Special thanks to Brad and Kat Moore of Short Leash and Sit…Stay, the restaurant for hosting such a fun Get Your PHX event in August –the Dog Days of Summer. Yes, I said it.

Thanks, also to all of our Get Your PHX Free Raffle contributors: Donna Reiner, Lisa Olson of Practical Art, Har Pal Khalsa and Ben Bethel of the Clarendon Hotel and Spa.

We are all very excited about having our next Get Your PHX at The Vig Fillmore. (Can you say “Bocce Ball”?)

Its been a long-time coming, the talk of the town –and we’ve been watching with anticipation. The fact that the owners of The Vig Arcadia and The Vig Uptown are opening their third venture, The Vig Fillmore should be seen as beautiful news.

Restaurant owners typically do a great deal of research before they open. They know where the people will be, they know where the rooftops are coming. They know something that not many people know. In this case, they  know that there are plans a-plenty for new housing development in the lower Roosevelt historic district. This is going to be great for urban density and walkability.

We all know the history of this corner of 4th Ave and Fillmore. I first remember it as a garden shop. That sold and became Palette, a very popular brunch spot. That closed and became Local Breeze, which had a hard time from the very beginning.

I am excited that Jim Riley, owner of the Vig, is going to pull out all the stops on this project. Part of the problem with the previous incarnations was that they could not afford the level of renovation that was needed to make a fully-functional restaurant. I know that the historic preservationist among us (me included) will look forward to seeing how The Vig folks preserved our history as they renovated this property.

Vig General Manager Logan Purser and Executive Chef Jorge Gomez will be on hand to tell us about the process of renovation, as well as what they have planned for this menu. Will it differ from the menus at The Vig Arcadia and The Vig Uptown?

In my conversations with folks at The Vig Fillmore, I learned that they are putting a premium on being a part of the fabric of the neighborhood. I was pleased to hear that, as many of us downtown have seen what has happened to business owners who do not take an active role in their neighborhoods.

As downtown grows and becomes more dense, we know that communications become increasingly important –not only for sharing limited space, but also for defining what our future will look like.

Please spread the work on this event and come out to try the free samples of their new menu, as well as the drink specials.

Oh, and see below for more photos and don’t forget to RSVP on Facebook so our kind hosts can plan ahead.