Best of the Valley isn’t the only beloved Valley institution celebrating a milestone birthday in 2025. Make a food crawl of them.
Ocotillo: 10 Years
Chef Walter Sterling’s indoor-outdoor culinary compound was a Midtown classic the moment it served its first black kale salad and signature plate of roasted chicken. A beer garden and cocktail lounge were soon added, enhancing an oasis-like patio that helps make Ocotillo a consensus Top Five brunch spot in the Valley. 3243 N. Third St., Phoenix, 602-687-9080, ocotillophx.com
Cornish Pasty Co.: 20 Years
Hard to believe it’s been two decades since British expat Dean Thomas slung his first piping-hot, meat-and-veggie-filled turnover out of a 1,000-square-foot shoebox in Tempe, later adding a nice beer list and turning it into the 10-store pasty juggernaut it is today, including the scene-y Downtown location. 7 W. Monroe St., Phoenix, 602-374-8500, cornishpastyco.com
Phoenix City Grille: 25 Years
Tuck into a bowl of that legendary green chile pork, and sip on something from that almost-as-legendary bourbon selection, at the Valley’s quintessential neighborhood gastropub, celebrating its silver anniversary. Bonus: Pop over to TEXAZ Grill across the street, an old geezer in restaurant years celebrating its 40th year in business. 5816 N. 16th St., Phoenix,
602-266-3001, phoenixcitygrille.com
