MEET THE CHEF

Zivaz Mexican Bistro

Address and phone: 4590 E. Broadway, 325-1234

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Felipe Valenzuela Jr., the general managing partner at Zivaz, is a longtime Tucsonan who graduated from Salpointe Catholic High School and the University of Arizona. At UA, he received dual degrees in finance and entrepreneurship. His father, Felipe Valenzuela Sr., a former food broker, does most of the cooking, though his 25-year-old son also cooks quite a bit. The junior Valenzuela learned cooking from his family, but especially his father. The Valenzuela family prides itself on taking traditional Mexican ingredients and using them in inventive and diverse ways.

What's your favorite restaurant in the Tucson area and why?

I hardly go out anymore since we opened, but I like Montana Avenue and Bison Witches Bar & Deli, and the Mexican hot dog stands - just about all of them, are fabulous here.

What's your favorite dish to prepare and why?

For me, it's our carne asada. It's probably our top-selling dish, and it's so well-presented and visually appealing with the peppers and so many other things on the plate.

What's your favorite dish to eat?

I love the salmon. We get great fresh seafood here, and we grill the salmon and serve it with an achiote sauce.

What's unique about the Tucson restaurant scene compared to other cities?

I still kind of feel like we have this small-town feel, even though we have quite a selection of restaurants here. There is a nice sense of community.

What's your favorite or most-used kitchen utensil or gadget?

Tongs. You can't do anything without tongs. For the grill, the wok, just about anything, they're an extension of the hand.

What do you always have in your refrigerator?

A six-pack of Heineken Light.

Why are you a chef?

It's really the satisfaction of coming up with something, because we make everything here ourselves. Even the business side of costing it out and making sure we can get the quality and the pricing that people will be happy with - that whole process is really fulfilling to me. When it's a busy Friday night and I feel like my feet are going to fall off from all the running around, it's great to look out in the dining room and see that everything we've done is paying off for people who are enjoying the food.

- TOM STAUFFER