Relive a red-letter year in Valley dining with our picks for the new restaurants most worthy of your immediate gustatory attention – from the Scottsdale sushi spot led by an old culinary lion to a pair of upstart Downtown diners that started life on four wheels. We have salty, succulent jamón. We have supple, oil-slickened crudo. We have a shocking number of tartare and carpaccio dishes. What we don’t have: any more stomach space.
ByNikki Buchanan, Marilyn Hawkes & Craig Outhier
BNR Criteria
• Must have opened between October 2022 and September 2023 in Greater Phoenix.
• Must be locally conceived and owned. No out-of-state imprints.
• Must be amaaaazing.
Hai Noon
7017 E. McDowell Rd., Scottsdale, hainoonaz.com
Opened: April 2023
If our Best New Restaurant of 2023 feels a bit like a throwback, that’s hardly a surprise, given that the man in charge of this laid-back, dimly lit bar-cum-restaurant is none other than 2007 James Beard Award winner Nobuo Fukuda, back on the scene with his celebrated brand of modernistic Japanese cuisine after a two-year hiatus. Embedded in Old Town’s Sonder the Monarch Hotel, he’s conjured a tapas-style menu that’s effortlessly modern and remarkably affordable. Graze on baked eggplant with bacon miso or a soft-shell crab sandwich on stellar house-made focaccia while drinking premium sake, fine wine or Japanese-inspired cocktails. Background music curated by Fukuda’s son Kuni keeps the vibe chill, making Hai Noon Fukuda’s best iteration to date.
Did You Know?
Miso, sake and soy sauce are all made with koji mold, a fungus that kick-starts fermentation when added to soybeans, rice or barley, creating the sweet, salty, savory and funky flavors we know as umami.
— Nikki Buchanan
Arboleda
15345 N Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, 480-701-1007, arboledaaz.com
Opened: February 2023
Chef Evan Gotanda is doing special things with pork at this swank Modern Mediterranean restaurant in North Scottsdale. A wholly original concept launched by the hospitality group behind San Francisco-based Southern cuisine legend Town Hall, Arboleda boasts a delectable assortment of jamón plates, pop-’em-until-you-die Iberian ham croquettes and an orange- and thyme-candied pork shoulder steak so shockingly tender, you’ll wonder what kind of crazy California juju Gotanda is casting on this typically feisty barbecue cut. But fine swine isn’t the only magic conjured at Arboleda – you’ll also find pleasant wisps of molecular gastronomy, in the guise of Gotanda’s homage to the iconic “olive sphere” of Spanish nouveau cuisine pioneer Ferran Adrià; and a filet mignon trio done in scrumptious little roulades with truffled potato. It all adds up to one of the year’s most relentlessly inventive Valley restaurants, and a fine excuse to make a pig of yourself.
Did You Know?
A standard at Adrià’s seminal restaurant El Bulli, the olive sphere is made by mixing juice from uncured green olives with sodium gluconate, which is then dropped into a bath of water and sodium alginate to create a yolk-like orb of pure olive flavor.
— Craig Outhier
Chilte
765 Grand Ave., Phoenix, 602-807-5226, chiltephx.com
Opened: February 2023
Amid the kitschy clutter of this small, winsome Mexican restaurant at the Egyptian Motor Hotel in Central Phoenix hangs a neon sign that reads Me Vale Madre (“I don’t give a damn” in Spanish), surely a cheeky reference to chef-owner Lawrence Smith’s off-the-cuff, street-smart approach to traditional Mexican cooking. A star wide receiver in college and former NFL prospect, Smith spreads tallow aioli on Wagyu smash burgers, puts brown butter hominy in pozole and streaks corn tortillas with squid ink. Beyond the shock value of crunchy grasshoppers in quesadillas or the chef-y inventiveness of chorizo Bolognese with pineapple pappardelle lies Smith’s affinity for rules-breaking, soul-satisfying food.
No wonder Chilte was named one of the “24 Best New Restaurants of 2023” by Bon Appétit.
Did You Know?
Before Spain brought domesticated animals to Mexico, grasshoppers, ants, green caterpillars and the like were a major source of protein in the Mexican diet. Now that cows, pigs, goats and sheep are commonplace, edible insects are considered delicacies.
— Nikki Buchanan
Course
7366 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, 480-687-0491, courserestaurantaz.com
Opened: May 2023
It’s easy to love this classy, comfortable fine-dining restaurant, the brainchild of chef-owner and 2019 Chopped champion Cory
Oppold, who juggles three different menus – a five-course prix-fixe menu, a 10-course tasting menu and a seven-course Sunday brunch menu – yet gets everything right. He sweats the details, providing pretty dinnerware, craft cocktails, a knowledgeable sommelier (Nicholas Padua) and credible wine list, on-trend desserts by pastry chef Antonia Kane, and beautifully composed Modernist Cuisine, which might include a pasta-based riff on ratatouille or an elegant deconstruction of the Cubano using Ibérico pork. Oppold has created a worthy addition to the Valley’s growing fleet of elite prix fixe restaurants, at a slightly less lavish price point than the Binkley’s and Christopher’s of the world.
Did You Know?
As the inventor of deconstructed food, culinary foams, spherification and other science-based culinary techniques, Spanish chef Ferran Adrià of the legendary El Bulli restaurant is often called the father of molecular gastronomy, a term he roundly rejects, arguing it was coined by critics, not chefs.
— Nikki Buchanan
Fire at Will
4912 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, 480-207-1819, eatfireatwill.com
Opened: November 2022
The term “gastropub” may sound dated, but it’s the perfect descriptor for Dom Ruggiero’s stylish but casual sibling to his original restaurant, Hush Public House. A big, welcoming bar dispenses local brews, wines and superior cocktails (created by the Two Hands mixology team), while the kitchen turns out high-quality, chef-driven food that walks the line between high-end restaurant fare and elevated pub grub. You’ll find an excellent burger, dreamy macaroni au gratin and the city’s best Scotch egg alongside lamb tartare, Brussels sprouts anointed with nuoc cham and mussels steamed in white wine and tarragon. This is the noisy, comfortable hangout every neighborhood needs.
Did You Know?
The origins of the Scotch egg are murky. Was it invented at luxe London department store Fortnum & Mason as a portable nibble for rich travelers? Or is it a spin on India’s nargisi kofta, brought back to England by British soldiers? One thing’s for sure: It ain’t Scotch.
— Nikki Buchanan
LATHA Restaurant & Bar
628 E. Adams St., Phoenix, 480-640-6183, lathaphx.com
Opened: April 2023
Owner Evelia Davis took a brilliant idea – celebrating the culture and foodways of the African diaspora – and made it flesh at her giddily upbeat new restaurant and market in Heritage Square. Chef-partner Digby Stridiron dishes out modern versions of the iconic dishes of Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean and the American South, including spicy piri piri wings,
pimento cheese, shrimp escabeche and jerk pork chop, while GM Will Brazil keeps the liquor flowing and mood lively via vivid cocktails and an Afrobeat soundtrack. When LATHA’s positive energy is palpable, what’s not to love?
Did You Know?
The moqueca of Brazil is a true melting pot dish, combining the seafood of Brazil with the sofrito-based stews of Portugal and the chiles and coconut milk of Africa.
— Nikki Buchanan
Piccolo Virtù
7240 E. Main St., Scottsdale, 480-663-3296, piccolovirtu.com
Opened: December 2022
Gio Osso’s third Old Town restaurant – hipper than the original Virtù, more upscale than his casual pizzeria – deserves an award for its crudo alone: eight gorgeous presentations of proteins like blue fin, sea urchin, Wagyu and veal, laved in olive oil or fresh citrus juices and prettied up with lemon conserve, quail egg and the like. Capturing the relaxed vibe of a trattoria, Piccolo also offers large-format plates to share with family and friends – say, a 55-ounce prime ribeye or a 10-pound whole suckling pig – as well as wines from boutique producers and a terrific amari selection. There’s nothing in town quite like it.
Did You Know?
The cocktail-friendly herbal liqueurs called amari (plural of amaro) – made by macerating herbs, spices, flowers, roots and bark in wine or a neutral spirit, then sweetening and aging them to arrive at bittersweet, slightly syrupy concoctions – were once sold in pharmacies for their alleged healing properties.
— Nikki Buchanan
Que Sazón Restaurant & Ceviche Bar
622 E. Adams St, Phoenix, 602-919-2246
Opened: February 2023
Yet another little-food-truck-that-could success story, this South American gem slid into Heritage Square across from Pizzeria Bianco last winter and quietly got to work hooking CenPho-ers on its succulent, ají-crema-drizzled empanadas and open-face, crispy-chewy tostones, all served in one of the city’s true historical treasures. But it ain’t the first-rate finger food or late 19th-century interior molding that ultimately catapulted Que Sazón (translation: “Great flavor!”) onto our Top 10 list – it was Colombian chef Fabian Ocampo’s seasonal, evenings-only menu of ceviche and tiraditos (essentially, Colombian crudo). The house tiradito, featuring supple fillets of escolar “cooked” in a milky citrus-fish stock called leche de tigre, is bewitching and not quite like anything else we’ve had in the Valley. Not since Glai Baan has a local mom-and-pop so elevated and expanded our idea of an “ethnic” cuisine and made us want to explore every last, loving inch of its menu.
Did You Know?
If Que Sazón’s historical digs look familiar, there’s a reason: It’s the Teeter House, former home of 2010 BNR standout Nobuo at Teeter House.
— Craig Outhier
Rosso Italian
2 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix, 602-218-6001, rossoitalian.com
Opened: February 2023
Stefano Fabbri’s new Italian restaurant in CityScape exudes a breezy sophistication that suits its Downtown location, but as much as we love the red and gold banquettes, brick walls and sexy lighting, it’s the contemporary take on traditional Italian cooking that plants Rosso firmly on this list. Chef Marco Pitone mans the kitchen, making familiar dishes such as pesto, fried calamari, gnocchi and tiramisu seem simultaneously lighter but more vivid. Meanwhile, Fabbri tweaks the menu after each trip to Italy, recently adding an Italian spin on happy hour sushi that often involves piadina (flatbread) and prosciutto. This is urban Italian, not Italian in amber.
Did You Know?
Fabbri moved to the U.S. from Northern Italy in 2009 and has been a BNR fixture from the get-go, fronting Pomo (2010), Forno Fabbri (2014), The Americano (2020) and Rosso Italian (2023). He also partnered with Scott Conant on Mora Italian (2017).
— Nikki Buchanan
Source
3150 E. Ray Rd., Gilbert, 480-687-7732, eatatsource.com
Opened: January 2023
There are a handful of exceptional bakers in this town, and Claudio Urciuoli is one of them. The Pa’La co-creator and veteran of countless Valley kitchens puts his savant-like skill set to good use at his small, sleek outpost in Gilbert – part market, part fast-casual eatery – where he bakes ciabatta, sourdough and baguettes to make the angels sing. His slow-fermentation, high-hydration breads are exquisite on sandwiches and with light, simple salads. The limited menu also includes a few snacky starters (hummus, olives) with flatbread, healthy grain bowls and small oven-baked pizzas, all yummier than you can possibly imagine. In Urciuoli’s world, where quality beats out quantity every time, you fully grasp the wisdom of meticulous sourcing.
Did You Know?
When legendary Italian baker Arnaldo Cavallari saw that French baguettes were becoming a more popular choice for sandwiches than Italy’s own traditional breads, circa 1982, he invented ciabatta to squelch the competition, revolutionizing the Italian bread industry in the process.
— Nikki Buchanan
BNR Honorable Mentions
Cocina Chiwas
Save a little undercooked rice and some flaccid tacos de papa, PHOENIX dining critic Nikki Buchanan was smitten with this Modern Mexican hot spot from Tacos Chiwas trailblazers Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin. “I could eat this all day,” she wrote of the restaurant’s already-iconic, pizza-like birria quesadilla. 2001 E. Apache Blvd., Tempe, 480-916-3690, cocinachiwasaz.com
Donabe
A late enrollee to the class of 2023, this fine-dining offering from the FLINT by Baltaire group fills the “upscale Japanese steakhouse” void left by Sushi Roku at the W Scottsdale. Early impressions: a stunning sushi list featuring such oceanic oddities as golden eye snapper and sea perch, and a ridiculously good Wagyu ribeye with shiso chimichurri. Dubbed a “residency” at its current pool-deck location, Donabe is a pilot program of sorts that will eventually slide into a bigger space. 7277 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale, 602-805-1440, donabeaz.com
Cubanitas Kitchen
Having recently completed its evolution from food truck to gas-station lunch counter to proper brick-and-mortar restaurant, this West Valley eatery made Buchanan go bananas over its classic Cuban cuisine. “I love every affordable, delicious morsel,” she writes in this month’s review (pg. 200), singling out the “wonderfully supple” ropa vieja. 5025 W. Olive Ave., Glendale, 480-925-5840, cubanitaskitchenaz.com
Elliott’s Steakhouse
Is it the best steakhouse ever to open in the East Valley? Despite a few missteps described by Buchanan in her review this month (pg. 196), this “stunningly handsome newcomer” now holds that distinction, she says. 81 W. Boston St., Chandler, 480-474-4155, elliottssteakhouse.com
Icho Izakaya
Reviewed by Buchanan in this issue (pg. 199), Mesa’s newest Japanese restaurant is a chef-driven hole-in-the-wall that impresses with “fish you don’t often see in your average sushi bar” and dishes that belie its strip-mall trappings. It’s like a nascent East Valley version of Hana. 1911 W. Broadway Rd., Mesa, 480-828-3428, ichosushiphonix.com
BNR Extras
Outtakes, additions and best-in-show performances from this year’s crop of new restaurants.
Best Chain Restaurant (Import)
Fratelli La Bufala
Although this lively Italian restaurant – which translates to “Buffalo Brothers,” for its liberal use of buffalo mozzarella – is part of a Naples-based pizza chain with multiple global locations, there’s nothing about the excellent Neapolitan-style pizzas, house-made pastas or beef- and chicken-centric entrées that seems remotely chain-y. Franchise owner and Naples native Fabio Sodano, who formerly owned Casa Mia in Scottsdale, imports flour, mozzarella and other ingredients from Italy, making sure everything tastes just as it does back home. Try the Delicata pizza (topped with mortadella and crumbled pistachios) or the Croccantino Caprese (mozzarella rolled in couscous and deep-fried) for further proof that the “bros” know. 7300 N. Via Paseo del Sur, Scottsdale, 480-687-7784, flbofarizona.com
Best Chain Restaurant (domestic)
Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken
Being the steely local-first advocates we are, PHOENIX studiously avoided this Memphis-based soul food chain when it debuted in Mesa a couple years ago. But then one opened just down the block in Central Phoenix last May, and we were, like, “Why not?” Somewhat depressingly, it’s amazing. The chicken is plump, generally sinew-free (a sign of good sourcing) and sheathed in a crunchy, flavorful crust that clings heroically to the meat until that Zen-peak moment when you bite into it, never sloughing off early. It’s magical, to be honest with you. Plus, Gus’s doesn’t feel like a chain restaurant. Folksy and modestly branded, with scratch-tasting sides, it has that one-off charm. Local or no, we’re fans. Four Valley locations, gusfriedchicken.com
Best Spin-Off
Fabio on Fire Panini & Gelateria
A favorite of PHOENIX dining critic Nikki Buchanan, this fast-casual, sandwich-oriented offshoot of the Fabio on Fire mothership presented a culinary conundrum for our editors. Is it a new restaurant? A new location of an existing restaurant? Should it quality for BNR? Etc. Our solution: Award it Best Spin-Off, just as Laverne & Shirley was the best Happy Days spin-off. And it was happy days, indeed, for Buchanan as she ate her way through chef-owner Fabio Ceschetti’s 11-selection panini menu, each “stacked with a combo of Italian meats and cheeses (veggies, too), drizzled with EVOO and placed in a 500-degree pizza oven to meld everything together and lend the bread a crispy finish.” 24775 N. Lake Pleasant Pkwy., Peoria, 623-238-3664,
fabioonfire.com/panini—gelateria.html
Best New Bars
The Valley was blessed with so many virtuoso new watering holes in 2023, we decided to give you a quartet
The Cave at Quartz
At this luminous bar-within-a-bar on Van Buren Street, themed around the world’s great deserts, mixology wild man Maxwell Berlin creates what may be the city’s most exotic cocktails, incorporating rare ingredients such as gesho leaf and pink peach huesillos in startlingly delicious ways. 341 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix, 602-385-0299, quartzphx.com
Little Debbie’s
Vintage Italian movies and R&B-influenced pop are the perfect mash-up at this dimly lit basement bar, tucked within First & Last restaurant, where amari (70 varieties) and amaro-based cocktails shine. 1001 N. Third Ave., Phoenix, 602-975-8297, firstandlastphx.com
Sunny’s Lounge (Say Less)
Housed in the former Shady’s space, Jason Asher’s love letter to the F&B industry is as dark and divey as its predecessor, a pool-table-furnished hangout where brilliant cocktails don’t require reservations. We take solace in the blended-rum-based Writer’s Block. 2701 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, 602-316-1117, drinkmoresayless.com
Sauvage Wine Bar & Shop
Chris Lingua left his tiny digs at The Churchill for this ultra-charming, converted cottage, offering natural wines (by the bottle or glass), fancy bar snacks and great music on vinyl. 149 W. McDowell Rd., Phoenix, 602-695-6265, sauvagephx.com
BNR CheckUp
How are past PHOENIX magazine Best New Restaurant of the Year winners faring? Let’s take a look.
2022
Feringhee Modern Indian Cuisine
The first East Valley restaurant to win BNR of the Year is still where we point people if they want to take their tongues on a magic carpet ride.
2021
Bacanora
Eh, it’s done OK. Maybe you saw it on ESPN’s Hard Knocks or waited five hours to get a table recently.
2020
The Americano
For obvious reasons, 2020 was not an annus mirabilis for dining in Greater Phoenix – or anywhere – but Stefano Fabbri’s swank Italian steakhouse was one of our better memories. Fabbri subsequently flipped the restaurant to star chef Scott Conant.
2019
Shinbay
Chef-owner Shinji Kurita is still the taciturn sushi headmaster he always was, and his omakase-only Old Town restaurant is still a hallucinatory joy.
2018
Confluence
Brandon and Tori Gauthier’s French-influenced American bistro is still going strong in Carefree. Fellow 2018 honorees Roland’s Market and Café Chenar have moved on, alas.
2017
Binkley’s
“You will pay dearly for the indulgence,” we wrote about Kevin Binkley’s daring makeover of his Midtown restaurant, reconceived as a $200-a-plate, 20- to 28-course dining odyssey, “but rest assured, you’re getting a palate-altering dining experience in return.” Still true!
2016
Tratto
Chris Bianco’s fine-dining gem is still killing it after moving to South Phoenix in 2019. The same cannot be said for several others on the 2016 list, however, e.g. Joe’s Midnight Run and Drexyl Modern American, which both closed.
2015
Noble Eatery
2023 BNR honoree Claudio Urciuoli no longer leads the kitchen, but Noble has found sustained success under bread maestro Jason Raducha as one of the Valley’s most beloved sandwich shops.
2014
Little Miss BBQ
Maybe you’ve heard of them? 2014 also brought us Steak 44, Ingo’s Tasy Food, The Gladly, Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour, Clever Koi and El Chullo, making it arguably the richest year for dining in recent Valley history.
2013
Bink’s Midtown
No longer with us (see 2017). In fact, of the Top 5 BNR restaurants of 2013, only Gio Osso’s Virtù Honest Craft survived the decade.
BNR Preview
Coming in 2024
These in-the-works restaurants are due to hit the Valley in 2024… or even a bit earlier.
Ambrogio15
Biltmore Fashion Park will soon welcome Ambrogio15, an Italian restaurant from San Diego specializing in authentic Milanese fare, to the space formerly occupied by California Pizza Kitchen. Highlights include a 2,000-bottle wine tower and a kitchen helmed by Michelin-starred chef Silvio Salmoiraghi. (January 2024)
Backyard
Evening Entertainment Group (Bottled Blonde) will bring this (jargon alert!) “first-to-market concept” to Desert Ridge Marketplace in 2024, with a dog-friendly bar and grill and an 8,000-square-foot open-air playground packed with games, TVs, bars, food and entertainment. (Early 2024)
Caesars Republic Scottsdale
Adjacent to Scottsdale Fashion Square, this resort-only (read: no gaming) Caesars property will feature two restaurants by celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis: Luna by Giada, a new concept with a “sophisticated, high-energy environment” and Italian food with California influences; and Pronto by Giada, featuring Italian fare and coffee drinks in a casual café format. A third restaurant, SEVEN, will showcase Arizona ingredients and Yucatán-inspired flavors with seventh-floor, pool-level views of Camelback Mountain. (February 2024)
Carry On
The folks at Wren & Wolf and Trophy Room (Pretty Decent Concepts) are rolling out a new cocktail concept inspired by the “golden age” of air travel. Guests will sip drinks in a “sleek cabin of a private plane” with a shifting menu depending on the destination. At Renaissance Square in Downtown Phoenix. (November 2023)
Elephante
The newly remodeled south wing of Scottsdale Fashion Square will soon be home to Elephante, an upscale, “experiential restaurant and bar” from Los Angeles highlighting coastal Italian fare and an extensive wine selection in luxurious surroundings. (Early 2024)
The Global Ambassador
Local restaurateur Sam Fox’s highly anticipated hotel will debut five restaurants: Le Âme, a Parisian steakhouse with traditional French fare and cocktails to match; Le Market, a Parisian patisserie replete with pastries and espresso drinks by day and cheese and wine in the evening; Pink Dolphin, a bustling poolside, indoor-outdoor bar and restaurant serving Mexican and Peruvian-inspired dishes and lush cocktails; Lobby Bar, a comfortable spot to sip classic and craft cocktails with live music; and Thea Mediterranean Rooftop, with shareable Mediterranean dishes, lavish cocktails and live DJ entertainment with Camelback Mountain views. (November 2023)
Il Masseto
Honoring late dining legend Tomaso Maggiore, The Maggiore Group will open this fine-dining spot on the northwest corner of 32nd Street and Camelback Road in the former Bank of America space, with plans for a piano bar, two outdoor patios and private dining rooms. (Spring 2024)
The Italiano
The ever-busy Maggiore family (Hash Kitchen, Sicilian Butcher) will open a casual but elegant restaurant in Scottsdale near Shea Boulevard and 92nd Street, serving regional Italian cuisine and cocktails with an interactive antipasti cart. (Late 2023)
Kembara
Renowned chef Angelo Sosa of Tía Carmen will open a pan-Asian street food restaurant at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, with influences ranging from “Chiang Mai to Hanoi and Tokyo to Penang.” (Winter 2023)
Mon Cheri
Conceived as a modern Parisian charcuterie restaurant, this locally owned venture will take over the original Arcadia Farms location in Old Town Scottsdale. It will offer designer cocktails, Instagrammable charcuterie boards, an all-season covered front patio and a large back courtyard for events. (Late 2023)
Mr. Baan’s Bar & Mookata
The folks from Lom Wong are opening a new concept spotlighting Thai-style barbecue and will take over the recently shuttered KHLA space behind Lom Wong. (November 2023)
The Rosticceria
Look for wood-fired meats and an Italian-style wood-fired rotisserie grill, build-your-own gelato bar and live music at this in-the-works Maggiore Group restaurant at Cactus Road and Tatum Boulevard, near sister restaurant The Mexicano. (Late 2023)
Uchi
Founded by James Beard Award-winning chef Tyson Cole, Texas import Uchi will offer non-traditional Japanese cuisine, sushi and a seasonal omakase. Uchi, which means “house” in Japanese, will take over the former Bandera location in Old Town Scottsdale. (December 2023)
— Marilyn Hawkes
