Address and phone: 2905 E. Skyline Dr., 577-6000

Meet Aaron Helfand, chef for Bluepoint Kitchen & Bar at La Encantada shopping center.

Helfand, who is originally from Long Beach, Calif., but grew up in New Hampshire, became Bluepoint’s head chef about a month ago after four years there as a line cook.

He says his father taught him to cook at the family’s Cranmore Mountain Lodge bed and breakfast in North Conway, N.H. From there, he started his restaurant career as a dish washer, gradually working his way up.

He received his training from Andre Angles of Frenchy’s Bistro in Long Beach, James Douglas of Wolfgang Puck Café in Newport Beach, Calif., and Togwotee Mountain Lodge Cafe in Moran, Wyo.

Bluepoint serves fresh seafood and steaks daily. Its raw bar serves shellfish.

Question: What’s your favorite restaurant in Tucson?

Answer: Gandhi Cuisine of India. I love Indian cuisine. It’s always great service and the food is delicious.

What’s your favorite dish to prepare and why?

I like preparing meatloaf. It’s just a hearty dish. It tastes really good and it’s fun to make.

What’s your favorite dish to eat and why?

I would have to say fondue because it’s entertaining and active, and cheese and fruit are delicious.

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

Tucson prides itself on being a very laid-back community. Despite the laid-back aspect, Tucson is fast-paced and exciting like Los Angeles and the East Coast.

What’s your favorite or most used kitchen utensil?

My fish spatula. It’s versatile and durable yet delicate.

What do you always have in your refrigerator at home?

Water and grapes. Grapes are my favorite fruit.

Why are you a chef?

Well, when I was a kid growing up in the restaurant industry, my dad taught me how to cook. It’s really gratifying to make something from scratch and see the person smile. It’s always great to make something new.

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BE THE CHEF

Helfand’s recipe for Jalapeño Cilantro Mussels

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MORE CHEF PROFILES

For Q & As with more local chefs, go to the Chef Profiles link at the bottom of the Taste Plus home page.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008 at 12:00 am and is filed under Local, Taste. Tags for this post: Chef Profile, Mackenna Guest, page-d01, Taste-Chef Profile, Taste-Chef Profile-Local. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.