Back in July, our office-mates at Scoop Factory broke the news about big changes coming to Phoenix’s The Wrigley Mansion and its on-site Geordie’s Restaurant. Now those details have finally been, um, finalized. Read on to get all the delicious deets, including how the widow of a reclusive Valley millionaire hired her new boyfriend’s ex-wife to run the joint. Confused yet?

According to the Arizona Republic, Geordie’s will close for a wall-to-wall revamp this summer, led by new CEO, Paola Embry. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Embry runs Crush, a stylish wine bar inside the nearby Biltmore Fashion Park. Plus, Embry is also the co-owner of Crush’s fine-dining sister space, Christopher’s, which is named after famed local chef, Christopher Gross, who used to be married to Embry.

Still with us? Good, because chef Christopher Gross is now dating Jamie Hormel, the widow of former Valley bigwig, Geordie Hormel. Geordie (pictured) was an heir to the Hormel meat-packing fortune, as well as a bit of a jet-setting Jay Gatsby type back in the day. If Gatsby had been married to a famed French actress, composed music for classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons, owned an iconic recording studio and palled around with The Beach Boys.

A few decades back, Geordie Hormel purchased The Wrigley Mansion, and threw his considerable fortune into restoring this landmark 24-bedroom estate, which he then left to Jamie Hormel when he died in 2006. Which brings us back to the present.

As for the new-and-improved Geordie’s, look for a more contemporary, seasonal menu, as well as an expanded focus on wines. There will even be a new custom wine featuring label artwork based on a painting by Geordie Hormel, the Republic reports. Sounds like the perfect salute to one of the Valley’s true characters.

King of the Hill:  2501 E. Telawa Trail, 602-955-4079

(As a private club, all guests must purchase a one-year $10 membership)

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