He opened Scottsdale's top restaurant. Now this chef's 'coming home' to Phoenix with a new place
Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this article gave an incorrect restaurant rating.
Chef Dom Ruggiero of Cast Iron Concepts is opening his third restaurant, Fire at Will. He first gained critical acclaim when he opened his first restaurant Hush Public House in Scottsdale in 2019 and earned a 4.5-star review from Dominic Armato, The Arizona Republic's dining critic at the time. Ruggiero opened Vanilla Gorilla Tap Room & Bottle Shop in 2021, also in north Scottsdale, and now, on Nov. 11, he plans to open Fire at Will, his third restaurant, in north Phoenix at the northeast corner of Shea and Tatum boulevards.
Ruggiero wanted to build a place he'd go to. The name was inspired by a combination of his military background as a Marine and kitchen lingo, where to "fire a dish" means to start cooking it.
"Because we offer a communal experience and do so many shared plates, we'll have people order a bunch of stuff and we fire at will in the kitchen and space it out for you," he said.
The longtime Phoenix chef recognizes that it's a gutsy move to open a restaurant in this economy. "It's definitely been challenging, but here we are," said Ruggiero. "We are ready to open and hope everybody shows up to support us."
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Where is Fire at Will located?
Fire at Will took over the 2,700-square-foot space formerly occupied by Little Cay, a Caribbean restaurant, and did a 180 from the vibrant, tropical colors to create a restaurant that's "dark, sexy and a little moody," said Ruggiero.
The restaurant is lined with brick and has black ceilings, burgundy tiles and a concrete bar. At the center of the room hangs a 30-foot-long plant light fixture.
Indie and hip-hop music add to the edgy vibe, which Ruggiero believes the area needs.
"I wanted to add to my community and bring some cool stuff here."
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What's on the menu at Dom Ruggiero's new restaurant?
Ruggiero describes the menu as eclectic with Spanish, Middle Eastern, Italian and French influences and elevated bar food. "It's food I want to eat and can be shared," he said.
Whereas Hush is more minimalistic with an everchanging menu, Fire at Will will have a regular menu with additional chef features.
Jamon Iberico croquettes come topped with harissa mayo and manchego cheese. Bacon-wrapped dates are stuffed with local goat cheese, walnuts and muhammara, a roasted red pepper dip. Fresh oysters and Scotch eggs also make appearances.
Ruggiero's famous Hush burger is also on the menu as well as a smoked bologna sandwich, a mini crab roll made with seafood from Nelson's Meat and Fish market and Noble Bread.
As for beverage, Ruggiero will serve an all local beer menu that will change seasonally. He partnered with the Shop Beer Co. to make a crispy lager that will be the house beer for all his Cast Iron Concepts restaurants.
Mitch Lyons and Libby Lingua from Two Hands Consulting and Highball designed the cocktail menu, creating 10 new craft cocktails for Fire at Will, which they describe as twists on traditional cocktails.
Kayla Reed from Hush Public House will manage the new restaurant, initially open for dinner service daily from 5 to 10 p.m. After the holidays, Ruggiero plans to expand hours to include lunch service.
The grand opening is scheduled for Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
Details: 4912 E. Shea Blvd., #108, Phoenix. 480-207-1819, eatfireatwill.com.
Reach the reporter at BAnooshahr@azcentral.com. Follow @banooshahr on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix restaurant Fire at Will is now open. Here's what to expect
