By Holladay Allen
Native Tribe Member
So it has come and gone… and here we are, left to reminisce on such a lovely Native gathering. It twas indeed a perfect Palm Springs early summer evening, with the notorious dry heat of the California desert hovering at just the right temperature.
PS Animal Shelter had adorable puppies and kittens for adoption
We arrived as the sun was beginning its descent into the Pacific, and what a lovely light was cast upon the quaint desert town of Palm Springs. This was my first visit ever! And boy was I excited to see Native Foods’ flagship restaurant!
Mary and Joe have been coming to NFC for 16 years!!!!
The place was abuzz when we arrived. The crowd was munching on crudités and Baja Surf Tacos while sipping on Watermelon Sangria (get ready for the new menu my friends!). Mia wandered through the crowd, with mic in hand, providing the melodic vocals for the night while everybody gushed over the adorable animals available for adoption from the Palm Springs Animal Shelter.
After a couple hours of mingling, the birthday gal, Chef Tanya, took the mic to announce the very lucky raffle winners, with prizes ranging from a luxurious spa trip to ceramic art work to a stuffed bear that moonlights as a rapper!
Brian Bergstrom who over 10 years ago helped Tanya start the Cooking Demos with a class of 8...now we have 400 coming Saturday! Thank you, Brian!
There were also several arts and crafts tables, including one where you could design your own dog or cat food bowl. Yay! And for those of us who were feeling lazy or swindled by the desert heat, there were two lovely young ladies who happily decorated our bowls for us and did a magnificent job.
At the end of the night, some of the crowd slipped into the restaurant for a late dinner while the rest of the partygoers watched the fire performers. Chef Tanya and the animals were by far the highlights of the evening! And it is so wonderful to see so many Natives come out to support the animals in honor of Chef Tanya’s birthday! What a great night. Thanks for everything Tanya. You are the best! Happy Birthday to my favoritest Gemini Rat!
Left: Maggie Downs, a fellow vegan and animal lover who writes for The Desert Sun.
By Ashleigh Perdue
Native Foods Tribe Member
Chef Tanya’s birthday bash in Palm Springs this past Tuesday to raise money for the finishing touches on the Palm Springs Animal Shelter. The puppies were a-mazing and I did everything in my power not to scoop them up and take them home, too cute.
Tanya with her dad, Peter and Laurie, our restaurant designer and friend.
There were kittens, music, a station for making dog bowls, new menu item samples, sangria, and people ga-lore. Still being an alien to California it was my first time to the desert and I fell in love.
I was afraid I was going to sweat out and drench my clothes and everyone within 10ft but it was surprisingly pleasant and the water mist at every corner was refreshing as well. Jerry and his crew were awesome getting everyone accommodated and cooled off.
Our vendor friends were terrific donating raffle items for the PS Animal Shelter!
The raffle was my favorite part, such generous organizations and people. Everything from cookbooks and mugs to pilates and spa packages.
It was also great to be around people who have followed Chef Tanya from the very beginning and have grown with the company, a party indeed. I met her best friend from second grade, a fellow native crew member, Chef Tanya’s father, the kitchen staff, and most of all being in the presence of the people who make Native Foods what is both old and new all together for a great cause. It was awesome seeing everyone and I’ll be back!!! Fabulous recycled art....more on this fascinating artist in an upcoming blog!
Comments