In Good Spirits Hospitality Group, owned by Bernie Kantak and Andrew Fritz, run three local restaurants: The Gladly, Citizen Public House and Beginner’s Luck, an all-day comfort food spot in Old Town Scottsdale. The group will soon add a fourth restaurant, Minnow, a coffee bar/sushi and cocktail spot in Arcadia.
Kantak, who cut his culinary teeth at now shuttered Cowboy Ciao and Kazimierz, recently garnered a prestigious James Beard Award nomination for Best Chef: Southwest. Known for his inimitable Original Chopped Salad, Kantak opened up about a new customer favorite, which he’ll be serving at the fourth annual Dish Fest on Sunday, March 9.
What will you be serving at Dish Fest this year?
The Lucky 7 Cereal Bowl – sometimes coined the original chopped salad of breakfast. It’s a totally unexpected dish — a perfect balance of warm blue corn grits, chilled coconut chia pudding topped with a house-made coconut-pecan granola, blue agave, fresh berries and blue cornflower. It was in the top 100 dishes of Arizona this year [in PHOENIX magazine] and everyone who tries it tends to fall in love.
Which local chefs do you admire?
LOTS, I just love everybody in our food community. Stephen Jones, Gio Osso, Scott Holmes, Chris Bianco, Charleen Badman, Nadia and Armando (of Taco Chiwas) and Justin Beckett.
How does it feel to be nominated for a James Beard Award for a second time?
Mind blowing. Period.
What do you enjoy about doing pop-up events like Dish Fest?
Seeing the community and everyone’s smiling faces when they come up and grab a bite. Plus, telling everything that I am that salad guy and watching their reactions.
