DINING OPTIONS SPROUTING UP.

Autumn in the Valley is like spring in other regions: A time for growth. It held true for our dining scene, too, these past few months.

For one, Aaron May shuttered his acclaimed Sol y Sombra and Autostrada over the summer but already sprouted two new places. He’s a partner in Eatwell and Drinkalott LLC, which was expected to open a second location of the breakfast joint Over Easy at the Phoenix Coyotes? Ice Den in north Scottsdale in October.

Eatwell and Drinkalott also was planning a from-scratch comfort food concept, 18° Neighborhood Grill, in the Ice Den. It will include three patios, a lounge area and an arcade with 154-foot gaming screen – the second of its kind in North America.

If shopping is more your speed than skating, check out Fred’s at Barneys New York’s Scottsdale Fashion Square store, which was scheduled to open October 15 at press time. The 4,800-square-foot brasserie features traditional Italian fare with local ingredients and house-made pasta. Check out the express elevator from the parking garage directly to the restaurant.

Also at Scottsdale Fashion Square, Pita Jungle’s empire continues to grow with its tenth location, which opened in September.

Finally, Latilla at the Boulders was reborn October 1 after a hiatus for remodeling and menu retooling. It promises “New American fare, inspired by flavors of the Southwest,” and a casually elegant dining room with regional artwork and rich colors. The resort still uses herbs from its organic garden and continues to feature monthly wine dinners.

Sadly, one restaurant that didn’t resurface again after its summer hiatus is Mosaic, Deborah Knight and Matt Rinn’s multi-award-winning showplace in north Scottsdale. Knight was even featured in Food & Wine magazine as one of the best new chefs of 2002. Hopefully they’ll plant the seeds for a new project.


THAT'S ITALIAN... AND SO IS THAT

Two major Italian eateries were set to open shop on opposite sides of town recently.

Westgate City Center in Glendale was poised to welcome BiCE – that’s bee-chay – Bistro in October. It’s part of a family-owned group that traces its roots back to a small trattoria in Milan opened in 1926 by Beatrice (nicknamed BiCE) Ruggeri. The brand’s U.S. debut was in New York City in 1987, and since, it’s grown to include hotspots such as Café Med in Los Angeles.

The menu includes all the classics – panini, pasta, pizza and entrées with beef, veal and seafood – and the space has a 50-seat patio. General partner Trevor Sacco helped grow Daphne’s Greek Café into the biggest Greek-themed restaurant chain in the country.

Also in October, Marcella’s was headed for the Barneys wing of Scottsdale Fashion Square. It’s the third store of its kind from national restaurateur Cameron Mitchell; the other two are in Columbus. Mitchell is also behind Ocean Prime, which opened at CityCenter of CityNorth in Phoenix in November 2008. It boasts traditional dishes with fresh ingredients, but with a saucy attitude as well: Servers wear T-shirts with sayings such as “Italian Stallion” and “Sprinkle me with Parmesan,” and the menu includes a “Fuggetaboutit” happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m. on weekdays that offers half-price pizzas and drink specials.