KITCHEN DOORS (continued) Photo by Debby Wolvos
CARING CHEF: DANIELLE LEONI Supporting local farms and independent restaurants
“ I’VE ALWAYS BEEN A FIXER AND ORGANIZER. IT FEELS GOOD TO HELP PEOPLE.”
Chef Danielle Leoni and her husband Dwayne Allen own The Breadfruit and Rum Bar in downtown Phoenix, as well as Big Marble Organics, which produces ginger beer that meets the highest sustainability and quality standards. They closed the restaurant in March 2020, when the pandemic hit. They haven’t reopened yet, but they have been hard at work with pop-up events and supporting the local community. Leoni has been involved with several local nonprofits, including Slow Food Phoenix, which focuses on nutritious food in schools, Careers Through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), which provides resources for high school students to pursue culinary careers, and Les Dames d’Escoffier, a philanthropic organization of women leaders in the culinary community. Leoni has participated in several James Beard Foundation programs, including Smart Catch promoting sustainable seafood, Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change, and Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership. She was the local all-star chef at the James Beard Taste America gala in Phoenix in 2019. Although the James Beard Foundation has put these programs on hold to focus on supporting restaurants
during the pandemic, Leoni continues to advocate for sustainability, local farms and independent restaurants. In 2020, she partnered with World Central Kitchen’s Frontline Foods program, which feeds first responders. “At the time, frontline workers were receiving local support and I saw there were many others in the community who needed help,” said Leoni, who worked with her restaurant staff to feed a few thousand people through A New Leaf, which provides housing and services for families affected by domestic violence and poverty. They provided food boxes with partially prepared meals with recipes and cooking instructions using Arizona produce, meats and grains. “It was an opportunity to help local farmers and help families feel empowered,” Leoni said. She gets immense satisfaction from helping others. “I’ve always been a fixer and organizer,” said Leoni, who earned the Executive Master of Sustainability Leadership degree at Arizona State University. “It feels good to help people. I hope I can be an inspiration and let people know they are capable of doing more good.” Leoni believes everyone can do their part. “Please keep supporting local independent restaurants through dine-in and takeout, and be kind to the staff,” she said. Leoni also suggests buying produce from local farmers markets. “They have such pride in their products and so much appreciation for the people that buy from them,” she said. Leoni passionately continues her fight to save independent restaurants. “We keep telling our story and hope enough people hear it to be inspired, and together we can all do something good.” Shoshana Leon | CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Photo by Thom Barbour courtesy of World Central Kitchen
MAY/JUNE 2021
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FRONTDOORS MEDIA