The following are some highlights in a year bursting with restaurant comings and going.
Chaffin’s near downtown becoming Welcome Diner
Chaffin’s Diner on East Broadway closed after selling to the partners behind Phoenix-based, Southern-inspired Welcome Diner.
Chaffin’s owners announced the closing on Facebook, saying that “a great group of people have expressed an interest in our wonderful little restaurant, and it looks like they will be taking over in a few weeks.”
The iconic building at 902 E. Broadway had been home to Chaffin’s for 15 years and to a handful of other diners since it was built in 1964.
Judge closes McMahon’s Prime Steakhouse and Old Pueblo Grille
In May, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge seized and closed McMahon’s Prime Steakhouse in the Foothills and Old Pueblo Grille on North Alvernon Way as part of a legal tug-of-war centered on owner Bob McMahon’s 2014 Chapter 11 bankruptcy. He opened McMahon’s Prime Steakhouse at 2959 N. Swan Road in November 1998.
Latin tapas bar Contigo finds bigger space at La Paloma
The news broke in late 2015 that chef Deborah Tenino's popular Latin tapas bar, Contigo, will reopen in the space formerly occupied by Poppy Kitchen at The Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa. An estimated opening date will be announced later this month.
Resort officials had been looking for a new tenant to fill the 3,000-square-foot space since August, when Poppy Kitchen closed its doors. The spacious dining room, which had long housed Janos Wilder’s J Bar, is significantly larger than the original Contigo and features a large patio looking out onto the city.
The original Contigo, at 1745 E. River Road, which offered wine, cocktails and small bites with an eye toward Latin America, closed in May 2015.
Dasvidanya for Kalina, home of Russian caviar and vodka
Kalina, a northeast-side purveyor of fine caviars and Russian vodkas, announced on Facebook last month that it was closing. Ukrainian-born chef Natasha Kalina opened the 28-seat restaurant three years ago at 8963 E. Tanque Verde Road.
Step up to the plate in Marana
In May, Home Plate Marana, an offshoot of the popular east side Home Plate Sports Pub, opened in the former Monkey Business Eatertainment, 8579 N. Silverbell Road after renovating the 12,000-square-foot building.
Owner Rick James has co-owned Home Plate at 4880 E. 22nd St. for 10 of its 50 years.
Bluefin, in Casas Adobes, closes
In May, two months after announcing that it had lost its northwest-side lease, Bluefin Seafood Bistro closed.
The restaurant, owned by James Murphy and Jeff Azersky, had been open 10 years at the 60-year-old Casas Adobes plaza, 7053 N. Oracle Road at West Ina Road.
The pair also owns the popular Kingfisher restaurant on East Grant Road.
Wildcat House transformed
Seven months after first announcing plans to take over the long-shuttered Wildcat House, Brother John’s Beer, Bourbon & BBQ had a New Year’s grand opening.
Aldecoa and his brother/business partner David Aldecoa had worked since May on a $1 million renovation of the cavernous space at 1801 N. Stone Ave. The building had been vacant since 2012, when the popular University of Arizona hangout Wildcat House ended a 35-year run.
The restaurant serves more than 150 boutique bourbons and whiskeys in its bourbon lounge. There’s live entertainment every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. Look for a Bavarian-inspired beer garden once the weather clears.
Second Trident location
The longtime university-area bar, Trident Grill, will open its second location in the former home of Jackson Tavern at 2900 N. Swan Road — hoping to be open by Super Bowl Sunday on Feb. 7. Plans are to keep much of the New England feel from Jackson Tavern, while moving the bar and opening up the patio with sliding garage doors. The 3,700-square-foot space once housed the Red Sky Cafe. Trident Grill II will have the same menu as the original location at 2033 E. Speedway and will have two dozen taps along with 10 to 15 televisions.
Don Pedro’s Peruvian Bistro hits the road — literally
The 5-year-old Southgate Shopping Center restaurant rolled out a mobile operation in September after closing shop July 22 when it couldn’t reach an agreement on a new lease.
