'Chef's Table' returns with spotlight of Pizzeria Bianco. Here's the story behind the episode
On Aug. 19, Netflix teased the news that Chris Bianco will star in his own episode of "Chef's Table Pizza" on Sept. 7, 2022.
The award-winning "Chef’s Table" series, created by David Gelb for Netflix, started its first season in 2015. This year, season seven will include six 45-minute episodes spotlighting pizza makers from Kyoto to Phoenix.
Pepe in Grani in Italy was voted one of “50 Top Pizzas” in the world in 2017 and 2018. Monk restaurant in Kyoto, Japan, has become a destination for omakase-style pies topped with the likes of fiddlehead fern and koshiabura, the bitter buds and leaves of a tree endemic to Japan that can only be harvested in the spring. Pizzaiolo Sarah Minnick in Portland also takes a seasonal approach to topping her sourdough crusts with ingredients like bitter herbs, foraged flowers, wild mushrooms and blue cheese.
But the first episode of the season will start closer to home with Phoenix's chef Bianco.
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How was Chris Bianco selected for 'Chef’s Table' this year?
“If I had to boil it down to one thing, we are looking for people who have really big visions and a crystal-clear idea of what they are trying to communicate with their work," explained Brian McGinn, the show’s Emmy-nominated executive producer and director.
“I think pizza is an amazing way to express yourself,” he said. “So the first thing we were looking for was a diversity of stories and pizzas and the stories our chefs were telling through their pizzas.”
The producers approach the show with a desire to share the restaurants they have experienced with the rest of the world, he explained. When they discover an unusual restaurant or concept, they tuck it away and bring it up when the time comes to create a new season.
McGinn, who calls himself a “massive pizza head” and whose friends describe him as a “pizza freak,” first tried Pizzeria Bianco when he traveled to Phoenix to work on a documentary eight years ago. “The second we put Phoenix on our map, I knew we were going to Pizzeria Bianco,” he said. “I think it’s one of those destination bucket lists.”
When they decided to produce a pizza-focused "Chef's Table," for McGinn, including Bianco was a no brainer. "For us in the U.S., everyone owes Chris a huge amount of gratitude because he's one of the trailblazers who made artisanal pizza and cared about what goes into the pizza from flour to toppings," he said. "All of that in the U.S. started with Chris."
“I just think Phoenix is so lucky to have Chris,” said McGinn. “What he has contributed with his food but also with his values and the way he celebrates community and creates a great working environment for the people he employs. It was an honor to tell his story and highlight how Chris has grown and evolved throughout the years.”
Watch “Chef’s Table,” season seven on Netflix. Streaming Sept. 7.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Netflix's 'Chef's Table Pizza' kicks off in Phoenix at Pizzeria Bianco
