Food ReviewsLittle Miss BBQ
Nikki BuchananSeptember 2019
Our food-line-averse critic finally gets her first taste of the Valley low-and-slow legend.
Nikki Buchanan, Author at PHOENIX magazine
Food ReviewsBeCe Kitchen
Nikki BuchananSeptember 2019
Go east, Beaver Choice. Shuttered last spring, the European comfort-food favorite reappears in SanTan Valley with a new name and trimmed-down, fast-casual menu.
Food ReviewsSpace Case: Welcome Diner
Nikki BuchananSeptember 2019
Artist and entrepreneur Sloane McFarland opened the original Welcome Diner in a renovated Valentine diner on Roosevelt Row in 2004, aspiring to mingle his interests in community development and the emerging farm-to-table movement.
Drink ThisDrink This: Date Night
Nikki BuchananSeptember 2019
This pale green refresher from The Covenant is like a martini jazzed up with fresh lemon juice and Kiwi Reàl.
Who says there ain’t no cure for the summertime blues? Rancho Pinot makes a variation of the classic Moscow Mule that looks and feels blessedly cold in your hand.
Food ReviewsCasa Corazon
Nikki BuchananAugust 2019
Behold the stealth brilliance of this Oaxacan-Yucatecan fine dining restaurant in CenPho.
Food ReviewsAnhelo
Nikki BuchananAugust 2019
Set in historical Heritage Square, this new chef-run restaurant excels with small bites, but over-punches a bit with pricey entrées.
Food & DrinkCitizen Public House
Nikki BuchananAugust 2019
This classy but congenial gathering spot specializes in craft cocktails and elevated comfort food.
Classified on Tommy Bahama’s menu as a martini, this frothy, feminine cocktail bears little resemblance to James Bond’s macho cocktail of choice.
Another high-end Valley steakhouse? Don’t scoff – this swank Scottsdale newcomer is genuinely the bomb.
Food ReviewsLa Marquesa
Nikki BuchananJuly 2019
CenPho’s newest Mexican gem invites diners to get their goat... along with many other delightful permutations of Jalisco-style cuisine.
Parked at the end of the historic building that also houses Melrose Pharmacy and Restaurant Progress, Thunderbird Lounge is a quirky time capsule.
A well-stocked bar is just the beginning at Ross Simon and Aaron DeFeo’s chic new watering hole.
A historical home in Roosevelt Row roars back to life as a pan-European bistro.
Arizona Biltmore’s flagship restaurant is decidedly less than the sum of its parts lately.