|
Skye
heralds feast of upscale West Valley restaurants By
Scott Wong The
Arizona Republic
When
musicians Terry and Anne Davies moved from
England
to
Glendale
's Arrowhead Ranch neighborhood in 2000, the husband-and-wife
duo was flabbergasted at how far they had to travel for a
fancy meal on the town.
Their options: a 20-minute drive to the Wigwam Resort in
Litchfield
Park
or a much longer trip to upscale restaurants in
Scottsdale
or central
Phoenix
.
That will all change by the end of this month.The Davies have
teamed up with renowned Valley chef Scott Tompkins and two
other investors to create Skye, a mansion-sized restaurant,
bar and lounge in Peoria with room for 500 people.
Offering
marbled top sirloin, giant Gulf shrimp and other new American
fare, the $7 million project will be the first in a string of
new high-end dining establishments that are betting on success
in the
West
Valley
.
"We know we are taking a big gamble putting this kind of
place in the west, but we all feel it's the right kind of
gamble," says Terry Davies, 47, who with his wife will be
performing classic rock tunes of Billy Joel, Elton John and
others at Skye seven nights a week. "We think we will be
the first fine-dining restaurant of many on this side."
Davies is right.
Later this month, construction will begin on two other
high-end restaurants at the Citadelle, an upscale Glendale
center near Loop 101 and 59th Avenue less than five miles from
Skye.
Brothers John and Mike Collins, members of the family that
runs
Jackson
's Grill at the Springs, just south of
Flagstaff
, will roll out Floyd's, an American restaurant featuring
prime steaks, fresh seafood and a wine list with more than 200
selections.
Meanwhile, Tutti Santi by Nina, a family-owned Italian
restaurant with a list of accolades as long as its noodles,
will open its fourth Valley location at the Arrowhead Ranch
development. Both Floyd's and Tutti Santi are slated to fire
up the oven by summer 2007.
So what's luring restaurateurs, top chefs and investors to the
avenues? A lot of hungry people who are tiring of the same old
meal, Citadelle developer Paul Stephens said.
"It's nice to go to the local chain restaurant, you know
what you are going to get," says Stephens, who heads
Stephens Land Co. "But a lot of people want to go
somewhere that offers something new, different and a little
more personal.
"The market out here is really hungry for that."
Skye, located near Loop 101 and
Bell Road
, is within walking distance of
Arrowhead
Towne
Center
's stores, two movie multiplexes, a Broadway theater, several
hotels and the sports facility where the Seattle Mariners and
San Diego Padres hold spring training.
Hop on the freeway and it's just 10 minutes to the new
Cardinals Stadium, Glendale Arena, Cabela's outdoors retailer
and hundreds of thousands of square feet of future shops and
offices.
Steve Chucri, president of the Arizona Restaurant and
Hospitality Association, says the
West
Valley
's explosive population growth, coupled with the long-awaited
arrival of the professional football stadium, is captivating
the attention of the restaurant industry.
Named for the Scottish isle, Skye will be competing with a
number of high-profile national chain restaurants at
Arrowhead
Fountains
Center
, including P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Buca di Beppo and
Firebirds Rocky Mountain Grill.
West
Valley
city leaders say the advent of Skye and other upscale
restaurants is just further proof that the region is coming
into its own.
"
West
Valley
communities are being recognized as a fine entertainment
destination," Peoria Mayor John Keegan said.
|
