Chef Chat: Aaron May of Lettuce Turnip Beets Restaurants
The Yacht Club brought the spirit of a relaxed seaside retreat to Phoenix’s Arcadia neighborhood. Peter Bowden developed its transportive nautical atmosphere through whitewashed wood, porthole windows, salvaged oars and carefully sourced maritime pieces, giving the casual neighborhood restaurant a distinct sense of place.
Arizona Foothills Magazine profiles Aaron May, executive chef and owner of Lettuce Turnip Beets Restaurants, in a conversation covering his culinary beginnings, kitchen memories, seasonal ingredients and growing collection of restaurant concepts.
The interview closes with a discussion of The Yacht Club, May’s nautical-inspired seafood restaurant in Arcadia. Conceived as a casual neighborhood retreat, the restaurant paired fresh seafood, responsibly raised meats and seasonal produce with an environment intended to transport guests to a favorite seaside destination.
May directly credits Peter Bowden with designing the restaurant and conducting extensive research to find the right pieces for an authentic atmosphere. That attention to detail shaped a maritime interior built from whitewashed wood, porthole windows, salvaged oars and other collected nautical references.
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