Good Morning Scottsdale!

This is one of those weeks when everything seems to be happening at once.

KUZA officially opened yesterday. Vecina opens tomorrow. Arizona Restaurant Week starts Friday. And we're already looking ahead to several more Scottsdale restaurants getting ready to make their debut.

We've also got a confirmed soft-opening date for Quiriego, new details straight from the owner of Turquoise Wine Bar North Scottsdale, and another major restaurant headed to Scottsdale in 2027.

Plus, we're taking you inside KUZA for this week's First Look, putting Richard Blais against Giada De Laurentiis at Fork in the Road, and rounding up Scottsdale dining deals worth booking for Arizona Restaurant Week.

Let's get into it.

KUZA Scottsdale doors are now open.

The new Japanese-inspired restaurant from Clive Collective opened September 16 in the former Chauncey Social space at 17767 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 100.

Executive Chef Erik Davila's menu centers on a binchōtan-fired robata grill, raw bar, sushi, and globally influenced dishes, with the open kitchen putting the fire at the center of the experience. KUZA is also bringing in seafood from Tokyo twice weekly. (Scottsdale Restaurant News & Dining)

We got an early look at the restaurant, ate our way through the menu, and spent some time with Chef Davila.

We'll tell you what we thought a little farther down in the FIRST LOOK Section.

📍 17767 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 100

This one has been a long time coming.

Vecina officially opens its Scottsdale location Friday, September 18, taking over the former Z'Tejas space at 8300 N. Hayden Road, Suite D-101.

The McCormick Ranch restaurant is nearly three times the size of the original Arcadia location and adds a larger kitchen, private dining areas, a mezzanine and a lakeside patio.

Owners James and Raenee Fox are bringing over the mesquite-fired food and cocktails Vecina is known for while giving the Scottsdale restaurant room to do considerably more. (MOUTH BY SOUTHWEST)

📍 8300 N. Hayden Road, Suite D-101
🗓️ Opens Friday, September 18

If you've been waiting on this one, tomorrow is the day.

We finally have a date for this one.

Quiriego is scheduled for a soft opening on September 28, confirmed directly to Forking Scottsdale by Katz Design Group.

That's close enough that we're moving Quiriego firmly out of the vague "coming eventually" category and onto the calendar.

🗓️ Soft Opening: September 28

We'll keep watching as the restaurant gets closer and bring you more as details become available.

Here's one we're particularly interested in because we now have details directly from the owner.

Turquoise Wine Bar North Scottsdale is under construction at:

📍 10405 E. McDowell Mountain Ranch Road, Suite 100

That's the former Café Au Plait space near Thompson 105.

Owner/operator Ariel Sheely tells Forking Scottsdale they're currently targeting a late October/early November opening.

Turquoise will combine a neighborhood wine bar, tasting room, bottle shop and bistro, with wines by the glass, tasting flights, bottles and shareable food designed around wine.

They're also planning live music, food-and-wine pairings, community events and a dog-friendly patio overlooking the McDowell Mountains.

Sheely comes to the wine business after a career in law enforcement and holds a WSET Level 2 certification.

This feels less like another giant Scottsdale concept and more like the kind of neighborhood place where they're hoping people become regulars.

We'll be watching it.

A little taste of Paris is headed to Scottsdale.

French Crêperie is opening its second location at 4225 N. Marshall Way, Suite 2, with a grand opening set for October 24.

The French-owned concept, founded by Natacha Douglas, is known for authentic crêpes, viral French-inspired favorites, and crêpe-making classes that regularly sell out.

The Scottsdale location will mark French Crêperie’s arrival in Arizona.

📍 4225 N. Marshall Way, Suite 2, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
🗓️ Grand Opening: October 24

And here's one for the longer-range radar.

Katsuya Scottsdale is coming to the new Kimpton Miralina Resort at:

📍 7200 N. Scottsdale Road

The restaurant comes from Master Sushi Chef Katsuya Uechi and blends traditional Japanese technique with California influences.

Expect signatures including crispy rice with spicy tuna, sushi, robata-grilled dishes, and cocktails.

The Scottsdale opening is currently planned for 2027, with the exact opening date still to come.

This one isn't around the corner yet — but it's officially worth watching.

And we're perfectly fine with that.

We're not going to fill this section with rumors or recycle an old closure just because the newsletter has a "What's Closing" section.

If a Scottsdale restaurant closure is confirmed, we'll tell you.

Until then, no news here is good news.

We told you last week we were heading to KUZA's private preview.

Now we can actually tell you what it was like.

The first thing that stood out wasn't even the food.

It was the energy.

The dark room. The music. The cocktails. The open kitchen. And right in the middle of everything, that glowing robata grill putting fire, smoke, and a little theater into dinner.

Chef Erik Davila keeps the cooking focused on fire rather than burying good ingredients under too much complication.

We tried our way through the restaurant and got a closer look at dishes coming off the robata, the raw bar, sushi, and the cocktail program.

And KUZA isn't really trying to be another traditional sushi restaurant.

It's trying to be a night out. (Scottsdale Restaurant News & Dining)

📍 17767 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 100

This week's Fork in the Road puts Richard Blais against Giada De Laurentiis.

But this isn't really about deciding which chef is "better."

It's about deciding what kind of Italian night you want.

At the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort, La Zozzona brings Blais' playful "Itali-Zona" approach: house-made pasta, cicchetti, wood-fired steaks, big flavors, and a cocktail program that doesn't take itself too seriously.

At Caesars Republic Scottsdale, Luna by Giada takes a more polished route, blending Giada's Roman influences with California style and a high-energy Scottsdale dining room.

Both are built for a splurge. Both are built for a night out.

They're just very different nights out. (Scottsdale Restaurant News & Dining)

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

This is the big one this week.

Fall Arizona Restaurant Week runs September 18–27, and we've reviewed Scottsdale menus to find some deals worth knowing about.

Among our picks:

🏠 The House Brasserie — $55
Its Summer Breeze Menu includes crispy calamari followed by petite filet mignon or pan-seared blackened rockfish — with a wine pairing. And Forking Scottsdale will be there Friday night.

🍣 Nobu Scottsdale — $55
Three courses with choices featuring Nobu signatures including crispy rice with spicy tuna, rock shrimp tempura, and black cod with miso.

🌮 Elvira's DC Ranch — $55
Three courses from the newer upscale Mexican restaurant at DC Ranch.

🍷 Olive & Ivy — $55
Three courses plus a glass of featured wine.

🌿 The Greene House — $55
Another three-course dinner that includes a glass of featured red or white wine.

🌵 Cobre Kitchen + Cocktails — $44
Three courses, with Restaurant Week guests also getting $2 off specialty cocktails.

🍝 Luna by Giada — $55
Giada De Laurentiis’ Scottsdale restaurant is offering a three-course Restaurant Week menu with choices like Pesto Arancini, Tuna Crudo, Chicken Parmigiana, Tuscan Salmon, Short Rib Pappardelle and Cannoli Cake.

🍫 The White Chocolate Grill — $55
Contemporary American dishes, followed naturally by the restaurant's house-made white chocolate desserts.

We've got the menus, addresses, phone numbers, and reservation links all in one place for you.

Reservations are a very good idea this weekend.

Think you can identify a wine without seeing the bottle?

The Wine Collective of Scottsdale is hosting a sommelier-led blind tasting Friday featuring five wines from different American Viticultural Areas.

No labels. No clues.

Just your nose, palate, and whatever wine knowledge you've accumulated over the years.

📅 Friday, September 18
⏰ 5:30 PM
💰 $30
📍 4020 N. Scottsdale Road (Scottsdale Community)

Oliver's Modern American is hosting a four-course Tacos & Tequila pairing dinner on both Friday and Saturday.

The menu includes tiger prawn ceviche, fire-roasted elote, a blue-corn taco trio, and chocolate mesquite cake, with each course paired with tequila or mezcal cocktails.

📅 September 18 & 19
⏰ 6 PM
💰 $120 per guest
📍 3205 N. Hayden Road (Oliver's Modern American)

This is definitely more of an experience than an ordinary dinner reservation.

If your chopping skills could use some help, Classic Cooking Academy is getting practical Saturday morning.

The three-hour class covers cuts of fruits and vegetables, herbs and garlic, knife care, and even how to debone a chicken. Students finish by turning the ingredients into a chicken-and-vegetable stir-fry.

📅 Saturday, September 19
⏰ 11 AM–2 PM
💰 $75
📍 10411 E. McDowell Mountain Ranch Road (Classic Cooking Academy)

Not strictly a restaurant event, but this is worth knowing about.

Scottsdale is celebrating its 75th anniversary Saturday night at Civic Center with music from across the decades, a retro arcade, mini golf, exhibits, local food vendors, and a cocktail garden.

📅 Saturday, September 19
⏰ 6–9 PM
💰 FREE
📍 Scottsdale Civic Center (Scottsdale Community)

Eat something. Grab a drink. And apparently party like it's 1951.

CATCH Scottsdale is launching a new Weekend Brunch Experience beginning Saturday, September 19.

The brunch runs every Saturday and Sunday from 11 AM–2 PM and includes a bakery and dessert station, raw bar and sushi selections, plus a choice of entrée. Highlights include Cinnamon Roll Pancakes, Steak & Eggs, Baked Lobster Mac & Cheese, and the CATCH Burger.

Price: $75 per person. (Catch | Seafood, Sushi, and Steak)

📅 Begins Saturday, September 19
⏰ Saturdays & Sundays, 11 AM–2 PM
💰 $75 per person
📍 Catch — 7014 E. Camelback Road, Suite 612, Scottsdale

Here’s a smaller neighborhood event that looks fun.

Masa Mía Cocina is popping up at Rusty Nail Meats on Saturday with artisan sourdough, sweet treats, and seasonal favorites.

The pop-up runs from 10:30 AM–2:30 PM, and shoppers who show their Masa Mía Cocina receipt can get 10% off their order at Rusty Nail Meats.

📅 Saturday, September 19
⏰ 10:30 AM–2:30 PM
📍 10392 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 104
💰 Free to attend; food available for purchase

That's this week's Thursday Bite.

September is turning into a very busy restaurant month.

KUZA is open.

Vecina opens tomorrow.

Arizona Restaurant Week starts Friday.

And Quiriego, Turquoise Wine Bar, and several more restaurants aren't far behind.

We're eating, visiting the new places, talking to owners, watching construction, digging through licenses, and trying to figure out what's happening before it becomes old news.

And some of our best tips still come from you.

Know about a restaurant that's opening?

Hear that somewhere is closing?

See construction or a Coming Soon sign?

Know about a new chef, restaurant deal, liquor license or something we should be looking into?

Hit reply and tell us.

Until next Thursday...

Eat well, Scottsdale.

— Mychael & Connie Parker
Forking Scottsdale

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