On the heels of the announcement that Sportsman's Fine Wines & Spirits in Phoenix is shuttering at the end of August comes news of a more positive sort -- its salvation via Valley chef-legend Mark Tarbell, whose restaurant, Tarbell's, is right next door.
A combination wine bar and liquor boutique, Sportsman's is known for its offerings of more than 3,000 brands of wine, an extensive selection of single malt scotches, and top-shelf spirits from all over the world. It also features a comfortable in-house bar and small-plate bistro as well as a staff of friendly and knowledgeable sommeliers.
Here's what Tarbell has in store for Sportsman's.
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According to the Republic, Tarbell will continue to operate Sportsman's as a retail space and wine bar, will work with chef Matthew Fenton, executive chef of Tarbell's, to develop a new menu for the space, and expects to re-open around the first of November.
"I love history and tradition, and there's very little of that left in Phoenix," Tarbell told the Republic. "(Sportsman's) has got good bones. It's the only space in the whole center that's been there since it opened."
Located at 3205 East Camelback Road (at the Southeast corner of 32nd Street and Camelback), Sportsman's originated as a corner liquor store in the 1950s. The shop changed ownership in the late 1960s and then again in 1987, when its focus shifted to wine, spirits, and scotch.
Edward Basha III, president and CEO of Bashas', confirmed that closure last week. The Arizona-based, family-owned grocery chain, acquired Sportsman's in 2007.
