The last few months have seen a slew of Valley restaurant openings – particularly in the Central Valley. Here’s a lightning-round list of First Dish reviews.
Curry N Crust
Masala wings, spicy paneer pizza and lamb tikka tacos are a few of the disarming fusion oddities you’ll find at this Italian-Indian fast-casual in Tempe – surely the first of its kind in the Valley. By Bianco-era standards, the cumin-and-coriander-dusted pizza is not extraordinary – but at $11 for a personal size, also not unfairly priced. 555 N. Scottsdale Rd., Tempe, 480-590-8431, curryncrustaz.com
Taco Viva
Folks seem to love the Chipotle-ish assembly line and overall value at this slick Arcadia Lite taqueria, but call us half-impressed. The tostadas and vampiros are terrific, loaded high with salsa, guac, onion and cilantro on a freshly fried, crispy shell; but the quesadillas are chewy, the tortillas dubious and the al pastor strangely punchless, despite being carved off a trompo. Stick with the crispy stuff. 2815 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, 480-360-2324, tacoviva.com
Orchard Tavern
From the Luci’s coffee shop brain trust comes this North-Central restaurant-bar, adjacent to Luci’s at the Orchard. Respectable wood-fired pizzas, tasty fish and chips, three burger selections, verse, chorus, verse. Slot it in that Neighborly/Grassroots Kitchen/Vig middlebrow gastropub niche. 7100 N. 12th St., Phoenix, 602-633-2600, orchardtavernphx.com
Pizza to the Rescue
Fully a quarter of the pizza sales at this Arcadia Lite restaurant-bar benefit Almost There Rescue next door, so when you bite into that chewy-crispy, enticingly blistered slice of margherita, you can also savor the pleasure of helping our little animal friends. Also on the tidy menu: something called 40-layer lasagna. Woof. 2601 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, 602-314-4832, pizzatotherescuephx.com
