Renowned Chef and Restaurateur Lisa Dahl to be features in James Beard award-winning photographer Eric Wolfinger’s documentary short film, Lisa Dahl: Blessed By Grace. The film premieres at the Sedona International Film Festival on Saturday, March 1, 2025.
The film is described as an “inspiring journey of chef and restaurateur Lisa Dahl, who turned personal tragedy into a thriving culinary career in Sedona, Arizona. After the devastating loss of her son Justin, who was murdered in the 1990s while helping someone in need, Lisa found healing through cooking. In 1995, she moved to Sedona and opened her first restaurant, Dahl & DiLuca, as a tribute to their shared love of cooking. Over the next nearly 30 years, she expanded her business to six acclaimed restaurants, each dedicated to preserving Justin’s memory. Set against the majestic red rocks of Sedona, Lisa Dahl: Blessed By Grace offers a heartfelt look at Lisa’s resilience, spirituality, and passion for cooking, which has brought comfort and joy to so many while keeping her son’s memory alive.”
View a trailer for Lisa Dahl: Blessed By Grace.
A leader in pizza industry, Lisa was among a panel of leading female restaurant operators at a previous Pizza Expo in Las Vegas and has been featured on The Hot Slice podcast. A decade ago, Pizza Today traveled to Sedona to visit Pisa Lisa. In addition to two Pisa Lisa locations, the Dahl Restaurant Group also includes Dahl & Di Luca, Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill, Butterfly Burger and Cucina Rustica.
Dahl & Di Luca and Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill have received international acclaim. Dahl & DiLuca was ranked 7th in the country in Tripadvisor’s “Travelers’ Choice Awards” of “Best of the Best” Date Night restaurants.
Lisa has been covered by USA Today, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Wine Spectator, Tasting Table, Goop, TimeOut, Los Angeles Times, Thrillist, Huffington Post, among others, and was awarded by the Arizona Restaurant Association two highly-coveted awards including “Food Pioneer” and “Top Chef Arizona,” as well as the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from Sedona Chamber of Commerce.
With her motto, “When you cook with love, you feed the soul”, she is launching the Lisa Dahl Foundation in 2025 to help those in need struggling with food insecurity through a diversity of initiatives, including free grocery programs, mentorship classes, life skills and educational workshops and more.
