🚫 The Merkin Vineyards tasting room, a spinoff of the Verde Valley winery owned by rocker Maynard James Keenan and his partners, has closed on the northeast corner of Stetson and Sixth Avenue in Old Town Scottsdale.
The 75-seat tasting room took over the original FnB space in April 2019 and focused on food and drink produced in Arizona, including wines from Merkin Vineyards and Caduceus Cellars, also owned by Keenan.
No reason has been announced for the closure.
🚫 Pasta Joint, a locally owned concept offering pasta, garlic bread, and meatball subs to go (similar to the better known By the Bucket), is closing after one year on the northwest corner of Higley and Queen Creek in southeast Gilbert.
‘‘While serving this community has been a great joy, we have realized that owning a restaurant does not align with our passions,’’ the owners posted on social media. ‘‘We are choosing to put family first and create a life of sustainability.’’
The eatery’s last day will be Friday – unless it runs out of supplies earlier.
🐝 House of Honey, a family-run beekeeping business offering raw unfiltered honey, has opened the House of Honey Cafe on the southwest corner of Union Hills and 91st Avenue in Peoria.
A variety of coffee drinks includes four signature beverages: the best-selling HH HoneyLatte, Cinnamon Honey Latte, Coconut White Mocha, and Honey Cold Foam.
There also are pastries from local bakery and sandwiches. And, of course, you can buy honey.
📌 House of Honey Cafe, 9163 W. Union Hills Drive #116, Peoria, 623-296-4538. Open 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday and 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sundays.
🚧 Industry Standard, a new neighborhood concept from Scapegoat Beer & Wine owner Mike Cheathem, will take over the soon-to-be-vacated Carly’s Bistro space on the northwest corner of Roosevelt and Second Street in downtown Phoenix.
Carly’s Bistro announced last month it will close May 3 after 20 years in business.
Unlike Old Town Scottsdale’s Scapegoat, which only offers 10 small plates, Industry Standard will have an expanded, yet-to-be-determined food menu and a full bar.
Look for Industry Standard to open this fall.
🍸 The Tales of the Cocktail Foundation has announced the first round of nominees for its 2024 Spirited Awards, one the the highest honors in the bar business.
Five Phoenix bars made U.S. West regional lists of top 10 nominees:
The top 10 overall nominees in each category will be announced May 29.
🍹 Today marks the 20th anniversary of Pat Tillman’s death, and Cider Corps in downtown Mesa is honoring his legacy with PawPaw Cider, the latest release in its Honor Series inspired by units serving in our armed forces.
Cider Corps is donating $2 from every $20 four-pack of cans sold today to the Pat Tillman Foundation. The cider also is be available on draft, and Brightside Burgers will be on site from 5-9 p.m. today.
Unfamiiar with pawpaw?The taste of the fruit, native to the East Coast and Canada, has been described as a cross between a mango, banana. and pineapple.
🥖 It’s 4/20 Day on Saturday, and cannabis-themed Cheba Hut ‘‘Toasted’’ Subs, which has seven Valley locations, will be selling Nugs – its 4-inch subs, normally $6.99-$7.09 – for $4.20. (No actual cannabis is used in the food.) You also can get a free frisbee.
🚜 The Queen Creek Olive Mill’s annual Olive Blossom Festival, which runs 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, features olive oil educational classes, live music, special vendors, and tractor tours. Admission is free.
🍹 The fifth annual You’re Bacon Me Crazy Brunch Crawl takes place 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday in downtown Chandler. Tickets ($20-$25) get you a $5 drink, a $6 small bite, or both for $10 at 14 participating restaurants and bars.
🍟 Check out creative french fries at the third annual Fried French Fry & Music Festival from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday at Margaret T. Hance Park in downtown Phoenix. Admission is $16 and sold only online. Any fries are an extra cost.
💐 A celebration of life for Chompies co-founder Renee “Lovey” Borenstein, who died April 4 at age 89, will be held from 3-5 p.m. Sunday at the Chompies on the northwest corner of Cactus and the Piestewa Freeway in Phoenix.
🥙 Pita Cafe, a family-owned Mediterranean restaurant.in north Scottsdale, has opened Pita Cafe Express – a takeout and delivery location – on the northwest corner of Bell and Seventh Street in north Phoenix.
Diners choose a base (pita, rice bowl, hummus, salad, or fries), a protein (gyro, chicken, steak/lamb, or falafel), vegetables, and sauces. Prices start at $9.99.
You can add a side and drink for an additional $5.99.
📌 Pita Cafe Express, 430 E. Bell Road, Phoenix, 480-307-8333. Open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. daily.
🚚 The Flyin’ K BBQ food truck celebrates its 10-year anniversary at Ahwatukee Eats, the monthly food truck roundup from 5-9 p.m. today in the Desert Dentistry parking lot on the southeast corner of Chandler Boulevard and 46th Street in Ahwatukee.
Flyin’ K BBQ owners and Arizona natives Ken and Heather Davis (pictured) have developed a menu of central Texas-inspired barbecue dishes with an Arizona twist.
Signature items include their Arizona brisket, MOAB (Mother of All Burritos), Mac Daddy (scratch-made mac and cheese topped with brisket), and White Bite sauce (a horseradish-based sauce with smoked paprika and garlic).
After serving in the military, Ken Davis was a member of the Prescott Hotshots firefighters before joining the corporate world.
“I’d bring my barbecue to the office for colleagues to test,’’ he says. ‘‘When people showed up for meetings they didn’t need to attend just because they heard my newest BBQ was up for grabs, I thought I might have something good enough to leave corporate.”
Davis and his wife, a 17-year veteran of the hospitality industry, now run the Flyin’ K Hospitality Group, which includes the food truck, a catering service, and a consulting business.
