Sara Crocker
Audio By Carbonatix
Source, the Mediterranean restaurant and market from acclaimed chef Claudio Urciuoli, has closed after more than three years in business.
The casual, counter-service restaurant served a menu of meticulously sourced and crafted salads, bowls, sandwiches and pizzas from its kitchen in Gilbert’s Epicenter at Agritopia. Source served its last meals, glasses of wine and fresh-baked bread on April 25.
“Source has been proud to be part of the Gilbert community. A place to gather, share meals, & enjoy food made with intention,” an Instagram post announcing the closure read. “We’ve focused on quality ingredients, thoughtfully sourced from farmers & artisans who share our commitment to integrity, sustainability, & craftsmanship.”
Source’s ethos: Quality food at an affordable price
Urciuoli and business partner Akshat Sethi opened Source in December 2022 at the residential, shopping and dining development at the northwest corner of Ray and Higley roads. Urciuoli’s ethos was straightforward: “I don’t believe in expensive food,” he told our former food critic. That point of view informed the restaurant, which was the Italian chef’s follow-up after departing Phoenix’s Pa’La.
The chef relentlessly sourced high-quality ingredients and let them do the talking in dishes, including a jaw-dropping chopped salad and a satisfyingly rich seasonal pistachio pesto pizza. Yet, that quality came at affordable prices. The current menu topped out at $15, with glasses of wine, beer and cider available for $9 or less.
Customers could also shop in the small market area for pasta and olive oil, or pick up a loaf of slow-fermented bread and a bottle of wine to complete a meal at home.
The restaurant was among Phoenix New Times’ Best New Restaurants of 2023. (Note: this distinction includes restaurants that open at the end of the previous year due to publishing deadlines.) In 2024, Urciuoli was named a Best Chef – Southwest semifinalist of the James Beard Awards for his work at Source.
Epicenter
Fans of the restaurant lamented the loss in the comments of the closing announcement. They shared their appreciation for a kitchen that made “real food,” which was their go-to for pizza, bread or a quick, healthy meal.
“It’s rare to have good food made with consistently good ingredients & attention to flavor & textures plus outstanding breads. We were frequent fans of Pa’la & made the trek to Source whenever possible,” Michele Redmond shared. “Very sad to lose a gem of a restaurant.”
New Times has reached out to Urciuoli. In Source’s post, the restaurant shared appreciation for its diners.
“More than anything, what made Source special was the people. Many of you became more than customers; you became part of our extended family,” the post read, adding, “you brought meaning to what we do every day.”
Source
3150 E. Ray Road, #104, Gilbert
