15 Sept 7th–Sept 13th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | cONTeNTs | feeDBacK | OPiNiON | NeWs | feaTuRe | NighT+Day | culTuRe | film | cafe | music | popular that many — including customers and chefs — eagerly await its return each year. The fall event runs from Sept. 8 through 17. “There’s nothing better to me as a restaurateur and chef. Restaurant Week really enhances the business and brings in guests,” says Joey Maggiore, owner of Valley restaurants including Hash Kitchen, The Sicilian Butcher and The Mexicano. “Let’s face it, we just went through a slow summer. Usually, September and the first couple weeks of October are very slow, so this will really give us a little push to get us ready for (the) season,” he says. “We hope our doors stay wide open, and the seats are full.” Gearing up for fall For the upcoming Restaurant Week, Maggiore and his team at The Sicilian Butcher created a menu to usher in the season by celebrating the flavors of fall. “We want to feature what the times are now, and it gives us a good chance to show the guests what we can create and see how it moves and how people like it before it makes the regular menu, as well,” Maggiore says. Some of the fall-inspired dishes getting a trial run during Restaurant Week include roasted delicata squash with whipped goat cheese and candied pumpkin seeds and butternut squash agnolotti with burnt sage. “We want to showcase some new things, some really sexy, fun food,” he says. The same is true for The Mexicano, Maggiore’s concept that opened roughly two years ago. Since customers are still experiencing the restaurant for the first time, its Restaurant Week menu is designed to provide a sample of its regular menu at a heavily discounted price. This includes an appetizer, salad, main course and dessert for $33. “We’re mix-matching items on that menu to showcase a little bit of every- thing,” Maggiore says. “Trying to make it very fun. We’re at the $33 range, and we think it’s a heck of a deal to come in and have four courses and spectacular food.” To ensure that quality, about two weeks ahead of the event, Maggiore and his team started practicing cooking each of the menu items with kitchen staff at the different Valley locations. While there are many benefits to Restaurant Week, it’s not a breeze for staff. “Restaurant Week is high volume, so you cant have an ‘oh crap’ moment when you’re not ready. So we try to get everything out of the way before it launches,” Maggiore says. Celebrating the classics At High Street in north Phoenix, Ocean Prime is also preparing for a busy Restaurant Week. General Manager Jagger Griffin is keeping a close eye on the weather, hoping he may be able to offer patio seating if temperatures dip below 100 degrees. “We look forward to the fall restaurant week every year; we kind of think of it as the kick-off to our season,” Griffin says. “We’re just excited to get a bunch of new guests in here who maybe haven’t experi- enced us before.” Ocean Prime has participated in Restaurant Week since it opened in 2008. But even though the upscale steak and seafood eatery has been open for 15 years, many of its Restaurant Week guests are new customers, Griffin says. So the team takes the opportunity to show off their classics. “Obviously we are a seafood steakhouse, and our steaks are amazing, so we always put one of our fillets on there,” he says, “and then we put some of our signature items on there, such as our scallops with our risotto and our roast chicken.” Additional offerings include Chef and restaurateur Joey Maggiore owns Valley restaurants including Hash Kitchen, The Sicilian Butcher and The Mexicano. (Photo courtesy of Hash Kitchen) General Manager Jagger Griffin has participated in Arizona Restaurant Week with Ocean Prime for 15 years. (Photo courtesy of Ocean Prime) >> p 16 Fall Foods from p 13
