The Mission, Executive Chef/Proprietor

Phoenix native Matt Carter had little interest in becoming a chef when he was growing up in the valley of the Sun. But after graduating from high school, he moved to California and took a job as a dishwasher at The Eggery breakfast restaurant in San Diego. Carter immediately took to the restaurant business and quickly advanced from dishwasher to prep cook to working on the line. After realizing that cooking could be a legitimate career option, he enrolled at the Scottsdale Culinary Institute, graduating in 1989.

After culinary school, Carter cooked at Scottsdale's La Chaumiere, where he was immediately smitten with the artistry, demands and disciplines of French gastronomy. His experience there inspired him to pursue additional classical training in Paris, where he took courses at Le Cordon Blue, refined his skills at various restaurants and gained exposure to the world's finest cuisine.

Upon his return to Arizona in 1992, his Parisian experience helped him land a job as Chef de Partie at Christopher's, the highly acclaimed restaurant of chef/restaurateur Christopher Gross, where he stayed for over six years. Gross was a caring mentor to Carter, who considers him his greatest influence in the culinary world. "I truly learned to cook from Chris," he says, adding, "he taught me things you can't learn at any culinary school". Carter eventually ascended to the position of Chef de Cuisine at Christopher's, which at the time was the preeminent dining venue in the burgeoning Phoenix metropolitan area.

Thanks to a chance meeting with super chef Thomas Keller in 1998, the young chef was given the opportunity to cook in an even more acclaimed kitchen, Keller's illustrious French Laundry, in Napa Valley. After working as Poissonnier for Keller, Carter returned to Scottsdale to take the job of Executive Chef at Michael's at the Citadel, widely recognized for its contemporary American cuisine with European influences. After two-and-a-half years at Michael's, Matt left to collaborate with current partner, Terry Ellisor, becoming the Executive Chef at Zinc Bistro in 2001. The 39-year-old chef and father of four believes that bistro cooking, which is based on the simplicity of ingredients and presentation, to be one of the most versatile and thus most creative gastronomic directions.

Terry Ellisor and Chef Matt Carter recently teamed up with entrepreneur Brian Raab to create Carter’s newest endeavor, The Mission. The idea originated years ago through Carter’s deep love for weekend pig roasts serving friends and family slow-roasted, homemade pork tacos. They received such great reviews, Ellisor and Raab agreed it was time to perfect the cuisine and bring it to life as a restaurant. “I do have a thing for tacos,” admitted Carter years ago, “Someday I might just have to open a taco shop to support my habit.” Well, that is exactly what the three partners have done and the results are phenomenal. Their synergy is evident in the high quality of the cuisine, ambience and uniqueness of The Mission experience. The Mission opened on October 15, 2008 in Old Town Scottsdale and Carter’s twist on the traditional Latin dishes have been winning praise from critics since day one.

From a four-tiered, multi-colored wedding cake complete with draped and folded fondant and air-brushed rose petals made of white chocolate to tasty fruit tarts, chocolate chip brownies and Frisbee-sized cookies, Tammie Coe’s signature pastries have a way of turning any moment into a joyous occasion.

Her cakes, which come in three sizes, are a multi-sensory artistic experience, beginning with the bold colors and free-formed design and leading all the way to the taste, which has been known to cause people to speculate on the divine origins of these sweets.

While most people are at first pulled into the cakes by their rich, bold colors of the fondant drapery, it is what is inside the cake that keeps them coming back for more. And more.

The Milk Chocolate Cakes features “next to flourless” Milk Chocolate Sponge Cake which is layered with Chocolate Mousse and Toasted Hazelnuts. Her famous “Zebra” includes White Chocolate Mousse layered with Chocolate Cake and Raspberries. While still another signature features Banana Foster Cake, a banana cake laden with orange brandy and caramel cream.

We take special pride in creating desserts that use only the best of ingredients. This is why they taste fresh and delicious every time.

For Coe, though, creating such sweetness is in part a work of art and part a connection back to her childhood in Virginia where she learned to make things from scratch and created her first wedding cake in her mom’s kitchen at the age of twelve.

After graduating from high school, Coe went to the Johnson and Wales Culinary school in Rhode Island and received her degree in Pastry and Baking Arts. After finishing the two-year course, Coe then entered and completed the Advanced Standing Course in Pastry, where she learned many of her signature pastry treats.

Culinary school proved to be advantageous for other reasons besides the pastry training, as it was there where she met her future husband, Michael John (MJ). At the time, MJ was a fellow bakery student and now he is one of the youngest Certified Master Bakers in the country.

After spending time in Florida, working at such places as The Breakers in Palm Beach and The Ritz Carlton in Naples, the two came to Arizona to seek out their culinary fortunes.

Since arriving in Arizona, Tammie has always taken chances and followed her instincts to place herself at the forefront of the culinary scene. In the late 90s, she worked at the culinary hotspot Michael’s at the Citadel, and then, a few years later when an ordinary strip mall in the beautiful Arcadia district in Phoenix was renovated into a hip market, grocery and pizzeria titled La Grande Orange, Tammie opened her own bakery and sold her unique pastry offerings. At the same time, MJ supplied the space with his signature creations, his artisan breads, which include French loaves, olive bread, croissants, foccacia, and ciabatta.

The time came when Tammie and MJ simply ran out of room to keep up with all the orders, and they opened their own bakery in the same plaza, using $70,000 of their own money to buy the best oven from France, which came with its own person to assemble it.

As Tammie Coe Cakes continued to grow in popularity, Tammie and her husband kept their Arcadia location as their permanent bakery, but have expanded to include a new location in the Roosevelt Arts District that serves as a store and small café. In addition to serving Tammie Coe’s signature baked goods, this location is offers a wide variety of great breads and sandwiches, and is specializing in delicious Panini’s; with different specialty sandwiches daily!

Accomplished chef Jacques Qualin first teamed with world-renowned chef and businessman Jean-Georges Vongerichten in 1998 to become First Sous Chef at the now legendary Jean Georges. A decade later, the dazzling duo joins together once more for the highly anticipated J&G; Steakhouse in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Acclaimed as a “master of his art,” Qualin hails from the Franche-Comté region of France, a verdant area near the Jura Mountains. At age 16, he began his apprenticeship in a hotel kitchen, spending the next five years honing his craft at various hotels across France.

Qualin was soon lured to the bright lights of Paris where he studied under Michelin-rated chef Michel de Matteis before landing a prestigious post at the three-star Restaurant Taillevent, described by The New York Times as, “the best in Paris, if not all of France.” Qualin spent a year learning from celebrated chef Claude DeLigne before jumping the pond in 1990 to work for another French icon — Daniel Boulud at New York’s Le Cirque.

From 1991 to 1996, Qualin worked in Paris as Chef de Partie at famed Restaurant La Marée and again at Restaurant Taillevent before returning to New York for a stint at JoJo.. Qualin’s considerable culinary talent captured the attention of Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who hired him to serve as First Sous-chef at Vongerichten’s AAA Five Diamond and Mobil Five Star Jean Georges Restaurant, the restaurant that launched Vongerichten’s growing empire.

In 2003, Qualin became the executive chef at Le Périgord, where his revisions of traditional French cooking received rave reviews from New York City’s top food critics. He later left to launch his own fine-dining restaurant, called The French Corner, in upstate New York, which was well-received by critics and locals alike. After five years away, Qualin returns to the Vongerichten fold, happy to collaborate once again with his friend and to head up what is sure to be the Valley’s best steakhouse.

Owner of Tarbell's, Phoenix, AZ
Owner of The Oven, Lakewood & Centennial, CO
Owner of Restaurant Home, Centennial, CO

Mark Tarbell’s restaurant collection includes Tarbell’s in Phoenix, Restaurant Home and The Oven in Centennial Colorado, and The Oven in Lakewood Colorado. He studied in Paris, receiving wine training at the l'Academie du Vin and earning a Grande Diplome d'Etude Culinaire from La Varenne Ecole du Cuisine. Mark was the youngest Food & Beverage Director of any Five Diamond property in the world when he went to work for The Boulders resort in Carefree Arizona at the age of 23. Nominated for “Best Chef – Southwest” by the James Beard Foundation, he has cooked at many special events around the country and for a stellar line-up of political, sports, and entertainment celebrities including the Dalai Lama, Muhammad Ali and Clint Eastwood. Mark and his restaurants have earned more than 50 industry awards, including Food & Wine “Best Restaurant” and fourteen years of The Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence.

Mark’s is a judge for the annual Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits competition, one of the oldest in the country. He serves on many advisory councils and boards, from the Arizona Department of Education to the Phoenix Theatre. He has appeared on “Good Morning America”, the “Today Show”, Fox and Lifetime networks, and several Food Network programs (including a 2007 victory in the “Kitchen Stadium” of “Iron Chef America”.) He is the weekly wine columnist for The Arizona Republic, has been published in numerous local and national magazines including Wine & Spirits and Food Arts, and collaborated with Lance Armstrong’s trainer on Chris Carmichael’s Fitness Cookbook.