Chef Nefic’s passion for cooking followed him to Arizona, where he opened his first restaurant, Classic Italian, in Tempe. His gourmet pizza, crafted with the finest ingredients and the kind of love that only comes from years of experience, earned him recognition in national food magazines, including Pizza Today, and he was featured on the cover page of Phoenix Magazine. From 1999 through 2002, Phoenix New Times named his pizza the best gourmet pizza, and he was featured on numerous cooking shows, sharing his passion with an ever-growing audience.

However, Chef Nefic’s story is a little different than the rest, his culinary foundation wasn’t built in classrooms or kitchens filled with Michelin stars, but in the rural hills of Bosnia and Herzegovina. From a young age, this chef grew up on a farm, surrounded by fresh ingredients, a family water mill grinding flour, and the sight of his mother crafting homemade pasta from farm-fresh eggs. These formative experiences instilled in him a deep reverence for ingredients and the joy of cooking with love and authenticity. His culinary path led him to Germany, where he encountered Italian and German chefs and learned what he knows best amongst them. Every dish was a reflection of his roots, his heritage, and the belief that good food doesn’t have to come from a textbook, it needs to come from the heart.