Scottsdale
Peacock Indian Bar & Grill
Opened: December 2024
Though set in a former FedEx office, Peacock is by no means a carbon-copy of the classic mom-and-pop Indian restaurant that has thrived in the Valley over the years. It’s ambitious and upscale – not quite Feringhee-upscale, but close – catering to diners who expect more than the usual thrum of vindaloos, paneers and masalas. On that note: the Jhalmuri avocado tower ($14) becomes one of my favorite starters in town the moment it hits my tongue, teasing every flavor center and texture receptor at once with guacamole, toasted rice, onions, mint and sweet-tangy tamarind sauce, piled in a scoopable heap with slices of naan. Perfection.
Marinated in yogurt and tandoori-grilled, the lamb chops ($25) are similarly terrific – tender and faintly, fetchingly gamey, served with a twirl of lightly pickled julienned beets that I loved. Though pan-Indian, the Peacock menu seems most influenced by South Indian and Goan cuisine. One giveaway: the liberal use of cashews, including an absolutely addictive cashew prawns entrée ($24), served in a complex, curry-like onion-tomato gravy. For capsaicin junkies: another South Indian dish, Andhra Chepala Pulusu ($24), grilled white fish in a spicy-tangy stew of mustard seeds, tomato, tamarind and various spices. Though eye-wateringly hot, it’s also nuanced – and a perfect specimen of the advanced culinary sensibilities at work here.
Wild Card: Don’t sleep on the “bar” part of the title, including a lip-smacking Old Fashioned ($12) and the elderflower-boosted Peacock margarita ($13).
17025 N. Scottsdale Rd., 480-656-9666, peacockaz.com
– Craig Outhier
West Valley
Bacchus Wine & Debauchery
Opened: January 2025
Although there’s no evidence of debauchery or even garden-variety shenanigans going on in this easygoing wine bar, set in Goodyear’s trendy GSQ Civic Square, there’s wine aplenty, offered on tap in one-, three- and five-ounce pours dispensed from self-serve machines. And how surprisingly fun it is, this whole do-it-yourself thing: You read the wine descriptions, select one of 24 global varietals, push a button to fill your glass, sip, take notes on a wine tasting card, and repeat. Owners Jack and Katherine Vozar also offer typical wine bar nibbles such as creamy, mustard-tinged deviled eggs ($9), generously sprinkled with crumbled bacon, and tender beef and pork meatballs ($12) drenched in marinara, then strewn with Parmesan and basil and served with garlic bread.
A small cheese board ($22), arranged with Brie, aged cheddar, soft truffle and sharp, Cabernet Sauvignon-infused cheese as well as dried and fresh fruits, seems just right. If only the crackers were more interesting! My favorite thing may be the warm, oozy, honey-drizzled Brie ($12), topped with toasted nuts and cranberries. Served with lightly toasted baguette and apple, it’s a creamy, crunchy winner. Debauchery or no, Bacchus would surely be pleased.
Wild Card: It isn’t made in-house, but the tiramisu ($10) is creamy, espresso-flavored heaven.
1975 N. Globe Dr., Goodyear, 480-306-5576, thebacchuswinebar.com
– Nikki Buchanan
East Valley
Mi Corralito
Opened: June 2024
Mi Corralito, which means something like “my little corner,” is a good handle for this tiny Peruvian restaurant specializing in pollo a la brasa (“chicken on the coals”). Because the diminutive space contains three tables and no bathroom, many customers opt for takeout, but if you can hold your water, there’s something supremely satisfying about digging into that burnished rotisserie chicken while it’s hot (half, $12; whole, $20). Redolent with garlic, cumin, soy sauce and aji amarillo (Peru’s moderately spicy yellow pepper), the smoky bird gets an extra blast of flavor from aji pollero, a creamy pepper sauce. I’ve never praised a house salad ($10) before, but Mi Corralito’s version – sliced avocado and lightly steamed beets, carrots and green beans, set on a bed of crisp iceberg – is fresh and delicious with the chicken.
Meanwhile, Chinese-inspired chaufa ($20), comprising shrimp (or beef or chicken), green onions, egg and crispy wonton strips, offers simple stir-fried comfort. Another stir-fry, lomo saltado ($21) combines beef tenderloin with onions, tomatoes and fat french fries for a hearty meat-and-potatoes vibe. For extra starch, get white rice on the side.
Wild Card: Tallarin verde con Milanesa (green fettucine, homemade pesto and panko-breaded fried chicken cutlet, $21) is what happens when two great cuisines collide.
2160 N. Alma School Rd., Chandler, 480-340-4250, @micorralito_polloalabrasa
– Nikki Buchanan
Phoenix
Industry Standard
Opened: January 2025
Housed in the old Carly’s Bistro spot on Roosevelt Row, this evenings-only gastropub is an ideal before-show (or after-show) pit stop for culinary fans on the move. On a busy Saturday, the Astoria chopped salad ($14) is delivered to the table lickety-split, jeweled and delicious with bits of Honeycrisp apple, sharp cheddar cheese and candied walnuts. Just as good and prompt: umami-laden duck meatballs ($18) in herbaceous arrabbiata sauce, finished with toasted shavings of stracciatella cheese. Chef Edward Mclachlan – along with his three co-partners, hand-picked by former Carly’s owners Carla Wade Logan and John Logan to take over the building – has fun with daily specials. On one visit, it was a quartet of grilled cheese sandwich options to honor National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day. The gooey, toasty BBMT ($16), with bacon and bacon-infused mayo, hit the spot with a girthy marrow of melted American cheese.
It paired famously with a bacon-washed Old Fashioned ($18) from the ambitious cocktail menu, which also includes a terrific “garden” gin and tonic ($18) that puts a welcome spin on the ho-hum classic G&T with subtle infusions of tomato and celery. Competent, repeatable and non-transgressive, IS feels like an indie version of Houston’s.
Wild Card: Go big with the three-cheese mac and cheese ($14) – or make it bigger with a lobster add-on ($32).
128 E. Roosevelt St., 623-230-2303, industrystandardaz.com
– Craig Outhier
