Photo courtesy of CRUjiente Tacos
All the news that’s fit to nosh.
New Pasta-Bilities: Pop-up favorite Saint Pasta, late of Linger Longer Lounge, is one of two high-profile food concepts moving into the architectural gem in the Coronado Historic District long occupied by Valley fave Tuck Shop, which has sadly shuttered. The other restaurant, we have just learned, is vegetarian mainstay The Coronado PHX, which will decamp from its longtime home on 7th Street (just a few blocks away from the new location) in the coming days. The Coronado will occupy the main dining and bar space at the former Tuck Shop, while Saint Pasta will take the smaller, adjacent building that formerly housed Duza’s Kitchen and Astor House.
A Tare By Any Other Name: Due to a copyright dispute with an out-of-state eatery, Clever Koi owners Josh James and Nick Campisano have changed the name of their forthcoming SkySong restaurant. Originally christened Broth & Bao, the ramen-ya will now be called Clever Ramen.
Setting Up Campo: James Beard Award-winning chef Alex Stratta is giving his Scottsdale restaurant Stratta Kitchen a makeover. The revamped restaurant will have a new name – Campo Italian Bistro and Bar – and a new culinary focus: rustic Italian through a modern lens. The ristorante is set to open in early May.
Taco ’Bout It: Arcadia’s revered CRUjiente Tacos is reopening at full capacity with its full menu for the first time since the onset of the pandemic in spring 2020. New menu items are popping up, too: braised short rib taco ($6) and crispy sweet potato taco ($5). Bad news for stay-at-homers: CRUjiente’s to-go options are now off the table.
Pedal to the Metal: Julian Wright and Derek Osborne are expanding their Pedal Haus Brewery empire with a fourth location. The Mesa outpost is set to open on Main Street in late 2021 in the circa-1950s Pit Stop autobody shop building. This will be Fork & Dagger Hospitality’s first biergarten-style space, with 6,000 square feet of patio – dog-friendly, of course.
Lunch Bunch: Valley breakfast-and-lunch fave Daily Dose has partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Central Arizona on a unique and philanthropic takeout offering. The Habitat Builders Box lunch ($10) includes a wrap sandwich, chips and homemade cookie. For every lunch sold, Daily Dose will donate $1 to Habitat for Humanity of Central Arizona. Additionally, Habitat for Humanity volunteers can order the lunches for their crews. These takeout boxes are available at Daily Dose’s Old Town, Midtown and Rio Salado locations.
Cool to Be Kind: Kind Hospitality, which operates restaurants out of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport and beyond, has been credentialed as a Certified Autism Center. This designation is granted by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards to establishments that have provided training for staff to better understand and serve customers with autism. A full list of Kind Hospitality locations with this training:
Macayo’s Mexican Food
- Ahwatukee: 12637 S. 48th St., Phoenix
- Arizona State University Tempe: 650 N. Scottsdale Rd., Tempe
- Glendale: 6012 W. Bell Rd., Glendale
- Goodyear: 1474 N. Litchfield Rd., Goodyear
- Mesa: 1920 S. Dobson Rd., Mesa
- Superstition Springs: 6538 E. Superstition Springs Blvd., Mesa
- Surprise: 15565 W. Bell Rd., Surprise
Panera Bread
- Sky Harbor Airport: 3800 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Phoenix
- Sky Harbor Airport: 3400 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Phoenix
- Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport: 6033 S. Sossaman Rd., Mesa
- Corner, Tucson: 4362 N. Oracle Rd., Tucson
- Grant, Tucson: 4821 E. Grant Rd., Tucson
- Broadway, Tucson: 6129 E. Broadway Blvd., Tucson
- Oro Valley, Tucson: 10604 N. Oracle Rd., Oro Valley
- University of Arizona, Tucson: 845 N. Park Ave., Tucson
Copper Plate, An American Grill
- Phoenix–Mesa Gateway Airport: 6033 S. Sossaman Rd., Mesa
O.H.S.O. Brewery
- Phoenix–Mesa Gateway Airport: 6033 S. Sossaman Rd., Mesa
- Sky Harbor Airport: 3800 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Phoenix
Barrio Brewing
- Phoenix–Mesa Gateway Airport: 5803 S. Sossaman Rd., Mesa
