Phoenix Art Museum’s all-new restaurant, Alden, is mastering the art of dining. Positioned alongside the museum’s verdant Dorrance Sculpture Garden, the 3,862 square-foot space serves vibrant New American fare in a stylish midcentury modern ambiance.

“Through this collaboration with Conceptually Social, we wanted to create an experience that honors the museum’s midcentury history while providing our community with a new dining experience featuring thoughtful design and an innovative food and beverage program,” says Jeremy Mikolajczak, Sybil Harrington Director and CEO of Phoenix Art Museum. “Created by the incredible Monica X Castillo, Alden’s menu will reflect the global influences and cultures that have shaped Phoenix.”

Alden’s namesake comes from acclaimed architect Alden B. Dow, who designed the original Phoenix Art Museum building at Central Avenue and McDowell Road in the late 1950s.

Following his graduation from Columbia University’s Beaux Arts Architecture Program in 1933, Dow journeyed to Arizona to join Frank Lloyd Wright’s prestigious Taliesin Fellowship. After completing his fellowship, he returned to Michigan, his home state, to open his architecture firm. Throughout his career, Dow built over 500 properties across 14 states—several of which are in Arizona. A leader in the midcentury modern “organic architecture” movement—a term coined by his former mentor Frank Lloyd Wright—Dow’s architectural style is emblematic of his desire to create harmony between man-made structures and their natural surroundings.

Dow’s legacy lives on through both his buildings and the Alden and Vada Dow Family Foundations—a charity he created with his wife in 1960 to fund the arts, environment, education, health and human services, and youth programs in Michigan.

Designed by architecture firm Shepley Bulfinch, MRT Design and DL Norton General Contracting, Alden (the restaurant) further pays homage to the prolific architect’s legacy by incorporating distinctive design elements from the original Phoenix Art Museum building as well as Dow’s signature use of color and bold, organic shapes.

Throughout the restaurant, you’ll find an open-concept kitchen, striking horizontal lines and an expansive and inviting dining room seeping with natural light pouring in from the adjacent sculpture garden.

On par with Alden’s uplifting ambiance is a refreshing and diverse food and beverage program led by Monica X Castillo.

“Food, art, storytelling—all of these things make up who I am and how I support my community,” says Castillo. “I am extremely excited to be working on the food and beverage program for Alden and am in awe of this opportunity. I hope to creatively elevate the restaurant so the community can expect the same level of excellence and service that they enjoy from their experiences at Phoenix Art Museum.”

Museum visitors can enjoy a full-service lunch or dinner at Alden (aldenphx.com) five days a week, as well as grab-and-go breakfast and coffee in the morning. Additional curated dining experiences inspired by the museum’s exhibitions will take place throughout the year.