July Restaurant Openings and Closings in Metro Phoenix

From a new food truck to the revival of two Valley restaurants into new concepts, July had some great new options for Phoenix diners, even during a time when other spots usually close for a few weeks to a month to avoid the inevitable summer slow down. Unfortunately for some spots, shuttering for that same summer slow down was a permanent deal -- though others already have revamping plans of their own.

See also: Summer Schedules for 19 Metro Phoenix Restaurants

Openings:

• Rollover Doughnuts, Phoenix "Rollover Doughnuts will* serve a menu of brioche doughnuts and fritters in a variety of flavors that range from the expected (cinnamon sugar) to the hot dog-inspired The Bear Doughnut with smoked gouda, bacon, peanut butter-bbq glaze and Crackerjacks."

  *Although the truck has yet to hit the Phoenix streets, you can currently try the doughnuts at Short Leash Sit... Stay.

• Burger 21, Scottsdale "The menu includes a selection of 100 percent Angus beef burgers such as Tex-Mex Haystack with lettuce, tomato, applewood-smoked bacon, Gouda, guacamole, onion strings, and chipotle-jalapeño sauce. There are also chicken, seafood (think: Spicy Thai Shrimp Burger), veggie, and turkey burgers along with salads, sliders, hot dogs, chicken tenders, and handspun shakes and floats."
• NYPD Pizza, Tempe "In addition to the well-loved menu of lunch and dinner options, the new location will also serve breakfast to cater to the surrounding business and student communities. The Sky Harbor location of NYPD Pizza also serves breakfast."

• Earnest, Chandler "There were certainly glimpses of the vision for Earnest, but for now the restaurant still seems stuck between its fine-dining past and casual future. It's worth mentioning that the service was quite formal, but was also some of best we've had at a restaurant in a while."

• Wasted Grain, Scottsdale "The "Prohibition-style" bar/restaurant will focus on its whiskey offerings."
• MOD Pizza, Gilbert "The latest addition is MOD Pizza, a Seattle-based company that operates 16 locations in Washington, Oregon and California. MOD Pizza claims to be 'the originator of the build your own pizza concept' and has set its sights on Gilbert for the beginning of its Arizona expansion."
• The Revival, Tempe "According to The Revival Facebook, the chef's already working on some menu changes. Hopefully he keeps the hits and works out the kinks with the dishes that could use a boost. Either way, we'll be back."
• Union Barrelhouse, Scottsdale "The restaurant will offer a menu of "upscale tavern" cuisine, including salads, burgers, and a whole section dedicated to variations of grilled cheese. One of the main draws is expected to be the restaurant's proprietary draft beer program, which will include five craft beers brewed in-house."

Closings:

• American TapHouse, Gilbert "To make the sudden closure all the more bizarre, according the restaurant's website American TapHouse will be relocating to North Dakota, "to take the leap right to the heart of the oil boom to McKenzie County."
• Miracle Mile Deli, Scottsdale "Last week the Scottsdale Promenade location of the Phoenix institution shut its doors for good. A post on the restaurant's Facebook page stated the company decided to close the location because of a new business opportunity."
• Mama Toledo's Pie Hole, Phoenix "The good news is that you can still find Tonya Saidi and her pies in several places. Saidi says she's currently looking for a new, larger space out of which to operate."
• Tavern on Mill, Tempe "The plan for Blasted Barley... will include an in -house micro-brewery and micro-distillery... Mill Avenue will still be getting a new 2,500 square foot area called "The Playground," a new live music venue, and bar with an extensive selection of draft beers."
• Cork, Chandler "For the last six years, Cork has held out as one of the only fine dining establishments in Chandler. But next month, the restaurant's run will come to an end. On July 1, when the restaurant usually closes for its summer hiatus, Cork will close its doors for good."
• Miss Anita's Pie Shop, Phoenix