Meet the Chef: Elle, a Wine Country Restaurant

Jeff Fuld and Antonio Cardadeiro

Location: 3048 E Broadway Phone: 327-0500 Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon-Fri, 4:30-10 p.m. Sat (Bar menu available until midnight Fri and Sat), 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun

A restaurant has filled the same spot in Broadway Village for 20 years. The latest rendition, brought to you by Jeff Fuld, the erstwhile and last owner of the popular Daniel’s, which closed in 2002, does this midtown location’s lineage quite well.

The collaboration between Chefs Fuld and Cardadeiro makes for consistently good meals, with dishes culled and highlighted from memory and family traditions.

Question: How long have you been cooking?

Jeff: Since I was a kid. I have always enjoyed eating, so I learned to cook to eat. (35 years)

Antonio: I started when I was 7 or 8, helping my Mom baking and at Christmas, especially. (22 years)

Question: Where and when was your first job cooking?

Jeff: In 1978, I started as a pantryman at Ruelles’ in New York City, a restaurant, which unfortunately is no longer.

Antonio: At Macayo’s on Oracle Road, when I was 16, as a prep-cook, making tacos, rolling enchiladas, all that.

Question: Did you go through formal training or the “school of hard knocks”?

Jeff: School of hard knocks. The only formal cooking training I had was a birthday present from my grandmother when I was 16, a Chinese cooking class. Which makes a lot of sense since she’s Jewish.

Antonio: School of hard knocks, but I’ve worked with some very good chefs at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort at the Ventana Room and Flying V.

Question: What kitchen tool is key to your cooking art and skill?

Jeff: My head, of course. Without creativity, what are we?

Antonio: Chef’s knife, and mine is a Henkel 10-inch forged blade.

Question: What is your favorite dish to make?

Jeff: I really like the “Grandma would be proud” recipes, where you get all kinds of flavors from long, slow simmering. It’s very sensual.

Antonio: A grilled rib-eye or New York steak. That’s for myself. Prime rib for anyone else.

Question: What is your own favorite thing to eat?

Jeff: I’m very mood- and situation-dependent. But anything fresh and beautiful.

Antonio: Good Mexican food or sushi. I like variety.

Question: What are your favorite places to go eat in Tucson?

Jeff: I love India Ovens, because the flavors are so different than what I cook. It’s different flavors and sensations. Also Kingfisher, which is comfortable and their ribs are great.

Antonio: Sushi Garden and La Parilla Suiza.

Question: Name your favorite places to eat of all time.

Jeff: La Côte Basque in New York City, and also Peter Lugers in Brooklyn.

Antonio: Gotham in New York City.

Question: What city, when you went, would you have to go eat special?

Jeff: San Francisco. It’s a perpetual food revelation there, always something new in food and restaurants.

Antonio: New York.

Question: Do you have any favorite foods you can get only in special cities?

Jeff: Like New York bagels? Because the water does make a difference.

Antonio: Cioppino in San Francisco, and Crawfish Etouffé in New Orleans.

Question: What are the marks of a fine restaurant and good food?

Jeff: Attention to detail and genuine caring about each customer’s experience.

Antonio: Fresh quality ingredients, preferably locally grown, and knowledgeable staff and service.

Question: What is special about the food served in Tucson?

Jeff: For a city our size, we have a high number of really good restaurants, and people passionate about what they do.

Antonio: We have such a mix and the opportunity to use ingredients from local farmers, from Arivaca, Willcox, even farmers from Tucson.

Question: What is special and particular about the food at your restaurant?

Jeff: There’s a great flexibility in doing food that goes well with wine. It goes all the way from Grandma comfortable to very exotic.

Antonio: The fact that we use all natural meats, and we strive to encourage family traditions.