The Parlor Pizzeria: Behind the Scenes with Owner-Designer Aric Mei

When Aric Mei stumbled upon Salon De Venus on Camelback Road, he had no intention of getting a haircut. In hot pursuit of a location for his new restaurant, Mei met Ted and Mary Williams, who were in their 80s and looking to hand over ownership of the building they...

By Claire Lawton

May 18, 2010

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When Aric Mei stumbled upon Salon De Venus on Camelback Road, he had no intention of getting a haircut.

In hot pursuit of a location for his new restaurant, Mei met Ted and Mary Williams, who were in their 80s and looking to hand over ownership of the building they knew as Salon De Venus for more than 50 years.

While the salon chairs and three walls remain intact, Mei has made a new name for the place on Camelback: The Parlor Pizzeria.

"It's been an exercise in recycling," says Mei."But I had two goals in the adaptive reuse and building of this restaurant -- to be timeless and to have the best $10 pizza or plate of pasta around."

This week, Mei took our artsy and cultured sister blog, Jackalope Ranch, on a behind-the-scenes design tour of The Parlor ...

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