A restaurant inspired by the late celebrity chef and travel host Anthony Bourdain is set to replace a long-running bar in Old Town Scottsdale. The Ends will open in the former location of Kazimierz Wine & Whiskey Bar on June 1.
“We’re going to take people on a journey,” says owner Tommy Plato.
Plato is no stranger to Old Town, however. The restaurateur previously owned Kazimierz and Second Story, a 10-year-old restaurant and bar that closed on May 4. In a video announcing the closure, he also shared news of his forthcoming concept.
The Ends, an idea that Plato has had in the works for about a year and a half, will open on Stetson Drive near Sixth Avenue. Plato says the restaurant is inspired by the culture of travel and the discoveries made along the way, in addition to the deceased raconteur chef Bourdain.
“To me, he represents being open to other cultures, being open to trying new food that is outside of your boundaries and connecting with real people that are doing food in their own way that is inspired by their roots,” Plato says.
Concept highlights the ‘best parts of life’
Plato says The Ends will represent the things he loves most in life.
The kitchen team – helmed by Second Story’s Executive Chef Jordano Sessions – will craft fresh pasta, sushi and grilled meats for dishes such as veal Milanese, crispy egg yolk nigiri and a riff on burnt ends with smoked pork belly, preserved vegetables and banana vinegar. Plato and Sessions have created a meatball dish based on Bourdain's classic recipe.
Meat-heavy options include the carnivore board, which will feature lamb, veal, bison and other meats cooked over a wood-fired Argentinean grill. Vegetables will include a twice-baked sweet potato with maple and butter, Korean creamed corn and roasted carrots with cashew butter and pomegranate arils.
Some favorite dishes from Second Story will also join The Ends’ menu, such as Life Changing Biscuits, served with whipped butter, fermented honey and jam. The Ends will also host Tomahawk Tuesdays, offering a weekday special on a 40-ounce, 28-day dry-aged tomahawk ribeye.
Plato’s first foray into hospitality was with The Gelato Spot. In a nod to his former business and its role in activating his love of food and restaurants, Plato has bought a gelato machine for The Ends. While at The Gelato Spot, Plato invited chefs to craft flavors that would be sold at the shops and at the chefs' restaurants. He plans to restart that project at The Ends.
The cocktail menu will include Second Story favorites and will have an “old school mentality,” featuring classics, Plato says. The bar team will also riff on standards, such as an old fashioned made with rum, mole bitters and banana cordial and a clarified cocktail that is made with vodka, lemon oleo, oolong tea, black pepper and Sicilian lemon soda.
Dinner will be served seven days a week, with weekday happy hour and weekend brunch to come in the fall.
Interiors with a MidMod vibe
Turning away from the dark, speakeasy style of Kazimierz, the interiors of The Ends will take inspiration from airy, retro midcentury modern style. Plato says he’ll add decor to the space throughout the coming year.
“This is an evolution,” he says. “I truly believe that restaurants are living, breathing things.”
Guests will see the pasta room, where the housemade pasta will hang, and will be able to reserve the Bourdain Room for a private dining experience. Featuring a large portrait of the chef by Milana Blackman, the room will hold between 10 and 24 guests and host private family-style dinners – ideal for “experience seekers” – for about $99 per person.
“It’s taking them on a journey. You’re going to see 10 different dishes that take you all over the world,” Plato says.
“Through my sobriety, I try to inspire people to be the best version of themselves, and that starts with me,” he says.
Plato will bring over his team from Second Story. He’ll offer four-day work weeks “so that they have time to travel themselves."
“A lot of people give themselves so much to a restaurant that they end up resenting the restaurant,” Plato says, adding that he wants to create a culture where people can grow and live a healthy lifestyle.
Although closing Second Story has been emotional for Plato, it opened the door for this next chapter with The Ends.
“I get to take all those lessons that I’ve learned," he says, "and go and create something cool for the community a couple blocks away."
7137 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale
“We’re going to take people on a journey,” says owner Tommy Plato.
Plato is no stranger to Old Town, however. The restaurateur previously owned Kazimierz and Second Story, a 10-year-old restaurant and bar that closed on May 4. In a video announcing the closure, he also shared news of his forthcoming concept.
The Ends, an idea that Plato has had in the works for about a year and a half, will open on Stetson Drive near Sixth Avenue. Plato says the restaurant is inspired by the culture of travel and the discoveries made along the way, in addition to the deceased raconteur chef Bourdain.
“To me, he represents being open to other cultures, being open to trying new food that is outside of your boundaries and connecting with real people that are doing food in their own way that is inspired by their roots,” Plato says.
Concept highlights the ‘best parts of life’
Plato says The Ends will represent the things he loves most in life.
“I feel the best parts of life are friends and traveling to the ends of the earth," he says. “There’s nothing better than going out to dinner with great people and having a great memory with them and connecting over food."
Thanks to the restaurant's wanderlust inspiration, the menu will take broad culinary influence. Anchoring it all is Bourdain, with his likeness, his French cooking techniques and riffs on some of his recipes showing up at The Ends.
The kitchen team – helmed by Second Story’s Executive Chef Jordano Sessions – will craft fresh pasta, sushi and grilled meats for dishes such as veal Milanese, crispy egg yolk nigiri and a riff on burnt ends with smoked pork belly, preserved vegetables and banana vinegar. Plato and Sessions have created a meatball dish based on Bourdain's classic recipe.
Meat-heavy options include the carnivore board, which will feature lamb, veal, bison and other meats cooked over a wood-fired Argentinean grill. Vegetables will include a twice-baked sweet potato with maple and butter, Korean creamed corn and roasted carrots with cashew butter and pomegranate arils.
Some favorite dishes from Second Story will also join The Ends’ menu, such as Life Changing Biscuits, served with whipped butter, fermented honey and jam. The Ends will also host Tomahawk Tuesdays, offering a weekday special on a 40-ounce, 28-day dry-aged tomahawk ribeye.
Plato’s first foray into hospitality was with The Gelato Spot. In a nod to his former business and its role in activating his love of food and restaurants, Plato has bought a gelato machine for The Ends. While at The Gelato Spot, Plato invited chefs to craft flavors that would be sold at the shops and at the chefs' restaurants. He plans to restart that project at The Ends.
The cocktail menu will include Second Story favorites and will have an “old school mentality,” featuring classics, Plato says. The bar team will also riff on standards, such as an old fashioned made with rum, mole bitters and banana cordial and a clarified cocktail that is made with vodka, lemon oleo, oolong tea, black pepper and Sicilian lemon soda.
Dinner will be served seven days a week, with weekday happy hour and weekend brunch to come in the fall.
Interiors with a MidMod vibe
Turning away from the dark, speakeasy style of Kazimierz, the interiors of The Ends will take inspiration from airy, retro midcentury modern style. Plato says he’ll add decor to the space throughout the coming year. “This is an evolution,” he says. “I truly believe that restaurants are living, breathing things.”
Guests will see the pasta room, where the housemade pasta will hang, and will be able to reserve the Bourdain Room for a private dining experience. Featuring a large portrait of the chef by Milana Blackman, the room will hold between 10 and 24 guests and host private family-style dinners – ideal for “experience seekers” – for about $99 per person.
“It’s taking them on a journey. You’re going to see 10 different dishes that take you all over the world,” Plato says.
A new chapter with The Ends
After running two spots for several years, Plato says he was ready to trim back so that he and his staff have more time for things that matter most to them. For Plato, it allows him to focus on his two teenage children and traveling, something that’s been transformative since he got sober six years ago.“Through my sobriety, I try to inspire people to be the best version of themselves, and that starts with me,” he says.
Plato will bring over his team from Second Story. He’ll offer four-day work weeks “so that they have time to travel themselves."
“A lot of people give themselves so much to a restaurant that they end up resenting the restaurant,” Plato says, adding that he wants to create a culture where people can grow and live a healthy lifestyle.
Although closing Second Story has been emotional for Plato, it opened the door for this next chapter with The Ends.
“I get to take all those lessons that I’ve learned," he says, "and go and create something cool for the community a couple blocks away."
The Ends
Opens June 17137 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale
