Opening a downtown Phoenix restaurant in the summer is a bit of a challenge.
To combat the summer business lull, Aaron Chamberlin, owner of the Phoenix Public Market Cafe on First and Pierce streets, came up with a “Chef for a Day” contest.
The contest was inspired by the success of an auction Chamberlin held at his other restaurant, St. Francis, where he raffled off gift cards for a personal meal. Chamberlin said he decided that this time around, he wanted to do something that would help share his love of local ingredients with the public.
The contest had customers put their name, phone number and email address on a card and drop it in a glass jar. On Sept. 3, two days after the original drawing date, Chamberlin picked the lucky winner — Chrissy Ashack.
Ashack, along with three of her friends, will help prepare and eat a meal courtesy of Chamberlin and his staff.
“I’m going to coordinate this on a weekend — Saturday morning — we’ll meet here at like 10 a.m., go to the farmer’s market and go shopping,” Chamberlin said.
Ashack and her friends will head back to the cafe, cook with Chamberlin and eat their meal.
“The idea is that I’m gonna teach people how to shop at the farmer’s market,” Chamberlin said.
He will show the winner and his or her friends how to cook simple meals with the local produce that they buy. He said he believes the best food comes from a local source and he wants his customers to think so, too.
Vincenz Saccento, who has been coming to the cafe since it opened in May, said he originally went to support Chamberlin. Saccento said he doesn’t see a reason to eat elsewhere now.
“You can’t get this stuff anywhere else,” Saccento said. “They’re keeping it fresh.”
Denise Roe of Mamma Toledo’s pie truck is often seen in the Phoenix Public Market parking lot for Food Truck Friday food truck gatherings on Friday mornings. Roe said she believes local ingredients are important to use in a small food business.
She said she is a big fan of the Phoenix Public Market Cafe and how they work within the community.
“They are great people for letting us park here every Friday,” Roe said, referring to the Food Truck Friday events.
Other curious food lovers may get a chance to cook with Chamberlin in the future. Chamberlin said he may make it a monthly event depending on the response from the first Chef for a Day contest.
Contact the reporter at knasiff@asu.edu
