August 20, 2026

Welcome back to The Thursday Bite, your weekly look at what's happening in Scottsdale's restaurant scene.

This week, we've got new restaurants coming to town, a major Japanese food hall taking shape at The Sydney, a brand-new First Look at Il Segreto, a new Fork in the Road showdown, and a little rock 'n' roll making its way onto a sushi menu.

Plus, we've got a few things happening around Scottsdale this week and weekend that are worth putting on your calendar.

So grab a fork. Let's get into it.

Roka Akor Scottsdale is teaming up with Arizona rock legend Alice Cooper and Alice Cooper's Solid Rock Teen Centers for a special Frankenstein Roll, launching August 21.

The limited-time collaboration pairs Roka Akor's Japanese cuisine with Alice Cooper's iconic Frankenstein character, while supporting Solid Rock's mission to provide free music, art, and vocational programs for Arizona teens.

Alice Cooper's Solid Rock Teen Centers were created to give young people a safe place to explore music, art, and other creative outlets.

The nonprofit provides programming designed to help teens develop their talents, build confidence and stay connected to their community.

For Scottsdale diners, that means the Frankenstein Roll isn't just another limited-time menu item.

Every roll sold helps support an organization serving Arizona teens.

And that's a pretty good reason to order one.

Rock, sushi, and a good cause — we're in.

13802 N. Scottsdale Road

A new Thai restaurant is on our radar for North Scottsdale.

Chim Chim Thai is planned for the Scottsdale Road corridor, with restaurant plans and liquor-license activity giving us an early look at the project.

This is exactly the kind of opening we love finding before the big announcement.

We're watching this one.

📍3737 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Taking over the former RnR Gastropub space in the heart of Old Town, General Admission is bringing its elevated sports lounge concept to Scottsdale.

Born in Los Angeles. Expanded to Las Vegas. Now, General Admission is bringing its next chapter with the only two-story dining patio overlooking the vibrancy of Scottsdale Road

General Admission is an elevated sports lounge + kitchen combining great food, craft cocktails, premium hospitality, and the energy of the biggest sporting events—all in a polished, high-energy atmosphere designed specifically for Scottsdale.

And judging from what they're already teasing on Instagram, this won't be just a place to watch the game.

The Scottsdale concept is promoting Taco-Taco Club on Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Trivia Night on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., and Girl Dinner on Thursdays at 8 p.m.

That's a pretty good indication that General Admission is planning to make the space about more than sports—it's looking to become a regular Old Town nightlife and dining destination.

We're watching this one closely and will bring you the opening date and more details as soon as they're announced, but for now, their Instagram page lists Fall 2026.

Scottsdale isn't just getting another Japanese restaurant.

It's getting an entire Japanese dining destination.

Atashi Yokocho is planned as an approximately 14,000-square-foot Japanese food hall at The Sydney, with roughly 15–20 individual food concepts planned under one roof.

Think ramen, sushi, yakitori, udon, yakiniku, tempura, and other Japanese specialties — all built around the Japanese yokocho concept of small restaurants and food stalls packed together in a lively dining environment.

This could be one of the most interesting restaurant projects coming to Scottsdale.

👉 Read Here for the Full Story on Atashi Yokocho

The Sydney is getting another major restaurant concept.

Square One Concepts, the group behind restaurants including Bourbon & Bones, is planning Bistecca & Bones, a new steakhouse concept expected to open at The Sydney in 2027.

The Business Journal's headline teases flaming steaks and tables made of ice, suggesting this isn't simply going to be another traditional Scottsdale steakhouse.

We're watching this one closely.

Square One Concepts is also expanding its Old Town Ski Lodge concept to The Sydney.

That means The Sydney is quickly becoming one of the most interesting new restaurant and entertainment destinations in the Scottsdale area.

With Atashi Yokocho, Bistecca & Bones and Old Town Ski Lodge all in the pipeline, there's going to be plenty to watch as this development takes shape.

The former Arrivederci Pinnacle Peak space has been transformed into Il Segreto, a new contemporary Italian restaurant focused on hospitality, food and wine.

We were fortunate enough to experience the restaurant during its friends-and-family opening, and there is a lot to talk about.

From the dining room and bar to the food, cocktails and overall atmosphere, Il Segreto is taking a very different approach to the former space.

And yes...

That chocolate tart is worth talking about.

We've put together our full First Look, including what we ate, what stood out and what you can expect when you visit.

👉 Read our full First Look at Il Segreto here

Two of the biggest names coming to Scottsdale Fashion Square are taking very different approaches to dining.

On one side, you've got Din Tai Fung, the globally recognized Taiwanese restaurant famous for its soup dumplings, noodles and precise, beautifully executed dishes.

On the other is Élephante, the Southern California-inspired restaurant and beach-house concept known for coastal Mediterranean flavors, cocktails and a see-and-be-seen atmosphere.

They're both major additions to Scottsdale Fashion Square — but they're going after very different diners.

One is all about the dumplings.

The other is all about the scene.

So which one gets your fork?

👉 Read the full story here: Din Tai Fung vs. Élephante Scottsdale

If you haven't taken advantage of Roaring Fork's happy hour, this might be the summer to finally do it.

The Old Town Scottsdale original is bringing back its All Night Happy Hour, running daily from 4 p.m. to close through October 1 in the Bar & Saloon. And this isn't one of those happy hours that ends before most people even leave work.

Happy Hour Food Deals

Roaring Fork has long had a reputation for one of the Valley's better happy hours, and even current OpenTable information highlights the daily 4–6 p.m. happy hour as a major draw. (OpenTable)

The Forking Scottsdale tip: Go early, grab a seat in the Bar & Saloon, order a few things for the table and make dinner out of it. All-night happy hour in Scottsdale during August? We'll take it.

📍 4800 N. Scottsdale Road | 4 p.m.–close daily | Bar & Saloon only

Roaring Fork Scottsdale

Uchi Scottsdale is offering a $25 prix-fixe lunch, available Friday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Even better: $5 cocktails, sake, beer and wine are part of the promotion.

For a restaurant at Uchi's level, that's one of the more interesting value plays in Scottsdale right now.

Scottsdale's dining calendar is surprisingly busy this week.

Thursday, August 20 | Uchi Scottsdale

This is our pick of the week.

Uchi is hosting a one-night-only Hakkaisan sake pairing dinner featuring a multi-course omakase menu paired with rare expressions from the celebrated Niigata brewery.

Special guests Timothy Sullivan and Alex Bemis will guide guests through the sake selections.

It's an intimate, one-night-only experience designed around discovery, conversation and food.

Uchi Scottsdale event information

Thursday, August 20 | 7 p.m.

Five courses. Hampton Water Rosé pairings. A welcome cocktail. DJ during dinner.

And then the night moves to Madam Speakeasy for an after-party.

$89 per person.

A pretty good way to turn an ordinary Thursday into a Scottsdale night out.

Friday, August 21 | 6:30 p.m.

This one is a little different.

Guests don't just sit down and eat—they participate in a hands-on cooking experience preparing dishes including chilled summer gazpacho and flank steak chimichurri before sitting down for a wine-paired three-course dinner.

If you like your dinner with a little more interaction, this is the one.

Tuesday, August 25 | Camello

Chefs Bernie Kantak and Stephen Jones team up for the August installment of the Devour Summer Chef Series.

It's exactly the kind of chef-driven collaboration we like to highlight: two Arizona culinary names creating a dinner you can't simply order off a regular menu.

Wednesday, August 26 | Andaz Scottsdale

Weft & Warp's monthly wine dinner returns with Harvest by the Sea, a five-course dinner built around Mediterranean coastal flavors and wine pairings.

5:30 p.m. reception | 6 p.m. dinner

$125++ per person.

For a more intimate wine-and-food evening, this is one of our picks.

Thursday, August 27 | Fairmont Scottsdale Princess

We're giving you an early heads-up because it's too good to wait until next Thursday.

Celebrity chef Richard Sandoval and Executive Chef Forest Hamrick will host a one-night La Hacienda Heritage Dinner, celebrating community, sustainability and the legacy of Mijenta Tequila.

Expect modern regional Mexican cooking with Mijenta Tequila woven into the experience.

Put this one on the calendar now.

If you've been waiting for an excuse to try one of Scottsdale's more expensive restaurants, this could be it.

Fall Arizona Restaurant Week is coming September 18–27.

Participating restaurants and menus are expected to be announced by September 1.

That means we're only a couple of weeks away from seeing which Scottsdale restaurants are participating—and which ones will be the reservations everyone fights over.

Our advice: start making your list now.

Once the menus drop, the good tables won't last. (Arizona Restaurant Week)

You hear it. We want to know about it.

Know about a new restaurant opening?

A restaurant that's closing?

A chef making a move?

A new liquor license?

A restaurant lease?

A hidden gem?

A great dining deal?

Or something happening in Scottsdale that we haven't heard about yet?

Send it our way.

👉 Reply to this email and tell us what we're missing.

Some of our best stories start with a tip from someone who simply knows what's happening around town.

Thanks for spending a few minutes with us and supporting Forking Scottsdale.

We're eating, exploring, and keeping tabs on what's happening around Scottsdale's restaurant scene — and we're just getting started.

See you next Thursday.

— Mychael & Connie
Forking Scottsdale

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