Scottsdale Arizona Real Estate Blog
On the menu: Authentic Italian food and wine.
Opening: Early October.
Where: Pima Road, across the street from Armitage Bistro.
Name: Market Street Ice House.
On the menu: Contemporary barbecue.
Opening: Late 2008/early 2009.
Where: 20825 N. Pima Road.
by Beth Duckett – Aug. 4, 2008 11:01 AM
The Arizona Republic
SCOTTSDALE – Two restaurants will open this year on DC Ranch’s Market Street, ushering in a new era of handpicked businesses at the north Scottsdale shopping district.
Valley restaurateur and chef Aaron May said his two culinary ventures, Autostrada and Ice House, will offer unique fare and reasonable prices at the center southeast of Pima Road and Thompson Peak Parkway.
May’s restaurants are part of a larger “rebirth” of Market Street that development officials said will lead to the ideal mix of tenants.
DC Ranch developer DMB Associates Inc. is searching for “unique, entrepreneurial locally owned businesses,” said Robert Mayhew, vice president of DMB Commercial.
May’s new “Autostrada Osteria e Enoteca” will open in October on Pima Road, dishing out authentic Italian breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Market Street Ice House, May’s toast to modern barbecue, will replace the former San Felipe’s Cantina this winter. The feisty tequila-inspired cantina is moving to Phoenix’s Desert Ridge Marketplace this fall.
Likewise, the popular Blue Wasabi Sushi & Martini Bar also folded this year. Its location near McDonald Drive and Scottsdale roads in Scottsdale and a new Gilbert location remain open.
Looking for a good tenant mix
Declining to offer names, Mayhew said DMB is handpicking tenants who “we think will understand Market Street.”
“The last thing we want is a tenant that is not compatible or won’t be successful,” he said.
San Felipe’s, which served coastal Mexican food in a fun atmosphere, was popular with the younger crowd, who flocked by the dozens on weekends to drink and literally dance on top of the bars.
Despite the rowdy crowd, May said San Felipe’s was not “out of sync” with Market Street.
“As the community around Market Street matures, develops and and defines itself, the tenant mix just changes,” he said.
Fran Enzone, who handles marketing for San Felipe’s, said the cantina chose to relocate after Desert Ridge developer Vestar Development Co. came forward with a space opportunity.
Vestar and San Felipe’s hit it off last year when the cantina opened a location in Vestar’s Tempe Marketplace, Enzone said.
“We thought (Desert Ridge) was the perfect solution,” Enzone said. “We couldn’t say more about Vestar.”
Former Market Street merchant Letitia Frye said she believes the absence of San Felipe’s will fetch a more mature atmosphere that is “less spring break.”
Frye closed her shop, Little Angels Boutique, two years ago as a result of financial troubles. She now works part time at Té Boutique on Market Street and has witnessed the ebb and flow of businesses. The boutique features clothing, linens, handbags and home accessories.
“The demographic here is changing,” Frye said. “I think Market Street is still searching for its identity.”
How to thrive on Market Street
The merchants who thrive on Market Street have two things in common: good food and zealous owners, Mayhew said.
The Herb Box has become a Market Street sensation since opening April 1.
Owners Susan Wilcox and Chef Becky J. Windels said their secret to success is “innovative world creations.” The food is described as “healthy and delicious” with a creative flair.
For breakfast, there are cinnamon buckwheat pancakes with dried blueberries. Dinner ranges from wild-caught salmon cakes to grilled tenderloin with an arugula-gorgonzola sauce.
“Once people put our food in their mouths, it’s over,” Wilcox said. “No matter how cute the place is, if the food isn’t good, people won’t come back.”
Market Street’s Patsy Grimaldi’s Pizzeria recently expanded its outdoor patio to accommodate more patrons.
Tucked away in the district’s edge, the pizzeria has been a hit despite the failings of its neighbor the Tavern. Formerly the Star Spangled Tavern, the all-American restaurant folded last summer.
Grimaldi’s president, Joseph Ciolli, said clientele has skyrocketed by up to 20 percent a month.
“Business is going phenomenal,” Ciolli said.
The pizzeria plans to open another location at CityNorth. The expanse of restaurants and retail will debut in November at 56th Street and Deer Valley Drive in north Phoenix.
If you are looking for a home in the DC Ranch area click here:
