Cartwright’s closes after 19 years in Cave Creek

Cartwright’s Modern Cuisine, one the Valley’s dwindling number of fine-dining restaurants, has closed in Cave Creek after 19 years in business.

Restaurateurs Eric Flatt and John Malcolm sold the rustic, 175-seat restaurant to two employees – general manager Cody Heller and chef Brett Vibber – in 2017.

The latter pair elevated the menu, most notably with a foraging program initiated by Vibber that incorporated wild mushrooms, mesquite pods, and other desert finds.

Vibber reportedly plans to open a smaller restaurant called Wild, most likely in Old Town Scottsdale, in 2020.