History

Vincent Guerithault first gained national acclaim at his first restaurant (which he did not own) in Pinnacle Peak, Arizona. In the early 1980s the then food editor of The New York Times, Craig Claiborne, dined there and afterward wrote, “If one may judge a restaurant on the basis of one visit but in the company of five other guests each of whom ordered a variety of dishes, I would declare Vincent’s to be exceptional.” In those early days Vincent’s food was nothing like his style of cooking is today. His early years reflected his background in classically prepared French haute cuisine. It was after Vincent moved to Phoenix that he began to see the possibilities of cooking with the cornucopia of southwestern ingredients.

As he learned about ingredients that were new to him like chile peppers, corn, cilantro, masa and jicama he was able to produce a hybrid cuisine based on the most exacting French techniques. He presented plates with color and design. During that period many chefs hopped on the southwestern bandwagon that was beginning to gather speed, but none possessed the training or discipline of Vincent, who was able to apply a lifetime of French technique and craft to each ingredient, recipe and presentation. By careful thought and constant attention to detail, Vincent created an entirely new cuisine. Southwestern cookery had been developing along the lines of a marriage between California novelties and traditional concepts of Mexican food, but it was Vincent who focused his cooking to absorb the flavors of the Southwest into a refined, sublimated cuisine that no one else in America had really attempted before.

In January of 1986 Vincent opened his own restaurant, Vincent on Camelback, which is still at its original location at 3930 East Camelback Road. Over the years he has expanded his business to include a very successful catering operation, the popular outdoor Saturday market held from October to May in his parking lot, Vincent Market Bistro, located adjacent to Vincent’s Restaurant, and most recently Vincent Van Go, a corporate delivery service catering to local businesses in the Phoenix area.