BEST MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANT 2006 | Eden's Grill Inn | Food & Drink | Phoenix
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BEST MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANT

Eden's Grill Inn

Diana Martinez
What did Adam and Eve nosh in the Garden of Eden? Who the heck knows, but they probably couldn't have done any better than the rice at Eden's Grill Inn. Here the saffroned, aromatic basmati is crafted with seven different spices, and filled with sultanas and slivers of Marcona almonds, making it one of the best platters of rice we've ever inhaled in the Valley. They didn't eat meat in Eden, but fortunately we don't have to worry about that heavenly prohibition at Eden's Grill Inn, where the lamb shank is tender and soft, the chicken kebabs golden, juicy and plump, and the ground beef kebab chock-full o' spices. This Eden for Middle Eastern cuisine is run by Marcus and Shalem Narsa, Assyrian Christians originally from Iraq, but more recently from Chicago, where they owned a bakery and restaurant for some 25 years. As you might expect, their desserts are heavenly, especially the baklava, and the multi-layered caramel cake drizzled with melon sauce. Why, you'll think you've died and gone to, well, uh, Eden . . .

BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT

Tandoori Times Indian Bistro

Jamie Peachey
Valley diners have more options for Indian fare than most European cuisines, so this is a tighter race to judge than some of the other categories. And though we've rarely met an Indian spot we didn't like, Scottsdale's Tandoori Times garners the glory on taste alone. Its portions tend to be a bit smaller than at other places though reasonable prices help make up for this. And there isn't as wide of a selection as you'll come across in other Indian restaurants. But the flavor of TT's tandoori-cooked meats is more intense than elsewhere, and the quality of the curry gravies seems higher as well. As an added bonus, there's nothing dingy about the clean, airy and smart dining area. And it boasts a couple of the better sweets in town: a nice-size bowl of rice pudding (kheer) with raisins, and those large syrupy pastries known as gulab jamoon. If we pick Tandoori Times this time around, it doesn't mean we don't love the Valley's other Indian places we just love Tandoori Times a little more.

BEST TAPAS RESTAURANT

Sol y Sombra

We're not sure we're totally with this whole tapas thing. Sure, if you're some Andalusian alkie hitting the booze parlors in Granada, the quality's guaranteed. Plus, in Spain, these bar snacks often come free with the drinks. Here in Ameri-duh, they make you pay through the nose, sometimes $13, the price of an entree, for a portion of food that barely takes up the better half of the palm of your hand! But at least at DC Ranch's Sol y Sombra, you seem to get your ducat's worth most of the time. We attribute this success rate to the presence of chef Aaron May, who once worked for Food Network overachiever and obsessive clog-wearer Mario Batali. May can whip up patatas bravas that'll make you sing, and gazpacho that'll make you dance like them fools on Fuse TV's Pants-Off Dance-Off. This being Scottsdale, there's a floor show of sorts with all the MILFs showing off their new implants to one another, so you have something to watch while you nosh.

BEST VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT

Da Vang

Jacob Tyler Dunn
Got a hankering for some truly authentic Vietnamese food? Da Vang's got the real thang. On a chilly winter day, we'll go with pho (a steaming bowl of beefy rice noodle soup) or one of countless filling stir-fry dishes. And during the summer, we'll start with the obvious hello, summer rolls! and then move on to some bun (cool rice noodles topped with barbecued pork, fried spring rolls, or shrimp) or a hot-off-the-griddle banh xeo (pork and shrimp crepe with sprouts) wrapped in fresh lettuce and dunked in salty-sweet nuoc cham. Truth be told, we could eat this stuff any time of year, regardless of the season. Da Vang's the kind of no-frills neighborhood joint where we feel just as welcome stopping by for a quick solo bite as we do relaxing with a bunch of hungry friends. The price is always right, too.

BEST KOREAN RESTAURANT

Restaurant Takamatsu

Korean barbecue is just the sort of ethnic food more Americans would love if they tried it. That's because the Koreans love charred meat, just like we do. So when you visit a Korean restaurant like Takamatsu, you not only have a variety of sushi, casseroles, kimchi, and even more exotic fare to choose from, there are also all kinds of marinated beef and pork, which you can grill up on the nifty gas grill built into your table. Eat it up with the half-dozen or more condiments that come with the order. And suck it down with a big bottle of Korean brew, and soju, a liquor made from sweet potatoes that's not quite as strong as vodka. Takamatsu draws its share of Korean celebs when they're in town, like pro-golfer babe Michelle Wie, which should tell you something. The place has a ski-lodge feel to it because of the wooden exterior and interior, so it's not devoid of atmosphere. Now if we could only run into Wie while we're there, and perhaps share a drink with her. A plate of beef, a jug of shoju, and thou, sweet Wie. That's all we really want.

BEST THAI RESTAURANT

Sala Thai

The Valley can always use a new Thai spot, but what Sala Thai brings to the table isn't just more of the same; rather, it brings a different type of Thai cooking altogether one that's not as heavy, relies more on fresh veggies, and can strip the paint off a fire hose in its most potent form. Best order the mild or medium version of everything, if you can't stand the heat. But if, on the other hand, your sinus cavities are lined with flame-retardant metals, have at it! The clear noodle salad served at the hot level can mimic the surface of the sun, and the beef salad might just be that alternative fuel we need to power our cars without gasoline. The Thai omelet is on the cooler side, as is the "son-in-law egg," a mildly fried hard-boiled egg, sprinkled with fried garlic, which makes for the perfect pre-din-din nosh. Hot or not, Sala Thai's preparations are unique, and offer a different perspective on Thai cuisine, which is why it's earned this year's Best Of nod.

BEST ETHIOPIAN RESTAURANT

Cafe Lalibela

Jacob Tyler Dunn
So here's one place where adults can eat with their hands with complete impunity: Tempe's Cafe Lalibela is a classic Ethiopian eatery where traditional stews called wat are served on large pancakes of spongy injera, a bread made from the grain teff, which is native to northeastern Africa. Along with your stew of beef, lamb, fish, and any number of veggies, like collards, lentils or cabbage, you get a hopper of folded teff. You tear off a bit, scoop up the food from platter to mouth, and munch out. No fork needed! Brilliant, eh? Also, the wat lends itself to endless Abbott and Costello-like discussions, such as: "What's on my plate?" "That's right." "What?" "Yes, wat." And so on. Great for hours of amusement as the proprietors wonder when your party's finally gonna vacate the premises.

BEST VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT

Udupi Cafe

The scrumptious South Indian eats at Udupi Cafe prove once and for all that vegetarian/vegan food doesn't have to taste like plywood. After all, residents of the Indian subcontinent have been practicing Hindu-based vegetarianism for thousands of years, so you could say they're the past masters of making fleshless feasts tummy-worthy. The menu here is only about 80 percent vegan, to judge by the menu's identifying marks, but it's 100 percent vegetarian and delicious. This ain't the North Indian fare most of us are used to; rather, there are giant rice crepes rolled around saffroned potatoes, fried lentil doughnuts smothered in yogurt, fat dumplings of ground rice and lentils, deep-fried cauliflower, great bowls of lemon-flavored rice topped with Spanish peanuts, gooey okra in a tangy red paste, thick paratha bread stuffed with garlic, and on and on. Udupi is one of the few places in town where you can eat like a vegetarian and a king at the same time. And that's the poopi on Udupi.

BEST VEGAN RESTAURANT

Green, New American Vegetarian

Courtesy of Green
Let's be honest: Vegans are a major pain in the tuchis. Never mind abstaining from eggs, milk and cheese; they won't even eat honey, people, lest the bees be exploited by man. This is why most vegan-friendly fare bites. Customers for this cuisine are more concerned with their own hairsplitting ethics, and don't mind punishing their palates for the cause. So flavor falls victim to morality. Unless you're talking about Tempe's Green, where they at least make an effort to craft vegan vittles that are a joy to nosh. Hey, you try cooking without any animal products whatsoever. You'll be lucky if everything doesn't end up tasting like sand. Green overcomes this handicap most of the time, with cheese, milk and egg substitutes, well enough to please even the occasional carnivore who wanders into Green unprepared. Green's vegan pizzas and Asian-style bowls are actually tasty. And the chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter bars truly kick some skinny vegan fanny.

BEST DOWNTOWN BREAKFAST

City Bakery

By now, you downtown dweller, you've no doubt discovered City Bakery, over the tracks in south Phoenix, just beyond the baseball stadium, adjacent to the cavernous Bentley Projects. We love that the Arcadia Farms people have spread south from their Scottsdale outpost, and we love the chicken and strawberry salad they serve for lunch. But did you know that City Bakery is open for breakfast? We're not sure many do, because when we've been, the place has been blissfully empty. So we're making the sacrifice, sharing the knowledge, knowing that soon we'll be rubbing elbows with you at breakfast, too. That's fine; this secret is too good to keep, and we want to keep City Bakery in business. Try the fluffy eggs and thick toast, along with a French press coffee. Or grab a cupcake. We promise not to tell.

Best Of Phoenix®

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