Desoto Central Market opens in downtown Phoenix
At its core, the historical C.P. Stephens DeSoto Six Motorcars building in downtown Phoenix has always been a showcase for the finer things.
For the first third of its life, it was a Chrysler car dealership. Later, the red-brick warehouse at Roosevelt Street and Central Avenue was an antiques shop, and then home to an advertising firm.
Now, after a major renovation, the nearly 90-year-old edifice will display local culinary talent and homegrown food. It reopens as DeSoto Central Market on Saturday, April 11, 2015.
The food court will house seven independent restaurants, which include menus boasting raw seafood, take-away salads and Latin-Asian fusion. The food stalls are small, with limited seating at the counters, so most diners will eat in the 600-person main dining room and patio.
There's free Wi-Fi throughout the building and such games as ping-pong on the dog-friendly patio. In the coming months, a grocery selling McClendon Select Farm produce will open. Eventually, a butcher shop and bakery will have spaces.
"Everything about this place is a social experience," said Shawn Connelly, who developed the market concept. "You come in, eat here, shop here and take (food) home with you. It's not stressful, you can take your time."
Stephen Jones, formerly of Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails at Hotel Palomar, is executive chef at the market. He oversees the burger bar, oyster bar and coffee bar, as well as his own concept, The Larder + The Delta.
Parking is available for the market at neighboring Roosevelt Community Church. Bike racks are abundant, and it's a short walk from the Roosevelt/Central light-rail station.
Grand-opening celebration with live music, cocktails tasting, chef demonstrations and pop-up vendors is planned from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, April 11, and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, April 12. Part of the opening weekend's proceeds will benefit Release the Fear, a non-profit that educates young people about good life choices.
Here's a look at the restaurants that will be open that weekend:
DCM
Short for DeSoto Central Market, this burger bar is centrally located in the market. It serves breakfast sandwiches in the morning, fancy burgers at lunch and dinner, and a selection of craft beer, wine on draft and signature cocktails developed by bar manager Jill Jones.
Tea & Toast Co.
Allison DeVane manages this stall, where specialty teas and coffees are paired with savory and sweet pastries. The stall walls are made from terra-cotta Art Deco panels salvaged from the Luhrs Building in downtown Phoenix.
Walrus & the Pearl
Fresh oysters and sparkling wine shine at this nautically decorated raw bar. Diners might snag a berth at the 10-seat counter to eat their ceviche, poke or seaweed salad. Everyone else can carry their mollusks to the open dining area.
The Larder + The Delta
You can see chef Jones' signature all over this Southern-with-a-twist menu featuring such dishes as fried chicken skin po'boy sandwiches, brown-bag shrimp boil and Low Country perlou, a Carolina Gold rice-based dish with white shrimp, clams, smoked oyster and andouille sausage.
Radish
Salads and cold-pressed juices are served to-go in this health-focused fast-casual eatery.
Adobo Dragon
This dragon's heat comes from both Asian and Latin spices. Pork carnitas bao (steamed bun), bento boxes with chimichurri chicken, and ginger-chipotle seafood ceviche are among the creations from chef Allan Inocencio.
Details: 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 6:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays. 915 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-680-7747, desotocentralmarket.com.