This summer, join us for the debut of Campfire Chefs—one more way The Resort at Paws Up has turned camping into glamping. While each of our camp’s Dining Pavilions is normally staffed with an exceptionally talented chef who prepares your daily breakfast and dinner, this series allows you to dine on the cuisine of chefs who are at the pinnacle of culinary success. These include award-winning names such as Chef Beau MacMillan:
As executive chef of Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain and its signature restaurant, Elements, Beau MacMillan inspires his staff with his passion for fresh ingredients. His ingenuity in the kitchen is stimulated by the belief that food should not be overworked, but rather appreciated for its simplicity and natural perfection. As a result, MacMillan’s innovative seasonal menus focus on fresh, local ingredients procured from a network of artisans and organic farmers.
MacMillan has cooked in some of America’s most distinguished kitchens. His culinary career began at the age of 16 with a position at Crane Brook Restaurant and Tea Room in Carver, Massachusetts. MacMillan spent a year under the tutelage of Chef Francois Demueloge. Inspired, he joined the brigade at La Vieille Maison in Boca Raton, Florida, rising to the position of sous chef. MacMillan then moved to Los Angeles, where he held sous chef positions at the prestigious Hotel Bel-Air and later Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica. He was recruited to Arizona in 1998 to develop the cuisine at Camelback Mountain. MacMillan and former Executive Chef Charles Wiley opened Elements in 2001. Now as executive chef, MacMillan’s innovation has brought the resort national recognition and acclaim.
In 2006, MacMillan competed on Iron Chef America against Iron Chef Bobby Flay in “Battle American Kobe Beef.” MacMillan’s cuisine reigned supreme, letting him claim victory over Flay. In addition to this appearance, MacMillan has cooked at the James Beard House in New York City and at Bon Appétit Magazine. He is the personal chef for Wayne Gretzky and his family and has cooked for such personalities as President George W. Bush, Britney Spears, U2 and the chefs Jacques Pépin, Michel Richard and Michel Roux, Sr.