Kenneth Arneson is the executive chef at modern American eatery Alter Ego, located at the newly opened Canopy by Hilton Tempe Downtown. Learn about Kenneth Arneson (and his love of ice cream)…
Hometown: Mesa, Ariz.
First job: My first job was working as a fry cook at KFC. Oh, how I miss the simple days!
Favorite ways to spend your free time in AZ: For me, there’s no better way to spend my free time than eating ice cream, hiking with my family, eating some more ice cream, shooting archery and then of course, eating more ice cream.
Your biggest accomplishment and why: My biggest accomplishments have been raising my two beautiful and talented daughters and being voted one of the top five best chefs in Los Angeles. Both situations set the ground work for making me the confident chef I am today. I have done a lot of incredible things but those two stand out the most.
The biggest obstacle you overcame: The opening of the House of Blues in Anaheim, Calif., it was beyond crazy. We did $10 million in food sales in our first year and that experience challenged me in every way possible, but by the time I left I was 10 times the chef I was when I started that adventure.
Someone who inspires you and why: My wife Sharon Arneson. She is as strong as a rock and as sweet as a Starbucks caramel macchiato. I can’t imagine the person I would be without her.
Advice to someone pursuing a career path in what you do: Once you realize a giant ego is not going to fit in the kitchen, only then will you be successful. But go ahead and try it…we all do.
Favorite quote: “When it’s time to work, we work hard. When it’s time to play, we play even harder.”
Something someone would be surprised to learn about you: I am a professional DJ in my off-time.
What makes someone fabulous: Knowing that we are part of a bigger path and that every footprint we leave should have a positive and inspiring effect on the pe