California-French fusion restaurant Wild Garlic Grill announced they are relocating to the space which formerly housed Shlomo & Vito’s New York Delicatessen & Pizza Kitchen at 2870 E. Skyline Dr., #120 in Plaza Colonial.
“In the four plus years since our doors have been open, we have been blessed to have a loyal and passionate clientele that is at the core of our success,” said Maudi Gourdin-Schultz, who is married to executive chef Steven Schultz and owns Wild Garlic Grill. “Steven and I are delighted with the response from the community toward our modern approach to French cuisine and with every passing year the numbers continues to grow.”
Wild Garlic Grill opened at the end of 2012 at 2530 N. 1st Ave. in the building that once housed an A & W drive-in, Sanchez Burrito Company, and Three and a Half Brothers Café. Even though the building has a fast food and diner history, the interior was transformed into a dimly-lit dining room with ocotillo-ribbed ceilings and colorful paintings on the walls.
“It has been wonderful cultivating our concept in our current location — it’s a unique building with an exceptional amount of history and charm,” Gourdin-Schultz said. “Unfortunately, we feel that our growth here has stymied. It is time for us to find a different home that will fulfill the needs of our guests and allow us to become better at what we do.”
Thankfully, Wild Garlic Grill’s small kitchen and tight parking didn’t interfere with success — the delightful food remained accessible and kept the dining room consistently full of loyal customers.
The new 3,700-square-foot location is anticipated to open mid-October. The original location will remain open until the new location opens.
Chef Steven Schultz’s fine-dining background stretches back for decades. Just over twenty years ago, he earned his Advanced Diploma Ecole De Cuisine from La Varenne in Paris. Afterward, he was the executive chef at the Ventana Room at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, Tucson’s only AAA five diamond-rated restaurant before its closure in 2009. In 2000, he moved on to open his signature Red Sky Cafe, which closed in 2012.
“We are looking forward to becoming a part of the family at Plaza Colonial,” Gourdin-Schultz said. “We believe that the Wild Garlic Grill will continue to evolve and thrive in our new home and we invite you to come take part in the next step of the Wild Garlic Grill journey.”
Wild Garlic Grill is located at 2530 N. 1st Ave. For more information, visit wildgarlicgrill.com.
Article written by:
Jackie Tran
More about JackieJackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the now-closed food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon Appétit, National Geographic, and the New York Times.
An adventurous foodie, he enjoys culinary experiences ranging from seasonal omakase to sloppily devouring green chili patty melts in his car afterhours. His favorite foods include aguachile, garlic noodles, and leftover fried chicken illuminated by the fridge light. His favorite drinks include morning micheladas, fireside imperial stouts, candle-lit negroni, and grassy mezcales.
Outside of food, he also loves playing musical instruments, karaoke, Tetris, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and petting Addie’s dog Spaghetti.
If you’d like to stalk him, visit his Instagram @jackie_tran_ or jackietran.com.
