Cozy, comforting restaurant designed by a top chef is coming to Scottsdale. What to know

In Good Spirits Hospitality Group, the people behind The Gladly and Citizen Public House restaurants, is opening a new concept in the space that formerly housed Piccolo Virtu.

Chef Gio Osso said Piccolo Virtu in Old Town Scottsdale closed in December because "I got an offer I couldn't refuse," in a tongue-in-cheek statement to The Arizona Republic.

The new restaurant, Beginner's Luck, is described as a "diner reimagined." It will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, serving "ingredient-driven" food, a robust coffee program and experimental cocktails.

Your 2024 dining bucket list: 100 essential restaurants in metro Phoenix

What's on the menu at Beginner's Luck?

The menu, designed by Chef Bernie Kantak and Chef de Cuisine Benjamin Graham, consists mostly of comfort food inspired by Kantak's Hungarian and Swedish grandmothers that match the eclectic interior design and invite a relaxing environment.

According to Kantak, the menu will consist of just 12-13 items.

"If I could open a place and just take a pig and cut it up and cook it five different ways for people, I would do it," Kantak said. "So this is my compromise. I get to do a bit of what I want and mostly what people want."

Patrons can expect pastries, slow-roasted meats, chicken paprikash, stuffed cabbage, pierogies, smoked pork shank with sauerkraut (Szekely gulyas) and a chopped salad.

"I want to put a chopped salad in every tourist's hand," Kantak said with a hearty laugh.

Coffee will be roasted locally by Moxie. Aside from drip, latte and cappuccino options, partner Andrew Fritz said, they are working on specialty drinks featuring mesquite and local honey. Fritz chose ceramic mugs for good weight, size and feel to enhance the drinking experience. According to Fritz, brunch and lunch cocktails will be easy drinking and bright, with options like a sorbet mimosa, chile margarita, paloma and iced Irish coffee. Dinner cocktails, he said, will be bigger and bolder with Manhattan and Old Fashioned.

When can we try Beginner's Luck?

To start, Beginner's Luck will have brunch and lunch. Dinner will be added after a month.

Expected opening: Mid- to late February 2024.

Hours: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.

Details: 7240 E. Main St., Scottsdale. beginnersluckaz.com.

New BBQ restaurant: Now open in former Sweet Tomatoes spot. Here's what's on the menu

Reach the reporter at [email protected]. Follow @banooshahr on X, formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Beginner's Luck restaurant from Bernie Kantak coming to Scottsdale