Interview: Jay Wisniewski, Caffe Boa

I recently had the chance to sit down and talk with Jay Wisniewski the owner, head chef and wine specialist of Caffe Boa in Tempe.

Jay has owned Caffe Boa since 1994. Their original location was a small venue down Mill Avenue from where they are currently. I had enjoyed many wonderful meals on their old patio hanging out with friends or grabbing a bite before attending events at Gammage. Their current location has the same winning combination of a great patio, upscale menu and friendly staff. It is as warm and inviting as before, but now with a new sophistication. They have been in their current space for the past six years, but the change in venue is not the only change they have made over the past few years.

Jay explained to me how his approach to food has evolved since originally opening Caffe Boa. At one point he had owned three locations of the café. When Jay decided to consolidate and focus on solely on his Tempe restaurant, he wanted to make sure that he did it right. His focus first and foremost was on finding the highest quality ingredients, with an emphasis on organic, locally grown produce, handmade pastas made daily from scratch and fresh seafood, such as sustainable wild oyster and mussels and wild caught shrimp and halibut. They use reduction sauces and demis made without butter, flour or cornstarch so that the true flavors of the dish come through. The bottom line in all of these decisions was in finding the best flavor. Which, as Jay pointed out, always seems to come when you find foods that are grown correctly and protect our environment for the future generations. I couldn’t agree more.

They also turned their sights on their wine list. Caffe Boa has an impressive selection, with over 500 choices available from their 2,500 bottle wine cellar. Even more impressive is Jay’s dedication to being knowledgeable on wine and how it complements and works with food. Jay and his wife are both certified at the advanced level of wine specialists by the Court of Master Sommeliers and the Society of Wine Educators. They also have seventeen servers on their staff who have been through the certification process as well. They want everyone to be able to work with their customers to find the perfect wine to enhance the flavors of each dish.

What hasn’t changed is Caffe Boa’s emphasis on providing great service with a welcoming hospitality. Many in the staff at Caffe Boa have been with Jay for over a decade. They know their customers and want to create a sense of community for their clientele. Jay even serves on the board of the Downtown Tempe Community. With that kind of loyalty to staff and customers, it is no wonder that they have had loyalty returned with a dedicated following over the years. With all of the changes I have seen along Mill Avenue, it is nice to have mainstays like Caffe Boa that have kept that culture of family-owned, community-friendly businesses alive and well.

Caffe Boa is expanding once again. They are opening a second location in Mesa within the next few weeks. With so much careful detail put into their Tempe restaurant, I am sure their new location will be thriving quickly.

With everything he has going on, I was very grateful Jay took the time to sit down and talk with me.

Best of luck Jay!

Caffe Boa

398 S. Mill Ave.

Tempe, Arizona 85281
480.968.9112

www.cafeboa.com