Kitchen Doors: A Unique Persepshen of Real Food

Chefs Jason and Katherine Dwight started Persepshen at a Phoenix farmers market. The couple sold sandwiches, pastries and sausages out of an old military trailer with a wood-fired oven on the back that now sits on the restaurant’s patio. The brick-and-mortar location opened in 2019 in central Phoenix.

Katherine and Jason met while they were students in the Scottsdale Community College culinary arts program. They shared a strong passion for local produce and proteins, and what they call “real food.”

The restaurant’s name is inspired by the owners’ passion for sustainability. “We wanted to help change people’s perception of how to eat sustainably and organically utilizing local ingredients and making everything from scratch,” said Katherine, who is Persepshen’s executive pastry chef. “If we don’t make it with local organic ingredients, then we don’t serve it, all the way down to ketchup and mustard.”

In addition to focusing on sustainability and local ingredients, Persepshen is about the experience. “When people come to the restaurant, we treat them as if we are welcoming them into our home,” said Jason, who is the restaurant’s executive chef.

Sustainability is practiced in all aspects of the restaurant. “We incorporate sustainability in all parts of our business, from cleaning products to takeout boxes,” Katherine said. “We focus on minimizing our footprint as much as possible and believe it is vital to the longevity of people and the planet. We believe paying attention to these details can make a big difference.”

Showcasing local ingredients and supporting Arizona suppliers is a focus. “I have lived most of my life in the desert and love to work with farmers across our state,” Jason said. “Arizona has one of the longest growing seasons in the country and so much to offer. Working with local ranchers allows us to work with whole animals from organic pastures. We utilize every part of the animal, and our menu reflects this as it rotates weekly, based on which cut of the animal we are working through.”

Persepshen’s menu features a wide range of cuisines and flavors from all over the world, from Korean to Mexican. The menu changes weekly based on the availability of animals and produce, with staples like the charcuterie board and steam buns.

Popular entrees include duck a l’orange with caramelized orange reduction and fingerling potatoes, and the burger made with 90-day dry-aged, Arizona grass-fed, pasture-raised beef.

Dessert favorites are the overloaded chocolate chip cookie and the chocolate cream pie, made with fair trade dark chocolate and salted caramel.

As parents of three young children, the Dwights are focused on the future. “We recognize the health benefits of eating real food and are aware of how food affects you,” Katherine said. “As we became parents, our passion grew stronger as we wanted our kids to have the best possible food and the best possible start in life.”

To learn more, visit persepshenarizona.com.