🍴The Thursday Bite

Good Morning, Scottsdale!

October restaurant season is officially moving.

We also finally made it inside Quiriego for this week’s First Look.

Then we’re putting two very different Scottsdale patios head-to-head: Zinc Bistro vs. The House Brasserie; we found another round of Dining Deals, and the food-event calendar is getting busy.

We’re also already planning Saturday night.

More on that below.

Let’s get into it.

Here’s one you haven’t had to wait months for.

Costa Bella Italian Restaurant opens tonight, Thursday, October 8, in North Scottsdale.

The restaurant is taking over the former La Cucina Bistro & Wine Bar space at:

📍 14692 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., Suite 147
📞 480-203-2034

Owner Olivier Coscas confirmed the opening directly with Forking Scottsdale.

Costa Bella describes itself as a modern Italian restaurant built around classic flavors, including fresh imported pasta, seafood, signature entrées, and desserts. The restaurant makes sauces and desserts in-house.

Hours: Daily, 4-9 p.m.
Happy Hour: Daily, 4-6 p.m. in the bar
Mondays: Half-price bottles of wine

For now, you can make reservations by calling 480-203-2034; OpenTable reservations are coming soon.

And this one is going directly onto our calendar.

Look for our Costa Bella First Look article in next Thursday’s newsletter.

One more night to visit one of Old Town’s best-known restaurants.

FnB has expanded its fall schedule and is now serving dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 5-10 p.m.

That means five nights of FnB instead of four. Both FnB and Experience Scottsdale now list the expanded schedule. Experience Scottsdale

📍 7125 E. Fifth Ave., Suite 31

Sometimes restaurant news doesn’t need to be complicated.

More FnB is good news.

Chef Matt Carter, Brian Raab, and pastry chef Lisa Graf are still moving toward a late-2026 opening for DASH at:

📍 9619 N. Hayden Road

The former Fired Pie space is becoming an all-day neighborhood restaurant and market with coffee, pastries, sandwiches, Roman-style pizza, charcoal chicken, wine, cocktails, and soft serve.

The concept remains one of the openings we’re watching most closely as November approaches.

We’re officially less than a month away.

ALMA Southwest Steakhouse opens November 2 in the former Preston’s Steakhouse at The Citadel.

📍 8700 E. Pinnacle Peak Road
📞 480-284-6736

This is ALMA’s new North Scottsdale home, not simply a reopening of the previous restaurant.

Reservations are already available on OpenTable:

Reserve ALMA on OpenTable

Another date getting close:

French Crêperie Scottsdale celebrates its official Old Town grand opening on:

📅 Saturday, October 24
⏰ 10 a.m.

📍 4225 N. Marshall Way, Suite 2

That’s the former Arizona Stronghold tasting-room space.

Put this one on the calendar.

We’re now entering the opening window; owner/operator Ariel Sheely previously gave Forking Scottsdale for Turquoise Wine Bar:

Late October to early November.

📍 10405 E. McDowell Mountain Ranch Road, Suite 100

Expect wine by the glass, flights, bottles, shareable food, live music, and community events.

We’re watching for the official opening date.

Stone & Vine Urban Italian is returning to Scottsdale later this year at:

📍 17001 N. Scottsdale Road

That’s immediately next to Quiriego.

The restaurant comes from the group behind Sophia’s Kitchen and is targeting Q4 2026.

And yes, this is a return of the Stone & Vine name to Scottsdale, not its first Scottsdale location.

We learned that one the hard way last week, and we want to get it right.

This one needs a little explanation.

Hai Noon, the Japanese-Southwestern restaurant from James Beard Award-winning chef Nobuo Fukuda, has stopped regular restaurant service in South Scottsdale.

But we are not calling this a permanent closure yet.

Hai Noon announced it will no longer maintain normal service hours, telling guests to watch for future events and collaborations.

For now, regular dinner service is over, but the restaurant has left the door open to what might come next.

We’ll keep watching.

We’ve been following Quiriego Cocina Rústica for months.

Now we’ve actually eaten there.

The Sonora-born family restaurant recently began its Scottsdale soft opening, and we went in to see what the Abeyta family has created.

The restaurant itself is impressive, but ultimately it comes down to the food.

Connie is still talking about the octopus.

I’m still thinking about that charred and smoked Caesar salad.

And next time?

We’re ordering the Sanoran pizza, for sure!

One feels like a Parisian sidewalk café.

The other feels like a hidden Old Town garden.

This week’s Fork in the Road takes us from Kierland Commons to Old Town Scottsdale to compare two very different patio experiences:

Zinc brings French bistro cooking, oysters, sidewalk tables, and some of the best people-watching at Kierland.

The House brings a historic 1939 Scottsdale home, mature trees, craft cocktails, and one of Old Town’s most romantic outdoor settings.

So where should you put your fork?

Because this one really depends on what kind of Scottsdale night you want.

We went hunting again.

This week’s list includes specials from The Guest House, SOL Mexican Cocina, Cala, Eddie V’s, and several more Scottsdale restaurants, with the best deals at the top.

Happy hours.

Food specials.

Cocktail deals.

And a few reasons to head out a little earlier than usual.

We put the full details, addresses, and fine print on the separate Dining Deals page so we don’t make your inbox the size of a restaurant menu.

This is a pretty big one.

Giada De Laurentiis will be at Luna by Giada next Wednesday for a special fall tasting dinner.

📅 Wednesday, October 14
📍 Luna by Giada - Caesars Republic Scottsdale
💰 $230 per person, prepaid

The evening begins at 5 p.m. with cocktails and passed appetizers, followed by a four-course tasting inspired by Giada’s favorite dishes with wine pairings and dessert stations.

And yes - Giada will be there.

Guests will have an opportunity to meet her and hear some of the stories behind the food. OpenTable

Reserve Giada's Fall Tasting

And here’s one for the Vanderpump fans.

Lisa Vanderpump is coming to WOLF by Vanderpump Scottsdale for a one-night dinner celebrating the launch of her new book, Home at Villa Rosa: Cooking and Living the Vanderpump Way.

📅 Tuesday, October 20
📍 WOLF by Vanderpump - Caesars Republic Scottsdale
💰 $225 per person

The evening includes a four-course dinner inspired by the book, your own copy of Home at Villa Rosa, and an opportunity to meet Lisa Vanderpump in person.

There are two limited seatings:

5:30 p.m.
8:15 p.m.

The $225 price includes tax, fees, and gratuity. OpenTable

Reserve An Evening With Lisa Vanderpump

If you like tacos, clear next weekend.

Arizona Taco Fest returns to Salt River Fields for two days with some of Arizona’s top taco makers, tequila and mezcal, margaritas, music, live judging, and culinary demonstrations.

Celebrity chefs scheduled to appear include Aarón Sánchez, Maria Mazon, and Beau MacMillan. Salt River Fields

📅 October 17-18
⏰ 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
📍 Salt River Fields

Come hungry.

Chef Marcellino Verzino is bringing back his Learn & Lunch series on Oct. 17.

This time:

Guests will learn how Chef Marcellino makes jumbo handmade ravioli filled with sautéed mixed mushrooms and serves it with his light tomato sauce.

📅 Saturday, October 17
⏰ 1-3 p.m.
💰 $85 per person, plus tax and gratuity
📍 7114 E. Stetson Drive

Lunch afterward includes salad, the class dish, and Chef’s handmade biscotti.

Reservations are required through Bettina at 480-990-9500. Marcellino Ristorante

That’s this week’s Thursday Bite.

Costa Bella opens tonight.

We’ll be there Saturday.

Hai Noon has stopped regular restaurant service.

FnB added another night.

ALMA is less than a month away.

And between Uncorked, Giada, Taco Fest, Marcellino, and Lisa Vanderpump, October’s food calendar is getting crowded fast.

See something we missed?

A Coming Soon sign?

Construction behind papered windows?

A liquor-license notice?

A restaurant quietly closing?

Send it our way.

Some of our best stories start with a message from one of you.

Until next Thursday...

— Mychael & Connie Parker
Forking Scottsdale

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