BEST MODERN MEXICAN NEWCOMER
Chilte
The restaurant’s prominent no vale, madre sign (translation: “I don’t give a sh**”) outside its Grand Avenue storefront speaks volumes about chef-owner Lawrence Smith’s self-described “new wave” Mexican cooking: a quirky, elevated melding of street food, traditional dishes and imaginative, chef-y touches (like squid ink tortillas). In several visits since its debut last spring, we’ve been impressed
every time.
765 Grand Ave., Phoenix, 602-807-5226, chiltephx.com
BEST MENUDO
El Jacal Mexican Restaurant
Did you wake up Sunday morning with a head like John the Baptist and a mouth like a fur boot? No better cure for a night of inebriation than a heaping bowl of mole de panza, aka “stomach sauce,” aka menudo – a stew of beef tripe, hominy and chiles, with a side of corn tortillas. El Jacal’s menudo is made from a family recipe, served in a savory red broth sure to ease the throbbing in your head and soothe your sketchy stomach. It’s also delicious without a hangover, but where’s the fun in that?
2822 N. 32nd St., Phoenix, 602-368-9051, eljacalaz.com
BEST TACO TUESDAY TACOS
Tempe City Tacos
Balance the comforting routine of Taco Tuesday with the thrill of the unknown at this pleasantly hip Tempe emporium. Along with the yummy shrimp and veggie and outstanding pineapple-marinated al pastor selections, the chef offers a weekly one-off taco creation on Tuesdays for $2.50. Plus, it’s BYOB.
119 E. Southern Ave., Tempe, 480-967-8226, tempecitytacos.com
BEST WEEKEND-ONLY TACOS
Chitters Tacos y Más
The phrase “home cooking” gets a whole new meaning at this Saturday-and-Sunday-only taqueria tucked in a far-westside residential neighborhood. The kitchen is a tiny food truck, and the dining area is the screened-in-patio of the proprietor’s house. The setting is peaceful, the prices are low, the tacos “y más” are heavenly.
19250 W. Earll Dr., Litchfield Park, 602-703-2797
BEST BACK-TO-BASICS BURRITOS
Rita’s Burritos
Call these the anti-California burritos. Where their West Coast brethren (Cali- and Mission-style) are huge, jam-packed with fillings like guacamole, pico de gallo, fries, rice and beans, these slim cylinders are minimalist: meat or beans and cheese, not all together. The simplicity lets the sparse ingredients – fresh, handmade flour tortillas and braised proteins like pork chile verde and chicken mole – shine without distraction. Sometimes it’s good to be basic.
4040 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler, 480-404-9128, ritasburritos.com
BEST USE OF FRUIT ON A PIZZA
Peach Pizza at Myke’s Pizza
For about six weeks at the end of August, Valley pizza savant Myke Olsen – who runs his eponymous pie shop inside Cider Corps in downtown Mesa – puts out a stellar fresh-peach pizza that’s unexpectedly more savory than sweet. He pairs the juicy fruit with Gouda and mozzarella, crisply fried fresh sage and bits of pistachio to make a delightful seasonal pie.
31 S. Robson Rd., 480-687-8526, Mesa, mykespizza.com
BEST GRASS-FED FILET
J&G Steakhouse
Sometimes, this upspeakably scenic resort steakhouse at The Phoenician gets lost in the “best of” conversation, perhaps due to its celebrity provenance (Jean-Georges Vongerichten started it, but parted ways). So it pays from time to time to reacquaint oneself with exec chef Jacques Qualin’s quiet brilliance, most addictively expressed via his 8-ounce grilled filet done Oscar-style with crab and Hollandaise. It’s kingly. And Qualin is a local treasure.
6000 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale, 480-214-8000, jgsteakhousescottsdale.com
BEST PIEROGI
All Pierogi Kitchen
“Pierogi, pierogi, two for a dime…” in the words of the great Walt Solek, the Clown Prince of Polka. You’ll pay slightly more than that for these pillowy pockets of sauerkraut, potato, mushroom, cheese, etc., but they’re worth every dime. Partner them with a bowl of the Kitchen’s savory borscht.
1245 W. Baseline Rd., Mesa, 480-262-3349, allpierogi.com
BEST BEEF STEW
Soup & Sausage Bistro
The all-American beef stew many of us grew up on is tasty, if a little one-note: salty beef. So, imagine our surprise when we tucked into a bowl of shredded meat, tender potatoes and fat-rich broth at this Eastern European eatery and tasted a panoply of herbs and spices. A whole bouquet of rich and developed flavors beyond salt! Dinty Moore could never.
13240 N. Seventh St., Phoenix, 480-319-2208, myeurokitchen.com
BEST SNOUT-TO-TAIL RESTAURANT
Persepshen
Chef-owner Jason Dwight doesn’t waste a scintilla of the Ibérico hogs he butchers in-house, using the skins for chicharrones, hearts for pâté, livers for sausage, bellies for bacon, heads for head cheese, chuck eye for coppa and shoulders/butts for sausage and salumi. His methods are admirably hands-on. The results are swoon-worthy.
4700 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 602-935-2932, persepshenarizona.com
BEST NEW-SCHOOL COMFORT FOOD
Fire at Will
You’d expect to find the city’s best no-frills burger and richest rendition of mac and cheese at a downhome diner, but nope, these dreamy comfort foods and many others are staples at this sexy Paradise Valley-adjacent enclave where customers sip trendy cocktails amid hanging greenery and dramatic lighting.
4912 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, 480-207-1819, eatfireatwill.com
BEST BARBECUE TWIST
Caldwell County Mexi-Q
Barbecue is a perfect cuisine. No notes. Except, well… maybe it could use a little texture beyond the tender melt of meat and the softness of the traditional sides (beans, mac, white bread, potato salad). Enter crunchy corn tortillas and juicy bits of raw tomato, chiles and onion in salsas and toppings at this Mexican-inflected barbecue joint, which offers brisket heaped on crackly tostada shells and stuffed into plancha-crisped birria tacos. Smoke, suppleness, acidity and crunch – true perfection.
546 N. Gilbert Rd., Gilbert, 480-813-3727, ccmexiq.com
BEST SOUPS
Tapas Papa Frita
The tapas – patatas bravas, boquerones, – are top-notch at this slice of Spain in Old Town Scottsdale, claro que si. But don’t skip the sopas. From chilly gazpacho to steaming alubias (red bean soup with pimentos and chorizo), the soups are assertively seasoned and supremely satisfying. Our favorite: sopa de ajo, a roasted garlic soup that is a religious experience for garlic devotees.
7114 E. Stetson Dr., 480-699-5004, tapaspapafrita.com
BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT
Feringhee
With its blinged-out bar and vibrant, gorgeously plated food, Feringhee is lightyears removed from its old-school, tikka-masala-and-call-it-a-day counterparts, thanks to boundary-pushing head chef Karan Mittal. Yogurt mousse foam and fried shiso leaf? Oh, Ganesha, yes.
3491 W. Frye Rd., Chandler, 480-534-7178, feringhee.com
BEST GOURMET LUNCH
Confluence
Nowadays, 20 bucks doesn’t buy much more than a mediocre sandwich – unless you’re at Confluence, where you’ll find painstakingly prepared lunch dishes such as corned beef tongue with asparagus and egg yolk ($18); and soft-scrambled goose egg with Kennebec potato, mascarpone and cockscomb ($17). Or get a fast-casual cheeseburger. Your pick!
36889 N. Tom Darlington Dr., Carefree, 480-488-9796, restaurantconfluence.com
BEST PROXY FOR THE AMALFI COAST
Eden Rooftop Lounge
We’re surprised the influencers haven’t caught wind of this one yet – the angular terra cotta, pink-and-blue tiles at Hotel Palomar’s transportive poolside lounge are textbook TikTok bait. Likewise, the Mediterannean-inpired drinks and dishes (brainchildren of barman Clint Spotleson and chef Alex Robinson, respectively) are bright and unexpected. If you close your eyes and take a bite of seared tuna or a sip of Moscato, you might be able to convince yourself that gust of desert wind is a gentle sea breeze.
2 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix, 602-258-0231, edenbarphoenix.com
BEST SEAFOOD TOWER
Pa’la Downtown
“Tower” is a bit of misnomer, here – chef Jason Alford’s giddy anthology of oceanic delicacies is generally horizontal – but you get the picture. Seasonal and ever-shifting, the blackboard medley usually includes three temaki handrolls, a retinue of creatively plated oysters, a shellfish goody of some kind and unbearable doses of deliciousness. It’s a towering achievement, whatever the elevation.
132 E. Washington St. Phoenix, 602-368-3052, palakitchen.com
BEST WAY TO TRICK YOUR TASTEBUDS
Superfood Salad at LON’s at The Hermosa Inn
The exact mixture of superfoods in this delightful dish depends on the season, but often includes arugula, blueberries, dried cranberries, Marcona almonds, quinoa, roasted yams, avocado and pomegranate seeds bathed in tangy apple cider vinaigrette. This dreamy salad is so good, you’d never guess it was healthy. Add salmon and you’ve hit the superfood jackpot.
5532 N. Palo Cristi Rd., Paradise Valley, 602-955-7878, hermosainn.com
BEST JAMAICAN FOOD
Topnotch Island Flavor Kitchen
You truly feel like part of the family at Gayle and Curtis Reid’s little pocket of Jamaica in North Phoenix. And while the greatest hits of Jamaican cuisine – jerk chicken, beef patties, ackee and salt fish, rice and peas – are all fantastic here, we urge you not to skip Mum’s Fried Chicken, Gayle’s grandmother’s secret recipe that is flavorful down to the bone.
16816 N. Cave Creek Rd., Phoenix, 602-283-5600, topnotchislandflavorkitchen.net
BEST CRUDO
Piccolo Virtù
Nearly every aspirational restaurant has a crudo on the menu, but Piccolo has eight of them – beautifully composed, frequently changing plates of raw fish or meat, laved in aromatic juices, oils and vinaigrettes, presented in unique combos and bestowed with dainty garnishes. They’re the main thing that sets Piccolo apart from chef-owner Gio Osso’s original Virtù, and you’ll want them all.
7240 E. Main St., Scottsdale, 480-663-3296, piccolovirtu.com
BEST ADULT “LUNCHBOX”
TDOriginals
She’s lauded for her pastry prowess, but chef Tracy Dempsey is just as skilled in savory cooking. To wit: the goldmine that is her retail bakery and wine shop’s cooler, which she stocks weekly with grab-and-go lunches like galettes (ratatouille, caramelized onion, Caprese), soups, salads, quiche, hand pies, mac and cheese or whatever strikes her fancy. No matter the menu, it tops last night’s leftovers for lunch al desk-o. Open for lunch Thursday-Saturday, or for pre-arranged pickups on other days.
1325 W. University Dr., Tempe, 602-376-9021, tracydempseyoriginals.com
BEST PORK PROGRAM
Arboleda
Pork shoulder – or pork butt, in butcher’s parlance – is generally known as a barbecue cut, meaning it’s nothing you’d want to eat without several hours of slow cooking to melt the collogens and connective bits. How to explain, then, chef Evan Gotanda’s pork Pluma, an insanely tender, toothsome dish of grilled pork shoulder steak? Undoubtedly, the answer can be partly found in the elite Ibérico swine that Gotanda candies in orange and thyme. Or maybe he’s just a magician.
15345 N. Scottsdale Rd., 480-701-1007, arboledaaz.com
Best Roasted Chicken
Bacanora
1301 Grand Ave., Phoenix, 602-612-4018, bacanoraphx.com
- On his now-legendary Santa Maria grill, chef-owner Rene Andrade fires his pollo asado “to a crispy golden-brown… yet supple and savory beneath that fabulous, salty bark,” to quote ourselves.
- Served whole with a side of kick-ass pinto beans.
- Several Arizona Cardinals are fans; so is Esquire magazine, which name Bacanora one of the 40 best restos in the U.S. in 2021.
Kabob Grill N’ Go
3050 N. 16th St., Phoenix, 602-607-5272, kabobgrillngo.com
- At his Calle 16 kabobery, chef-owner Tony Chilingaryan uses Cornish game hens, which have sweet, delicate and flavorful meat.
- Quoting ourselves again: “[Tasting] subtly of citrus and coriander, the hen is mesquite-broiled until it achieves a divine ratio of supple juiciness and crispy char.”
- Served whole and on-the-bone, with a side of chimichurri so garlic-foward, it will make your nose run.
