there are so many chefs and so many restaurateurs and everyone does something right.
What’s the best thing about living and working in Phoenix?
Phoenix is just an amazing place. It’s turning into a foodie town and I love the close culture of everybody. In a lot of places, restaurateurs all become jealous of each other, but in Phoenix everyone has become a family.
What’s next for The Sicilian Butcher?
We are going to go national. We are opening one more in the Valley and then we are going into Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Denver and Utah.
