If Little Woody and Ziggy's had a baby, it would be this funky restaurant in Scottsdale
Corrections & Clarifications: The name of NYPD Pizza, Night Owl and Ziggy's Magic Pizza chef Greg Ziegler was misspelled in an earlier version of this article.
Tucker Woodbury, the owner of Genuine concepts, which includes The Vig, The Womack and The Little Woody, is opening Night Owl Pizza and Drinks in Scottsdale on March 8.
Located at the northeast corner of Hayden and McDowell roads, the space was initially planned as another location of The Little Woody. But since it had formerly been home to a pizza restaurant and Woodbury is also a partner with Ariel Bracamonte and Chuckie Duff who own Ziggy's Magic Pizza, he decided to create "a cool little neighborhood dive with killer pizza" instead.
The name is a nod to The Little Woody's owl logo, which was inspired by an owl graffitied on the wall of the original Little Woody's building when it was going through renovations.
Night Owl references several of Woodbury's concepts: both The Little Woody and Ziggy's in spirit and design, with a very Vig-esque large 2,100 square-foot patio.
"We wanted to bring a neighborhood bar to south Scottsdale," Woodbury said.
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What to expect at Night Owl
Woodbury describes the design, developed by his wife, interior designer Trina Boyd, as "a throwback to your father's basement."
"I'm a collector ... and it ends up being a mini hoarding situation," Woodbury said. As a previous skateboarder, he has a mammoth collection of skateboards that he said just sat in his garage. Boyd incorporated them into the space by making a wall of about 120 vintage skateboards from the late '70s to mid-'80s. The wall is an acknowledgment of the neighboring skateboard park.
Old paintings and Woodbury's trophies also made it into the space along with other unexpected finds. There is an area with black light posters and a room with funhouse mirrors — something Woodbury said he always wanted — and a bar top made with old pinball machine playfields that are lit from beneath.
When a monsoon blew over a mesquite tree that was meant to provide shade to the patio, the builders repurposed it into a wall for the bar.
"We like to build cool places," Woodbury said.
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What's on the menu at Night Owl?
Greg Ziegler, the creative force behind Ziggy's and NYPD Pizza, developed the recipes for Night Owl.
According to Woodbury, it's a simple menu of pizzas, smash burgers and 12 beers on tap and signature craft cocktails.
The pizzas include classics like pepperoni and combos like The Boss, made with tomato sauce, pepperoni, sausage, bacon and mozzarella and Pretty Fly for a White Pie, made with olive oil, fresh garlic, seasoned ricotta, mozzarella, tomato and spinach.
Visit Night Owl Pizza and Drinks
Night Owl officially opens March 8.
Details: 1645 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale. nightowlaz.com.
Hours: Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 2 a.m.
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Reach the reporter at BAnooshahr@azcentral.com. Follow @banooshahr on Twitter.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Night Owl Pizza and Drinks opening in Scottsdale. What to expect
