DECEMBER 202 16 with Chef Tandy Peterson of Tandy’s Café 2320 E. Osborn Road • tandyscafe.com In the Kitchen C hef Tandy Peterson’s path to the kitchen wasn’t traditional: she started in agriculture before trading ranches for restaurants. Since then, she’s trained under some of Arizona’s best chefs, traveled the world to refine her craft, and developed a passion for chocolate-making along the way. Now, with the opening of Tandy’s Café, she’s blending those experiences into a welcoming space that celebrates food and community. Tell us about you! I grew up in Wyoming, but I’ve lived in Arizona for 17 years. I went to college for ag education and got my degree in animal science before I decided that I wanted to go to culinary school. I moved down to Arizona for that and I started at the Arizona Culinary Institute. From there, I worked for Café Bink – Kevin’s more casual restaurant – and from there I worked at Binkley’s, then I was the chef at the café before becoming the “restaurant roundsman” (a chef available to fill in for any position when the need arises) for all the locations. What was it like working for a big name like Kevin Binkley? I like to tell people that I learned in five years, what most people learn in 10. It was a very hard kitchen, there were a lot of responsibilities. You came in early and did whatever you needed to succeed. Communication was key. Out of culinary school, there are those who think they know everything right away, but you’ll get checked if you think that right out of the gate [ laughs ]. Was there a specific incidence that cemented your plan for the culinary industry? I had a full-ride scholarship for livestock judging so I went into agriculture. My family was more plant- based, so I wanted to go into animal agriculture. Growing up, we would camp, we’d work with Dutch ovens and we always did these unique themed dinners with my mom’s ‘crazy cookbook cabinet.’ We’d pull out a random book and cook a recipe from that. My mom loved to entertain, my dad loved to grill; we always cooked at home. When I went to college, I became the entertainer, and we’d host these big parties. After graduation, I didn’t really know where to go and didn’t have a specific passion in the ag part of things. It brought me back to what I love, so culinary school was the next step. You’ve done a bit of traveling, too… I went into resorts and worked at The Phoenician’s Il Terrazzo. I was one of the chef de parties, sous chef and when the resort started doing a lot of renovations, I decided to go to Spain for three months, and I worked in a restaurant that focused on fire cooking. It was a super unique experience that took me back to the simplicity of food. When I came back to the states, I opened Mowry & Cotton at The Phoenician. It focused a lot on timeless cooking techniques, wood-fired cooking, shared dining, a little more communal. I was there for 2.5 years before the pandemic. I went back to Wyoming – my sister had just had a baby and her and her husband were juggling work and life – so I went back to help out and be out in the open air and beautiful skies. From there I went to work at a hunting camp in Alaska, which is where I met a gentleman who introduced me to the art of chocolate. Being up there opened my eyes to real people and good conversation. Working in restaurants and resorts for a long time, you get caught up in the day- to-day, so you don’t get a lot of time off. It was a good reset to realize that food is comfort, healing and a social thing rather than a transaction. What happened when you came back to Arizona? I went back to The Phoenician for a bit, decided to delve into the chocolate business and then I stumbled into private dining, which is a much more intimate experience where you’re with a single family day-to-day. That drove me for the next five years. When the [Tandy’s] café building became available, I realized it was an opportunity to marry the two focuses I’ve had, restaurants and chocolate, and put them into one space. Tell us more about the chocolate. I first encountered chocolate made from scratch at the restaurant I worked at in Spain. They had netted baskets that the cocoa beans were in and we were roasting them over an open fire, then they were dumped onto a table, and seven of us were around this table hand-cracking the beans, and they would grind it and make the truffle for the end of the meal. I have had terrible desserts all around the world [ laughs ] and they came after these really nice meals! If you’re eating an intense meal and then you get this decadent sugar bomb at the end, it wipes out everything you’ve experienced. I’m not a huge fan of sweet desserts in general so maybe that’s just my mindset, because I’d rather eat a second entrée or cheese course. When I started making chocolate the goal was to create something that was a crescendo to the meal. Little more savory, more ingredient driven. I started diving into where it comes from, the different flavor profiles, things like that. I wanted another way that wasn’t, ‘Oh, let’s dip these strawberries into chocolate.’ What do you use for inspiration for new menu items? I find inspiration all around me; I learn from everyone I meet. I think you start with borders and then push them, but also it’s your experiences. I spent time in Thailand and while I was there I found so much inspiration in the cooking styles. I went to South Africa and I remember this peri peri sauce that we had and I wanted to figure out so badly how they made it. It was so good. I can’t remember the last time I took a vacation and didn’t stage somewhere because you can learn so much in other country’s kitchens. I’m classically trained but I’m not a stickler for following rules when it comes to how to make a dish. I also think the team around you is important – it’s beneficial to bounce ideas off one another. Was there ever a recipe you came up with that didn’t turn out the way you expected? Of course. At Mowry & Cotton, we were trying to push a lot of boundaries. Chef Boyer and Chef Lee had to rein me in, but one of the biggest things to remember was, ‘How will the customer eat it?’ Another thing was how the dish would be perceived, like, is there too much communication to explain what the dish is or what you’re trying to do? They had to reel me in [ laughs ] because I was young and excited and still learning my crowd. I did a ‘beet ash,’ where I pulsed beets in a food processor, then cooked it in oil in a pan until I had to scrape it off the bottom. Once it’s almost starting to burn, add some moisture and blend it and it becomes a caramelized beet flavor. It’s unique and I’ve used it on a lot of different items. I remember having to teach one of my

DECEMBER 2025 mentors, Brandon Gauthier, how to make the beet sauce and saying, ‘You burn it almost to the bottom and then scrape it off and then let it burn again,’ and he was so uncomfortable; it was a defining moment for me because I was teaching one of my mentors something new. What is your favorite part of the restaurant industry? The food! I mean, the people too, but the food. I like everything about it. I love food as a vessel for conversation and community. …and your least favorite part? The politics, especially working in the resort industry. Food should be fun and sometimes when you have to go through five different barriers it makes it not as fun anymore. What is one item you find yourself using in the kitchen all the time? [ laughs ] I like to burn things intentionally and I like to use a lot of pickles. We had this charred carrot dish where we’d coat them in honey and char them in the oven over a long period of time, so they’d be almost like marshmallows. Then we’d dry those and turn them into a ‘dust,’ almost, and then we’d put that carrot dust on the carrot dish. Another one was a burnt chicken dish that started with charred sesame bread that we crumbled and that was the breading that we tossed the chicken in… anyway, if you asked someone who knows me, they’d say I’m a huge fan of pickles and burning things [ laughs ]. Tell us about Tandy’s Café. I don’t want to say comfort food because that always makes me think of southern food, but it’s like…elevated comfort food. Counter service for breakfast and lunch in a light, bright, airy space; there will be salads and sandwiches that are inspired by the places I’ve worked. As an example, the sloppy joe sandwich. It brings me back to my childhood! We also have a seared tuna melt that came from a dish I did at The Phoenician. Dinner service is a mix of comforting classics – like a meatloaf and a roast chicken dish – and a dessert menu. There’s going to be an awesome happy hour and industry specials, plus chocolate flights and chocolate tours; croissants and pastries, with chocolate in-house, of course! We’ll have a coffee program and drinking chocolate… …what is drinking chocolate? Most people call it hot chocolate but there is a difference. Hot chocolate uses a defatted cocoa, which is the powder, whereas we use real chocolate in our drinking chocolate. We’ll have a spiced drink, a European- style, our version of a champurrado which is a corn-based drink that’s popular in Mexico. What spots would you recommend to someone who is new to the Valley? For something unique, I’d recommend Glai Baan. Cat is extremely talented and Dan has a way about him that makes it feel like they’re welcoming you home. For date night, my go-to place is Fire at Will. I have a lot of respect for Dom; the burger and croquettes are amazing. For modern Mexican, I’d go to Vecina! When you’re not working, what are you up to? I love hiking – I take my two awesome dogs with me. I love backpacking with my sister, and I love to travel. I like spending time with my family. Every year I try to take a trip to a foreign country. Being immersed in a culture and being off the beaten path allows you to learn a lot about yourself. What’s next for Chef Peterson? We just want a place where people can relax, enjoy themselves and have some good food. I wanted to create a place that people would seek out. A lot of what I learned in creating chocolate is ‘slow down.’ It should be mindful and not a rush. Enjoy the moment! 35 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE CHARLES SIDI REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL Charles@TheBrokery.com | 480.330.6506 CharlesSidi.com l o v e a r c a d i a l i v i n g ™