MountainView Bistro Chef Jaime Delgado
Byron Cotter
MountainView Bistro Chef Jaime Delgado came to HOA 2 with extensive experience in food preparation. He started out at a young age, helping his grandmother in her desserts bakery. After a time in the Marines, he went to work for Hilton as a travelling chef. His other experience includes stints with Stone Canyon Country Club in Oro valley, Enchantment Resort in Sedona and Pastabilities, a highly rated restaurant in Syracuse, New York.
About two years ago, Chef Jaime was put in charge of the MountainView Bistro kitchen. He immediately started making changes to improve the food quality. Before Chef Jaime took over the facility, much of the food was purchased pre-prepared in cans and bags. Now, most of the Bistro food is made from scratch. The Bistro staff now makes their own chicken and veal stocks and sauces, which are much lower in sodium than commercial stocks. The staff also prepares most salad dressings. “All natural” chicken (no hormones) is used. Lettuce mixes are made up fresh and not purchased as bagged mixes. Fresh whole salmon is purchased, rather than frozen fillets. Menu items feature fresh herbs.
Chef Jaime’s priorities also include efficiency and cost savings. To cut food preparation times, he rearranged the kitchen equipment and changed the setup line. He also made significant changes to cut costs. An alternative machine dishwashing product saves about $10,000 per year. Chef Jaime also brought in additional food suppliers to create price competition. That action is saving tens of thousands of dollars per year.
If you haven’t been to the Bistro lately, come in and give it a try! You’ll enjoy the experience.