The Covenant Celebrates One Year Serving Paradise Valley

The Place: The Covenant
The Location: 4740 E. Shea Blvd., Phoenix
By: Shoshana Leon

The Covenant restaurant at Tatum and Shea celebrates its one-year anniversary in August. In its first year, the restaurant has evolved by listening to its customers and the local community. The name Covenant refers to an agreement. “It’s an agreement between the staff, our guests and the community,” said general manager Jon Woo who has been in the restaurant industry for 20 years.

The Covenant is part of the OHSO Brewery and Distillery family. The space is striking with a bar in the center of the restaurant with elegant, plush baby blue chairs and stunning chandeliers. Although the atmosphere is upscale, the vibe is friendly and fun. Jon describes the Covenant as a place where everyone feels welcome.

Jon’s philosophy is to give the guests what they want and learn from feedback given to the restaurant staff and in online reviews. “We want to build relationships with our guests. We want to make a good impression so they will continue to come back,” said Jon.

The food is fresh and beautifully presented. The innovative and diverse menu includes a variety of choices from salads and sandwiches to fresh fish and a Tomahawk steak. There is also a daily chef’s inspiration. Bestsellers on the Covenant’s menu include the hummus board with roasted vegetables and homemade pita, cedar plank salmon with maple mustard glaze and fire-braised short ribs served with farro risotto.

Soon after opening, the Covenant introduced happy hour and refined the menu based on customer input. Happy hour is available Monday through Friday from 3:00-6:00 pm. Happy hour snacks range in price from $6-$12, and include Brussels sprouts with andouille sausage, prawn Caprese with mozzarella and heirloom tomatoes, poke bowl, a sea stack with a scallop, beets, goat cheese and arugula, and a half-pound bacon cheeseburger. Happy hour beverages include $5 craft beers from OHSO and other breweries, a selection of wines for $7, and cocktails for $6, including a classic martini, the Lincoln Drive whiskey raspberry concoction and the Arcadia Cosmopolitan made with Meyer lemon vodka.

To meet the needs of its customers, the Covenant offers gluten-free options, including charred octopus, shrimp and crab ceviche, and salad nicoise with pepper-crusted ahi tuna. Vegan-friendly items include a cauliflower steak served with quinoa salad and tomato cucumber relish, and arugula and melon salad with avocado and chili lime vinaigrette.

The Covenant’s Saturday and Sunday brunch from 10:30 am-2:00 pm includes $15 bottomless champagne, steel-cut oats, vegetable frittata and avocado toast. The restaurant also offers half-price bottles of wine on Sunday and Monday from 3:00- 10:00 pm.

From the food to the service to the atmosphere, the Covenant is the type of place that diners want to revisit, and the staff welcomes their feedback. “We love our customers and we love the community,” said Jon. “We will continue to listen to their input to make the Covenant the best possible experience for them.”