Hey Scottsdale!

This week, we're going to KUZA (the old Chauncey Social space).

Tonight, we're heading to the private preview of Scottsdale's newest Japanese restaurant, and we're taking you with us. We'll be reporting from the room, checking out the food, drinks, design, and that live-fire robata grill.

But KUZA isn't the only thing happening around town.

A former OEB location is getting a completely new local identity; Café Remedy is coming to North Scottsdale; Bonfire's opening has slipped; and several new restaurants are on the horizon.

Plus, we've got a new First Look at Starfish Scottsdale, a very different kind of Fork in the Road, and this week's Girl Dinner specials.

Let's get into it.

This is the one we're watching this week.

KUZA officially opens in North Scottsdale on Sept 16th, and we'll be there tonight for the private preview.

Located at 17767 N. Scottsdale Road, KUZA comes from Clive Collective and Chef Erik Davila, bringing together a live-fire robata grill, raw bar, sushi, and globally influenced dishes.

The open kitchen and robata grill are central to the experience, with the restaurant built around cooking over fire and letting guests see the action.

And we won't tell you what we think just yet.

We're going tonight.

We'll be eating, drinking, looking around, and reporting back on what KUZA is actually like.

👉 Watch for our full KUZA First Look next week.

The former OEB Breakfast Co. location at 17757 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 103 has been sold — and it's getting a very different future.

A local Arizona family - Ken, Susie, and Kenny - purchased the space and are turning it into their own family-owned breakfast and lunch restaurant:

Doreen Gorman of We Sell Restaurants Scottsdale, a certified restaurant broker who handled the sale, announced the news, saying the family is thrilled to bring its new restaurant to life.

We like this one.

It's another example of a national or out-of-state concept making way for a local Arizona family to create something of its own.

The Breakfast Table is expected to open soon.

🥞 Breakfast
🍳 Lunch
🌵 Locally owned
📍 17757 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 103

We'll be watching for the opening date.

A new breakfast/brunch concept is taking shape next to Blu Burger.

Café Remedy is targeting a September-ish opening at 32409 N. Scottsdale Road #107.

The city's Sept. 8 agenda also shows a new Series 12 restaurant liquor-license application for Café Remedy at the location, identifying it as an existing location with a new owner. (Poliscopic)

No firm grand-opening date yet.

But September is getting close.

📍 32409 N. Scottsdale Road #107

Remember when we said Bonfire was aiming for a Labor Day opening?

That didn't happen.

The new Scottsdale location at 14148 N. 100th Street is still moving forward, but the opening has slipped.

And there's another piece of paper in the trail: Scottsdale City Council reviewed a new Series 12 restaurant liquor license for Bonfire at the location on Sept. 8, describing it as an existing location with a new owner. (Poliscopic)

So we're still watching this one.

No new opening date has been confirmed yet.

A new family-friendly burger story is coming to Old Town.

Ari & Lloyd is an upscale-casual restaurant coming to a former cabinetry showroom near Stetson.

And they've already got a burger with a story.

The West Village Burger was created with Devan Cunningham, a Chopped champion, and is being positioned as a signature burger for the new restaurant.

Ari & Lloyd is targeting Fall 2026.

📍 7107 E. 6th Avenue

The city also recently reviewed an extension of the restaurant's premises for its patio. (Poliscopic)

The Scottsdale Waterfront is getting another major steakhouse.

BOA Steakhouse remains on the radar for Fall 2026, bringing its modern steakhouse concept, prime steaks, seafood, cocktails, and wine to Scottsdale.

We're still waiting for the official opening date.

The former Buca di Beppo space in Old Town is being transformed into Drake's Hollywood.

The concept remains on the Fall 2026 watch list.

📍 Old Town Scottsdale

Vietnamese soul meets French romance.

DEPWAH is planned for 7050 E. 3rd Avenue, Suite 1, with an all-day concept featuring Vietnamese-French food, coffee, matcha, pastries and a rooftop experience called Sur Le Toit.

No firm opening date yet, but it's one we're watching.

The elevated sports lounge and kitchen coming to Old Town is now targeting late October 2026.

General Admission is taking over the former RnR Gastropub space at:

📍 3737 N. Scottsdale Road

Think elevated sports bar, cocktails, food, and plenty of screens — but with a more polished Scottsdale feel.

Target: End of October.

There’s a new restaurant bringing a little Southern California energy to McCormick Ranch — and Starfish Scottsdale is definitely not your typical sushi restaurant.

Located at 8390 E. Vía de Ventura, at Hayden Road and Vía de Ventura, Starfish is the first Arizona location from the Southern California-based Starfish Hospitality Group. The restaurant describes its cuisine as Asian Coastal, pulling flavors and inspiration from Thailand, Vietnam, China, Korea, and Japan. (OpenTable)

And the menu is BIG.

We're talking more than 70 shareable dishes, ranging from sushi and sashimi to dumplings, wok-fired dishes, noodles, curries, seafood and steaks. Dishes that caught our attention include the Lobster Macadamia Roll, Braised BBQ Pork Buns, Korean Tacos, Candy Dragon Prawns, Chilean Sea Bass, and Grilled White Miso Black Cod. (Starfish Hospitality Group)

But honestly, part of the appeal is the setting.

Starfish has a colorful, tropical feel with a substantial patio, making it a natural fit for happy hour, date night, or a dinner where everyone orders something different and puts it in the middle of the table.

This is one detail we really like.

Happy hour runs every day from 3–6 p.m. and includes more than 30 bites and rolls, with selections starting at $13, plus specials on cocktails, sake, wine, and beer. (Starfish Hospitality Group)

That gives Starfish a pretty compelling afternoon-to-evening transition: meet friends for a few small plates and cocktails, stay for dinner, and turn happy hour into the beginning of the night.

Our take? Starfish feels less like a traditional sushi stop and more like a social dining experience built around sharing, cocktails, seafood, and big Asian flavors.

And with lunch served daily from 11 a.m.–3 p.m., happy hour from 3–6, and dinner continuing into the evening, there are plenty of ways to work it into the Scottsdale dining rotation. (Starfish Hospitality Group)

👉 Read our full First Look article on Starfish Scottsdale

📍 8390 E. Vía de Ventura, Scottsdale

Pasta, fries, Caesar salads, martinis, wine, and spritzes. Honestly, what more do we need?

We found six Scottsdale specials that make getting the girls together a little easier on the wallet:

🍝 Mamma Lucy — $19
Pasta + Caesar + glass of wine or martini. Mon–Thu 4–6 PM; Fri–Sat 11 AM–4 PM.

🍸 The VIG — $18
Tito's cocktail or Espresso Martini + truffle Parmesan fries + Caesar. Happy Hour.

🍷 Wayward — $25
An entire bottle of wine or bubbles + fries + Caesar. Tue–Thu 4–6 PM.

🍝 Born & Bred — $30
Rigatoni + fries + Caesar + signature cocktail. Wed–Thu.

🍊 POMO — $25
Two spritzes + chips, olives, and almonds. Thursdays.

🍽️ Cala — $55
Three-course dinner + optional $30 wine pairing. Tue–Wed from 5 PM.

Best Bargain: Mamma Lucy • Best Under $20: The VIG • Best Group Deal: Wayward

And yes… men can order these too. 😂

👉 See all 6 Scottsdale Girl Dinner specials😀

This week's Fork in the Road comes with a little family history.

At first glance, Mastro's Ocean Club and Ocean 44 might seem like two completely separate Scottsdale power players. And today, they are — but there's an interesting connection between them that goes back to the Mastro family, who helped build the original Mastro's restaurant empire before the family went in different directions.

So now you've got two high-end Scottsdale restaurants, two very different personalities, and one big question: where should you put your fork?

🦞 Ocean 44 leans heavily into seafood, with an impressive raw bar, fresh catches, and a menu that gives seafood plenty of attention — while still bringing serious steaks to the table.

🥩 Mastro's Ocean Club delivers the classic Mastro's experience: steaks, seafood, polished service, cocktails and the kind of energetic dining-room atmosphere that makes a night out feel like an occasion.

And then there's the entertainment factor.

If you're looking for a big Scottsdale night out, both restaurants know how to put on a show. But the experience is different enough that your choice may come down to what kind of night you're looking for.

We're breaking down the food, seafood, steaks, cocktails, atmosphere, entertainment, and overall experience — and looking at which one makes the most sense depending on what you're after.

Want seafood? Celebration dinner? Classic steakhouse? A lively night out?

There's a winner for each.

👉 Read the full article on Mastro's Ocean Club vs. Ocean 44: Fork in the Road

Because in Scottsdale, choosing where to eat can be a pretty forking tough decision. 🍴

Scottsdale has plenty of reasons to eat, drink, and learn this week. From September 10–16, several culinary experiences, wine dinners, and hands-on food classes are happening around town. (Experience Scottsdale)

Saturday, September 12 | 11 AM–9 PM

Baan Thai is officially celebrating its Grand Opening this Saturday at the former Thai Basil space in North Scottsdale — and they're giving you a couple of reasons to stop by.

📍 7605 E. Pinnacle Peak Rd., Suite 2

Grand Opening specials:
🥤 Free Thai Tea — no purchase necessary, while supplies last
🍜 10% OFF your entire order

Baan Thai brings a full Thai menu to the neighborhood, including curries, noodles, Thai BBQ, Khao Soi, Pad Thai, Crying Tiger Ribeye, and more.

The Forking Scottsdale take: If you've been waiting to see what's replacing Thai Basil, Saturday is a pretty good excuse to go find out — especially when the Thai tea is on them.

September 13 | Classic Cooking Academy

Roll up your sleeves and learn the art of making fresh pasta from scratch. This one is definitely more hands-on than dinner out. (Experience Scottsdale)

September 16 | Bourbon Steak at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess

A special takeover dinner featuring Chef Erick Pineda, happening September 16. (Experience Scottsdale)

September 16 | Roka Akor Scottsdale

This is the big one for the serious food-and-sake crowd.

The five-course dinner pairs Japanese dishes with selections from Joto Sake, including oysters, uni, caviar, Iberico pork, Japanese Wagyu and a sake-poached apple dessert.

$225 per person | 6:30 PM
Roka Akor, 7299 N. Scottsdale Road (Experience Scottsdale)

September 16 | El Chorro

Another wine-focused evening lands on the same night at El Chorro. (Experience Scottsdale)

Our pick? If you're looking for something beyond the usual dinner reservation, the Joto Sake Dinner at Roka Akor is hard to ignore. Five courses, Japanese Wagyu, and sake pairings make this one feel like an actual experience rather than just dinner.

See all Scottsdale culinary events

September 18–27

Arizona Restaurant Week is coming up, which means it's time to start looking at those menus and deciding where you're going to spend your restaurant dollars.

And with some of Scottsdale's higher-end restaurants participating, this is one of the better opportunities of the year to try somewhere that's normally a little harder on the wallet.

Next week we'll have more on who's participating and which menus are worth watching.

If you're heading into Old Town this weekend, there is no shortage of restaurants, bars and patios to choose from.

Our advice?

Don't just follow the crowd.

Some of Scottsdale's best food stories right now are happening outside the obvious hotspots.

A few things are still on our radar:

And tonight...

KUZA.

We're going to the opening night, and the article is coming out in next week's newsletter, so you don't have to wonder what it's really like.

That's this week's Thursday Bite.

We're eating, exploring, digging through permits and licenses, talking to restaurant owners, watching the spaces around town, and trying to find the stories before they become yesterday's news.

And sometimes, the best information comes from you.

Know about a restaurant that's opening?

Hear that a place is closing?

See a Coming Soon sign?

Know about a new chef, lease, liquor license, or restaurant deal?

Send it our way.

Just hit reply.

Until next Thursday...

Eat well, Scottsdale.

— Mychael & Connie Parker
Forking Scottsdale

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