New Cafe in Downtown Gilbert

Our office decided to try something new for lunch yesterday, and so the Mister expertly maneuvered the back streets, avoiding all Gilbert Road construction, and steered us to the Heartthrob Cafe, next to the Hale Theater. And today, there's some information in the AZ Republic on this cafe:

It's only been open since late December, but the Hearthrob Café has new owners. Benjamin Sang, 24, who with his 25-year-old brothers Brookes and Richard, own The Coyote Grill in Scottsdale, took over operation of the restaurant Feb. 25. Sang said he likes the theme of the place and doesn't plan to change it. The name has been changed slightly, from Hearthrob Music Café to Hearthrob Café.

You could have shot a cannon through there and not hit anyone yesterday, but we were surmising it might be due to the construction; it really is a gauntlet to get there right now. The prices seemed reasonable, the food was good, not great, but the new owners are working on food quality as well:

But there are other areas Sang says need changing from the previous ownership, including food quality and service. "I'm really trying to improve upon the previous owner's theories," he said. So far, the Sang brothers have added to the menu a stuffed pork chop that has a mushroom stuffing and a stuffed salmon with crab stuffing. But those are the only major changes, Sang said. "The menu's pretty much the same. We just kind of improved the recipes," he said. "The pricing is still roughly the same." In the bar, Sang said he hopes to see activities offered, including a possible Texas Hold 'Em tournament Wednesdays, live music Thursdays, and karaoke Fridays and Saturdays. Sang said he would like to add specials.

I hope it does well and lends to the success of the Heritage District.