Cordon Bleu California School of Culinary Arts, where he began training in classical, French cooking. “The second day of class I knew this is what I’m supposed to do,” he says. “I graduated two years later, first in my class.” After spending time as a chef in restaurants and doing private cheffing in Los Angeles for the next couple of years, Phillips returned to Florence when his father was diagnosed with cancer in 2012. “I decided to move back home,” says Phillips. “He passed away in April and I stayed to help my mother, although I hadn’t planned on staying. In the process of staying and talking to people, I ended up falling in love with the Shoals again.” Inspired by Florence’s recent fashion revival, spurred by fashion icons Billy Reid and Natalie Chanin, Phillips has settled into his old home once again and is making a mark of his own. Only this time, he has freed himself from the culinary confines of working from just menus in restaurants. His primary focus is now catering, and his clientele ranges from Southern cuisine connoisseurs to sixth graders—literally. Earlier this year, Phillips took on the challenge of helping Florence’s Saint Joseph Catholic School to improve their lunch menu, in the hopes of encouraging the kids to eat school lunch versus bringing their own. “Starting in January, we went every day,” he says. “I would go and pick up from various local farmers. Everything was always fresh—never out of the freezer section. It went from 40 kids eating to 100. The parents got behind me, and I had volunteers who would come in and help, too.” While he admits it often involved some experimentation to appeal to the often picky palates of youngsters, his efforts have been mostly successful as he has prepared everything from roast turkey and sweet potatoes with ginger and apple pudding to green eggs and ham—farm fresh eggs with a green spinach soufflé. As is the case with so many of an artisan’s unplanned adventures, Phillips is finding that these are the experiences that are shaping what he wants to become as a chef—and could likely even involve teaching at some point. “St. Joe has a special place in my heart,” he says. “And it really surprised me. It really fed my soul. I did education days. I went to people’s classes. And I was just surprised about how much it affected me.” Phillips’s recent projects have also included catering dinner for the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation and working closely to help plan for the upcoming Court Street Market, where he will be the on-sight caterer. But whether Phillips is serving up duck confit pie with gooseberry ice cream or a wild turkey meatloaf, pleasing the palates of people will continue to be his most treasured ingredient. “What I most enjoy is the pleasure I get from people when I cook for them and everything goes well,” he says. “I love the instantaneous pleasure of people enjoying themselves. I enjoy turning a special event into something they remember fondly.”
Relique Jewelry designer Dena McClure drills holes into history— literally. As the owner and creator of Relique, located in Florence’s Seven Points, making meaningful pieces out of unlikely items—everything from buttons to bullets—began as a way to help other people preserve their memories. Now in her fifth year of business, McClure has made a name for herself with her specialty creations—which range from rings and necklaces to key rings and home décor. But what has evolved in McClure’s tenure as a business woman is an unexpected outlet and a process for her own self-preservation and healing. After she was involved in a car accident two years ago, McClure suffered a severe head injury that would mean a long and difficult road to recovery, but she says that it is her clients and family who have ultimately brought her back to life. Fighting to get both motor skills and memory back, Dena began coming back to her store about three months after the accident, and gradually began the process of resuming her work. “The injury was on the left side of my brain so I never forgot how to make the jewelry. I didn’t realize it, but my hands knew what to do,” she says. “And I have THE best customers. My husband says I need to open up a room and just talk with them. It’s been my therapy!” Now back to business and stronger than ever, McClure is totally committed to doing what she loves. A big part of what makes Relique so special is that McClure devotes time and research to all of her custom pieces to make sure she fully appreciates the significance of the piece. “The more research I do, the more fun it gets,” she says. “I’m a visual creator. I like to keep everything really original.” One of her recent projects was for a client who brought her a box of her father’s things after he passed away. “I took pieces of his history and drilled holes in it and soldered it onto a tie bar. I love to reuse things that have a story.” McClure mostly uses found materials in her pieces, such as wood, aluminum, and brass, and many of her materials come from Habitat for Humanity. Through the unlikely combinations of leather and lace and magnets and steel, she creates signature pieces that are unique and affordable. “When I opened, my goal was never about the money. I wanted for people to be able to come in and buy something right then. I wanted meaningful stuff at a reasonable price point.” As an artist, McClure has become a master at finding the meaningful in everyday life and continues to use her talent for creating pieces close to the hearts of her customers, which in turn has helped her heal. “It has taken time, but my customers brought me back to life. I’m just going to embrace who I am now. My plan was to get myself back. And this has helped me get myself back.”
september/october | noalastudios.com |