For four years, Doug Robson, chef-owner of Gallo Blanco Café, the restaurant inside the Clarendon Hotel, has been quietly kicking out top-notch Mexico City-style eats in Central Phoenix. But his new restaurant, now open for lunch with dinner to follow on Monday, March 11, most likely won't enjoy such an easygoing scene -- it's smack dab in one of the Valley's hottest new dining hubs.
See also: - Doug Robson Dishes On Why Tacos Are Great and What It's Like to Eat Bugs and Worms - Gallo Blanco's Doug Robson to Open New (and Slightly Different) Mexican Restaurant in March
Called Otro, Robson's new restaurant is located at 6035 North Seventh Street, (Seventh Street and Bethany Home Road) in north Central Phoenix. One of Robson's new neighbors will be restaurateur and James Beard Award semifinalist Sam Fox, who recently opened the Yard, home of a Culinary Dropout and a coming-soon seafood shop, in February.
Here's what diners can expect:
Robson has said the menu at Otro (a word meaning other in Spanish), will complement Gallo Blanco's in the way of traditional Mexican dishes (think chiles rellenos, tacos, and enchiladas) utilizing seasonal and locally sourced ingredients, but won't be an exact copy of it. For example, the Republic reports Otro, unlike Gallo Blanco, will feature more shareable dishes such as a "country-style paella with sausage and poultry."
"You see paella a lot in Mexico because of the Spanish influence," Robson told the Republic. "Paellas are something I've always loved, enjoyed eating. It's not something that's easy to make, and it will be a challenge."
Otro will feature and open kitchen, a bar specializing in margaritas with fresh-squeezed fruit juices, lots of windows as well as a skylight, and exposed brick walls.
Otro Cafe 6035 North Seventh Street 602-266-0831 www.facebook.com/OtroGallo
Hours: Currently open for lunch 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Dinner service is scheduled to start on Monday, March 11.