Scheduled to open this May, Central Phoenix’s bustling 7th street dining district is about to get a lot tastier thanks to the dual openings of the all-new gastro-pub, Stock & Stable (5540 N. 7th St.), and its stylish upstairs cocktail lounge, Honor Amongst Thieves. Carved into a custom two-story space inside The Colony development, both spaces are led by head chef/partner, Joe Absolor (formerly of The Parlor, The Clever Koi), and chef/partner, Jared Porter (The Clever Koi), this rustic modern restaurant boasts an expansive menu of hearty, from-scratch eats, while the upstairs lounge tempts with craft wines, beers & cocktails handcrafted by renowned mixologist, Stephanie Teslar (Hotel Palomar, FireSky Resort).
Named as a nod to its verdant North Central Phoenix neighborhood and the nearby Murphy Bridle Path, where local residents have been riding horses in the heart of the city since 1941, Stock & Stable (5540 N. 7th St.) will be open for lunch, dinner and late night seven days a week, plus weekend brunch. Accessed via a separate backdoor entrance, Honor Amongst Thieves (also accessible via Stock & Stable’s dining room) is a stylish cocktail lounge featuring an extensive list of handcrafted drinks made with fresh, seasonal ingredients, as well as a compact menu of cheese and cured meat boards.
Housed inside an all-new restaurant space carved into the revamped 1950s mixed-used development, The Colony, Stock & Stable/Honor Amongst Thieves showcases the combined culinary talents of two of the Valley’s top chefs to create “a real back to roots American gastro-pub but with hints of a casual Italian trattoria,” Joe Absolor says. Think plate-bending Pork Porterhouse with cipollini stuffato (veggie stew) & black pepper pear gastrique; a house-cured Beef Tongue Pastrami sandwich (don’t knock it till you try it); or house-marinated Beer Butt Chicken served with lemon confit and fresh herbs. Plus enjoy an ever-changing selection of house-made pastas such as Shrimp Stuffed Rigatoni and Wild Boar Agnolotti, and salumi boards featuring artisan meats handpicked in Chicago (Abe Froman would approve).
Showcasing locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, Stock & Stable will feature LUX pastries & desserts and Noble Bread. “We want people to be intrigued, but never intimidated by everything on the menu,” Jared Porter says. “Like duck lasagna, which combines the familiar with the different in one irresistible package.” Or think Stock & Stable’s version of the now ubiquitous beet salad starter, Joe Absolor adds, which they’ve given a unique twist by fermenting the beets to enhance their naturally sweet, earthy flavor, and then pairing it with heirloom carrots, goat cheese curds and Marcona almond butter.
Although housed inside an adaptively-reused former office building, Stock & Stable/Honor Amongst Thieves built out a completely custom two-story space with a cozy downstairs dining room seating 180 and centered around a massive bar-top where patrons can charge their smartphones at the built-in USB ports. Or head upstairs to the striking, wood-accented Honor Amongst Thieves, seating an additional 80 people and overlooking the bustling street-front below. “Even though it’s a new space, we really worked hard to rough up the space, make it feel a little lived in,” Joe Absolor says. “You can’t have a place named Stock & Stable that looks too shiny and sleek.”
“That’s why we decided to make the bar the center of the dining room like on the TV show “Cheers,” rather than an exposition kitchen,” Jared Porter says. “This is more old school like dining at grandma’s house back in the Midwest – where the food is cooked with love in the back and then brought out to the dining room table for everyone to dig in.” As such, look for a pastoral space, with intimate ceilings, muted colors, warm lighting and vintage tile work, including classic herringbone patterns and a mosaic floor under the main communal table reminiscent of a colorful throw rug.
Not that the kitchen is totally inaccessible. Guests in the main dining room will be able to watch the action through a peek-through window, while anyone entering the restaurant from the back entrance, or simply walking to the restrooms, will see the kitchen staff working their magic behind a massive window wall that transforms the galley into a fishbowl for foodies.
For more information visit Stock & Stable’s website, www.stockandstable.com.
