​A decade ago, when I first started working downtown, The Arizona Center was a pretty bustling place to grab a bite -- there was a food court and a handful of busy sit-down restaurants -- but it's since had its ups and downs.

Is it on an upswing again? I'd like to think so, thanks to the opening of a new pizzeria called Brick that just opened up there over the weekend.

From what I can tell, Brick is aiming for a young professional crowd that's hungry for a lot more than pizza.

Along with brick oven pizzas topped with such gourmet ingredients as short rib with sweet potato and banana pepper; pork belly and smoked salmon with egg and creme fraiche; and white pizza with bacon and garlic feta sauce, there are also small plates (pesto-stuffed artichokes; elote), salads, burgers, focaccia sandwiches, five different grilled cheese sandwiches (one's filled with pork belly and fried green tomatoes), hand-cut pasta, and entrees like agave-glazed salmon. For dessert, there's pumpkin creme brulee, peach cobbler, and more.

Along with the food, there's a loungey atmosphere, and extensive wine list, and music spun by DJ William Reed on Wednesday nights.

Brick is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday throught Thursday, and 11 a.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday.