Edward Farrow of The Cafe at MIM Dishes on Menu Integrity and Starting a Fire at River Café

By Nikki Buchanan Mon., Jan. 28 2013 at 7:00 AM

Categories: Buchanan, Chef Salad

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Buchanan

Farrow holding locally foraged oyster mushrooms

When his relationship with the girl soured, he was ready to come home, landing a job as line cook under Alex Stratta at Mary Elaine's. "He was such a gentleman," Farrow says, "I only heard him raise his voice once." After that, Farrow bounced from Another Pointe in Tyme at The Pointe at South Mountain to Mandalay Bay and Circo in Vegas to Le Meridien Hotel in Boston, where he was executive sous for the property and chef de cuisine for Julien.

Heading back to Phoenix again, Farrow took a detour to the Francisco Grande (a golf resort in Casa Grande) before landing a job as kitchen supervisor -- and later sous chef -- at Kai. He stayed for three years until Bon Appetit, (a restaurant management company for private colleges and universities, corporate accounts and specialty venues such as museums) came knocking.

Farrow opened The Café at MIM in 2010, turning what could've been just another forgettable museum restaurant into a dining destination for foodies who favor local. He's one of the city's most creative sourcers, a guy who loves connecting with the people who grow, raise and forage our food. You might say he's come full circle from that humble dishwashing job in a university cafeteria to this far more interesting one, where cafeteria food and fresh, delicious food are not mutually exclusive ideas.

Five words to describe you: Passionate, focused, hospitable, patient, adrenaline-junkie.