Celebrated local restaurateur moving into former Southern Rail

In late December, Camelback Road restaurant Southern Rail announced an abrupt closure, giving fans two days before the Christmas holiday to visit for the last time. The owners, including head chef Justin Beckett, explained in the announcement that the restaurant had been sold.

Soon, the space will house a new concept. Celebrated local chef and restaurateur Doug Robson, of Gallo Blanco, Otro Cafe and Otro Cafecito, is moving forward with plans for his next restaurant, Tesota. Robson's other restaurants serve Mexican food, but he plans to break out of that genre and take an international approach with his latest concept.

"With Otro and Gallo being in such close proximity, we didn’t necessarily want to go at this like 'let’s do Mexican food,'" he says. "With this one, we really thought to ourselves, this is a good opportunity to use muscles we haven't used in a while."

Robson studied at the Scottsdale Culinary Institute in the mid-1990s and previously worked in kitchens that specialized in French and Italian fare. He later focused on bringing the flavors of Mexico City, where he was born and raised, to the Valley. But now, he's ready to push the boundaries even further, taking inspiration from cuisines across the globe.

"That means we can go all around the world and not have limitations as chefs," he explains. "As a creative person, sometimes we get into these ruts or habits of doing the same formula, so for us, this is a place to really explore cuisines and techniques."

What's on the menu at Tesota?

Some of those techniques may be fermenting sourdough starter to create crusts for pizzettas, small personal pizzas topped with unexpected ingredients such as al pastor, or making their own pate.

"If we want to do a pate, we’ll do a pate. To us, pate sounds fancy, but for the French, pate is a very comforting staple food," he says.

Comfort will be at the core of the menu, Robson add, along with a healthy dose of fun.

"At the end of the day, sometimes chefs take themselves too seriously. I’m not looking to reinvent the wheel; we’re not splitting the atom here. We want to just have fun with it and make it playful."

While the dishes will have a decidedly international flair, many of the ingredients used throughout the menu will be sourced locally. And customers will be able to set the tone for their evening, Robson says, with options ranging from selections from the raw bar paired with specially sourced bottles of wine to draught beer and a cheeseburger.

The beverage program will lean local, with Arizona wines making an appearance, and cocktails that use fresh juice. There will also be a selection of nonalcoholic options designed to complement the food.

International food grounded in Arizona

Some of the menu's elements have been influenced by the space into which Robson and his team are moving. The kitchen came with a pizza oven, which Robson says is "pretty fun for a chef. As chefs, we are attracted to smoke and fire." It also has a wine cellar, allowing for a robust natural and Arizona wine program.

As for the restaurant, the design will remain quite similar to its time as Southern Rail.

"We're not doing a huge remodel. The space is already a very pretty space to be in," Robson says. "We’re just going to tweak a couple things and get a couple new toys for the kitchen."

That process, along with recipe development, will take place through the spring. The new concept is slated to open in May.

Robson's team inspired him to take the leap with his newest concept. Ashli Galbreath, the general manager of Otro Cafe, will take over the front of the house. Chef Jared Porter will helm the kitchen. Robson worked with Porter throughout his career at Michael's at the Citadel and La Grande Orange.

Robson credits Galbreath for coming up with the restaurant's name. Tesota means ironwood in Spanish, and Robson says the idea of naming the restaurant after a slow-growing, hardy desert tree that produces beautiful flowers sat well with the team.

With his new restaurant, Robson hopes to provide something nourishing and beautiful for the surrounding area.

Tesota

Opening in May
300 Camelback Road