20 Oct 31st-NOv 6th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Burgers, Brews and News Tacos Chiwas owners to launch four new Valley concepts. BY SARA CROCKER T he restaurateurs behind some of the Valley’s most beloved and buzzy restaurants are adding to their roster. Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin own Tacos Chiwas and Cocina Chiwas, and partner with Roberto Centeno on Santo Arcadia, sister bar Pecado and Espiritu. They announced they’re adding more to their plates. Hernandez and Holguin will again partner with Centeno, a two-time James Beard Award-nominated chef, on a new burger joint in downtown Mesa. Meanwhile, Holguin and Hernandez will also launch a new Tacos Chiwas at the airport, debut a beer garden at Tempe’s Culdesac and add bar service to their cafe Aruma. “It just kind of all came together at the same time,” Hernandez says of the quartet of soon-to-arrive spots. “Hopefully they each bring something special and needed to the community.” Hernandez, who with his wife Holguin were semifinalists for Outstanding Restaurateurs in the 2024 James Beard Awards, says they’re “very blessed,” to continue to grow their offerings in the Valley. He shared a glimpse into each spot and when diners can visit. El Jardin 2001 E. Apache Blvd., Tempe At Culdesac, the carless community in Tempe where Hernandez and Holguin’s Cocina Chiwas and Aruma reside, the duo are planning to open El Jardin. Anticipated to open on Halloween, El Jardin will be a temporary beer garden popping up in an undeveloped part of the neighborhood. It will serve 16 beers and ciders on draft from a 40-foot shipping container. The garden, which is about 100 feet east of Cocina Chiwas, will be a family and pet-friendly patio space with lawn games and music. “The whole community is pretty walkable so we just want to activate the area even more,” Hernandez says. “It really is like an extended patio for Cocina (Chiwas).” El Jardin will rotate its taps regularly, Hernandez says, offering an array of Arizona beers, as well as some national and Mexican-made brews. Two staples on the beer menu will be those that are made for the Chiwas Hospitality Group: a Mexican lager, La Chela, crafted by Mesa brewer Phantom Fox Beer Co. and a new dark lager, Chela Negra, that Flagstaff’s Dark Sky Brewing Co. created for all of their concepts. Hernandez says they will host tap take- overs with local craft brewers and pop-up cookouts outside. Guests will also be able to order food from Cocina Chiwas. Once open, El Jardin will pour beers from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Hernandez anticipates it will be at Culdesac for about a year and a half. Depending on the customer response, he and Holguin may find a more permanent home for the beer bar. Aruma Cafe 2011 E. Apache Blvd., #143, Tempe Aruma Cafe opened in Culdesac across from Cocina Chiwas in May, offering specialty coffees, Mexican pastries and light bites. Hernandez and Holguin teamed up with former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins on the cafe, which they intended to have a second life during evenings as a wine and amaro bar. The team anticipates they’ll open by the first weekend of November, serving on Fridays and Saturdays to start. At Aruma, guests will have a handful of food options, including ceviche and charcuterie, with recommended wine and amaro pairings. The bar will also serve a taut selection of batched cocktails, including margaritas. “It’s going to be more of a relaxed envi- ronment,” ideal to start or end an evening, Hernandez says. He and beverage director Adrian Galindo say they want to create more awareness of bittersweet amari. Those will include European versions people are more familiar with along with Mexican-made amari. “I think that bitter is kind of a lost flavor in terms of drinks,” Galindo says. “Really what I want to spotlight is the quality and the love that the producers Restaurateurs Nadia Holguin and Armando Hernandez are expanding their resumes with four new concepts opening soon. (Photo by Jacob Tyler Dunn) Aruma Cafe will add an evening bar component, serving wines, amari and cocktails, along with small bites. (Photo by Sara Crocker) >> p 23 Espiritu in Mesa serves a burger with two thin grilled patties. Its owners plan to open a fast-casual burger joint, Main Burgers, just down Main Street this winter. (Photo by Tirion Boan) ▼ Food & Drink
