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Michel Pieton, gourmand par excellence
Boulders’ executive chef wants cuisine to delight

by Jennifer Krahe

Michel Pieton is the new executive chef at the Boulders Resort and Spa in Carefree. He has arrived at a turning point in the resort’s history: its decision to go organic. Not only is the red meat hormone‑free, the fish not farmed, and the chicken free‑range, the vegetables are all grown on the United States’ western seaboard (eventually the majority will come from Arizona), the Spa also carries a large selection of organic wine. Ultimately the linens, soaps, and other trappings in the rooms will be organic or from natural materials. Having grown up surrounded by organic foodstuffs, Pieton is a perfect fit for the resort’s new mission.

TDA: Tell me your story– votre histoire.

CP: I grew upon a farm in Normandy, in northwestern France. My mother was a very good cook. Everything was right from the garden and organic–meat, herbs, vegetables. I love to cook because of my experiences as a child.

TDA: How did you end up at the Boulders?

CP: Thirty years ago I came to the United States to work as a chef at the Four Seasons in Chicago (which would later become the Ritz Carlton). What I remember most about first arriving in the city was the size of the buildings and the size of the cars. (They were so big.) I worked at the Four Seasons in Chicago and then with the same hotel company in Dallas, Texas, for 5 years, and Newport, Calif., for 18. In Dallas I worked with the man who would become the General Manager of the Boulders. After I had spent some time in California, he asked me to come with him and work as the executive chef here at the resort. I’ve been here at the Boulders for four months.

TDA: What do you think of the resort area?

CP: It reminds me of Normandy, without the grass. There are no tall buildings and everything is hidden in the countryside. You don’t even realize that the resort is here. It fits in with the surroundings.

TDA: Where did you study?

CP: As a teenager I worked in a patisserie. While serving in the French military I had some opportunity to cook, and then I worked at an auberge in Blois, close to Orleans. Following that, I received my culinary certification.

Candidates are placed in a kitchen, they are given a menu, and are expected to cook the dishes listed on the menu. Also, part of the certification is a long test that asks why things were prepared the way they were and why certain items were paired with others.

TDA: When you cook, what goes through your mind (other than the recipe)?

CP: Obviously, food should have a lot of taste, but it should also stay true to what its ingredients are. Sometimes we eat things and we have no idea what we are eating. It also has to be well‑presented. When you first look at it you have to be like ‘wow!’ It is important to preserve the flavor and the essence of what you cook. For example, the sauce has to balance the product. I am excited about the resort being organic because I feel organic foods have more taste to them–they are left longer to grow and acquire their flavor.

We talked a little about wine and Pieton reiterated that there are organic wines available at the resort. “However,” he laughed, “there are some people who just want un bon vin de bordeaux–and those aren’t organic, but they are very, very good.”

“My goal is to bring the Boulders back to being one of the finest establishments in Phoenix. I want to create a unique experience.” In part, The Boulders and Pieton are pinning its culinary hopes on healthful organic offerings.

Reach the reporter at jennifer@thedesertadvocate.com.

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