PastaBar closed, but it's not the end of the world

The closing of PastaBAR this week and Verde a little while back probably has downtown’s critics and haters gleeful. But the reality is that the downtown Phoenix restaurant scene is like everyplace else right now: driven by value. In PastaBAR, you had a great product at prices that were too high, and at Verde you had decent prices but an inferior quality of food. Those are both killer combinations in a challenging environment for restaurants, especially given how competitive the downtown market has suddenly become. Downtown dining is a symbol of the area’s health— it’s the real estate market that is the cause for concern.