From now 'til we publish the 2012 edition of Best of Phoenix, New Times and Chow Bella present 100 Tastemakers -- Valley residents who make the cut in our culinary scene. Some you'll know; for others, it'll be a first introduction (but likely not the last). While you're here, check out our 100 Creatives on Jackalope Ranch.
Today: a woman with strong feelings about frozen yogurt
Tastemaker 63: Audrey Lasalle
Lux baker Audrey Hunsdon Lasalle is a "freelance dreamer" and Arizona native. She was raised, along with six siblings, on a 160-acre U-Pick produce farm in the rural farming town of Willcox. Working from a young age on her family farm, she quickly learned that the way to avoid hard manual labor was to cook delicious meals for the rest of her family. When she isn't baking tasty treats at Lux Central, she can be found spending time with her three children, growing things, and playing her piano.
I arrived in Phoenix with... a '79 purple Toyota Celica and a dream to make it as a musician.
If I was sitting down to dinner for six, my five dream dining companions would be... composer Max Richter, NPR host Diane Rehm, author Barbara Kingsolver, my dear friend Kate Bowdren, and screenwriter/director Wes Anderson.
One place everyone who comes to Phoenix must eat is... Cyclo. Justina and those green beans!
One menu item this city could do without is... frozen yogurt. There, i said it.
My last meal in Phoenix would be... of course it would be progressive. For starters, any cocktail made by Jeff Fischer (Lux), the fantastic mushroom risotto (Parlor), a beef barbacoa burrito (Crescent) and last but not least, a caramel macaron (Essence bakery)
The Tastemakers so far: 100: Tracy Dempsey 99: Craig DeMarco 98: Lara Mulchay 97: M.J. Coe 96: Betty Alatorre de Hong 95: Eric Schaefer 94: Hanna Gabrielsson 93: Shinji Kurita 92: Silvana Salcido Esparza 91: Mike Pitt 90: Christina Barrueta 89: Christopher Gross 88: Jan Wichayanuparp and Helen Yung 87: DJ Fernandes 86: Cullen Campbell 85: Chris Lee 84. Gwen Ashley Walters 83: Tony Morales 82: Lylah Ledner 81: Andrea White 80: Lori Hashimoto 79. Mrs. White 78: Eugenia Theodosopolous 77: Lou & Lovey Borenstein 76: Anthony Patafio 75: Carl Seacat 74: Sacha Levine 73: Sharon Salomon 72: Johnny Chu 71: Susie Timm 70: Jason Silberschlag 69: Gina Miller 68: Cindy Gentry 67: Amy Binkley 66: Dave Anderson 65: Mark Tarbell 64: Marianne Belardi
