PHOENIX
The Phoenix Convention Center welcomes Chef Masood Shirmohammadi as the new executive chef for Aventura Catering, Inc.
Shirmohammadi brings a diverse culinary background from Chicago where he worked at the Drake Hotel and Fine Dining Restaurant Chef at Entre Nous Restaurant at the Fairmont Hotel. He also spent a decade in the casino hospitality industry. Most recently, he served as the executive chef at the Art Institute Museum of Chicago where Money magazine recognized him as one of the nation’s best chefs.
Affectionately known as Chef Masood by his team, he directs the staff responsible for dishing up culinary delights for Phoenix Convention Center guests. Chef and his team work closely with clients to develop menus that consistently exceeds their expectations. He incorporates bold flavors into healthy fare, with a passion for classical French cuisine. Shirmohammadi’s French culinary skills enhance the essence of his recent southwestern inspired dishes like Sonoran spiced rubbed wild salmon and smoked cheese ravioli with charred tomatillo and achiote oil.
Shirmohammadi says that working on his aunt’s farm as a youth inspired his culinary career. That experience gave him the desire to prepare dishes using farm fresh ingredients and led to his decision to enroll as a culinary student at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. He has held true to his roots and continues to seek out the freshest ingredients to prepare dishes in perfect harmony with a presentation that weaves a beautiful tapestry. Over the years, he has collaborated with local farmers to obtain the finest local produce to reveal the natural regional flavors of food. Shirmohammadi is committed to helping young chefs discover their own talents and actively provides job shadowing opportunities and hands-on cooking classes for local culinary students.
Aventura Catering is a catering division of Aramark. The Phoenix Convention offers nearly 900,000 square feet of meeting and exhibition space and is one of the 25 largest convention venues in the U.S.
