There is a restaurant in downtown Tempe called House of Tricks that has been there for over 30 years. It's a special place that is often used for special occasions, birthdays, graduations and engagements. The restaurant is housed in two old houses with seating spilling over into the front garden surrounded by tall trees. The owner, Robin Trick announced last fall the the restaurant would be closing at the end of June.
When I first started dining there, downtown Tempe was full of old houses that had been turned into small businesses. The city had that small, college town vibe. Over the years, the city has changed drastically. Tempe is surrounded on all sides by other cities so it can't grow outward.
Instead, it has grown upward. This group of buildings is directly across the street. When I first started going to House of Tricks, this street had a few old houses and a large parking lot. No set plans have been announced for the restaurant property but I'm willing to bet that sometime in the near future, it will look just like this. With the incredible growth of Arizona State University, the city of Tempe is in a constant state of change.
Now that the restaurant is closing, getting a reservation is pretty tricky but my friends and I managed a reservation last Tuesday evening. For my last meal at this favorite spot, I chose the Vera Cruz style grilled salmon. It was delicious. House of Tricks you will be missed.
10 comments:
Why do all good things have to come to an end?
How sad, what a truly inviting vibe it has.
That looks so tasty, Sharon. The new construction looks so sterile compared to the restaurant. Cities are losing their character.
It's sad to see old places with character fall by the wayside. As the Buddha said, all things are impermanent!
Always sad to see a place like that close, did he sell to a developer because no one wanted to take it on
oh man that meal looks good but it's nice to see old houses being used for businesses.
Sorry it is closing. It’s been a hard time for business owners.
The whole world is changing.
It looks like it was well worth visiting.
I just discovered that House of Tricks is closing. We have such fond memories of this place inside and outside... mostly two of our kids' graduation celebrations but also for friends reunion each time we were visiting Arizona once moved.
Yes House of Tricks will be missed. Thanks for posting.
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