From tragedy to triumph, this is the remarkable story of how one woman transformed both her life and an entire town through the power of food and love.
In 1995, grief-stricken mother Lisa Dahl arrived in Sedona, Ariz., with no culinary training, no business plan and nothing left to lose after her 23-year-old son, Justin, was killed while trying to help a robbery victim. Thirty years later, she operates six award-winning restaurants that have transformed Sedona from a spiritual retreat into Arizona's premier culinary destination.
Join Joseph J. Airdo, managing editor of Images Arizona magazine, for an intimate conversation with Chef Lisa Dahl as she shares the untold stories behind her restaurants, the deeply personal meaning of the butterfly symbol that guides her work, and her ambitious plans for the Lisa Dahl Foundation. You'll discover how cooking became her path to healing, why she's never considered retiring, and the spiritual connection she maintains with her late son through every dish she creates.
This is more than a success story — it's a testament to resilience, community, and the transformative power of following your calling despite overwhelming odds.
This podcast accompanies our feature story "The Butterfly Effect" in Images Arizona magazine's Ultimate Arizona Travel Guide — Part II (August-September 2025).
