A native of Phoenix, Dimas planned a career in broadcasting at Arizona State University. To earn college tuition, he took an entry-level prep cook position at The Buttes Resort's Top of the Rock Restaurant in 1986. Although he hadn’t thought about a culinary career, Dimas found himself captivated by the magnanimous commitment required of culinary teams to transform basic ingredients into refined works of art. With no formal culinary education, Dimas worked his way up through a variety of kitchens, eagerly learning as much as possible about all disciplines of the culinary arts.
It was an opportunity at The Boulders Resort that set him on a course to becoming a foremost chef. There Dimas' cooking flourished under the expert tutelage of Charles Wiley, a highly acclaimed award-wining chef. Working his way through the ranks from cook, to restaurant chef, and ultimately to Executive Sous Chef, he refined his techniques toward new heights of quality and sophistication. Dimas developed an appreciation and respect for the highest quality ingredients and how to best showcase them. He also developed his own personal style and approach to creating fine American Regional cuisine, igniting his culinary creativity to become a budding top chef.
He continued his culinary rise at The Lodge at Ventana Canyon where he served as Executive Chef at the private club. Dimas then returned to The Boulders as Chef de Cuisine exercising his freedom of creativity and experimentation with innovation. Later he moved to The Arizona Kitchen at The Wigwam in Litchfield Park where he held the post Chef de Cuisine, creating authentic Southwestern cuisine. Dimas and Chef Wiley later joined forces again to open the Hotel Valley Ho. As Chef de Cuisine at Café ZuZu, Dimas’ “retro casual” modernization of American cooking classics has been heralded and widely enjoyed.