10 most anticipated restaurants opening this summer

There's a lot to look forward to during summer: extended vacation, days spent poolside and late-night wine dinners.

But, like standing in the afternoon sun for more than five minutes, it's brutal, especially for the Valley's dining scene.

Luckily, there are 10 new — or new to Phoenix — highly anticipated restaurants planned to open through September.

Here's what we're counting on to carry us through to autumn.

May

Westward Brewing Co.

Arizona natives Drew Pool and Preston Thoeny founded this brewery, on 24th Street north of McDowell Road, with Bill Hammond, a Phoenix transplant from Maryland with a Ph.D. in materials science. Thoeny, the lead brewer, worked at Big Sky Brewing Co. in Montana. The team is developing such signature suds as a rye IPA, ginger pale ale, wild rice Vienna lager, chocolate-cherry stout and imperial porter.

Details: 2125 N. 24th St., Phoenix. 480-600-7499, westwardbrewing.com.

Goldwater Brewing Co.

Greg McClelland and his sons Chad and Dillon are opening this brewery in downtown Scottsdale on Scottsdale Road north of Goldwater Boulevard. They'll serve guest beers for the first few weeks, while Goldwater's proprietary beers, including West Coast-style IPAs and lagers, finish brewing.

Details: 3608 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 602-320-2317, goldwaterbrewing.com.

June

El Guero Canelo

This restaurant has been a Tucson institution for more than 20 years, serving some of the best Sonoran hot dogs (sausage wrapped in bacon, topped with beans, tomatoes, onions, mustard, mayo and jalapeños and served inside a Mexican bolillo roll). Owner Daniel Contreras will open the first metro-Phoenix location near 51st Avenue and McDowell Road. El Guero Canelo, which also offers tacos, tortas and burritos, has been featured in "Man v. Food" and other TV shows.

Details: 5131 W. McDowell Road, Phoenix. elguerocanelo.com.

July

Cor Tapas & Wine

Chef David Duarte got his culinary training in southern Italy and studied pastry at Ecole Lenotre in France. He's serving up a menu of European fare, such as marinated lamb chops over saffron-porcini risotto, pan-seared guanciale and bucatini pasta in truffle-cream sauce; and sweet treats like creme brulee and swan-shaped cream puffs. Ray Sinelli and Michael Corey Chan founded Cor Tapas, opening at 12th Street and Campbell Avenue in Phoenix.

Details: 4500 N. 12th St., Phoenix. cortapas.com.

August

The Fratella Sausage Co. and Growler Fill

Paul Fratella, one of the co-founders of the shuttered Caballero Grill in Goodyear, is opening a sausage-and-beer venture in downtown Phoenix. Part restaurant, part marketplace, the restaurant will feature a dine-in menu with wood-fired pizza, Italian-beef sandwiches and pasta, while housemade sausages such as spicy pork sausage with feta cheese will be available to take home. The restaurant, at the Skyline Lofts Building, will serve 10 craft beers on draft and have an outside bocce ball court.

Details: 600 N. Fourth St., Phoenix.

Charlie Fine

Patrick Flanigan had to close Carmel's Breakfast House in Arcadia last year, but he's opening a similar restaurant, Charlie Fine, on 44th Street just south of Camelback Road. Named for Flanigan's grandfather, the new enterprise is an adaptive-reuse project that will turn a 1957 home into a cafe. Chef Miguel Pliego (Carmel's chef and formerly head chef at Tarbell's) plans to bring back some of Carmel's breakfast dishes such as tartin, savory crepes and breakfast burrito. Eventually, dinner and a bar will be added.

Details: 4730 N. 44th St., Phoenix. Search "Charlie Fine" on Facebook.

September

Buck and Rider

LGO Hospitality's seafood restaurant on Camelback Road west of 44th Street in Phoenix is named after a fisherman's term for a pair of intertwined crabs. Owner Bob Lynn and business partner Adam Strecker chose the name to reflect the restaurant concept: American seafood house. It will feature a raw-oyster bar, chowder, sushi, crab and fresh fish sourced from around the country. The building, designed by Catherine Hayes (Chelseas Kitchen and La Grande Orange) is being built from the ground up.

Details: 4225 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix. lgohospitality.com.

Okra

The sophomore venture from the crew behind Crudo in Phoenix, Okra will be an ode to Southern cooking. Fried chicken will be served two ways: buttermilk-brined and Tennessee hot. Ham hocks, burgers and potpie will grace the menu. Seasonal mint juleps and small-batch bourbons anchor the drink menu. The restaurant is under construction at Crown on Seventh, a dining and retail complex on Seventh Street south of Bethany Home Road.

Details: 5813 N. Seventh St., Phoenix. okraaz.com.

Pedal Haus

Restaurateur Julian Wright will add this bicycle-themed brewpub to his stable of downtown Tempe brands, which include the Handlebar, La Bocca Urban Pizzeria & Wine Bar and Gringo Star Street Bar. Taking over the former Islands Grill space, Pedal Haus will have its own brewing system, serve burgers and pub fare, and host live music.

Details: 730 S. Mill Ave., Tempe. forkanddagger.com.

Crab & Mermaid

From the owners of Cold Beers and Cheeseburgers, this fast-casual concept in downtown Scottsdale will feature regional seafood dishes such as East Coast lobster rolls, crab cakes and clam chowder; Gulf Coast po'boy sandwiches, crawfish, shrimp boils and etouffee; and West Coast fish tacos, fresh fish and caramelized shrimp. Expect to see a raw bar with jumbo shrimp, scallops, oysters, clams, mussels and lobster.

Details: 4218 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. crabandmermaid.com.