News | Aaron Chamberlin Returns to Phoenix Public Market Cafe

Prominent Valley Chef and Restauranteur Aaron Chamberlin is back in the kitchen at Phoenix Public Market Café with the vision of bringing the popular Downtown Phoenix restaurant back to its roots with a brand-new food and cocktail menu, plus upcoming events.

Longtime fans of the restaurant and newcomers alike can expect to see a variety of new health-focused dishes and cocktails, including a few signatures from Chamberlin’s St. Francis heyday, along with a new lineup of community nights and collaborative dining events.

“With Downtown Phoenix becoming such a hotbed for hip, new restaurants and cocktail bars, I feel like now is the time to get back into the thick of it and use the Café as a creative culinary outlet to express my passion for food,” said Chamberlin. “When we first opened in 2012, I was fueled by the farmers market being steps from my kitchen, a perk few restaurants in the country can claim. I have the opportunity to draw inspiration from the Valley’s top purveyors who are supplying the freshest and highest-quality ingredients for my menus, and it’s something I want to get back to. I’m looking forward to spending more time in the kitchen and showing people what’s new at the Café.”

The first order of business for Chamberlin was introducing nine new menu items, many of which are plant-based or vegetarian, including The Mezzie ($12) with hummus, pickled cauliflower, quinoa, tabbouleh and Noble toast; Roasted Vegetable Bowl ($10.50) with mushrooms, charred broccoli, caramelized onions, sweet potato, tri-colored quinoa and tahini dressing; Two Wash Ranch Half Rotisserie Chicken ($18) with garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables; Rotisserie New York Strip ($18) with garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables with chimayo chili sauce; and Quinoa Cereal ($9) with quinoa, coconut milk, berries and crunchy granola.

Back by popular demand, Chamberlin has also carried over three staples from his celebrated St. Francis menu including the Roasted Salmon Superfood ($19) with quinoa salad, radish, spinach, avocado and sweet n’ spicy vinaigrette; Forbidden Rice Bowl ($14) with black jasmine rice, seasonal vegetables, sweet n’ spicy vinaigrette, radish and sprouts; and Chopped Romaine Salad ($18) with bacon, corn, green beans, buttermilk cheddar dressing and apple cider vinaigrette. 

In addition to the food, the Café has recently released a brand-new cocktail menu making fresh pressed juice cocktails like the Beetle Juice ($10) with bourbon, pressed beet juice, lemon juice, agave syrup and angostura bitters and the Green Jardin ($10) with gin, fresh pressed carrot juice, orange juice, lime juice and orange liqueur, the stars. There’s also an expanded selection of beers highlighting seasonal and rotating taps from local favorites like Four Peaks Brewing Co. and Dragoon Brewery and a variety of brunch cocktails available for $5 before 10:00 a.m. on the weekends.  

Focused on building the community through food, the Café’s Community Night programming has also been revamped to feature a three-course, prix-fixe menu for $15, available on Sunday and Monday nights from 5:00 p.m. to close. Chamberlin is also working on a lineup of events and collaboration dinners with others chefs, restauranteurs and purveyors like the upcoming Saint Pasta dinner on August 29 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Over the past year, Chamberlin has expanded the Café’s in-house, wholesale bakery division, which now services 21 independent coffee shops and cafes across the Valley with daily pastry deliveries including Original Chop Shop, Maverick Coffee, Blue House Coffee, Press Coffee Roasters and Royal Coffee Bar. The Café also offers drop-and-go catering featuring quick, healthy and locally-sourced breakfast, lunch and dinner for Valley-wide businesses and events.  

Phoenix Public Market Café is open daily for breakfast, lunch, happy hour and dinner from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is located at 14 E. Pierce Street in Phoenix.

For more information or to see the latest lineup of events and happenings, visit Cafe.PhxPublicMarket.com or call 602-253-2700.