Queen Bee Opens Sushi Restaurant

COTTONWOOD, Ariz. – Winemakers and entrepreneurs Maynard James Keenan and Jennifer Keenan and their team behind Queen B Vinyl Café and Merkin Vineyards are pleased to announce the opening of its sister restaurant, [queenbsushi.com]Queen B Sushi, on Sept. 4.

Located in Cottonwood, Arizona at 816 N. Main Street, just around the corner from Queen B Vinyl Café, the concept delivers sustainably sourced Japanese cuisine from world-class chefs to further expand on the Keenans’ commitment to bring exceptional food, wine and music to Old Town Cottonwood.

“When Jen and I were deciding on the Brunch and Ramen menu for the Queen B Vinyl Cafe, we dismissed the idea of also doing a sushi concept because we assumed it would be impossible to find a legitimate sushi chef in Cottonwood,” said Maynard. “Turns out he was standing right next to us. Chef Brett Vibber, our Culinary Director, has worked around the world and is highly trained in Japanese cuisine. Who knew? His vision for food and wine in Arizona seamlessly aligns with ours, so Chef Brett dove into R&D on a sushi menu and then put those plates to the test during pop ups at the Queen B Vinyl Café. They proved fruitful and received great feedback from our lovely locals. Now, with our team assembled and the sushi menu perfected, we are thrilled to officially throw open the doors on September 4th.”

Queen B Sushi is led by Culinary Director Chef Brett Vibber, who honed his skills at ROKA Akor locations in London, Hong Kong, and across the U.S.  He currently oversees the culinary programs at Merkin Vineyards Hilltop Winery & Trattoria and Queen B Vinyl Café. He will be joined by Chef Chuhiro “Thomas” Kato, who honed his craft in Beverly Hills under Chef Nobu Matsuhisa and in New York City under Chef Masaharu Morimoto, as well as Chef Sheridan “Sher” Chase, an Arizona native who has built his culinary resume in kitchens from California to Texas before returning to his home state.

The 1,500-square-foot restaurant will accommodate 44 guests, along with two private dining areas. Queen B Sushi’s menu will feature creative sushi dishes highlighting sustainably sourced seafood and vegetables grown in Merkin’s greenhouses and farms throughout Northern Arizona. The beverage program will feature Queen B wines and Arizona Sake. Queen B Sushi will be open on Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m, Friday and Saturdays from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday and Mondays from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

For more information or to make a reservation, please visit queenbsushi.com or follow Queen B Sushi on social media at @queenbsushi.

Queen B Vinyl Café is an immersive experience co-owned by Grammy Award-winning musician Maynard James Keenan and his wife, Jennifer Keenan. As a record store, it features a curated selection of the latest releases across all genres, while boasting exclusive, limited-edition, and rare releases from Puscifer, A Perfect Circle, and TOOL. As an official Record Store Day participant, Queen B Vinyl Cafe is Northern Arizona’s exclusive outpost for the twice-yearly event.

The multi-building facility also highlights the area’s designation as an American Viticultural Area (AVA), with a wine bar serving selections from Caduceus Cellars, Merkin Vineyards, and Four 8 Wineworks. Queen B Vinyl Cafe rounds out its culinary offerings with a newly established ramen house and coffee roaster. The space also holds a barbershop and tattoo station. For more information, visit https://queenbvinylcafe.com or follow Queen B Vinyl Café on Instagram at @queenbvinyl.

Sitting adjacent to a 9,500 square-foot, state-of-the-art production facility and surrounded by a 4.5-acre vineyard consisting of Graciano, Tempranillo, and Garnacha grape varieties, the Merkin Vineyards Hilltop Winery & Trattoria encompass a winery and cellar, private tasting room, restaurant, and retail space, greenhouse, gelateria, set in the heart of historic Old Town Cottonwood. Their mission is to deliver a 100% Arizona experience with ingredients all sourced from their own greenhouses, gardens and orchards or sourced from local Arizona growers. For more information, visit merkintrattoria.com, or follow Merkin Vineyards on social media at @merkinvineyards.

For the past 20 years, Maynard James Keenan has worked tirelessly to bring Arizona’s burgeoning wine industry to international attention. In the process, he has launched the award-winning Caduceus Cellars & Merkin Vineyards, introducing the world to some of Southwest’s most delicate and refined bottles, campaigned for the Verde Valley’s certification as an American Viticultural Area (designated in 2021), all while growing a thriving local infrastructure and community across the region. Caduceus Cellars & Merkin Vineyards maintains multiple vineyard sites across Arizona, including six vineyards situated amongst the stunning landscapes of the Verde Valley. For more information, visit caduceus.org, or find Caduceus Cellars on social media at @caduceuscellars.

In addition to the original Caduceus Cellars Tasting Room in Jerome, AZ, the Caduceus Cellars Ventura Room is located at adjacent to Merkin Vineyards Hilltop Winery & Trattoria in Old Town Cottonwood, AZ. The Caduceus Ventura Room experience is By Appointment Only and offers an exclusive, in-depth look at the history and mechanics of Caduceus Cellars. It includes a 90-minute private, personal, and exclusive wine and dining tasting experience including rare and archival bottles, a vineyard tour, a facility tour and access to purchase directly from an extensive archive of vintage, rare and limited bottles dating back to 2004. For more information or to book a reservation, please visit caduceusventuraroom.com.