SCOTTSDALE, AZ — One of metro Phoenix's most popular neighborhood restaurants is expanding to Scottsdale.
Vecina, the Latin-inspired restaurant known for its Arcadia location, is expected to open this August in the former Z'Tejas space at the northwest corner of Hayden Road and Via de Ventura in McCormick Ranch, Chef James Fox confirmed on social media last month.
The Scottsdale restaurant will be significantly larger than Vecina's original Arcadia location.
According to reports by The Arizona Republic, the new space will be about two-and-a-half times larger and will include private dining rooms, a mezzanine, a lakeside patio and a much larger kitchen.
Since opening in Arcadia, Vecina has earned national and local recognition. The restaurant was a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in 2020, was named Phoenix New Times' Best New Restaurant that year and continues to rank among the publication's Top 50 Restaurants in the Valley.
Vecina's menu centers on chef-driven, Latin-inspired cuisine featuring seasonal small plates, shareable entrees and handcrafted cocktails.
Guests can expect dishes such as Duroc pork belly tacos with tomato jam and toasted peanut, skirt steak tacos with cascabel salsa and avocado relish, hamachi ceviche with grilled pineapple and coconut leche de tigre, and the restaurant's adobo Duroc pork chop with house escabeche and chicharrón.
Although an exact opening date has not been announced, the restaurant is expected to welcome its first Scottsdale diners in August. The Vecina team has shared construction updates on social media, including newly installed exterior signage.
The Scottsdale location will be Vecina's second restaurant and its first expansion beyond Arcadia, bringing the acclaimed concept to the longtime restaurant space overlooking McCormick Ranch.
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