About Me

    Husband to one of the coolest lady I know, dad to great kiddos, a cat, and two dogs.

    Hailing from a Colombian mother and Yugoslavian father – I entered the restaurant business at the age of 15 and never looked back. My front-of-the-house career includes time spent at the storied Franco’s Trattoria in Scottsdale, Anne Rosenzwig’s fine-dining Arcadia restaurant in New York City and to Restaurant and Bar Angele in Napa Valley. During my four year stint in the California wine country, I embraced the interconnected relationships between food and wine, and farmers and winemakers. Upon returning to Arizona in 2007 to help open a new restaurant, I was soon approached to oversee the service staff of Prado at the Montelucia in Paradise Valley.

     A serendipitous evening shift spent helping an old friend at another local restaurant put me back in touch with another longtime friend, Charleen Badman. We exchanged phone numbers and were soon plotting the opening of our own restaurant, FnB. From the beginning, just as Charleen cultivated relationships with the best local farmers, I sought out top Arizona winemakers with efforts culminating in an all-Arizona wine list. In 2014, I released my own wine label, Los Milics, in collaboration with noted Arizona winemakers Kelly and Todd Bostock of Dos Cabezas Wineworks, of southern Arizona. In 2017 and 2020, my wine program at FnB was awarded a James Beard Nomination for "Outstanding Beverage Program." Charleen and I were inducted into the Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame as “Best Restaurateurs” in 2013.

   Since 2015 I have penned Pavle-On-Juice, a humble little column about Arizona Wine and its winegrowers for Phoenix Magazine. 

    Back in 2010 I started My AZ Now Radio, a collective of local trendsetters talking about the local food and wine scene. It was a two year long stint with this side-project. I was able to record stories with a lot of the Arizona winemakers who were doing great things at the time. In June of 2024 I launched the Wine World Podcast. Here's the show's description:

"Welcome to Wine World, the podcast that takes you on a flavorful journey from vineyard to glass. Hosted by Pavle Milic, winemaker, restauranteur, and columnist for Phoenix Magazine, this show dives deep into the world of wine grape growing and winemaking. Each episode, Pavle uncorks the fascinating processes behind your favorite wines, explores the nuances of wine and food pairings, and offers an insider’s look at the thriving wine scenes in Arizona and beyond.

Join us as we visit local vineyards, chat with restaurateurs, and meet the pioneering spirits behind top wineries. Whether you're curious about starting your own winery or vineyard, or simply a lover of good wine and good company, Wine World provides the perfect blend of education and entertainment. Discover the rich histories, the challenging terroirs, and the innovative practices shaping the future of wine. Pour yourself a glass and tune in to discover the stories behind the bottle." 

(go to the wine world pod navigational tab on this website to listen)

    Currently I am the co-owner and winemaker for a project near and close to my heart. Call it it destiny or or putting yourself in oportunity's path, or just random crazy luck. The thing is the dream to build a winery & plant vineyards, has materialized.. What seemed a regular night of service at FnB, turned into a pivotal meeting--with my now business partner Mo Garfinkle-- that would forever change my life. Los Milics Vineyards was founded in 2018.

    As of July of 2024, we have received various awards for our wines. In March of 2024 we took home best white, best rose , and best in show awards in the Arizona Governor Cup's competition. 

USA Today also named us top there new tasting in the US. In the 2024 June Issue of Wallpaper magazine, the tasting room's architecture is in full display thanks to the work of Patricia and Tommy from Chen + Suchart Studio.

 Click here for our accolades.