Cafe 54 on East Pennington

Chef Bruce Bowden

Bruce is originally from Massachusetts. Growing up he enjoyed dining on clams, quahogs, and scallops fished from the local waters; along with corn and strawberries harvested in the summer season.

The biggest influence on his cooking career was his Mother and Uncle. My story is “My mom was a fine baker. My aunt and uncle exposed me to scratch Yankee cooking during summer visits to coastal Maine. These foods included, braised dandelion greens, squash doughnuts, blueberry pies, baked beans and lobster. “Quality cooking was very important.”

During college, on a lark, he took a part-time job dishwashing at the Medieval Manor in Boston. He was enchanted by the rough and tumble world of the restaurant life; interesting food, drink and the camaraderie.

A winding road to a career was born. Bruce lived in the Santa Barbara area prior to moving to Tucson. The local food scene was evolving in the early eighties and Bruce worked in local restaurants and launched his own catering business with his wife. “Farmers would call up and offer just harvested greens and fruit for use-it was exciting and improvisational.”  Tucson is now home and Café 54 reconciled his enjoyment of cooking and food. A second love is helping marginalized people improve their lives.

“I have always had a deep love and respect for food and the sacred art of cooking and have always enjoyed teaching people who were interested in learning. I’ve cooked for people from all walks of life, from Julia Childs to guys who woke up from sleeping on the street. All of us are works in progress and I draw on personal challenges and experiences to help others develop their gifts.”