Santo Arcadia: Home of Phoenix’s Official Signature Cocktail
The Gist:
Location: 4418 E Osborn Rd, Phoenix, Arizona 85018
Cross Streets: 44th St and Osborn, just south of Indian School
What: Modern Mexican Restaurant + Bar
Vibe: Valet parking. Open concept that’s nice and bright. Wear casual clothes if you like as seen in the photo below.
LINKS:
The #research team went to Santo Arcadia with one mission: to try the official cocktail of Phoenix. Mayor Kate Gallego named Bartender Nicole Long’s cocktail the contest winner in the search to find The Phoenix, the city’s now signature cocktail.
"The Phoenix" cocktail recipe:
2 oz reposado Milagro Tequila
1 oz Chiltepines mesquite honey syrup
1 oz lemon juice
1/4 oz prickly pear
Garnish: Dehydrated lemon and peppers
The cocktail didn’t disappoint and was a great representative of local flavors: a little sweet, a little spicy and a lot delicious.
The Food
Let’s not forget about the food which was also excellent. I didn’t get any photos as the Phoenix cocktail was doing it’s job and the lighting wasn’t favorable. Just trust me that it was delicious. We loved the birria dumplings and ceviche appetizer. For dinner I had the braised dinosaur short rib which I had about half of and saved the other half to bring home. Then I left it there on the floor next to my chair. :/ A sad revelation I realized when I arrived home.
the Vibe/ambience
Inside has taller ceilings with open rafters, modern aesthetic although the half wall surrounding the seating area is wrapped in a bold floral wallpaper as seen behind my cocktail. As you can see in the photo, you can come casual, like many Phoenix and Scottsdale establishments. If you wanted to dress up, no one would mind that either. I feel like that could fly for most places in Scottsdale or Phoenix.
The “#research” team is a group of us that do the important work of trying out a new restaurant in Phoenix or Scottsdale so we may pass on our recommendations to our guests. The team consists of Nicole Zopolos and Carissa Vivirito of real estate agents with Team EVOLVE of Realty ONE Group and Kelly Straka of Lux-Living.
Check out one of the other restaurants and tours we love!