See also: Sam Fox to Open Second Culinary Dropout in Phoenix
As reported by Chow Bella last January, local restaurant mogul Sam Fox plans to open a second local Culinary Dropout in the space that formerly housed a series of motorcycle and car dealerships on Seventh Street in Phoenix. Construction is already underway.
But while this CD will have the same menu and casual vibe -- not to mention live music and un-uniformed servers sporting tats and piercings -- in many ways, the new incarnation promises to be an entirely different animal.
For starters, Culinary Dropout will be the largest of four venues sharing a generous expanse of outdoor park -- 12,000 to 15,000 square feet in the center of the project devoted to ping pong, bocce ball and Pig in a Hole (a bean bag game). Fox promises live music outside, as well as various seating vignettes, including picnic tables. The atmosphere will be more family-oriented.
A small and as yet unnamed oyster bar and fish house will be part of the mix, and its dinner menu will feature a daily selection of oysters, chowders, lobster fritters, crab roll, and at least two fish selections, flown in fresh every day. Seating in the open, 1,500-square-foot space will be limited to 50 people, and brunch will be offered Saturday and Sunday.
The other two tenants on the property will be a coffee bar and bakery. Fox and his team are in the process of chatting up local vendors in both categories, hoping to find a good fit.
Meanwhile, this Culinary Dropout location, which will serve lunch and dinner seven days a week and breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, will feature a larger beer selection with more beers on tap. Fox plans to keep the ambiance urban, making use of existent garage doors and car bays.
And for once, there will be plenty of parking.
Fox says he's really excited about re-habbing the building, as well as moving into a neighborhood he believes is under-served. In fact, he's looking for more property to buy and develop along the Seventh Street corridor.
Culinary Dropout is slated to open in early December, followed by the oyster bar and fish house in mid-January. The coffee bar and bakery are projected to open somewhere in between.
We'll keep you posted on developments.
