A Big Tree Will Grow Inside This New Downtown Phoenix Hotel Restaurant

Late last year, the red letters spelling out "Sheraton" atop the tall, tan, 31-floor building at 340 N. 3rd Street in downtown Phoenix were swapped out in favor of a sleeker, more modern font.

Now, the restaurant inside the Sheraton is getting an update, too.

The space once occupied by District American Kitchen and Wine Bar will soon be home to Carcara, a restaurant with "a locally sourced menu, influenced by the rich traditions of the Southwest, including Native American and Sonoran-inspired dishes and hand-crafted cocktails," according to hotel ownership.

No, Carcara is not the backwoods area where unspeakable acts occurred in True Detective. That's Carcosa. Carcara — which is set to open in September — will feature a variety of natural elements, though. Those include a 14-foot chestnut oak tree that will sit in the center of the dining room and provide a 21-foot diameter canopy as well as a 2,000-square-foot outdoor patio lined with Cara Caras, the orange trees from which the restaurant takes its name. The overall design is "inspired by the region’s cotton fields and citrus groves," according to a release.

The Sheraton is the largest hotel in Arizona, and sizewise, the restaurant will be no slouch either: In all, there'll be 7,000 square feet of dining space for as many as 276 guests. "The restaurant features a central bar, indoor lounge area, main dining area, and an outdoor lounge and dining area with a traditional fireplace and two fire pits," a release says. Three private dining rooms will also be on site.

The chef behind Carcara is Chaz Frankenfield, who has previously served as executive sous chef at the Scottsdale Princess.

District American Kitchen closed in September 2019, and the space has sat empty since. After a pandemic closure, the Sheraton reopened in April of this year.