Rock ‘n’ roll is here to stay – and it’s the hallmark of two East Valley restaurants in Mesa and downtown Gilbert. Kindred spirits of the Hard Rock Cafe but sans the huge flying V guitar over the entrance, Flancer’s serves up savory sandwiches and pizza, while exuding a hip, funky and fun ambiance. Marley, Springsteen, Frampton, Queen and more are all here. Both restaurants are owned by Philadelphia native, Jeff Flancer, who has 30 years of experience in the food industry under his belt.
The downtown Gilbert cafe showcases a variety of ’60s to ’80s rock album covers, while the parallel universe in Mesa (Higley and McKellips) has a similar vibe but with a nuanced spin – psychedelic vintage posters of some of the biggest and most famous rock bands including the Doors, Chicago, Chuck Berry, Cream, and Blood, Sweat and Tears. Not surprisingly, the motto for both restaurants is “rockin’ taste buds since 2000.” An avid record collector during his teens and 20s, Flancer says with a twinkle in his eye, “I dreamed of being in a band and rising to the top, but I realized I was a better chef than a drummer.”
Flancer’s doesn’t just resonate with the Woodstock generation, it attracts anyone who values sumptuous food created with the finest ingredients available – including freshly baked bread right out of the oven. Pizzas are made with Wisconsin’s finest handcrafted cheese, and there are a variety of gluten-free items on the menu as well as “light fare.” Flancer and his chefs put a new twist on old favorites and pride themselves on creating unique specialties to have taste buds singing. Specialties include the popular prickly pear chicken sandwiches marinated in thyme and balsamic dressing, roasted off-the-bone turkey, and provolone with New Mexico green chile mushroom phyllo appetizers.
When asked why he wanted to become a chef, Flancer says with a laugh, “I wanted to be like Jack Tripper in ‘Three’s Company’ and have two girl roommates.” While that scenario never played out, he did parlay his love of food into an illustrious career by graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, and continually working his way up the food chain. From the inner harbor of Baltimore to the finest French restaurants in Los Angeles, such as La Orangerie and the Westwood Marquee, he soaked up as much as he could. “Wherever I worked, I always gave 110%,” he says. A sampling of other high points in Flancer’s culinary career include working at or with: Carnival Cruises, Sony Bono’s Italian restaurant in Hollywood, MGM studios in Culver City headquarters as a sous chef, the French Chef Rene Verdon (President John F. Kennedy’s White House chef ) and the Strand in Redondo Beach, CA.
Burned out from sometimes working 18 days straight, Flancer eventually moved to Santa Fe with his then girlfriend. Not being able to find work because of seasonality, he opened the Ramblin’ Café, which he ran for three years out of the local synagogue before creating his own restaurant. While working in the synagogue, Flancer provided food for onegs and bar and bat mitzvahs, simultaneously selling sandwiches to local businesses. His move to Phoenix in 2000 to be with family became the catalyst for his first Gilbert restaurant.
While passionate about cooking, helping out the less fortunate puts Flancer into overdrive. When not coordinating with his chefs to create inspiring dishes, he’s cooking up clever concepts for mitzvah projects. Last year his restaurants earned a whopping $30,000 for charity through a variety of activities that increase in popularity each year. With the exception of a dessert contest in October, the month of April rocks the house with events such as wine and beer pairings, cigar and craft beer events, a Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament (held at Temple Emanuel in Tempe last year) and the popular all-you-can-eat Pizza Eating Contest.
One year, Flancer says, Miss Arizona competed in the contest and ate five slices! “Our second year we turned it into a charity event and (have done that) every year since. Some years we have up to 25 contestants competing. The goal is the most pizza you can eat in 15 minutes.”
This is the 14th year Flancer has been going to bat for a trio of organizations he feels passionately about: Jewish Family and Children’s Services, Sunshine Acres Children’s Home in Mesa and Warfighter Sports. (jfcsaz.org | sunshineacres. org | warfightersports.org). The latter is an organization that provides physical rehabilitation for military men and women who suffer from physical disabilities, which include amputations, spinal cord injuries, visual impairments and muscle damage.
The charity assists them in pursuing sports such as sailing, skiing, scuba diving and more. Since 2005, Flancer’s has raised $174,000 for Warfighter Sports. “I have always been fascinated with the ’60s era and the Vietnam War,” says Flancer. “I have met a lot of vets through the years and have befriended some.
War is devastating, and this is my way of helping those who fight for us,” he explains. The Sunshine Acres Home in Mesa, which has helped children and teens since 1954, is also a recipient of Flancer’s generosity. “They do a fantastic job,” says Flancer. “Some of these kids watch their parents get killed by the other parent, and they need a lot of emotional help. Then again, after being at Sunshine Acres for a while, a lot of these kids are really upbeat and happy in spite of everything, and they wind up doing great. … What better way to save kids and make them productive citizens than to help them this way?”
Jewish Family and Children’s Service, which receives a third of Flancer’s philanthropic contributions, is a nonprofit and nonsectarian organization providing high-quality behavioral health and social services to children, families and adults. “I found out about this organization through the Men’s Club at Temple Emanuel,” says Flancer, “and I strongly believe in their mission. It’s hard to get quality mental health treatment, but these folks help make it easier for those seeking it.”
“There was a time I was more into taking than giving,” says Flancer. “Now that I’ve had some success, I really want to give back and help the community. Too often, we take all the trappings of our lives for granted and settle back into our comfortable surroundings, looking away or ignoring those in need. This is something I cannot do, and that is why we are engaging our patrons and the public in taking a moment to really think of those less fortunate.”
October Dessert Contest
The winner will have their name and dessert featured at both flancer’s locations for the coming year. a donation of $1.50 for each dessert sold will be made to the winner’s favorite charity for one year. The winner gets $100 flancer’s gift certificate and a cool trophy! Email jeff@flancers.com a recipe with a very short history or why that dessert tastes so good, a photo of the dessert (if possible) along with your charity of choice. Fiinalists will be asked to bake a sample and bring it to the café for judges to taste Oct. 19.
• Entry deadline: Oct 16
Max Flancer, z’l
Tragically after we wrote this article, Jeff Flancer’s 15-year-old son, Max, died in late August from a fall into a canal while walking to his mother’s home in Gilbert. He was a confirmation student at Tempe’s Temple Emanuel. In his eulogy, Jeff wrote: “He was a loving, compassionate, and very funny kid. He loved making beats for hip hop and rap music. I will have them to listen to the rest of my life.”
The family has announced that donations may be made to the Max Flancer Youth Assistance Fund at: Jewish Family & Children’s Service, 4747 N 7th St., Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85014 or via the JFCS website at jfcsaz.org/max.
