Pa'La and Thai Chili 2 Go owners partner to open a new restaurant at Epicenter in Gilbert

Priscilla Totiyapungprasert, Arizona Republic
·2 min read

The owners of Pa'La and Thai Chili 2 Go have partnered up to create Source, a new restaurant set to open in Gilbert's Epicenter, a multi-use development within the upscale, master-planned community of Agritopia.

Prolific restaurateur Akshat Sethi of Thai Chili 2 Go developed the concept with chef Claudio Urciuoli of Pa'La. Urciuoli is curating a menu of ingredient-driven Mediterranean dishes for the casual concept.

What to expect at Source restaurant

Urciuoli is best known for Pa'La, Phoenix restaurants known for minimalist tapas, woodfired dishes and fresh Italian bread served with high-quality olive oil.

At Source, dishes will be made using a variety of cooking techniques, from steel plancha grilling to fermentation and bakers will make bread with naturally leavened, stone ground whole grains.

"We are a vital connection between land and sea and our guests," Sethi said in a news release. "We believe in cooking in symbiosis with the ecosystem, balancing our consumption with the rhythms of nature.”

The menu will feature sandwiches, salads and pizza, as well as a variety of mezze, tapas and cicchetti — small snacks typically served in Venice and accompanied by a small glass of wine.

Source will also feature a retail market where guests can pick up a bottle of natural wine and house-made bread.

What is Epicenter in Gilbert?

A rendering of the new Epicenter mixed-use development in Gilbert's Agritopia.
A rendering of the new Epicenter mixed-use development in Gilbert's Agritopia.

Epicenter is the capstone project for Agritopia, a 166-acre community serving middle class to affluent families. Planned by father-son duo Joe and William Johnston, Agritopia features the family's farm, a private Christian school, a retirement home and tree-lined sidewalks in front of cottages.

Epicenter is a high-end, mixed-used development featuring luxury apartments, restaurants, bars, retail shops and fitness studios. Air Guitar, a posh convenience store from the Postino co-founders, opened at Epicenter in fall 2021.

Other food and beverage businesses opening soon include award-winning tiki bar UnderTow, Peixoto coffee shop and Vietnamese-inspired restaurant Belly.

Source is scheduled to open at Epicenter in spring 2022.

Details: Source at Epicenter, 3150 E. Ray Road, Gilbert. eatatsource.com.

Reach the reporter at Priscilla.Totiya@azcentral.com. Follow @priscillatotiya on Twitter and Instagram.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Source restaurant will open at Epicenter in Gilbert