With Labor Day behind us, the Valley is settling into fall, even if it’s still 90,000 (ish) degrees outside. This week, get the scoop on banana pudding ice cream honoring Dolly Parton and her literacy legacy, pumpkin-filled cannolis, pickle collabs, and how to help fight hunger. We also have the skinny on an intimate Michelin-chef event you won’t want to miss! 

Have a tip? Send us a note via Instagram or by emailing info@diningout.com. 

The 411

Guess Who’s Moving Into Salad & Go…It’s Not Who You Think

Most Phoenicians assumed Dutch Bros. was destined to take over the former Salad and Go locations, but not so fast. An Arkansas-based coffee chain called 7 Brew actually won the bankruptcy auction for 73 locations, including 41 in Arizona, to the tune of $143.2 million. It’s not official-official yet, but close. 

7 Brew, the new-to-us drive-thru coffee chain, is known for seven original specialty coffee drinks, like a white chocolate and Irish cream breve, as well as energy drinks, sparkling water Fizzes, teas, smoothies, and lemonades—with more than 20,000 possible flavor combinations. Sounds promising. 

Dolly’s Legacy Lives On In… Ice Cream

Many of us took Dolly Parton’s death a little hard, so to console us—and honor her memory—Sweet Republic is offering a sweet deal: For every Banana Pudding pint purchased, the ice cream shop will donate one book to a child through Parton’s Imagination Library, which she founded in honor of her father, who couldn’t read or write. The $12 pint is a creamy banana custard ice cream swirled with vanilla pudding and studded with housemade vanilla wafers, and is available through September at all four locations while supplies last. Fun fact: banana pudding was Parton’s favorite flavor. 

Feed a Neighbor with the Loving Hut

During Hunger Action Month, Loving Hut is partnering with Phoenix Feed a Neighbor, a volunteer-led Central Phoenix effort providing food to families and individuals in need. On the last Sunday of each month, volunteers plan to pick up $10 Pay-it-Forward meals from Loving Hut and distribute them through a local community space. The meals are funded by guests who purchase a future meal for someone in need.

The restaurant hopes to provide 200 Pay-it-Forward meals through the partnership by Sept. 30. Pay-it-Forward meals are also available for purchase through Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub, or by emailing Loving Hut directly at lovinghutarizona@gmail.com

More Ways to Fight Hunger This Month 

Loving Hut isn’t the only one looking for ways to help fight hunger this month. Check out these restaurants and organizations doing their part:

• Grimaldi’s Pizzeria: Donate $5 to No Kid Hungry while dining at Grimaldi’s and receive the same amount in bounce-back cards, up to $25 per visit. The longtime partnership has raised more than $1.4 million since 2013.
• Thirsty Lion: For every reservation made at a Valley location in September, Thirsty Lion will donate $1 to No Kid Hungry, up to $5,000.
• United Food Bank: On Sept. 26 from 8 to 11 a.m., its Family Action Day invites volunteers of all ages to assemble emergency food bags for local families.
• Phoenix Rescue Mission: Hope for Hunger Food Bank is seeking nonperishable food donations and volunteers throughout September and has also launched monthly mobile pantry service in Phoenix, Surprise, Scottsdale and Laveen.

Stamp Your Bourbon Passports 

Westside Concepts is celebrating National Bourbon Heritage Month with its inaugural “Whiskey Passport.” Throughout September, guests who visit Haymaker, Four Corners Taphouse and Copper & Sage can sip on the “whiskey of the day,” collect stamps and earn prizes along the way. Five stamps gets you a $25 Westside Concepts gift card, with prizes increasing from there. Twenty stamps earns you a $100 gift card and a Westside Concepts decanter set. Fancy, fancy.

The Buzz at the Andaz

In honor of National Honey Month, Andaz Scottsdale Resort and Bungalows is harvesting its own liquid gold from beehives on the property, then using it in a myriad of ways to celebrate the month, including honey-themed menu offerings at Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen. You can also snag tickets for the Hot Honey Happy Hour on Sept. 26, serving up hot honey fried chicken, or the Honey & Vine Wine Dinner on Sept. 30, featuring a one-night-only, five-course tasting menu centered around yes, honey.

Let Them Eat Cake

Red Velvet Recipes is celebrating its third anniversary, and naturally, there will be cake. The local bakery, known for its made-from-scratch cakes and signature red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, will celebrate with customer specials and treats on Sept. 12. It’s also launching an inaugural community event dubbed “Let Them Eat Cake,” inviting amateur bakers to bring an 8-inch cake to share and compete for trophies in categories including Best Decorated Cake, Most Unique Flavor and, again, Best Red Velvet Cake. 

A Restaurant Obituary 

It’s almost hard to keep up with the restaurant closings these days, so here’s a look at a few closings that just occurred:

• The Melting Pot Ahwatukee, 1999–2026. After 26 years of date nights, celebrations, and countless pots of melted cheese and chocolate, the Ahwatukee staple closed Aug. 31 following the unexpected death of its owner. It leaves behind one remaining Valley location.
• Pubblico Italian Eatery, 2020–2026. The Central Scottsdale Italian restaurant served its final meal Aug. 31 after six years in business.
• Tipsy Egg, The Uncommon and Recreo Cantina. The three downtown Chandler siblings announced that their temporary August closures had become permanent. They are survived by whatever new concepts their owners have planned for the spaces.
• Palo Verde Lounge, 1964–2026. The beloved Tempe dive closed after an incredible 62-year run following the death of longtime owner Chuck Marthaler. Over six decades, the institution became a gathering place for generations of punks, artists, musicians and bikers.
• Low Key Piano Bar, 2014–2026. After more than 12 years on Mill Avenue, the underground dueling-piano bar played its final song in August. It will be remembered for spectacularly rowdy sing-alongs, song requests and more than a few questionable late-night renditions.

On the Menu 

Postino Gets Itself into a Pickle (Collab)

Postino, the vibey wine café known for its bruschetta boards and wine deals, is partnering with Grillo’s Pickles. This is an extra-big deal because it’s Postino’s first-ever brand collab (about time!). From now through Oct. 28, pickle obsessives can score an exclusive limited-time menu item: the Hot Pickle Dip, made with Philly cream cheese, labneh yogurt, garlic, fresh dill and Grillo’s pickle brine, then topped with Grillo’s signature Hot Dill Pickles. It’s served with crispy house chips and fresh vegetables. 

Pumpkin Spice & Everything Sicilian 

The Sicilian Butcher is bringing us pumpkin spice, and it’s nice—even if temperatures here aren’t exactly “sweater weather” yet. Try a Pumpkin Spice Latte topped with sea salt cold foam, or a Pumpkin Cannoli filled with sweet ricotta cream blended with pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice. 

Rosh Hashanah Brisket Platter

On September 11 and 12, to observe Rosh Hashanah, diners at Miracle Mile Deli can grab a plate of beef brisket, a potato cake with applesauce and sour cream, and a cup of matzoh ball soup for $22 to honor the High Holy Days. 

Don’t Miss This Week

Need some dining out recommendations? This week, we are bringing you a few fall-forward ideas. 

Friday: Schreiner’s Fine Sausage on Seventh Street, housed in its distinctive red-and-white vintage building, is a longtime family-owned staple offering more than 60 sausage varieties, including bratwurst, Italian and Polish, along with harder-to-find varieties like andouille (Cajun French), linguisa (Portuguese) and boerewors (South African). We love the idea of celebrating Oktoberfest by grabbing a few of its famous sausages for a cozy night-in. 

Saturday: I just tried Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen’s honey-themed dinner menu for myself. Every little detail here—from the whiskey balls pressed with honeycomb imprints to the gelato with freeze-dried honey and toffee bits—is impeccably thought out. For dinner, I ordered (and loved) the crudo, fattoush salad, and salmon. The yogurt-based sauces on both the fattoush and salmon were highlights at this modern Mediterranean spot.

Sunday: We cannot wait to attend Belmont Kitchen & Cocktails’ first Lunch & Learn this Sunday with two-Michelin-star chef Alex Stratta. The limited-seating experience runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and includes an interactive demonstration, conversation, and two-course lunch, with Stratta sharing stories from his career and demonstrating the techniques behind a few dishes. Tickets are $125 per person, with an optional $25 wine pairing. Can’t make this one? Lunch & Learn will be an ongoing series featuring different Michelin chefs.