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>>> Coming up next on "Arizona
Horizon," we'll hear from local
chefs recently named as
ambassadors for Arizona's food
culture.
>>> And we'll see the results of
a program that sent artists on a
three-day trek down the Verde
river.
Those stories next, on "Arizona
Horizon."
>> Support is made possible by
contributions from the friends
of eight.
Members of your Arizona PBS
station.
Thank you.
>>> Good evening, and welcome to
"Arizona Horizon."
I'm Ted Simons.
>>> The state Republican party's
censure of Arizona senator John
McCain over the weekend may have
backfired.
McCain tells the Associated
Press that following the
censure, he is, quote, more
seriously considering another
run for the senate in 2016.
The party censured McCain for
not being conservative enough.
McCain blames the action so what
he describes as extremists in
the party.
>>> And a state senator has come
up with an idea for hundreds of
thousands of private dollars
raised to build a border fence
that has yet to break ground.
Senator bob Worsley says he'd
like to use that money plus
another $30 million to monitor
the border with cameras.
Worsley says that not only would
the effort be separate from any
federal action, it could also be
used to verify federal efforts
to seal the border.
>>> Five local chefs were
recently hon ared for
representing Arizona food
culture to the rest of the
nation and the world.
Joining us now to talk more
about the ripe awards and why
these particular chefs were
honored is Steve Chucri, a
Maricopa County supervisor who
has served as a president and
CEO of the Arizona restaurant
association.
Also with us are ripe award
winners, chefs Gio Osso of
Vitru, and Justin Beckett of
Beckett's Table.
It's good to have you all here.
Thank you so much for joining
us.
The ripe awards, Steve, what are
we talking about here?
>> We're talking about
acknowledging Arizona's finest
chefs that we have in the state,
and it's exciting for me as the
head of the Arizona restaurant
association, because these two
gentlemen that are with us
tonight tried --
They exhibit what we're trying
to accomplish.
Arizona just last week was named
the fastest growing state in
2014 for a restaurant sales
growth.
That means we're number one.
Restaurants are going to boom in
2014 in Arizona.
And it's because of in my
estimation, the fine work these
two gentlemen do.
>> The mission of the awards you
would say is what?
>> I think it's recognizing the
true talent in our industry.
Chefs as Justin and GiO can
attest, to back in the day they
used to be known for masters of
the kitchen.
But now they're not only masters
of the kitchen but their P&L.
You're seeing that through
virtue of their growth.
Justin's got a second location
he's opening, so that's the
first time we've seen that in
Arizona, and really in many ways
in the industry.
So with the ripe awards, it's
acknowledging those chefs that
kind of are a cut above.
That no pun intended, that are
making that difference in our
culinary variety for the state.
>> And GiO, your restaurant,
I've seen reviews, I've read
some really good things about
this.
Do you feel, though, that you
are representing Arizona food
culture?
>> Yes, absolutely.
As an ambassador, like you said,
which is the first time I heard
that, that's pretty cool.
I think we are.
Arizona became --
Is a melting pot, just like a
major city.
And we're really bringing
everything to the table now.
There's so much variety, there's
so much talent in the city.
It's definitely one of the
powerhouse cities now.
>> Where were you from
originally?
>> I was from the way far left
coast of Italy called New
Jersey.
>> OK.
So you got your New York, New
Jersey area, your restaurants,
food culture there.
Compare to what you're seeing
growing here.
>> Oh, it's almost on the same
level.
We're getting close.
We're getting to that level.
I think Arizona, Phoenix
specifically is becoming a
major, major food market you can
consider alongside New York,
Chicago, San Francisco, some of
these really big food cities.
>> Are we getting there, Justin?
>> I hope so.
We're trying.
We're trying very hard.
I think what's really impressive
is that the people that are
taking the risks and the people
doing it are people like us and
people who have been given a
chance maybe in the down economy
a little bit, with a couple
benefits for being able to get
into a place for a little bit
more affordable rents or things
like that, but we're not relying
on the chains to provide the
future of culinary.
We're relying on our peers, our
chefs just like us.
>> You're talking about taking
risks.
I know you're from the Bay Area.
Is it easier to take a risk here
as opposed to New York, New
Jersey, or the Bay Area?
>> I think a risk is a risk.
No matter where you take it.
My family, my kids' college
tuition is all in the
restaurant.
It's all up on the stake.
But I think that there might be
a slightly larger spotlight
maybe in some of these larger
cities right now, but I really
think that every time we open
another great restaurant, like
southern rail, is our next one,
every time we do that we're that
much closer to being recognized
as a culinary destination.
>> Over the years what have you
seen as far as that culinary
destination aspect?
Are we getting better?
>> I think it's night and day.
As someone who was and raised in
this state, we had Mexican food
and a different kind of Mexican
food.
Today it's not the case.
You've got Vitru, you've got
Beckett's Table, you've got
southern rail coming down, Sam
fox has an enormous array of
restaurants.
You've got independents that I
think for the first time feel --
Truly feel comfortable taking
that risk or pushing the
envelope when it comes to the
creative side of their menu.
And that's what's making Arizona
I think it's putting us on the
map.
In that the diversity we've seen
in some cases we haven't even
seen certain cuisines on a menu
within 10 years ago, even 10
years ago.
So that's what excites me as the
head of an industry that I think
is one of the best.
>> Talk about the dynamic
between creativity, risk taking,
and good food and making sure hi
a good experience when I went to
your restaurant.
>> You know, you have to be on
stage every night.
It's an act to a certain extent.
It's like theater.
I have to perform for you every,
every night.
And it has to be perfect every
night.
And what you are going to take
away from it is that
satisfaction of, you know, that
was the best meal I've ever had.
At least for that moment.
That's what we're trying to do
with our creativity, with making
you feel comfortable, making you
feel at home at the restaurant.
For that two-hour experience
you're going to have, I want you
to leave saying, that was the
best I've ever had.
Until do you to the next
restaurant the next night.
But at least for that two hours
I have you and I'm going to give
you everything I can to make
that special for you.
>> Is it the best I ever had, is
it I've never had this before,
is it, I can't believe that
they're even serving this but I
find it interesting?
You guys are creative, you're
artists.
Lots of artists say, I don't
care what the audience thinks,
I'm expressing myself, if you
want to follow, that's good, if
you don't, get out of the way.
You can't necessarily do that in
a restaurant.
>> I've been a huge proponent of
give the guests what I want.
I think my job is to surprise
them or make them stretch that
bubble just a little bit.
You come in and say I only eat
chicken.
I'm not going to give you tuna.
I'm going to give you chicken
but in a special way, I'm going
to roast it with these flavors,
stuff it with that, so I want to
stretch your imagination, I want
to make I almost uncomfortable
but I want you to enjoy it.
>> And I think we're looking at
some of the dishes --
I believe this is from your
restaurant?
>> Yeah, those are cast-iron
roasted enchiladas stuffed with
some wonderful avocado and
lobster, and fresh corn, and
little chunks of potatoes.
>> My goodness.
When you come up with that dish
and this dish and others that
we'll be looking at, what goes
through your mind?
Have you had something before,
you think I want to use this, I
want to use that?
What works here?
Creative process.
>> I think inspiration comes
from every moment of life.
As a dress maker goes down the
street and sees a flower or
color they want to make the
fabric, whatever turns into this
dress, for me it really stems
from being in the kitchen with
the rest of the team, and
bantering back and forth, hey,
let's make a lollipop out of
this, that.
A lot of times I joke, but a lot
of food comes from a candy bar,
or a bite you had once that you
wouldn't think turns into
something totally different.
A lot of our menu dishes come
from inspirations and
conversations in the kitchen.
>> GiO, we have shots of your
food as well.
Is it a collaborative process?
Are you the boss and everyone's
got to follow?
>> No, it's always a
collaborative effort.
My two SOUs chefs, we work
together really hard at creating
the menu, that's our oxtail with
morrells.
We talk about it all the time.
It could be a childhood memory,
a smell from you walk outside
and you smell something and it
reminds you of something.
>> And if let's say what we're
seeing right now, I had this,
and I somehow get the message --
I didn't like that.
That wasn't crazy about that.
How much does a chef take that
kind of response?
You don't hear about that much,
but if someone comes back and
says, I wasn't crazy about it.
How do you factor that in?
>> Well, just like any other
art, it's a matter of opinion.
To a certain person, whether
it's a food critic, a movie
reviewer or something like that.
It's a matter of opinion.
So we can't please everyone, but
we can try.
>> And you mentioned food
critics, and I kind of blundered
into that part about people not
being happy about the food, but
you know what happens, Arizona
rising to the sophistication,
are we at the sophistication to
where these two gentlemen know
they'll have a steady clientele?
>> We are.
We have roughly 8500 restaurants
in the state, our population
growth is still happening, we
expect that food industry in
Arizona will lead job growth for
the next 10 years, to almost a
whopping 16%.
Is there an overexaggeration?
I think in some markets there
is, but I think in the Phoenix
metro area, as you start to go
to the other parts of the state,
Tucson and the like, you see
restaurants being well thought
out.
You see the homework being done.
When that happens, that breeds
success.
And so we expect more of it, and
I think with the two chefs we
have here tonight, I think
they're a great example of what
is yet to come, to continue to
come I should say.
>> Back to the food culture
aspect, Justin, could you --
Could you put --
Present the food that you have
now on your menu, if you were
back in San Francisco, if you
were in Iowa, if you were in New
York?
Is the food different because
you are here?
>> That's an interesting
question.
Yeah, I have a lot of friends
back at home in San Francisco
and they come down and eat and
they're like you've got to open
one of these in the city!
You've got to get back to San
Francisco.
For me, I always felt maybe we
were a bigger fish in a smaller
pond here, but I think that
perception is changing.
And I really believe that if you
take food that's thoughtful and
done well, and it doesn't have
to be super fancy or super
cheap, it can be somewhere in
the middle, and you present it
well with a thoughtful attitude
and --
We call it the invisible hug.
You walk into a restaurant,
you're getting embraced.
You're feeling cared for.
If you can do that, it doesn't
matter the expense or the style
of food or the complexity of the
food, as long as it's thought
out and done well, you will
succeed, and you will do very
well in whatever city you're in.
>> GiO, your menu could apply
here, Seattle, Chicago, Miami?
Or is it --
Is there something about your
menu and your restaurant that is
Arizona specific?
>> Well, I think the menu,
foodwise, I think it could work
in any city.
But the intimacy of the
restaurant I have right now, the
space I have, being inside the
bespoke Inn, it has this charm
about it.
That would be really difficult
to duplicate in another city, so
it would have to be a different
style of restaurant.
But the food would work.
>> All right.
And we're taking a look at it
right now.
Gentlemen, thank you all for
joining us.
Continued success, and thank you
so much for sharing your food
thoughts with us on "Arizona
Horizon."
>> Thank you.
>> Thank you.
>>> Climb east along U.S. 60
approximately 55 miles from
Phoenix, and you'll come to a
marker for picket post mountain.
Early Mexican residents called
it TORTiLLa mountain after small
birds in the area.
In 1870, the soldiers of Indiana
fighter general George stoneman
renamed it picket post mountain
for the sentinels they posted
here above infantry camp
established at its base.
Within eight years, a town of
2,000, called picket post, later
Pinal city, sprang up to work
the silver king mine, Arizona's
richest silver strike before it
Petered out.
>> Today, thousands flock to the
foothills of picket post
mountain to stroll through the
arboretum, home to more than
6,000 plant species and 270
kinds of birds.
>> Get the inside scoop on
what's happening at Arizona PBS.
Become an eight insider.
You'll receive weekly updates on
the most anticipated upcoming
programs and events.
Get the eight insider delivered
to your email in box.
Visit www.azpbs.org to sign up
today.
>>> Last April the Verde valley
land preservation organization
sent a group of artists on a
kayaking and camping trip down a
stretch of the Verde river.
Artwork inspired by the trip is
now a traveling exhibition and
is currently on display at the
state capitol executive tower
lobby.
Joining to us talk about all
this is Steve Estes, of Verde
valley land preservation and one
of the participating ash 'tises,
Joanne Agostinelli.
Good to have you both here.
Thank you so much for joining
us.
>> Thanks.
>> Thank you.
>> Verde valley land
preservation, what exactly is
that?
>> In short we're all about
preserving open space.
Open space exists in many forms
in Arizona, it's preserved in
many forms in Arizona, federal
government preserves open space,
the state government preserves
open space.
We're interested in preserving
the private open spaces as well.
And making that work with those
others.
And open space is all about in
Arizona as much about water as
it is anything.
>> Indeed.
And a river runs through us,
what was that all about?
>> This was an inspiration from
one of our artists, Wendy
Hartford, she had seen this Done
elsewhere, and up in British
Columbia, so similar kind of a
thing, it was to challenge a
bunch of artists to get out
there and create art for a good
purpose.
And the Walton family foundation
has been working with us for
some time, I have five projects
I'm working on, this is one of
them, and when we pitched this
to them, this was probably the
most exciting thing that they've
done in a long, long time.
This really spoke to them.
So that's how it got started.
We juried in 25 artists.
We looked at their work, we
asked them to summit work and
the idea is that they would go
down the river with us, camp,
get to know each other, have an
experience, and be inspired to
make great art and to donate it
to us for the purpose of
ultimately taking it all around
the state, and ultimately
selling the originals in an
online objection.
>> Jo, why did you want to
participate in this?
>> This was a no-brainer.
I live about a quarter mile from
the Verde river.
Moving water and reflection and
all that kind of thing has
always been a part of my
artwork.
When I heard about this, I
jumped at the chance.
And I thought it was just the
perfect opportunity, both
because this fit in with the
kind of art I already do, and
also because I haven't lived in
Arizona that long, and the
chance to just meet some other
artists and get to share this
adventure with them was a great
thing.
>> I was going to say, you've
got 25 artists, 10-mile trip
down the Verde River, three
days, two nights, kayaking,
camping.
Did you drive each other nuts or
did you all get a chance to
separate and do your own thing
with your art?
>> It was more a communal
experience.
We were sharing the experience.
There wasn't a whole lot of time
to actually create art, though
we did have some time, so it was
more absorbing it.
Taking reference photographs,
whatever we needed so we could
capture that and use 90 your
art.
>> Is that what you found
happened the most, people didn't
work right there, they said --
>> some did.
>> They basically took it with
them and used that inspiration
at a later date?
>> Exactly.
We set a time frame for them to
be able to produce this art.
And it was a pretty decent time
frame, I think about 90 days or
more.
But we did have a deadline, and
then people summited by those
deadlines and we were astounded
by the quality of the art that
came from this.
>> And Jo, I think we have some
of your work.
You mentioned water is a big
deal for you.
And it is a big deal as far as
this work is concerned.
What is it, a business called
crest and surge, I believe, what
is it about water that moves
you?
>> A lot of the work I've done
basically sort of refines the
environment into the basic
elements.
Water, earth, air, and I've even
done fire.
I just want to feel that living
pulse in those elements of the
earth.
And with water, yeah, I just
want it to seem alive and
vibrant, and just communicate to
other people the feeling that I
have about it.
>> The trip itself, did it
change your artistic vision at
all?
>> For me it was an opportunity
to form lasting friendships with
some of the other artists that
were involved.
So that has been a wonderful
thing for me.
>> From a distance I'm thinking,
OK, this is another chance for
Jo to do some work on water, but
maybe taking a different look at
it, maybe another artist sits
out there and meditates or
captures something and takes it
back and changes --
Sounds to me like a social
aspect was as important as
anything.
>> It was.
And I would say too that the
whole focus of bringing the
Verde river and its beauty and
its challenges and its
importance to the public through
the medium of art is something
these artists really vibrated
to.
And I think they walked away
feeling they've done something
that they never had an
opportunity to do before, with
respect to what's good for our
state, what's good for our
environment, and what's good for
the people and all other life
forms that live in it.
>> When you started the program,
were you expecting to see or
have a certain reaction by the
artist and see their results in
a certain way, and wind up with
something different?
Or have you been surprised by
any of it?
>> We were totally surprised.
>> How so?
>> Some things we got, we got 3D
pieces, we got a sea serpent, we
got all kinds of things.
We got things that are very,
very abstract.
That speak in a language that
you could never, ever understand
until you saw that piece.
And what that might mean to you
with respect to what's going on
inside this river or with --
About this river.
>> I was going to say, did
anything surprise you?
We're looking at other artists,
anything surprise you out of all
this?
>> Because I've worked in the
art field for long enough, I'm
just always overwhelmed with the
diversity, and how everyone has
a completely different approach
to the same subject matter.
So that's always surprising.
And fun.
And we're able to inspire each
other with that.
>> And the Verde river is
especially important to you, or
moving water in general?
>> Well, now that I live here
and I live so close to it,
that's where I walk.
That's where I recreate.
That's --
It's an important part of my
life.
It's what makes this valley so
beautiful.
>> Is this the first year you've
done this particular program?
>> Yes, it is.
We're not anticipating doing --
>> there's the dragon.
All right.
>> However, this has inspired
another aspect we're moving into
right now, we're promoting right
now.
We're taking policymakers on the
river.
The elected officials and
emerging leaders in our
community, all from both sides
of the mountain, everybody that
impacts the Verde river, and
we're taking them out in April.
And we've got some very
well-known experts who are going
to be presenting around the
campfire.
And then we're going to start a
conversation with these folks
with the emerging leaders and
the present leaders and follow
up some months later and find
out what they've done.
The idea is to have policy
continuity across the many
jurisdictions that influence the
river.
>> Again, that kind of reminds
me of something I wanted to ask.
That is, describe the day.
Do you float, stop and have a
lunch, float, stop and draw a
dragon?
I mean, what happens out there?
>> Well, Jo --
>> they gave us a nice variety
of activities, so we would
paddle part of the day, stop,
they fed us very well, and then
there were --
We had archaeological tours of
some ruins, we had someone lead
a birding expedition, some
photography.
A little of everything, just all
the things that would spark us
and help feed into our
creativity, and enrich the
experience.
>> Here I am thinking everyone
had a chance to plop down an
easel --
>> We had one afternoon to do
that.
>> And what did you do?
>> I just did some sketches.
I work mostly in pastel but I
brought some charcoal and
colored pencil and did some
reference things I could look
back on later.
>> As an artist, the pace of
that kind of day as compared to
a regular day you might have in
your studio or at your home,
they differ all that much?
>> That kind of immersion is
something I try to do
periodically.
I've done residencies in
national parks where you're in
the park for several weeks, and
can really just absorb
everything.
And this was that kind of an
experience.
Much different from oh, I think
I'll just do --
Work on this theme or this
series in my studio.
It's that kind of really
immersion that you need to feed
your artwork.
So it's the kind of thing I need
to do periodically for sure.
>> OK.
So we had Jo describe the day.
Now back to you describing a
day.
If you had policymakers out
there, what kind of itinerary
would you have?
>> We're going to float them
down the river, get them outside
their comfort zones, yet them
wet, we're going to get them
cold.
We're going to get them angry.
We're going to get them thinking
about what this river really
means.
In the Verde valley, I don't
know if you've noticed but it's
hard to see the river unless
you're on it.
You can go over it many times
but you don't see it because the
foliage is great and there's a
lot of --
It's a forest that follows the
river.
So yeah, that's what we're going
to do.
We're going to get them outside
their comfort zone.
I do want to mention, Sedona
adventure tours did a great job
with this, and we had an
award-winning videographer.
We have hours of video that's
outstanding.
>> Is that on the website?
>> Yes, it is actually.
We have a 10-minute piece, it
was a final --
A finished piece, beautiful.
>> Give us that website address.
>> WWW.verdeartistchallenge.org.
>> OK.
Jo, last question for you.
What do you want your art to say
about the Verde?
>> Just to inspire people to
want to preserve it.
I want that river to be there
for the rest of my lifetime, and
for many generations to come.
So we need people to engage in
that.
>> All right.
Very good.
We'll stop it there.
Good discussion.
Good to have you both here.
Thanks for joining us.
>> Our pleasure.
Thank you.
>>> Tomorrow on "Arizona
Horizon," we'll have our weekly
legislative update with the
"Arizona Capitol Times."
And we debut "Southern
Exposure," a new "Arizona
Horizon" segment focusing on
issues affecting Tuscon and
southern Arizona.
and 10:00
right here on the next "Arizona
Horizon."
>>> That is it for now.
I'm Ted Simons.
Thank you so much for joining
us.
You have a great evening.
Captioning Performed By
LNS Captioning
www.LNScaptioning.com
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>> The legendary Christopher
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expression through the
thoughtful design, inside the
home and out.
Six active adult communities to
choose from.
This is it.