THRILLIST PHOENIX

“Heralded by James Beard Foundation award nominee Chef Bernie Kantak, Citizen Public House offers a contemporary approach to gastropub eats. The unpretentious Old Town restaurant has nabbed numerous awards and accolades since its opening in 2011. And guests come back again and again for their fine cocktails and pub-style fare, which includes the signature mac and cheese, crab cakes with oaxacan chile remoulade, sauced short ribs, and of course, the original chopped salad. Don’t miss Benjamin’s Upstairs on your next visit to this Scottsdale staple. The swanky, speakeasy-style lounge is an extension of the restaurant that’s effortlessly hidden above the main floor.”

Our co-owners & founders, Chef Bernie Kantak + Andrew Fritz talked all things hospitality, the history of that famous chopped salad & the importance of a”half baked” mentality

EATER PHOENIX:

“Chef Bernie Kantak and his longtime business partner Andrew Fritz of Citizen Public House and The Gladly have opened a winsome all-day restaurant in a tiny, tucked-away space in the heart of Old Town. Expect exceptional coffee (thanks to coffee nerd Fritz) and Kantak’s ridiculously good savory kolache (don’t miss the birria when they have it). Other offerings include an unlikely but delicious chia pudding-blue corn grits combo (festooned with berries and coconut-pecan granola), a light, summery crab and shrimp roll, Kantak’s legendary chopped salad, and the best French toast in town.”

“Chef and owner Bernie Kantak is probably most famous for the legendary Stetson chopped salad on the menu at Citizen Public House, the first restaurant he and partner Andrew Fritz opened in Old Town Scottsdale over a decade ago. But Kantak comes from a family of butchers, and many of his meat dishes at both restaurants are legendary as well, including the Commander Hamburger at the Gladly………”