It’s both a show on the stage and on your plate as Arizona Theatre Company teams up with chef Janos Wilder at the Temple of Music and Art from Saturday, September 8 – Saturday, September 29.
The exclusive collaboration pairs one of the city’s most acclaimed chefs with Arizona Theatre Company’s season-opening of Native Gardens.
An hour and a half before each matinee and evening show, the owner and chef of Downtown Kitchen + Cocktail and The Carriage House will be preparing a lunch or dinner buffet that complements the production.
The buffet will be teasing the culinary themes from the production’s plot featuring salads, main dishes, and desserts in a south-of-the-border style.
Tickets to the buffet and performance are sold separately. Depending on the time of the performance, the lunch buffet is $14.50 per person, and the dinner buffet is $24.50.
Tickets to the Native Gardens performance start at $25 per person and can be purchased at arizonatheatre.org.
Featured “Native Gardens” Menu Items
Salads
- English Garden Salad
- Orange-Jicama Salad
- Southwest Caesar Salad
- English Cucumber and Pea Salad
Main Dishes
- Potatoes au Gratin
- Chilaquiles
- Warm Broccoli with Lemon and Parmesan
- Grilled Chicken
- Achiote Chicken Tacos
- Cochinita Pibil
Desserts
- Mini Ancho Chocolate Brownies
- Mexican Wedding Cookies
- English Tea Cookies
More dinner and theatrical experiences are expected to be announced soon.
Arizona Theatre Company’s Temple of Music and Art is located at 330 S. Scott Ave. For more information on the Native Gardens showtimes, visit arizonatheatre.org.
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Article written by:

Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.















