Despite spring being a great season for Valley restaurants with tons of out of towners coming in and giving the scene a cash boost, not all restaurants made it through the season. However, in a very springy way, there was much more growth in the restaurant scene this month than there was shuttering.
Here are some new restaurants to check out and some closed restaurants to say goodbye to:
Openings:
- Sweet Republic, Phoenix "Though you'll still find the 24 flavors of ice cream Sweet Republic fans have come to love at the original Scottsdale location, there are a few new options available at the Phoenix store. They include a Salted Caramel Shake ($6.75) that includes three scoops of salted butter caramel ice cream and salted caramel sauces"
- TapHouse Kitchen, Scottsdale "TapHouse Kitchen offers a menu modern American cuisine, in addition to a respectable selection of craft beers. The tap lineup includes local options from Grand Canyon, Four Peaks, and Papago Brewery."
- Original Chop Shop Co., Chandler "If we said we never get a craving for Original ChopShop Co.'s kale Caesar salad every now and then, we'd be lying. The local restaurant focusing on healthy eats and pressed-to-order juices has been a hit already in both Scottsdale and Tempe."
- Karl's Quality Bakery, Sunnyslope (Re-open) "The bakery is already offering the same menu of pastries, breads, and other baked goods they served at the original location for some 20 years. But for now Christine hasn't been able to start offering the handmade chocolates she sold next-door at The Bakers Daughter."
- Steak 44, Phoenix "The menu at Steak 44 will include meaty options such as an 8-ounce petite fillet mignon ($38), a 16-ounce delmonico ($37), and a 22-ounce bone-in rib eye ($44). You'll also have the option to top off your steak with truffle butter ($4) or a crab cake "oscar" ($29)."
- Lola Coffee at The Yard, Phoenix "For real coffee enthusiasts, Lola offers a few truly unique things. The first one you're likely to notice will be the Oji cold drip coffee machines. There are two of them sitting on either end of the Lola's bar and according to Clarke, they're the best machines available for making large batches of cold brewed coffee."
- Hot N Juicy Crawfish, Tempe "At Hot N Juicy, you can obviously dig into pounds of crawfish -- served in plastic bags, heavy with a flavored sauce of your choice -- but you also have the option of trying lobster, black and green mussels, four types of crab, and shrimp."
- Flower Child, Phoenix "Located next door to Wally's American Pub & Grill, Flower Child will be a fast-casual health-focused restaurant serving a menu with naturally raised proteins, and organic and local produce. There will be no refined sugar."
- Silk True Asian, Chandler "Silk True Asian's menu will include dishes such as Vietnamese Pho; Pad Thai Noodles with stir-fried rice noodles, bean sprouts, egg, green onion and peanuts tossed Silk's own sweet and sour tamarind sauce; and Thai Curry made with curry paste, coconut milk, meat, seafood, vegetables and herbs."
- Modern Grove Neighborhood Eatery, Phoenix "The 3,500-square-foot space will offer a casual sit-down eatery, bar, grocery, and patio. The menu will include starters such as hummus, bruschetta, caprese, and kale salads, and pretzels with beer cheese."
- Fractured Prune, Chandler "The doughnut shop allows customers to choose from more than a dozen different glazes and toppings so you can build your own donut creation. Think, marshmallow glaze and graham cracker topping or maple glaze with mini chocolate chips."
- Unwined Cafe, Ahwatukee "For food, there are four types of bruschetta (choose two for $12), four salads, and starters including green chile white bean hummus, mussels, and a chef's choice meat and cheese board."
Closings:
- T.Spot, Chandler "Chu re-branded the restaurant as T. Spot in fall 2013. It was called Tien Wong from 2010 until last year, when the chef added ramen and tea to the hot pot-focused menu. Chu's wife, partner, and general manager Linda Q described the concept as a "permanent pop-up" inside Tien Wong."
- La Fontanella, Phoenix "According to the restaurant's answering machine message, owner Isabella Mannone-Bertuccio and husband, Berto, will be retiring -- and taking the time 'to smell the sea breeze.'"
- The House at Secret Garden, Phoenix "For four years The House at Secret Garden has been a destination for romantic patio dining, a go-to spot to impress out-of-towners with the restaurant's uniquely Arizonan cuisine."
- Brooklyn Cafe, Scottsdale "According to an announcement on the restaurant's Facebook page, [chef David] Antonelli has sold the business."
- Pellini Italian Eatery, Scottsdale "Pellini Italian Eatery (pellini is Italian for "little skin" and refers to the restaurant's flatbread), a build-your-own concept featuring traditional Italian food with a healthy slant, comes courtesy of advertising executive, chef, and restaurateur Mark Motta..."
- Philadelphia Sandwich Company, Scottsdale Being the "Best Place to Sober Up" in last year's Best Of awards couldn't save this sandwicherie from shuttering, at least for the summer. The restaurant has plans to relocate later this year.
