The bar still has a secluded speakeasy feel.
“I’m going to get that bar.” That’s what Tommy Plato of Scottsdale’s Second Story Liquor Bar said shortly after news hit that Scottsdale mainstay Kazimierz Wine Bar had closed its doors for good late last year. Peter Kasperski may have shuttered the beloved watering hole, but loyalists need not worry. Plato has plans to infuse new life into the cherished brand. “People were so bummed about the closing,” he says. “I wanted to keep a piece of Arizona history while creating a place that people have an emotional connection to.” Plato reimagined Kazimierz as a wine and whiskey bar, staying true to the original’s extensive vino offerings while also curating a menu of unique and rare whiskeys. He loosely modeled the new space after New York City’s The Flatiron Room, with its lineup of live jazz and bespoke supper club vibe. Plato bought all new furniture, built a back bar and added private dining rooms. Additionally, he offers Whiskey Bottle Keep—where you can buy and store high-end bottles, accessing them when you visit—and a barrel program featuring handpicked, single-barrel whiskeys. For food, think small plates, shareable noshes and decadent desserts. Other changes guests can look forward to include daily hours of operation and live music every evening. “Peter Kasperski did a great job with Kaz,” says Plato. “I’m here to enhance it.” 7137 E. Stetson Drive, 480.946.3004
The buttery WTF Biscuits make a filling late-night nosh.
Photography by: NBMA photography/courtesy of kazimierz
