PHOENIX — Nearly two years after The District Kitchen and Wine Bar permanently closed at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, the hotel has finally announced a new restaurant set to take its place with an opening planned for the fall.
Named Carcara -- inspired by the Cara Cara orange tree, a hybrid orange with a pink-red flesh similar to a grapefruit -- the restaurant will focus on locally sourced ingredients and its menu seeks to highlight Southwestern, Native- and Sonoran-inspired dishes.
It is currently anticipated to open in September.
The menu will showcase small bites and dips, soups and salads and various entrees, including prosciutto-wrapped seared scallops and beef ribeye, a news release said.
Inside, the 5,000-square-foot restaurant will have a central bar with craft cocktails, a lounge, seating for around 270 guests and three private dining rooms. Outside, there will be a 2,000-square-foot patio with a fireplace, two fire pits, tables and lounge seating, all surrounded by Cara Cara trees and other plants.
The centerpiece of the restaurant's dining room will be a 14-foot Chestnut Oak tree and wood trellis with glass and metal lanterns to illuminate the dining room.
The kitchen will be led by Chef Chaz Frankenfield. He was unavailable for an interview late Monday, following the announcement.
In a prepared statement included in the news release, however, he said he was "thrilled to introduce Carcara not only to our local Phoenix community, but also to travelers and guests of Sheraton Phoenix Downtown."
When it opens, it will join a host of new spots that have opened downtown, including The Ainsworth, Phoenix Bourbon Room, Rough Rider, Tap That! Downtown, Il Bosco, Character and Alias, Hot Daisy Pizza, and The Pemberton.
