So much of what we love about the Valley is what it puts in our bodies, from lavender-infused lattes to Korean corn dogs to pomegranate cosmos. Salut!
Pizzeria Bianco The more things change… the more our undying devotion to this Phoenix institution stays the same. Two locations, pizzeriabianco.com Spinato’s Pizzeria and Family Kitchen Also getting votes in our staff-wide office poll: Pino’s, Grimaldi’s, Stumpy’s, Barro’s. Multiple locations, spinatospizzeria.com Paradise Valley Burger Co. “No one [gets my vote] since Delux closed,” groused one contributor, who obviously hasn’t tried PVBC’s fiendishly good crème brûlée burger. 4001 E. Bell Rd, Phoenix, 602-535-4930, pvburgercompany.com Hana Japanese Eatery Chef-owner Lori Hashimoto’s James Beard Award nomination only reaffirms what her fans have long known: Hana is one of Arizona’s great culinary treasures. 5524 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix, 602-973-1238, hanajapaneseeatery.com Tacos Chiwas Foodie passions ran high in the PHOENIX offices over this award – particularly for runner-up CRUjiente Tacos – but couple-owned Chiwas and its Chihuahuan lengua tacos speak our language. Multiple locations, tacoschiwas.com Andreoli Italian Grocer Led by lovable old-timer Giovanni Scorzo, this Scottsdale mainstay is so unpretentious and people-pleasing, it probably could win the “Family Italian” category, too. But now Scorzo also has a James Beard nomination, which just seems fancy. 8880 E. Vía Linda, Scottsdale, 480-614-1980, andreoli-grocer.com Aiello’s Italian Kitchen Homestyle, East Coast pastas rule at this North Central mom-and-pop. 777 E. Thunderbird Rd., Phoenix, 602-517-0449, aiellositalianrestaurant.com
Churn The debate got a little sticky with this one – Sweet Republic, Melt, Papa Ed’s and Novel also received votes from our staff. 5223 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 602-279-8024, churnaz.com Durant’s A groundswell of red-tufted-leather nostalgia propels this Jersey-toned Downtown classic over perennial winner Steak 44. 2611 N. Central Ave, Phoenix, 602-264-5967, durantsaz.com
Glai Baan Cat Bunnag’s transformative street-style restaurant in CenPho executes a near-office-sweep in the critical Thai category. 2333 E. Osborn Rd., Phoenix, 602-595-5881, glaibaanaz.com Barrio Café PM staffers had little luck arriving at a clear-cut consensus in this hyper-competitive category, casting votes for Centrico, Casa Carazón, The Mission and more. When in doubt, pick Barrio. 2814 N. 16th St., Phoenix, 602-636-0240, barriocafe.com Someburros The quiescence of low-hassle, no-frills, predictably pleasurable Sonoran food. Just give us that pollo fundido and let us tune out, man. Multiple locations, someburros.com Noble Eatery Besides selling its much-admired loaves to a gazillion Valley restaurants, this Biltmore-area baker makes the city’s most consistently exquisite sandwiches. 4525 N. 24th St., Phoenix, 602-688-2424, noblebread.com
After you’re done perusing our learned editorial BOV picks, check out our readers’ vote for more culinary bests.
Food-Lover Alert!
2022 Best of the Valley Food & Drink Staples
Editorial StaffJuly 3, 2022
