Maynard James Keenan (Tool, A Perfect Circle, Puscifer) is expanding his culinary enterprise with the opening of the Queen B Sushi restaurant in Old Town Cottonwood, Arizona.
The restaurant, which opens September 4th, is the latest venture in Arizona’s Verde Valley from Keenan and his wife Jennifer, who also run the Queen B Vinyl Café. Keenan also has established a major wine business in the area, with the Merkin Vineyards Hilltop Winery & Trattoria and Caduceus Cellars Hilltop Facility.
The name of Queen B Sushi, like the vinyl café, is taken from the title of a 2007 Puscifer song. Keenan stated the following of the new establishment and his love of sushi:
“Although I’ve been enjoying sushi since my days in Boston, circa 1987, my first Japanese tour wasn’t until 2000 with A Perfect Circle. It was an eye opening and mind-blowing experience. While there, I picked up these amazing titanium and hard wood travel chopsticks from Snow Peak. And I’ve carried them with me ever since. Last year I ran into Janeane Garofalo at the Chelsea in NYC. She was saying to David Cross and Dave Hill, ‘I haven’t seen Maynard in several years but one thing I remember is that he used to carry chopsticks in his pocket.’ At which point I reached into my pocket and pulled them out. Twenty-five years I’ve been carrying these chopsticks. That’s how much I love sushi.”
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Keenan has enlisted some master chefs for the restaurant, including culinary director Chef Brett Vibber, whose experience includes Roka Akor’s London, Hong Kong, and US locations. Vibber’s team includes Chef Chuhiro “Thomas” Kato, who trained under Nobu Matsuhisa, and Arizona native Chef Sheridan “Sher” Chase.
If you’re in the area or plan on visiting in the near future, reservations for Queen B Sushi are available here. A selection of Keenan’s wines will be served at the restaurant.
Meanwhile, Keenan will head out on an international tour this fall with both Puscifer and A Perfect Circle, starting with Puscifer’s UK/European headlining tour in October and early November, followed by a joint bill featuring both bands in South America, Australia, Japan, and Hawaii. Pick up tickets here.
See an interior photo of the Queen B Sushi restaurant below.
