PHOENIX, AZ — If you’ve driven down the area Uptown, it’s more than likely you’ve noticed that there’s a new restaurant in an iconic building... say hello to The Genuine.
“This used to be The VIG Uptown…. we decided to refresh it and do something new,” said Jeremy Pacheco, Culinary director for Genuine Concepts, to ABC15. “We named it The Genuine, we put in a new wood burning oven and it’s kind of going to be our new flagship restaurant.”
The “wood fired kitchen” is the latest culinary experience from Genuine Concepts which is known for rolling out The VIG, The Little Woody, Ladera Taverna y Cocina and other local eateries around town.
THE DISHES
“We bought this beautiful wood burning oven, so we really wanted to focus on trying to do as much out of that oven as possible… and really getting that wood-fired flavor into a lot of our dishes,” said Pacheco. “So we are obviously doing pizzas... but we don’t want to be a pizza restaurant. We’re doing pastas… but we’re not a pasta restaurant. You know. So really, kind of a strong Mediterranean influence into what we’re doing; simple, great ingredients, done simply, focused on local whenever possible.”
Must-tries: Lamb meatballs with the homemade pita, Fungi Pizza, Icelandic Salmon, and the Charred Broccoli.
LOCALLY SOURCED
According to Pacheco, the restaurant is partnering with local farmers, such as Bob McClendon and Crow's Dairy. Some meats in the menu are also locally sourced, for-instance the Wagyu beef and lamb are from Rovey Dairy in Glendale.
Apart from the veggies and meats, the restaurant also has a local wine program that has about seven Arizona-made wines on the list.
THE HISTORY
According to Pacheco, the building is a Ralph Haver designed bank that was built in the 60’s and to this day now adds to the dining experience.
Pacheco tells ABC15 that there are some areas that highlights the building’s architectural beauty.
- The bank’s vault is now the back bar and “inside” is where the new wood burning oven is being showcased.
- Some of the natural light that comes in the restaurant shines from the stain glass that’s from Haver’s original design.
“When we made the transition from The VIG to The Genuine, we really wanted to highlight the building more. And tear it back to its roots, you can kind of see its got a modern design with our décor as well,” said Pacheco to ABC15. “We really wanted to highlight how cool the building was and make it part of the experience.”
IF YOU GO
- 6015 N 16th Street in Phoenix
