Revered Valley chef Christopher Gross takes it to the next level at his newest and best restaurant, perched on a hill next to the Wrigley Mansion. $$-$$$ Christopher’s at Wrigley Mansion BNR French-American The storied brunch features bottomless mimosas. With a lovely patio overlooking the Arizona Canal, Chelsea’s is a hip yet casual neighborhood restaurant, with stylish renditions of ceviche, fried chicken and duck tacos. Destined to be one of the Valley’s great hangouts. crispy duck leg with mole negro) it’s very good, indeed. The huge menu wanders from affordable Tex-Mex to pricy fusion fare, but when it’s good (e.g. Set in a Prohibition-inspired Pullman railcar where guests can sip craft cocktails while a wintry landscape whizzes by, this high-concept culinary playground is good fun for tipplers. Everything drinkable – from margaritas to aguas frescas – is first-rate, as are the ceviche, guacamole, tacos al vapor, cochinita pibil and steak Mexicano. With its vaulted ceilings, pretty tiled floors and frescos, this barrio restaurant delights the eyes and the tongue.
Silky, pineapple-studded guacamole and grilled corn dip are eye-opening starters. Upscale cantina combines shareable Mexican-inspired plates with modern digs in the Clarendon boutique hotel. Small but stylish, this strip mall café specializes in the eclectic cuisine of the Bukharian Jews, whose singular Central Asian fusion cuisine includes plov (an excellent spin on pilaf) or markovcha, a tangle of spicy, garlicky carrot strings, strewn with green onion and cilantro borrowed from Korea. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch on weekends. Not revolutionary, but it doesn’t flounder.
Crab and fish dominate the menu with options including blue crabcakes and shrimp-studded pasta. $-$$ Buck &Rider SEAFOODįrom La Grande Orange founder Bob Lynn comes this upscale seafood joint. Laid-back but buzzing when busy, this Downtown rum-themed gastropub specializes in island comfort food, like escovitch fish and pan-seared tilapia served with spicy Jamaican escovitch sauce, coleslaw and roasted pineapple. In this glassy, Guinness-tinted gastrolounge, find Southern-inflected comfort food and a novella of inspired combinations of rarefied liqueurs. $$$$ Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails AMERICAN Offering just one seating a night, perennial James Beard Award nominee Kevin Binkley takes diners on a multi-course magic carpet ride that ranks with the country’s finest dining experiences. Every Sunday, the restaurant offers half-off select bottles of Arizona wine. Don’t miss the signature fork-tender ribs, pork osso buco confit, cast-iron petite chicken and sweet pea agnolotti made with local goat cheese. $$ Beckett’s Table americanĬhef Justin Beckett draws raves with his seasonal American cooking and classic comfort food. His pollo asado is the Valley’s best chicken. Rene Andrade, formerly of Ghost Ranch, does for Sonoran cuisine what Chris Bianco did for Venetian-style pizza at this classic, flatiron-shaped dining space on Grand Avenue, stripping away culinary pretense and revealing breathtaking essence.
This classic Italian stalwart – which was avanti in the early ’70s – retains a loyal following that loves the house-made pastas, pappardelle with oxtail sauce and jumbo shrimp stuffed with king crab in lobster-vodka sauce.
The kitchen’s expertise with grilled meats is illustrated by its succulent flat iron steak and outstanding chicken tinga quesadilla. $$$=$16-$25 $$$$=$26 and over Artizen at The Camby Hotel american Price categories reflect average dinner entrée prices drinks, tax and tip are extra. We suggest you confirm information, and we solicit your help in correcting any errors in the guide. The restaurants listed are noteworthy and randomly selected from our rotating master list. Our city center is also our ground zero for culinary craft.