Love on the Menu: The Culinary Couple Behind Tandem American Eatery

Tandem American Eatery opened in September of last year at 8864 E. Tanque Verde Rd. and has begun to settle into a groove.

Patrick and Ayana Malarchik, the husband and wife duo behind the restaurant, aren’t strangers to the restaurant business either. They formerly operated Tandem Upscale Dining and Lounge in Sierra Vista prior to the pandemic. 

A fair amount of the menu items served from scratch at Tandem American Eatery are recipes that originated at their fine dining establishment in Sierra Vista.

The Bananas Foster Bread Pudding and the All American Burger are two of the most well-liked menu items brought over to Tandem American Eatery. 

“They were just so popular and those were the ones that guests would constantly order,” said Ayana. 

It is not only the classic Tandem menu items that get extra attention, every dish is attended to and given the proper consideration by the team. 

The Malarchiks said that their Short Rib Philly sandwich is served with short rib that’s been slowly braised for seven hours. Tandem’s Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato sandwich also features housemade bacon. The team at Tandem smokes and cures their own bacon, too! 

When the idea of the new concept came about, the Malarchiks wanted to bring the quality of service and ingredients that often accompany fine dining to a much faster-paced service. 

“We feel that we are a little bit more approachable at this point,” said Ayana. 

Not only is their service more approachable but Tandem American Eatery’s staff is as strong as ever. 

“You can’t run a restaurant with just one person focusing on the food and not focusing on the front, we have to focus on both the front and the back,” said Ayana. “That is where the Tandem team comes into play. All of our team has to always work together to put out a great dish for our clientele.” 

When asked what she and her husband have learned about being a team in the restaurant industry Ayana said, “We are both well-balanced people… I usually tell people that it is like you’re riding a Tandem bike. If someone falls off or something goes wrong, we have to get back and keep moving forward.” 

Tandem American Eatery also does monthly beer flights with food pairings. 

This month’s menu featured beers from the local Barrio Brewing Company paired with your choice of entree (Cilantro Lime Wings or the Ruban Sandwich). Also, if you’re looking for variety in the brew department, the eatery has a selection of 20 beers on tap. 

At the moment, Tandem is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The Malarchiks have big plans for the future, too.

They’re aiming to expand the business within the next two years, launching another Tandem American Eatery location.  So, stay tuned for that!

Tandem American Eatery is located at 8864 E. Tanque Verde Rd. For more information, visit tandemaz.com and follow Tandem American Eatery on Instagram.