Last week, I was thrilled to share the tidbit about The Pink Pony reopening soon.
Now, proprietor Tom Cook tells me there's an opening date: February 12, the same day as Parada del Sol. The bar will be open to the public that day, while the restaurant will host invited guests.
New owners Danny Little and Tim Smith bought the business in the hopes of preserving a historic landmark and perhaps reveling in nostalgia a bit -- Smith, an Arcadia native, recalls celebrating birthdays there since he was 5.
Meanwhile, chef Eric Guerin -- who's worked at The Mission, Zinc, El Chorro, and Roaring Fork during the Robert McGrath era -- heads up the kitchen.
What can we expect from this refreshed incarnation of what was Scottsdale's longest-running restaurant when it succumbed to the recession in 2009?
"Baseball will continue to be worshipped, talked about, argued about," Cook says, while the menu will feature a mix of "period food" and "things you'd think you might've had there, or wished you did."
Given The Pink Pony's history as a steakhouse, that means traditional fare served with a salad and starch, with an emphasis on affordable prices. They'll cater to families as well as the late-night crowd.
Old-school appetizers run the gamut from steak tartare and shrimp cocktail to pigs in the blanket and bacon-wrapped chicken livers. Entrees include broiled salmon, fried shrimp, fried chicken, prime rib, calf's liver with bacon and onions, meatloaf, and a slew of steaks, from New York strip to Delmonico.
Side dishes like truffled creamed spinach, roasted marrow bones, and mac 'n cheese, will be sized for two -- unlike the mammoth portions at most steakhouses -- and priced accordingly.
The Pink Pony is located at 3831 N. Scottsdale Rd. in Scottsdale. Stay tuned for more info as the opening approaches.
