Karl Schwirian started in the restaurant business at age 15, working at a Chicago Beef stand called the Yellow Submarine. This led to jobs in hotels including 5 years at the Arizona Biltmore. While working at the Coyote Café in Santa Fe with Mark Miller, Karl assisted with many special events and cookbooks. After a stint at Scalo Northern Italian Grill in Albuquerque, Karl moved to Seattle and worked for Consolidated Restaurant Group, as Executive Chef at Pescatore. Upon returning to Phoenix, Karl worked with the Mastro Group at Marco Polo and Cocomo Joe’s as well as starting Mastro’s Catering.
In an effort to find balance in life to raise a family, Karl left the kitchen for several years, working in Food sales. Spirit is the newest addition to Karl’s resume and he is up to the challenge. Karl believes that food is more than daily sustenance. It is with gratitude that meals are prepared with the best ingredients in simple ways, that let the food stand on its own, in it’s beauty and glory.
In his spare time, Karl’s loves to talk about food and music trivia, and enjoys going to concerts with his wife of 30 years, Karen, and his sons, Connor and Spencer.
Read about Chef Karl’s culinary approach here.