Arizona Wilderness Brewing in Gilbert has hired its first executive chef: Stacey Carson, the chef-owner of recently closed gastropub Nosh Arizona.
Her mission is to fine-tune the brewpub’s menu of gourment burgers and ‘‘tighten up’’ the kitchen’s workflow to get food to diners faster.
‘‘As part of the interview process, she came in and cooked for us,’’ Arizona Wilderness co-founder Jonathan Buford says. ‘‘It was the most amazing burger we’ve ever tasted.’’
Carson and her then-husband, Mark, opened Nosh on the northwest corner of McClintock and Ray in Chandler in December 2012.
The couple got divorced, and Nosh closed in September 2015.
While it was open, though, the small gastropub was a favorite date-night destination for Buford and his wife.
200 burgers an hour
Arizona Wilderness opened in August 2013 and expanded in early 2015. Its kitchen sometimes is called upon to make more than 200 burgers an hour.
‘‘This size of kitchen just isn’t set up for that kind of demand,’’ says Carson, adding that a revamped kitchen will include equipment upgrades.
Carson, who started today, plans to trim the pub’s current lineup of what she calls a dozen ‘‘good’’ burgers down to eight ‘‘great’’ ones, adding a new build-your-own option.
Carson’s secrets to making a great burger? ‘‘The way it’s cooked,’’ she says. ‘‘The perfect burger is medium rare.’’
The menu’s focus will remain gourmet-level quality and locally sourced ingredients. Prices will be in the same ballpark.
More vegan & gluten-free options
Carson, wary that ‘‘a lot of people don’t like change,’’ also plans to add more vegan and gluten-free options, as well as a couple more desserts, to the menu.
Arizona Wilderness just introduced a new weekly promotion called Tapping Thursdays. They will tap three new beers every Thursday.
Carson is working on a food component: Diners will be able to get a sampler of the three new beers paired with three small plates of food.
The brewpub’s other weekly promotions – Burger Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, and Local Wednesdays –  promotion – will continue.
