👨🍳🍻 When you’re known for making some of the best beers in Arizona, where do you look for a chef to head your first kitchen? In the case of Wren House Brewing, it’s Bacanora.
The Phoenix brewery is partnering with chef Derek Christensen (pictured), a longtime Wren House fan, to create the food menu for its upcoming European-inspired beer hall Südhalle (‘‘South Hall’’) in Ahwatukee.
The background: Christensen has spent the past two years at Bacanora, which was one of five finalists for Best New Restaurant in the U.S. at the 2022 James Beard Awards. He and fellow Bacanora chefs Rene Andrade and Roberto Centeno were semifinalists for Best Chef Southwest in this year’s awards.
- Christensen will continue at Bacanora, but also create the menu, hire and train staff, manage suppliers and sourcing, and ensure the food is well-executed at Südhalle, which is under construction in the Safeway/Trader Joe’s shopping center on the southeast corner of Chandler and 40th Street.
The menu: Südhalle will feature 24 taps with a mix of first-in-the-state European imports, local wines, and Wren House beers. The food will be an eclectic yet approachable mix of Euro-inspired burgers, snacks, and sandwiches.
- Before joining Bacanora, Christensen trained and worked throughout Europe, including Vienna, Hamburg, Budapest, and Zurich.
What’s next: Wren House co-owner Drew Pool says Südhalle is scheduled to undergo its final inspections at the end of next week, but without the kitchen to start. He expects training for the kitchen staff to begin in mid-September.
- Those interested in joining the Südhalle team should send inquiries to derek@wrenhousebrewing.com.
