Phoenix, Arizona // feb. 29, 2020
For anyone looking to taste delicious food from makers who are truly exceptional at what they do, Meet the Makers: Phoenix was the place to be on Saturday, Feb. 29. The event was held at the Unexpected Art Gallery and drew a crowd of nearly 300.
The day kicked off with a reception for tasteMAKERS’ lead sponsor, Edward Jones. The reception was catered by Ivan Jacobo of Anhelo, who made a variety of dishes, including gorgeous charcuterie boards, tiramisu, bruschetta and more. Setting the mood, the Unexpected Art Gallery’s in-house artist Mario Garcia played acoustic versions of hit songs. During the VIP reception, sponsors and their guests had the opportunity to meet and mingle with show host and producer, Cat Neville, before she took the stage for the live portion of the day.
The live show kicked off at 2 p.m., and Cat began by interviewing Ramona and Velvet Button of Ramona Farms, who have dedicated their lives to restoring the almost-lost tepary bean to the Gila River Indian Community. Ramona’s story was chock-full of tradition, passion and hard-work, leaving the crowd inspired. Next on the stage was chef Tamara Stanger of Cotton and Copper, who uses tepary beans, along with other Arizona-native ingredients, on her menu at the restaurant. She showed the audience how to make her famous tepary bean spread, which she sampled at the Makers Market. Michael Preston of the Gila River Indian Community Youth Council was interviewed next, discussing with Cat how he teaches youngsters in the community about the importance of connecting with their culture and history through traditional foods like the tepary bean. The live show finished with a demonstration from James Beard-nominee chef Ryan Swanson of Kai Restaurant, who whipped up a sweet cactus pie to close the show.
Before Cat sent the crowd to the Makers Market, she played a clip of the episode to leave the audience with a closing thought from Velvet:
“Thanking the creator, thanking nature, thanking the plants specifically for the plants that you are collecting and gathering is essential. It’s a gift to us, and you don’t just take a gift. You are thankful for that gift. And you’re always putting your intention, you’re always putting your prayer, so-to-speak, in the food. That secret ingredient that grandma had — love — is universal.”
Following the live show, guests had the opportunity to sample and buy from 22 local makers (scroll through the slideshow below) and shop the works of a local artist, Quick Yeates. Offerings included beer, wine and spirits, olive oil, sweet treats, tepary bean spread and salsas.
The Unexpected Gallery displayed fun artwork on the walls and outdoors at the market, including a float in the shape of a life-sized cat that was recently brought to Burning Man, and an enormous tie-died angel statue with Marilyn Monroe sketched on the wings. Mario continued to set the mood on guitar, and Shutterbooth photos made for a fun take-home to remember the day. A special shout-out goes to our amazingly talented photographer, Dave Seibert, who captured our event in a way that will make you feel like you were there… see the slideshow below!
Thank you to our live show participants and Makers market Vendors:
Thank you to our local media partner, Edible Phoenix.
Meet the Makers is made possible with support from our lead sponsor, Edward Jones.
Meet the Makers is a companion to tasteMAKERS, a new national public television series that celebrates the makers who are rolling up their sleeves and defining the flavor of American food and drink.
Meet the Makers is made possible with the support of our lead sponsor Edward Jones. tasteMAKERS is presented by the Nine Network of Public Media and distributed by American Public Television.