Tamara Stanger

Tamara Stanger is the Executive Chef of Cotton & Copper, a public house, in Tempe, AZ. She is on the forefront of defining Arizona cuisine in the Southwest. Since she took her first Executive position a few years ago, she has been named the Best Visionary, 40 Under 40, and Women Who Move the Valley by top Phoenix Publications.

Tamara’s menu is innovative in connecting modern techniques to ancient traditions, highlighting foraged ingredients, both native and naturalized, and local agriculture from small farms. Hunting and collecting wild ingredients have been a way of life for Tamara ever since she was a child. She grew up in the Rocky Mountains and family meals generally consisted of game meat, fresh picked herbs from the hillside, and veggies from the garden. She got her start in the culinary industry when her mother bought a historical restaurant in a tiny ghost town 25 years ago. She has always been infatuated by old recipes and cookbooks and still carries that sentiment to her kitchen today. Plating on heirloom china (many which belonged to her grandmother), Tamara brings the romanticism of history to the table.

Tamara’s goal as Chef is to educate people on the forgotten culture of Arizona and reintroduce flavors that have been lost for hundreds of years.