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Chef Ivan Flowers

5 Star Executive Chef

Flowers' passion for cooking came from his father, who was chef and owner of Rendezvous Restaurant in New York. He learned from his father that a good chef lets the food do the work with respect to flavor and presentation. This lesson has guided Flowers' elaborate career, earning he and the restaurants he has led an abundance of accolades and awards. This lesson has also made Chef Flowers an accomplished and sought-out teacher to aspiring chefs from around the world.

Though his food is influenced from countries around the world, he combines a love for French and Italian cuisine with a passion for Mediterranean – what he likes to call "global fusion".  

Chef Ivan Flowers brought nearly 21 years of fine cuisine experience to L’Auberge de Sedona, the AAA Four-Diamond, Four Star award winning restaurant.  While Executive Chef at L’Auberge de Sedona, Flowers completely re-designed the menus for the dining room, bar and catering.  After this change, the customer satisfaction rating soared to 99 percent.  Flowers has created extraordinary cuisine for some of the finest restaurants in Arizona, including T. Cooks at Scottsdale's Royal Palms Resort and the Phoenician's Mary Elaine's.

From 2001 to 2007, Flowers served as Executive Chef at Different Pointe of View in Phoenix, where his distinct menu earned praise from food critics around the world. Here, Flowers' "teaching kitchen" became regarded as one of the most coveted places for up-and-coming chefs to develop their skills and discover their own style. Different Pointe of View became the finest restaurant for high end cuisine for Hilton Hotels world wide.  Chef Flowers was bestowed the honor of one of the greatest Chefs globally for the Hilton Hotel Corporation.

Prior to this role, Flowers was the lead instructor and chef of L'Ecole restaurant at the highly-respected Le Cordon Blue SCI Culinary Institute in Scottsdale. As chef and instructor, Flowers was responsible for educating an ongoing class of 30 students in classical French cuisine. In addition, he handled all restaurant operations including menu development, budgeting, forecasting and catering. During his tenure, L’Ecole received its highest Zagat® rating and went onto to a four month waiting list for reservations.

Flowers’ culinary experience also includes serving as Chef de Cuisine at T. Cooks at the Royal Palms, where he contributed to the attainment of the restaurant’s fourth Mobile star and TOP 10 in Food Arts magazine. Other accomplishments was his role as  Sous Chef at the Phoenician’s Mary Elaine’s, where he trained in a five-star setting with two James Beard award-wining chefs, Alessandro Stratta and George Mahaffey as well as Bradford Thompson who later in his career became a James Beard award winner.

Flowers received his A.O.S. degree in culinary arts and restaurant management from Le Cordon Bleu SCI Culinary Institute in 1997. While attending Le Cordon Bleu, he was a Sous chef at ASU's University Club, as well as a Sous Chef at Scottsdale Center for the Arts. In addition to his culinary education, Flowers holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the New York Institute of Technology.

Articles & Interviews
The French Omelet
Chopped Turkey Liver Toasts
Roasted Apple Creamy Orzo
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Grilled T Bone Steak
Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimmichurri Glaze

Fresh New Zealand Green Lip Mussels
Roasted Free Range Chicken
Australian Barramundi
Grilled Globe Artichokes
Pan Roasted Alaskan Halibut
Pan Seared Muscovy Duck Breast
Penne Pasta Caprese Salad
Ahi ‘Pastaless’ Ravioli
Roasted Rack of Lamb
Fuerteventura Whole Fish
English Spun Fish & Chips With Malt Vinegar
Gnocchi Parmagiano