What happens when a restaurant reaches the five-diamond pinnacle? In the case of the Ventana Room at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, the chef goes off looking for new challenges but Loews doesn’t want to lose any of the restaurant’s luster.

Exit Phillipe Trosch who is partnering with Tucson restaurateur Gaetano “Gavi” Colaleo n of Gavi Italian restaurants n to open La Taverna di Phillipe con Gavi either late this month or in early February.

Enter Marc Ehrler, “the most-decorated chef in the Loews family,” says Sarah Beal, public relations manager for the resort. Ehrler arrived last month to take over as the new executive chef.

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Ehrler, a master chef of France, has received the AAA’s five-diamond ranking at two different restaurants in the same hotel. He came to Tucson from Loews Miami Beach Hotel and before that was executive chef for Ritz Carlton.

Beal says Ehrler is already working on an overhaul of the menu at the Canyon Cafe.

Meanwhile, Trosch says La Taverna will take over the Gavi Italian Restaurant at 6960 E. Sunrise Drive. It’s across the street from the larger Piazza Gavi, which will remain as it is.

“This is going to be a nice cozy, friendly neighborhood kind of place,” Trosch says. “It will be very affordable.”

He says there are no illusions of trying to be another five-diamond restaurant. The menu, which will be on blackboards, will change with the seasons and what is available.

For the address book: The telephone number for Loews Ventana Canyon Resort is (520) 299-2020. The number at Gavi Italian Restaurant and soon-to-be La Taverna di Phillipe con Gavi is (520) 615-1900.

Battle for Iron Chef Tucson

Chefs Albert Hall, of Acacia at St. Philip’s, and Jonathan Landeen, of Jonathan’s Cork, will face off in an Iron Man Tucson competition Jan. 14 at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort and Spa, 3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd. Hall and Landeen were chosen from among eight chefs by voters making their choices online at the websites of radio stations Mix-FM KMXZ 94.9-FM and Z104.1 KZPT 104.1-FM. Tickets to witness the competition cost $15 in advance, or $20 at the door with a portion of the price going to benefit Café 54, 66 E. Pennington St., a restaurant that trains developmentally challenged people to work in the restaurant industry. To purchase tickets, call the radio stations at (520) 795-1490 or Café 54 at (520) 622-1907.

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