Tía Carmen

phoenix, AZ

Situated inside the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, Tía Carmen restaurant is Celebrity Chef Angelo Sosa’s first restaurant in Arizona. Having completed three stints on the popular TV show “Top Chef,” including Top Chef Allstars, Executive Chef Angelo Sosa partnered with restaurant operator Mark Stone to open Tía Carmen in tribute to his aunt, Carmen.

The restaurant space, formerly occupied by Stone Grill – also constructed by PWI Construction – was completely renovated to usher in the new concept. Designed by Los Angeles-based hospitality design firm Schoos Design, Tía Carmen reveals an ‘Earth meets Art’ theme with sophisticated simplicity, inspired by Chef Sosa’s aunt, the restaurant's namesake, and cues from the surrounding Arizona region. The 419-seat restaurant represents a clean, warm palette with the use of soft curves and arches hugging the space. Handmade plaster light fixture clusters soften the interior providing diverse sources of light in each room.

Oversized natural woven dome fixtures float over the bar area and highlight lounge seating. With a range of cozy dining nooks, guests have a front-row seat to view their preparations as the centerpiece wood-fire grill anchors the restaurant. The exterior reflects a natural yet contemporary desert landscape and includes an open adobe-style fireplace and native Vigas & Latillas architectural details adapted from the Southwestern Pueblo design style. The restaurant features an indoor dining room and bar, an outdoor dining space, and private dining rooms.

PHX Architecture served as the project architect.