Chef Justin Beckett Prepares to Open a New Phoenix Eatery

Former Canal chef Justin Beckett has kept himself busy since the SouthBridge restaurant closed last summer -- he's been blogging about his home cooking escapades on Facebook (Beckett's Kitchen Table), Tweeting about his research, and working on two new concepts, Beckett's Food for the Neighborhood, and Scotty's Original Po'Boy Shop...

By Michele Laudig

April 15, 2010

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Former Canal chef Justin Beckett has kept himself busy since the SouthBridge restaurant closed last summer -- he's been blogging about his home cooking escapades on Facebook (Beckett's Kitchen Table), Tweeting about his research, and working on two new concepts, Beckett's Food for the Neighborhood, and Scotty's Original Po'Boy Shop. Late last year, he told me he was actively looking for restaurant space around CenPho and Camelback Road.

Now, there's gossip that he's about to sign a lease agreement on the space that housed That's Italiano, which closed a couple weeks ago (3737 E. Indian School). Prime digs, indeed.

A couple of highly reliable insiders have given me the unofficial news, while Beckett himself couldn't confirm anything for me. He did, however, tell me that he's in negotiations on a space. Will it be this one? I think so . . .

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