Metro Phoenix Dining Thread

[ASU Diablo]

Such a bummer when I saw this last night but another restaurant casualty of COVID-19. She had such a good Mexican wine and mezcal list. However, Chef continues to operate Barrio Cafe and has turned it into a community kitchen of sorts and is preparing meals for the hungry and also feeding front line workers at St Joe's. So cool to see this happening...

https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news...e-gran-reserva-closes-for-good-amid.html

[TJPHXskyscraperfan]

Originally Posted by ASU Diablo

Such a bummer when I saw this last night but another restaurant casualty of COVID-19. She had such a good Mexican wine and mezcal list. However, Chef continues to operate Barrio Cafe and has turned it into a community kitchen of sorts and is preparing meals for the hungry and also feeding front line workers at St Joe's. So cool to see this happening...

https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news...e-gran-reserva-closes-for-good-amid.html

I always wanted to go there but just never made it there, been to the 7th street one a long time ago. Also is Barrio Queen the same owners in Scottsdale? I been there quite a few times.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by TJPHXskyscraperfan

I always wanted to go there but just never made it there, been to the 7th street one a long time ago. Also is Barrio Queen the same owners in Scottsdale? I been there quite a few times.

I assume you mean Barrio Cafe on 16th St.?

Barrio Queen was a venture that Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza was involved with when it started; however, she has since sold her stake in that small chain.

[TJPHXskyscraperfan]

Yeah, 16th st

[biggus diggus]

Steve bought her out years ago, he owns a lot of fast food franchises and knows the industry. Smart guy, can't afford to do business with him. High stakes and big buy in. Not comparable to Barrio Cafe, she's small time in comparison and I feel bad about her restaurant but she had to know going in that it was going to be tough at that location.

[DesertRay]

Originally Posted by biggus diggus

Steve bought her out years ago, he owns a lot of fast food franchises and knows the industry. Smart guy, can't afford to do business with him. High stakes and big buy in. Not comparable to Barrio Cafe, she's small time in comparison and I feel bad about her restaurant but she had to know going in that it was going to be tough at that location.

Yah. It's tough to see her restaurant go down. I think that place was ten years ahead of its time. She a fighter and an artist, and not a great match for a high stakes person. I think she'll land on her feet, but I'm sad to see that place go. Great food.

[Classical in Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Obadno

Word of warning the 32 oz to go zipparitas are.... extremely strong

Can now attest to the the strength, and within walking distance from where I live. Midtown gets better even with a pandemic.

[biggus diggus]

I wonder, with to-go alcohol sales being okay right now, how many people are driving around drinking in the car. We went on a walk the other evening and walked into Spoke and Wheel to get a beer for the walk back down Central. It was kind of nice, actually.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Originally Posted by biggus diggus

I wonder, with to-go alcohol sales being okay right now, how many people are driving around drinking in the car.

That's been on my mind for a while. I work for the criminal courts in Coconino County and am wondering if we're gonna start seeing an uptick in DUI cases.

[combusean]

How does to go liquor even work in AZ? Is there some seal on the cup so it's not an open container?

[xymox]

Originally Posted by combusean

How does to go liquor even work in AZ? Is there some seal on the cup so it's not an open container?

They just need to have a lid evidently. Friend walked into Barrio Queen in Desert Ridge - picked up dinner and a couple margaritas to go. Pic he sent just had a plastic lid on the plastic cup.

[biggus diggus]

My friend's restaurant is selling mixed cocktails to go in small bottles that resemble single serving wine containers. They have screw tops and that's it.

[DesertRay]

Originally Posted by biggus diggus

My friend's restaurant is selling mixed cocktails to go in small bottles that resemble single serving wine containers. They have screw tops and that's it.

I remember when there were drive thru windows where they would mix a drink in an open cup and hand it to the driver (this was in Florida). Good times...

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by biggus diggus

I wonder, with to-go alcohol sales being okay right now, how many people are driving around drinking in the car. We went on a walk the other evening and walked into Spoke and Wheel to get a beer for the walk back down Central. It was kind of nice, actually.

I hope the state chooses to lighten up after this with liqour laws.

Why cant an adult buy alcohol to go as long as they arent being inappropriate? Why cant adults have a picnic with alcohol at city parks assuming nobody is acting foolish?

Punish people who deserve to be punished not the average person

[fawd]

Downtown allowing open carry during Superbowl XLIX week was a blast. Was awesome being able walk around DT with an adult beverage!

[TJPHXskyscraperfan]

So I heard Punch Bowl Social isn’t opening, apparently the backers are Cracker Barrel and they pulled out even though it’s finished and I’m sure could still open in the next month. They delayed that place so much, you would figure another month or two wouldn’t of hurt. I also heard that rent there is apparently 66K a month! Maybe someone else can open it, it’s all ready to go. I got a burger at Jackalope Gastro Pub yesterday, 8 dollar burger and fries special, real good, it’s the old Milk Bar. I got this into from the owners there. It’s crazy, that a place can get done with all the construction, pay construction costs, workers and so forth and not open to make the money back. Even before COVID, with Track Club closing within a month and that nice Spanish Resident that opened for like a couple days on the first floor of The Renaissance building. Crazy...

[DesertRay]

Originally Posted by TJPHXskyscraperfan

So I heard Punch Bowl Social isn’t opening, apparently the backers are Cracker Barrel and they pulled out even though it’s finished and I’m sure could still open in the next month. They delayed that place so much, you would figure another month or two wouldn’t of hurt. I also heard that rent there is apparently 66K a month! Maybe someone else can open it, it’s all ready to go. I got a burger at Jackalope Gastro Pub yesterday, 8 dollar burger and fries special, real good, it’s the old Milk Bar. I got this into from the owners there. It’s crazy, that a place can get done with all the construction, pay construction costs, workers and so forth and not open to make the money back. Even before COVID, with Track Club closing within a month and that nice Spanish Resident that opened for like a couple days on the first floor of The Renaissance building. Crazy...

Sad, but not surprising. "Punch Bowl Social" sounds a bit like "Petri Dish Touchy-Touch." If we get a vaccine in the near-ish future (2 years), I wouldn't be surprised to see someone buy this and run it. Otherwise, it probably creates a monument to time's past.

[PHXFlyer11]

Originally Posted by DesertRay

Sad, but not surprising. "Punch Bowl Social" sounds a bit like "Petri Dish Touchy-Touch." If we get a vaccine in the near-ish future (2 years), I wouldn't be surprised to see someone buy this and run it. Otherwise, it probably creates a monument to time's past.

I'm calling BS on this. They invest millions only to decide not to open? This is a chain with 20 locations. It's not some mom and pop who went belly-up.

I also am not buying that we're not going to be back in places like this in a matter of months, because frankly it won't be tolerated anymore. People want their lives back. Obviously the quarantine did little to contain the spread and the spread is just inevitable. We'll very quickly learn that this is just a new reality and the faster this spreads the sooner we can all get back to normal.

[biggus diggus]

I also was inclined to say this is heresy, most likely a rumor conjured up by someone who wants to feel like they know it all.

But then I found this article after some googling:

https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/cracker-barrel-opts-not-rescue-punch-bowl-social

https://www.fsrmagazine.com/chain-restaurants/punch-bowl-social-closes-lays-majority-employees

You're correct, it's not a mom-and-pop business who will just fold up when things get hard. It's on the other end of the spectrum, backed by a company with enough liquidity to decide there are better uses of the money and can afford to write off some losses for big picture.

A little research goes a long way, guys.

[ASU Diablo]

Originally Posted by biggus diggus

I also was inclined to say this is heresy, most likely a rumor conjured up by someone who wants to feel like they know it all.

But then I found this article after some googling:

https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/cracker-barrel-opts-not-rescue-punch-bowl-social

https://www.fsrmagazine.com/chain-restaurants/punch-bowl-social-closes-lays-majority-employees

You're correct, it's not a mom-and-pop business who will just fold up when things get hard. It's on the other end of the spectrum, backed by a company with enough liquidity to decide there are better uses of the money and can afford to write off some losses for big picture.

A little research goes a long way, guys.

Great find. Was really looking forward to PBS here in Phoenix but sounds like it's not surviving AT ALL and another COVID-19 casualty. Bummer.