Well, I am sad to report that Pete is gone and so is the heart and soul of this food. After more than 2 years of amazing Thai food right around the corner, we are once again relegated to bland land.
I called to order take out tonight and the number was disconnected so I checked yelp and found the review from Stephanie H. stating that it was under new ownership. I checked their website for a new number and decided that if there was one, I would give them a shot. There was and it is 602-328-9000, just in case you want to give it a go.
A very nice woman answered the phone and I asked about the change in ownership. She confirmed this, but said the recipes are the same so I cautiously ordered two of our favorites: Tom yum soup and Panang curry, both with chicken and medium spice level. NOT THE SAME!! The tom yum was better than many that I have had around the valley, but it was missing that complexity that I loved so much in Pete's. The spice level was comparable. The Panang curry was a weak, runny mess :( It seems like they started with a decent curry paste, but added way too much coconut milk rendering it extremely watery and tasteless. Again, it was missing the soul and it makes me so sad.
I hope that the new owners read this and take heart. I am afraid that they are going to lose all the business that Pete worked so hard to build and they will be out of business within 2 months! So very sad :(