Many people underestimate the quality of sushi restaurants in this desert state. We have some big names like Nobu and Roka Akor, but there are also some smaller spots that know their way around a piece of nigiri, such as Across The Pond (ATP). Tucked quietly off Central Avenue north of Indian School Road, ATP is a concept by Joshua James and Nick Campisano of Born & Raised Hospitality, who you may know from Clever Koi (in Phoenix and Gilbert), Fellow Osteria & Pizzeria, and Clever Ramen.
Both Campisano and James hail from Arizona, with James being from Phoenix and Campisano from Tucson. They share a passion for the restaurant industry, which has been with them since they were teenagers. Their paths crossed at The Parlor Pizzeria on Camelback Road in the mid-2000s, where Campisano managed the front of the house and James managed the bar program. “Hospitality has always been something that drives me; I’m very passionate about taking care of people and creating a memorable experience,” says Campisano.
It was in 2013 that they came up with the idea of their first concept, Clever Koi, a modern Asian kitchen and craft cocktail bar serving Asian-inspired dishes, such as steamed buns, dumplings, and ramen on Central Avenue. Noticing that ramen was a trend sweeping across large cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago, they felt it would be a good fit for Phoenix. Says James, “We wanted to build a concept where we could have something new on the food side and continue the craft of what we were doing [at The Parlor] with cocktails.”
In 2015, James and Campisano followed the success of Clever Koi Phoenix with a second location in Gilbert, plus the opening of Fellow Osteria in SkySong, a mixed-used commercial space including offices that was once the Los Arcos Mall. Fellow is an Italian concept inspired by the duo’s time at The Parlor, Campisano’s Italian heritage, and a cuisine they love. Fellow’s menu features modern Italian dishes curated by Claudio Urciuoli of Pa’La, including house-made pasta, pizzas, and antipasti.
In 2018, the duo purchased a small wine bar across the breezeway from Clever Koi Central on Central, and Across the Pond opened in November of the same year. James recalls, “At first, I wanted it to be a simple overflow bar [for Clever Koi] with craft cocktails and small bites.” They asked Al Salinas, formerly of Shimogamo in Chandler, to craft a small sushi menu that would pair well with cocktails. Demand grew quickly, and the duo brought on current executive chef Andy Suzuki, who has helped ATP create its own identity apart from that of Clever Koi. “Andy is passionate about the [sushi] craft. We have let him showcase himself and what he really loves…he’s from Japan and he’s very traditional,” says Campisano.
The menu at Across The Pond offers sashimi, nigiri, and select sushi rolls. James notes that you won’t find cream cheese, eel sauce, or Vegas rolls on the menu. “Our primary focus on quality is reflected on our board features, with the seasonality and type of fish. We are happy to give you soy [sauce] but encourage you to try without it. Each [piece] is prepared as such for a reason,” James explains. A perennial favorite of customers, including yours truly, is the coffee-cured salmon nigiri. And if you do ask for soy sauce, it is made from scratch, barrel-aged with various mushrooms and kombu, a type of flavorful, edible kelp.
The craft cocktail program is as fresh and innovative as the sushi menu and has garnered many accolades, most recently for Tales of the Cocktail Best Restaurant Bar in Phoenix. “All [Born & Raised] concepts share three cocktails—The Enabler, Riding the Pine, and Licensed to Drive—that we do everywhere. They are bangers, for lack of a better term. But with ATP, a 32-seat restaurant, we can take it to the next level,” says James, adding, “The focus is [having] an elevated cocktail program, which is why all our service staff are also bartenders… they get to showcase the cocktail that they just created behind the bar.”
One of the most requested cocktails at Across the Pond, perhaps for the name alone, is The Enabler, with Dickel 12-year whiskey, grilled lemon juice, smoked Maldon Sea salt, grade B maple syrup, and Burlesque bitters. Riding the Pine is also very popular, with Gun Club Gin, Lillet Rouge, lime juice, and passion fruit. You could also put your faith in the hands of the staff. “They are passionate about the history behind a lot of spirits. And that’s why the combinations [in the cocktails] stand out and are enjoyable to guests,” says Campisano.
In addition to cocktails, ATP offers draft beer, wine by the glass and bottle, and a curated selection of sake, including several from Arizona Sake made by sake master Atsuo Sakurai in Holbrook. Don’t miss Across The Pond’s Happy Hour from 5 pm to 6 pm daily for 20% off your entire tab. There is also a three-course Omakase menu for $75. With a focus on quality and customer service, ATP will prove to you that smaller (and local) is better. James says, “Overall, we look at going out to dinner as escapism; everybody that walks through the door is looking to get away for a little bit and feel good about what they’re eating and drinking…It’s important to us that every guest who comes here gets the experience they deserve.”
written by: marci symington
photographed by: grace stufkosky