1. Top Chef’s Brian Malarkey brought his successful San Diego restaurant concept to Arizona with the October opening of Searsucker Scottsdale. The downtown eatery offers creative New American fare, like marrowbone with sea salt and onion jam, alongside craft beers and cocktails. The 9,500-square-foot dining room includes a private area that can be sectioned off with sliding doors
2. Popular local chef-owner Aaron May opened Praying Monk in Old Town Scottsdale in May, with a name that pays homage to Camelback Mountain’s well-known rock formation, while also referencing the restaurant’s focus on Belgian Trappist beers. Menu items blend high-end with down-home, as in Kentucky fried quail with brussels sprouts slaw. The main dining room can accommodate 50 people for a private party; the patio holds another 40.
3. Set in one of the oldest homes in Scottsdale, the House Brasserie from restaurateur Brian Raab and chef Matt Carter of the Mission opened in September, serving inventive, modern fare like Berkshire pork belly with kimchee, udon noodles, and fried egg. Olive wallpaper, antique mirrors, and dark woods line the 50-seat interior, which is available for buyouts. A huge pine tree shades the 110-seat patio area; a second front patio can be tented for receptions for as many as 100.
4. The third branch of Texas-New York mini-chain Del Frisco’s Grille opened in June in Phoenix’s Camelback Corridor, serving hearty comfort fare like veal meatloaf and chipotle three-cheese mac. An expansive, glass-enclosed wine vault and an exhibition kitchen anchor the 7,300-square-foot interior, which includes a 30-seat private dining room. The 3,000-square-foot Summit bar offers al fresco dining and a 20-seat, semiprivate lounge area.
5. Serving burgers, pizzas, paninis, and an array of catering menus, restaurant and event space Zulu Mix opened in January 2012 in the Scottsdale Airport. The three-part venue includes Zulu Caffe, a restaurant and patio that holds 150 for buyouts, plus the Terminal and Landmark Hanger event spaces, which can hold as many as 200.
