Brian Smith – Chef/Owner, Maynards
Chef Brian started cooking as a young child in the kitchen with his mother and grandmother, where he began mastering skills like creating crème brulee. By 16, he had already gained experience working in several local kitchens.
After completing culinary school, his career he landed a position in the kitchen of Acacia Real Food & Cocktails next to culinary master Chef Albert Hall. He expanded his culinary vision by working at Coi, the 2-Michelin Star restaurant in San Francisco. Coming back to Tucson, he had a deeper connection to high-end cuisine and how to allow seasonal ingredients to shine on a plate.
In 2016, he joined Maynards first as Chef de Cuisine, then four months later becoming Executive Chef and in 2021, an owner. He’s been instrumental in creating a fresh approach to the menu and vibe of this award-winning downtown restaurant, where all fruits and vegetables come from Arizona farms. He won the 2018 Iron Chef Tucson competition.
Chef Brian has been an ambassador for Tucson City of Gastronomy on the international stage – with trips to Parma, Italy for the annual Gola Gola Festival and to Belém, Brazil for a UNESCO culinary event featuring chefs from the many world Cities of Gastronomy.
