Food & Drink

If we’re being honest, then we can admit that fried chicken is mostly about the batter. Yes, to have great fried chicken you also want moist pieces of meat, but without the crunchy stuff, the whole dish is pretty much lost. That’s why we love the fried chicken at Phoenix Public Market Cafe so much. Chef Aaron Chamberlin strikes the perfect balance between salt and spice with his dinner entrée fried chicken and makes a batter that holds tight to each piece of meat. It’s the kind of crispy coating that will have you picking up the leftover bits with your greasy fingers — and then scattering on top of the accompanying side of vegetables for a little extra crunch.

Jobot has come a long way from its humble beginnings. The coffee shop is still as cozy as ever, but these days, the space has been opened up to create a brightly lit room full of tables, couches, and a comfortable chairs. You’ll often find downtown residents hanging out and letting their creative juices flow, and when it comes time for a bite, they turn to Jobot’s menu of classic, sweet, and savory crepes. Made in-house from scratch, these crepes can satisfy just about any craving. A simple one with fresh-squeezed lemon pairs excellently with coffee, while heartier options such as the Number 6 — made with garlic roasted turkey, mozzarella, spinach, and pesto — makes a filling lunch or dinner.

Grand Avenue Pizza’s tiny dining room is jammed full of excellent and affordable by-the-slice Italian lunches. Owner and pizza chef Carson Wheeler, a native of Virginia, opened his pie shop about a year and a half ago in a long-vacant corner store at Grand and Fillmore, and set about pushing a menu designed after an old-school East Coast neighborhood slice shop, like the ones he knew from every corner of every borough in New York. Wheeler blasts his pies in a pair of standard gas pizza ovens, and his crusts are made using an old family recipe and topped with locally grown ingredients. What he does with flour and tomatoes and olive oil is worth checking out. Grand Avenue pies are wonderful straight from the oven and still tasty 20 minutes later — slices we’ve dragged home even passed the next-day, cold-slice-for-breakfast, eaten-over-the-sink-while-standing test: The refrigerated cheese and zippy red sauce hadn’t soaked the crust, which retained the pliancy and flavor of bread, not cardboard. Another slice, please!

Everyone from the New York Times and Bon Appetít to Oprah and Martha has shown mad love for the pizza at Chris Bianco’s Pizzeria Bianco. And in addition to Bianco’s winning the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest in 2003, the restaurant’s been nominated for the foundation’s Outstanding Restaurant award several times. It might seem like a lot of fuss for a simple pizza spot. But with one visit, it’s easy to understand the buzz. The restaurant’s concise menu showcases six pizzas, each of which features Bianco’s heavenly crust. Blistered and bubbled and a true thing of beauty, it’s tinged with smoke and just the right amount of char. From the simple Marinara pizza to the bright and peppery Biancoverde, made with ricotta and arugula, Pizzeria Bianco continues to live up to its reputation as a don’t-miss destination for pizza enthusiasts.

Readers Choice: Pizzeria Bianco

It’s hard to choose just one sandwich from Ollie Vaughn’s to name as the best sandwich in the Valley. The small breakfast and lunch spot has a variety of worthy choices, including the ham sandwich, with Gruyère, apple butter, and Dijon or the egg salad sandwich, with capers, currants, and dill. But the one we simply can’t deny the number one spot to is the meatloaf sandwich. One moist slab of homemade meatloaf sits between two soft pieces of bread with crunchy and pickled carrots and radishes. The contrast of the sweet hoisin glaze on the meatloaf and the sour pickled toppings makes our mouth water just thinking about it.

So maybe it’s because grilled cheese is the only item on the Pig’s Meow’s food menu, but the bar sure does know how to make them. We ask you what possibly could go better with beer and video games than melty cheese and other toppings housed between two toasty pieces of bread? Even with one menu item, there’s variety. Maybe you’d like spicy pepperoni and capicola in your sandwich. Or perhaps you’re more of a fig and goat cheese kind of person. For $5 each, you might as well order a few and do a grilled cheese sampling along with your beer flights.

Pittsburgh Willy’s started as a simple hot dog cart. But over the past nine years, the name has become synonymous with serious gourmet hot dogs all over the East Valley. It’s been two years since owner Randy Walters closed up shop inside a Chandler antique mall, but these days you can find all your Pittsburgh Willy favorites at Wimpy’s Paradise, Walter’s second restaurant in downtown Chandler. In addition to hot dogs and Twinkies, Wimpy’s serves burgers, sandwiches, ice cream, and more. But our go-to meal is still the Pittsburgher, formerly known as the Wild Willy. It’s a quarter-pound all-beef wiener topped with butter-soaked chipped ham (a Pennsylvania favorite) and cheddar cheese.

Whether you like yours with cheese or without, the Standard at The Stand in Arcadia is the kind of burger you can always count on. It’s just about as basic as they come, but thanks to high-quality ingredients — including beef that’s ground daily in-house — this burger is a good reminder that basic doesn’t have to be boring. On top of your thin but tightly packed beef patties (the Standard already comes with two) you’ll get a leaf of crisp romaine lettuce along with a slice of tomato, onions, and a few dill pickles. The restaurant’s signature Stand sauce really seals the deal: it’s a Thousand Island-like topping spread on the inside of the burger’s toasted bun. Here’s a pro tip: Order an extra side of sauce for your fries.

Readers Choice: Rehab Burger Therapy

Little Miss BBQ exploded onto the Phoenix food scene last year but hasn’t yet lost any momentum. This year, the little barbecue restaurant that could even got some love from Daniel Vaughn, barbecue editor for Texas Monthly and national authority on all things smoked. Of course, we locals didn’t need to be told that Little Miss BBQ is something special. At this point, it’s pretty much universally expected that Scott and Bekke Holmes’ South Phoenix spot is the gold standard for Texas-style barbecue in Phoenix — perhaps even in all of Arizona. We’re not sure whether it’s the custom-made R&O smoker or the 11 hours each brisket spends inside it that makes the difference, but we do know that each perfectly smoked slice of brisket is a true thing of beauty. There’s a line outside the restaurant daily when the doors open at 11 a.m., and we don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Monkey Pants Bar and Grill in Tempe serves chicken wings three ways: regular (deep-fried), grilled (deep-fried then kissed on the grill), and blackened (deep-fried then charred until blackened). Ordering grilled or blackened adds a few extra minutes of cook time but also tons of flavor. The traditional hot wings (standard Buffalo sauce done right), grilled Mae Ploy (sweet chili flavor bomb) and grilled with Spankin’ Monkey Sauce (hot and tangy barbecue style) are among our favorites. We also crave the Cajun dry-rubbed wings, blackened. The menu offers solid bar fare at reasonable prices with daily beer and drink specials, including 13 wings for $5.99 every Tuesday. A great place for lunch or day drinking, Monkey Pants has an all-day happy hour, as well as pool tables, darts, and TVs.

Readers Choice: Zipps Sports Grill

Look closely at the menu the next time you’re offered bread service at a high-end restaurant in town. You’re likely to notice that the bread comes from Noble Bread — that is, unless the restaurant’s making it in-house. There’s a good reason Valley chefs and restaurant owners are so fond of the bakery’s product. Bakers Jason Raducha and Claudio Urciuoli use old-school techniques to produce consistently excellent loaves of bread. The Country Loaf is the bakery’s signature offering, and it’s great. But if you’re a real fan, then you also hunt down specialty creations like the sesame loaf, which Raducha bakes just once a week. With subtle nutty flavors and a slightly denser crumb, this bread tastes just as excellent alone as when smothered with Nutella or butter. This year, Noble began milling its own grain in-house (locally grown heritage varieties, of course), bringing it one step closer to the true traditions of Old World baking.

We can remember the first time we went to dim sum at Great Wall Cuisine — years ago, but it feels like yesterday. How we stood outside the West Phoenix restaurant with dozens of other diners and how, by the time they called our number, we practically ran to the table to wait for the carts to start rolling by. This well-loved dim sum spot serves an impressive dim sum spread on Sunday mornings. The Saturday offerings are still above par, but Sunday is when you’ll find the full array of delicate dumplings, mounds of noodles, perfectly fried egg rolls, and glistening egg tarts. It’s tempting to fill up on the savory plates that fly by, but try to save room for the doughnuts. You won’t be sorry.

Chef and owner Jay Chung brings experience working in Los Angeles and at several other Valley restaurants to his latest venture, Sushi J. Located just outside Old Town Scottsdale, this cozy restaurant serves an uncomplicated menu of sushi, sashimi, and a selection of cooked entrées that make the place suitable for both sushi virgins and experienced diners. We love the restaurant’s affordable and incredibly filling sushi lunch combos, as well as the list of simple nigiri sushi. The restaurant stocks everything from uni and ama ebi to spicy scallops and shrimp with specialty rolls such as the Friday Night Fever and Lord of Tuna to keep things fun. With obvious value and an approachable vibe, we’re happy to have this addition to the Scottsdale dining scene.

Readers Choice: Hana Japanese Eatery

If Sam Fox restaurants typically offer style over substance, then Little Cleo’s Seafood Legend is the exception. Located at the bustling Yard in north Central Phoenix, this East Coast-inspired restaurant provides a perfect escape — an escape that’s bolstered by generous amounts of oysters, crab, and other fresh seafood. We love exploring the daily selection of raw oysters, and the employees are always willing to educate diners about the differences among the varieties of bivalves. Then you can move along to entrées that range from fish and chips or a Maine lobster roll to grilled ahi tuna or bouillabaisse accompanied by sides such as sweet corn elote or roasted mushrooms. For a real decadent dish, try the warm jar of king crab and melted butter with grilled bread.

When you learn exactly what goes into the making of chef Gio Osso’s grilled octopus at Virtù Honest Craft, you’ll be amazed. Not because it’s so complicated or because the ingredients are so exotic. But rather, it’s the simplicity and ease of this dish that really surprises. Osso cooks the octopus with oil, chile flakes, garlic, and a cork (not kidding) so it remains tender. He then marinates it with olive oil, garlic, parsley, chile flakes, salt, and pepper. He cuts off the tentacles and chars them to add additional texture and smoky flavor. And that’s about it. Add his marinated chickpeas and Calabrian chile sauce, and you’ve got the best octopus dish in the Valley.

We love pickles. We’ll eat them on sandwiches, with eggs, in a Bloody Mary, or plain. And our favorite place to get all sorts of pickled veggies is from Lillie Mae’s, a vendor you can find at several local farmers markets. Owner Dawn Peterson makes hundreds of jars of pickled veggies every week — everything from classic dill pickles and spicy cilantro pickles (our personal favorite) to pickled pineapple (they’re great on burgers) and sweet pickled beets. We love the homemade feel of each heavy mason jar of preserved vegetables, plus the fact that she almost exclusively sources her ingredients from organic or local farmers. Most often you can find Peterson at the bi-weekly Uptown Farmers Market, where you can purchase pickles for $12 a jar or $33 for three different types.

www.facebook.com/lilliemaespickledgarden

There’s plenty to like about this popular midtown restaurant, long a favorite of locals. But the Caesar here is really exceptional, with a good black-pepper kick and crunchy, housemade croutons crusted with cheese. Salads at pizza places are often second cousins to a main course, but not the Caesar at Alexi’s. Perhaps because it’s so unpretentious (the waiter always looks surprised when we request anchovies, as if they’re de rigueur) or because its cold plate is piled high with shiny romaine leaves, drizzled with that anchovy-rich dressing and showered with Parmesan. Who cares why? Alexi’s Caesar is simply the best.

Crepe Bar might not be the first place you think of when it comes to vegetables, but it should be. Chef Jeff Kraus nearly always offers a selection of daily small plates that showcases local produce, usually from the nearby Farm at Agritopia. We’ve had everything from lightly tempura-battered green beans seasoned with mole spices, mint, and honey to a heap of tiny roasted carrots complemented with harissa and served with a single fermented tomato. In addition to these exciting and ever-changing veggie small plates, there’s also the restaurant’s well-loved vegetarian option, the 13 Mile Crepe. Made with seasonal vegetables from the Farm at Agritopia, this curried crepe is easily one of our favorite vegetarian dishes. If one thing’s sure, it’s that Kraus source the best and freshest vegetables, then showcases them with creative flavor combinations that always keep us interested in eating our greens.

Seven years after opening its doors in North Scottsdale, Sweet Republic continues to wow us with one-of-a-kind flavors of gourmet ice cream. This year, owners Jan Wichayanuparp and Helen Yung made us swoon with doughnut ice cream made with Welcome Chicken + Donuts ring cakes. The culinary mash-up between two well-loved eateries featured locally made doughnuts swirled right into Sweet Republic’s signature ice cream base while doughnut “croutons” added more flavor and crunch. Of course, we’ll always love the ice cream shop’s signature flavors, which include unexpected combinations such as seasonal Sichuan Chocolate, Hop Knot IPA ice cream made with local Four Peaks beer, and Meyer Lemon Olive Oil. And with new locations in Phoenix and at Sky Harbor Airport, it’s never been easier to get your Sweet Republic fix.

Readers Choice: Sweet Republic

Arizona’s desert landscape is gorgeous. We don’t think there’s anyone who could argue against that. But where is the best spot to gaze upon the desert’s beauty? One visit to the patio at Talavera Restaurant at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North and the answer will be clear. If the sun is setting just beyond the mountains to the west, and the sky is filling with pinks and reds, you won’t even have breath to say anything. Phoenix’s skyline will be visible in the south — just enough to remind you of where you are but far enough away that you could also easily forget.

Readers Choice: Sanctuary on Camelback

There’s a reason everyone’s talking about Couscous Express, a new restaurant in town. Everything about it evokes the unexpected, from its focused regional North African cuisine to its bulk couscous available by the pound to its peanut butter-based date shakes — all of it packed into a quirky little space on 19th Street and McDowell. The date shake in question is unlike any other; no ice cream here, just a drink highlighted by natural date sweetness, peanut butter, and nutmeg. It’s different. Somehow, it works, always leaving us wanting more.

From what we can tell, pastry chef Country Velador gets inspired by everything and anything around her. That, of course, includes our desert landscape, an influence you can taste in creations such as Super Chunk Sweets and Treats’ Mesquite Chocolate Chip cookie. With the addition of just a hint of smoky Mesquite flavor, Velador, who owns and runs the shop with her husband, Sergio, takes a classic cookie and turns it into something uniquely inspired by the Southwest. In fact, local flavors are peppered throughout the shop’s offerings, including the fig and blue cheese caramels, pepita and cayenne brittle, and honeycomb made with local honey. The couple searched far and wide for the perfectly flavored honey, which they also use to make honeycomb ice cream. We think they’re sweet.

You say “desert” and people picture cacti and tumbleweeds, but the truth is you can grow a hell of a lot of veggies in this state. If you don’t believe us, just look at the menu at FnB Restaurant in Scottsdale, where James Beard Award-nominated chef Charleen Badman crafts seasonal cuisine that showcases the very best of the Arizona terroir. Sourcing local ingredients from top farmers and artisans around the Valley and state, Badman proves that Southwestern cuisine is about a lot more than just nopales. When in season, she showcases Arizona’s excellent heirloom tomatoes and pristine peppers, and she pairs squash blossoms with halloumi, chermoula, lemon, and olives. The bold flavors, tinged with international influences, take Arizona cuisine to a whole new level.

If you’ve eaten an organic salad during the winter in snowbound cities such as New York or Chicago, then there’s a good chance you’ve eaten lettuce grown by none other than Arizona’s own Duncan Family Farms. With more than 8,000 acres of organic farmland in Arizona and California, this giant farm produces massive amounts of lettuce and greens to processors who sell the produce as bagged salads. And Valley residents have probably seen some of the greens as they’re growing; head west on the I-10 and you’ll drive right by the farm’s headquarters in Buckeye, where Arnott Duncan, a fourth-generation farmer, and wife Kathleen head up operations for one of the leading organic farms in the country. Duncan Family Farms grows everything from romaine to tatsoi, as well as beets and herbs — a fact that’s sure to impress those who thought Arizona offered only drought-resistant plants.

www.duncanfamilyfarms.com

Whether you’re looking for a giant tin of olive oil and freshly baked pita bread or Roma tomatoes and Italian eggplant, you can pretty much always find what you need to cook dinner at this Central Phoenix market. Baiz specializes in international foods — in particular, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern ingredients — but you can get most of the staples here, in addition to harder-to-find products such as puck cheese and Turkish coffee. The building doesn’t look large from the outside, but step in and you’ll find wide aisles full of dry goods and spices, a large produce section, a butcher counter, a deli, and a bakery. At the butcher, you can buy fresh halal meats including beef, lamb, and goat, while the bakery tempts with fragrant whole wheat and white pita bread, naan, and fresh baklava.

It didn’t take long for us to fall in love with Uptown Farmers Market. Between the ever-changing but always excellent selection of vendors and the fun, family-friendly atmosphere, this bi-weekly farmers market has something for everyone. During the cooler months, the Wednesday morning market is a don’t-miss event; it’s anchored by well-loved farmer Bob McClendon and his McClendon’s Select produce and supplemented by top-notch vendors such as Noble Bread, Homeboy’s Hot Sauce, and Mama’s Cold Brew. Saturday morning markets are all about the community, with a bounce house for kids and the Veggie Valet, a program that let’s culinary school students practice their knife skills on your produce. Shopping local has never been so easy.

Readers Choice: Phoenix Public Market

Look, we love that Phoenix continues to up its culinary game. But every once in a while, our digestive system needs a detox. Whether you’re looking to recover from a night of hard drinking or a month of heavy eating, Juby True is all about giving you the juice to justify your past (or future) bad decisions. Edible repentance comes in the form of cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and a selection of chewable nourishment like salads and parfaits. Unlike your Big Mac and fries, most of Juby’s menu offerings come with their own explanation of benefits: glowing skin, anti-inflammation, immunity boosting — even a healthy libido. Regardless of whether it’s a healthy one-off pick-me-up or a structured three-day cleanse you’re looking for, all Juby products deliver one thing in common: a guilt-free conscience.

Imagine a brightly lit, cool warehouse stuffed with sweets: a dentist’s dream, a parent’s nightmare, and nirvana for the seeker of kitschy and obscure candy brands. Looking to color-code your kid’s birthday candy bar? Sweeties has every hue of saltwater taffy and coated chocolate candy. What else? All shapes and sizes of lollipops, swirled in colors, stuffed with gum, ready for licking: every candy bar brand we could come up with and a few we’d never heard of; and all kids of gummis, including some shaped like chicken feet! Even if you don’t have a particular event or craving, you’ve got to check out this place.

Jacob Cutino only started making Homeboy’s Hot Sauce in March, but already it’s become a favorite ingredient of some of the Valley’s best chefs. You’ll see it on the shelves at markets including La Grande Orange and Luci’s Healthy Marketplace, as well as on the menu at restaurants including Crudo, Yard Bird + The Larder, and The Gladly. So why do home cooks — and chefs — love Homeboy’s so much? It’s probably because Cutino uses onions and carrots — a mirepoix of sorts — as a base, giving his sauces as much flavor as heat. For now, the popular line includes two hot sauces: a fiery red jalapeño hot sauce and a deceivingly friendly looking golden habanero variety. From what we can tell, both taste good on pretty much everything. Our only complaint? That the four-ounce bottles aren’t bigger.

www.homeboyshabanero.com

There’s no shortage of places to get ice cream and other frozen treats in this town. But when it comes to finding top-quality Italian gelato, the options are limited. One of the very best places to indulge your sweet tooth is definitely Gelato Dolce Vita, an east Mesa gelato shop and grocery owned by Walter and Marti Bergamaschi. Both attended Gelato University near Bologna and apprenticed at two different shops before opening Gelato Dolce Vita in the Valley, and their dedication to serving true Italian gelato shows in the quality of the shop’s product. The flavors range from classics such as vanilla and stracciatella to more unique offerings including mascarpone and rice pudding. You can even taste the couple’s gelato at other dining spots, including Peixoto Coffee in Chandler and Paris Gourmet in North Phoenix.

There aren’t many places in town where you can find staples like freshly baked bread and bran muffins as well as specialty goods like fruit tarts and the “kronuts” a version of Dominique Ansel’s famous dessert. But you can at Karl’s Quality Bakery. This decades-old bakery and chocolate shop relocated in 2014, but you still can find the same quality and friendly service that kept the place in business for so long. Some of the most popular offerings include the apple fritter, a near-perfect doughnut that’s almost always sold out if you don’t get there early enough, and the coconut raspberry brownie that’s topped with a thick layer of toasted coconut. Father-and-daughter pastry chef team Karl and Christine Boerner keep the cases stuffed with all sorts of good things to eat and even offer seasonal treats such as American-flag topped pies for the Fourth of July and bunny-topped cupcakes at Easter time.

Readers Choice: Noble Bread

You definitely should make time to enjoy a meal at Cowboy Ciao. But we also wouldn’t blame you for just stopping in for dessert. Pastry chef Country Velador makes the best part of the meal, dessert, even more fun than it already is, with playfully named creations that take inspiration from, well, just about everything. On the restaurant’s most recent dessert menu, you’ll find options including Japanese-style “Cotton” Cheesecake, made with mango gelée and sesame tuile, and the Cereal Killer! cookie, featuring Frosted Flake ice cream and brittle. Mainstays of the menu include an ice cream flight that includes three flavors of Velador’s creation. We’re partial to the O Canada Peanut Butter Bar, inspired by the Canadian staple that originated in Nanaimo, British Columbia.

We consider ourselves lucky to have Zak’s Chocolate, a chocolate micro-factory, right in our backyard. Owners Jim and Maureen Elitzak opened Zak’s in a Scottsdale strip mall earlier this year. From the modest storefront they produce single-origin organic chocolate bars and confections. They do the entire process, from bean to bar, themselves — everything from roasting raw cacao beans to hand-wrapping each chocolate bar in decorative paper. The Elitzaks opt to include a small amount of cocoa butter in each bar, giving their high-quality creations a creaminess that’s rare in the artisan chocolate game. Plus, the single-origin bars showcase the different flavor profiles of each variety of cacao, bringing local chocolate to a truly artisan level.

Every time we go to Essence Bakery, we swear we’re not going to go crazy with the pastries — and then we do. It’s not that we have no self-control; it’s just that the buttery French croissants and delicate macarons are seriously impossible to resist. Chef and owner Eugenia Theodosopolous trained at the Ecole Lenotre in Paris and even was inducted into the Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame as Pastry Chef Extraordinaire, so, really, it’s no big shock that she knows how to make some of the very best French pastries anywhere in town. In addition to the near-perfect croissants and the rainbow of macarons (try the pumpkin spice and salted caramel), there also are almond croissants, cheese croissants, and delicately layered mille feuille.

It’s confusing, we know, but you’ll actually find the best cupcakes in town at a cookie store — Urban Cookies, to be exact. This name situation so confounded TV producers that in 2011, when Urban Cookies baker Brady Breese competed on the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars (and by the way, he won), he did so with the business name of OllieCake. But really, what’s in a name as long as we can have our cupcake and eat it, too — which is just what you can do at Urban Cookies on Seventh Street. You’ll find classics like vanilla and chocolate, but the flavor variety is far wider and more satisfying than just that — orange olive oil and rosewater, anyone. The flavors are always changing, so stop in to see (and taste) what this award-winning bake team is up to.

Welcome Chicken + Donuts head baker Casey Hopkins-Johnson works hard while we’re still sleeping to make sure the restaurant’s pastry case is stocked with more than a dozen kinds of doughnuts every single day. That’s quite a feat considering it requires making at least three to five kinds of dough and who knows how much ingredient prep for flavors such as maple bacon and rose pistachio. At Welcome, the proof is in the doughnut.

Phoenix may not be a bagel town, but New York City sure is. That’s why Nocawich owner Eliot Wexler isn’t even bothering to make his own bagels at the newly opened Nocawich in Tempe. Instead, he went straight to New York’s H&H Midtown Bagels and convinced the Big Apple bagel bakery to ship frozen, half-baked beauties nearly all the way across the country. For those who know a real East Coast bagel when they taste one, there’s simply no comparison. Crunchy on the outside and dense and chewy on the inside, these bagels only get better when topped with lox from another New York City favorite tapped by Wexler, Russ & Daughters.

Phoenix’s favorite English pub, George and Dragon, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and though 1995 might have been the height of the Britpop craze, George and Dragon has maintained its appeal for two whole decades. Modeled after classic British pubs, the walls are decked with Union Jacks, and the George offers generous pours of ale, occasional live rock ‘n’ roll, and authentic-tasting fare like shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash, and, of course, fish and chips. The G&D also hosts poker nights on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. And make sure to check out the Sunday night special, when the kitchen cranks out delicious roasts, including roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, New Zealand lamb, and roasted chicken.

You won’t find any meat on the menu at Woodlands — but we promise you won’t miss it when you get a taste of the restaurant’s bold curries and fresh chutneys. If you’re confused about what to order, just ask for a few suggestions, or go for one of the signature dosas. These paper-thin crepes made of rice and lentil batter are a staple in South India and come stuffed with everything from potatoes and onions to cheese at this Chandler restaurant. We love the spicy Chettinad dosai, which features onion, cauliflower, tomato, and chettinadu spice, as well as the paneer butter masala, a smooth curry studded with cubes of cheese. The restaurant also offers a complimentary chutney bar, where you’ll find pickled veggies, tamarind chutney, yogurt sauce, mint chutney, and coconut chutney to punch up or cool down each dish as you see fit.

Readers choice: Jewel of the Crown

We fell in love with this family-owned and -operated restaurant almost at first bite. The Chandler eatery serves homestyle Puerto Rican food in a simple, counter-service setting. Start with an order of the restaurant’s tostones (slices of fried plantain), which can and should be dipped in mojo de ajo (oil with sweet roasted garlic). For entrées, there are several excellent options, including the pollo guisado, a stew of slow-roasted chicken that’s braised in spices with cubes of potato, and the chicharrón, a plate of fried pork cracklings that’s impossible not to like. Every entrée comes with sides of beans and rice that’s flavored with pigeon peas and ham. There are even Puerto Rican sodas to pair with the food; try the Cola Champagne, a sort of cream soda that’s also lightly orange flavored.

“Lo mejor de Colombia en Arizona” is La Tiendita Cafe’s slogan, and it’s true. This Mesa restaurant and market brings traditional fare from the South American country to the Valley — everything from Colombian-style arepas and empanadas to Colombian coffee and other hard-to-find grocery products. If it’s your first time exploring Colombian cuisine, start with the bandeja paisa. This giant platter of food can fill one starving diner or two light eaters and comes with chicharrón, ground beef, and chorizo sausage, as well as rice, beans, avocado, plantain, a mini-arepa, and a fried egg. It’s a standard dish of Colombian cuisine and a great way to get your feet wet. Be sure to take some of arepas to go; they come filled with meat or cheese or even butter and salt.

This family-owned and -operated market and restaurant has been chugging away in Mesa for more than a decade. It’s a good thing, too, because without Princess Market’s hummus, we might have a serious meltdown. Sold on-site at the restaurant, in tubs at the market, and at a few farmers markets, Princess Market’s fresh, light-as-air hummus is easily our favorite in town. We’re also fans of the Princess Market breakfast menu, which offers an affordable selection of Middle Eastern morning dishes, including a pita-wrapped egg sandwich and buttery puck cheese served with honey and pita bread. For lunch, you’ll want one of the Princess Market platters, which come piled high with tender beef kebabs or flavorful kofta.

Readers choice: Pita Jungle

Where to go in the Valley for the most Italian cheeses and cured meats, the best holiday candies and cookies, the paisano-perfect canned tomatoes, vegetables, olive oils, and pastas? Niccoli’s has it all. You’ll feel as though you’ve maybe stumbled into old Roma instead of having just walked in off of 16th Street. Once you’ve stocked up on provolone balls and mustacciuoli, grab one of the prepared sandwiches or cannoli that are among Niccoli’s other delicious specialties. Linger, if you can, and chat up the molto italiano owners, Joe and Peppy Niccoli, who’ve been running Italian delis and catering lasagna-and-eggplant extravaganzas for 35 years. Bello cibo!

This year, Marcellino Ristorante celebrated five years at its Old Town Scottsdale location, but chef Marcellino Verzino has been in the business for much longer than that. Before moving his restaurant to Scottsdale, he and his wife, Sima, had a successful run in North Phoenix, and even before that, he owned and operated restaurants in Rome, Calabria, Abruzzo, and New York. The chef takes all that experience — and what he learned growing up in Italy — and uses it to produce authentic Italian cuisine and some of the city’s best fresh pasta. He hand-makes pounds of noodles daily and complements the doughy creations with high-quality ingredients including veal, imported mussels, proscuitto, and truffle oil. Choose from entrées including scaloppine al Gorgonzola, or sautéed veal in a creamy Gorgonzola sauce; gamberi affogati, featuring shrimp in a garlic and white wine sauce; or paccatelli al ragu di salsiccia, fresh pasta dressed in a hearty ragu.

With a spacious outdoor beer garden and 28 beers on tap, Brat Haus in Scottsdale makes every day seem like Oktoberfest. All you have to do to join in is fill a pint, a stein, or a giant glass boot with the beer of your choice and head outside for a game of giant Jenga, bags, or darts. Eventually, of course, you’re bound to get hungry, and the restaurant serves a sizable menu of European-style fare. The housemade pretzels are a go-to snack and come with your choice of several housemade mustards. There’s also the dangerously addicting Belgian-style fries (get them with the truffle aioli), grilled housemade sausages (try the spicy brat to punch things up), and classic German dishes, including a nice rendition of pork schnitzel.

Every year, the number of white-tablecloth, fine-dining restaurants in town dwindles as more casual New American restaurants spring up. But that only makes Christopher’s Restaurant and Crush Lounge all the more precious. Located at Biltmore Fashion Park, this sleek French eatery continues to offer upscale fare including foie gras, veal sweetbreads, and pied de cochon in a setting that’s anything but stuffy. You’ll still find Valley legend and James Beard Award-winning chef Christopher Gross in the kitchen, putting out pristine plates and photo-worthy desserts such as Chocolate Mousse Towers and Gateau Marjolaine. The restaurant even makes fresh bread in-house in a wood-fired oven, and boasts an excellent wine selection curated by sommelier Paola Embry. C’est magnifique.

Located in the former saddle shop of Tempe pioneer R.G. Andre, Rúla Búla’s name might translate from Gaelic to “uproar and commotion,” but to us, it’s always seemed more like an oasis from the sorority and frat-driven din of Mill Avenue in general, a homey respite where it’s possible to swill your Guinness and dig into some corned beef and cabbage in relative peace. Which isn’t to say that the Búla can’t get rowdy during a spirited pub quiz or during a set by Keltic Cowboys (sample song title: “Kiss My Irish Ass”), but we’ve always enjoyed it most on a lazy afternoon, surrounded by traditional Irish brickwork and accompanied by a nip of Jameson.

There are few better hangover cures than a piping-hot bowl of pho with a banh mi on the side. Yep, you read that correctly. Desperate times often call for an entire sandwich on the side of your meal. And don’t be confused by the restaurant’s name. Da Vang Coffee Shop serves so much more than coffee, though you can get a top-notch creamy, strong Vietnamese coffee as well. If you don’t feel like going with the classic hot and spicy bowl of pho, try another noodle dish on the menu, like one of the vermicelli bowls. Or ditch the noodles all together and fill up on a few of the giant, fresh spring rolls. Hungover or not, you’re sure to get a delicious, filling, and cheap meal at Da Vang.

Readers choice: Pho Thanh

Located on the fifth floor of the Phoenician resort, J&G Steakhouse offers breathtaking views of the Valley from its patio and a modern menu of seasonal steakhouse fare in the sleek dining room. Overseen by Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and run by executive chef Jacques Qualin, this restaurant appeals to classic steak house fans with dishes such as a six-peppercorn prime New York steak and 12-ounce bone-in filet. But there’s plenty for those who don’t live for these steak house staples. Take, as an example, the restaurant’s list of appetizers, salads, and soups. The menu includes options such as a chilled roasted melon tomato soup for summer and rich black cheese truffles and roasted mushrooms with herbs and chile for cooler weather in the fall.

Dining trends have come and gone over the past two decades, but through it all, Rancho Pinot has remained. So what gives this Scottsdale restaurant its lasting power? Well, there’s the restaurant’s always-polished American comfort fare, as well as owner Chrysa Robertson’s enduring dedication to using local produce and ingredients. As a founder of the local chapter of the international Slow Food organization, Robertson’s been showcasing Arizona-inspired cuisine since long before “local” became a foodie buzzword. But it’s more than that. Rancho Pinot also gives diners a memorable experience untethered to fads or trends. Friendly service and honest hospitality are the name of this restaurant’s game, and that’s one characteristic that never goes out of style.

Between the picturesque venue, pristine food, and, let’s be honest, high prices, it’s easy to understand why Quiessence at The Farm at South Mountain is a go-to spot for impressing out-of-town visitors. The lush acreage surrounding the restaurant begs diners to admire the beauty of the farm before settling in for dinner. And once they do, it’s all about chef Dustin Christofolo’s delicate treatment of local ingredients — including many that come from the farm and gardens that are just steps from the dining room door. From handmade pastas accompanied by a medley of seasonal produce to a fromage board loaded with Arizona-made cheese and freshly baked bread, Quiessence delivers a refined interpretation of desert cuisine that’s sure to impress even the most well-traveled food aficionados.

Though it opened only in April, DeSoto Central Market already has become one of the best places to bump into those who care as much about eating good food as they do about who sees them eating good food. And it’s easy to understand why. The market’s collection of food stalls (though still incomplete) serves a nice selection of mostly excellent food, and the space, well, is simply stunning. The unfinished concrete walls make a perfect backdrop for your next profile pic, and the abundance of window light means your Instagram is going to look totally professional. From morning to night, you’ll find chic students lounging upstairs with a Tea-spresso latte in hand and hardcore food lovers dissecting the latest specials on Stephen Jones’ Yard Bird + The Larder menu downstairs. It’s see and be seen — and eat some good food while you’re at it.

Claudio Urciuoli has been one of the most popular Italian chefs in town for years, but at Noble Eatery, he’s offering rustic and unforgettable food that’s unlike anything he’s done before. Simplicity is the name of the game, and Urciuoli has dedicated himself to sourcing the very best ingredients and letting them shine. Of course, housemade Noble Bread serves as the foundation for most of the food, but there’s also pristine produce, locally grown grains, and imported meats on the restaurant’s ever-changing menu. We’ve enjoyed everything from a seasonal salad featuring grapefruit and marinated celery to a bowl of creamy wheat berries, farro, tomato, and corn in the cozy dining room of this lunch-only spot. Food lovers will appreciate the level of authenticity on every plate — and won’t mind braving the extremely undersize parking lot in order to experience the cuisine.

Considering that Luncha Libre is one of the Valley’s longest-running food trucks, we wondered why owners Tim and Kim Cobb hadn’t opened a regular restaurant. After all, their Lucha Libre-themed Mexican food truck has been featured on Food Network’s Eat Street show and serves some of the best mobile food in town. Well, this year, they did open a brick-and-mortar spot, called the Taco and Dilla Parlor. But the truck is still where you’ll find the newest Luncha Libre specials. The ever-changing menu draws inspiration from Thai, Mexican, and American cuisines, and you can always count on the signature bebidas (freshly made juices) and teas served in quart-size Mason jars.

602-399-4024
www.lunchadorsunite.com

Readers Choice: Short Leash

Last fall, Crudo launched a mystery dinner series that tested the creativity of some of the Valley’s best chefs — and the trust of Valley diners. Called Blank Space, the monthly series featured big-name talent, including Kevin Binkley of Binkley’s Restaurant, Gio Osso of Virtù Honest Craft, and Josh Hebert of Posh Improvisational Cuisine. Each chef collaborated with Crudo’s Cullen Campbell on dinner menus with no restrictions or rules. Here’s the catch: Diners didn’t get to know the menu until they showed up to the event. The good news is that putting faith in local chefs paid off. Throughout the series, chef after chef put on one-night events that aren’t likely to be forgotten by attendees. From Jeff Kraus’ visually stunning plates and coffee-infused dessert to Binkley’s signature series of “snacks,” Blank Space highlighted some of the Valley’s very best.

From humble beginnings in central California, chef Silvana Salcido Esparza has risen to become the reigning queen of Mexican food in metro Phoenix. Her original restaurant, Barrio Cafe, is nothing short of a local landmark and has drastically transformed the popular perception of Mexican food since opening in 2002 and these days counts restaurants at Sky Harbor International Airport and The Yard in Phoenix as sibling spots. But Esparza’s not just about giving Phoenix diners excellent and affordable food. She’s a chef in the true sense of the word, which means “leader” or “chief” in French. Esparza manages to run four restaurants and still finds time to mentor up-and-coming chefs, to give back to the community, and to grab the attention of national critics — including the James Beard Foundation, which has nominated her for awards on four occasions.

Readers Choice: Kevin Binkley

Imagine eating a Twinkie, only one that tastes good and is gluten-free. That’s the Winkie. And the Winkie, along with large cookies and moist cupcakes in a wide variety of flavors (from double chocolate to carrot) are just some of the sweets available at Gluten Free Creations. In addition to sweets and bread, the wizards in the kitchen have mastered fluffy biscuits served with gravy or by the bag, chewy Everything bagels, pancakes, and fresh doughnuts. Yes, we said fresh doughnuts. With retail bakery locations in North Phoenix and midtown, the South Scottsdale location includes a cafette that serves breakfast and lunch. Cases and freezers are stocked with everything you would hope to find in a bakery — dinner rolls, baguettes, hamburger and hot dog buns, scones, muffins (English or otherwise), loaves of bread, and pizza crust. And if that’s not enough, you also can order a custom cake. There also is a variety of gluten-free baking mixes available. Whether you are gluten-free or gluten-friendly, Gluten Free Creations will not disappoint.

Readers Choice: Nami

It isn’t that the kids’ menu at Beckett’s Table is leagues above anyone else’s — it isn’t. With well-executed basics like grilled cheese, hot dogs, and sliders, it’s predictable fare. But what differentiates Beckett’s Table from others is how successfully it executes on its motto: “Come together.” From top to bottom, the staff really does treat the dining room like someone’s home. Family isn’t just welcome; it’s encouraged.

Until restaurants start offering kids half-portions of adult food instead of lowest-common-denominator basics, Justin Beckett’s flagship is the place where kids and their parents can enjoy a meal together. Skip the kids’ menu altogether and have your little ones order the Original Grilled Cheese with pancetta and roasted red pepper tomato soup. Even the short rib is tender enough that baby teeth won’t flinch. And if all else fails and a meltdown ensues, there’s an affordable wine list to appease Mom and Dad.

Braving the crowds and craziness of Old Town Scottsdale on a Friday night may not sound like the recipe for the most romantic evening with your loved one, but just beyond the hustle and bustle you’ll find one of the most romantic spots in the Valley: the House Brasserie. Trees block the candlelit patio from the street, and white tablecloths wait to present Chef Matt Carter’s comforting yet original fare. Inside you’ll feel like you’re sitting in someone’s home, with the service and hospitality to match. Grab a glass of wine or a cocktail and settle in with your honey for a lovely evening.

Readers Choice: Elements

It is not easy to find Dick’s Hideaway on 16th Street. Even when you do know what you’re looking for, don’t be embarrassed if you walk by it a couple of times before you realize that those doors with the iron bars on them are actually the entrance to a tiny restaurant where it’s best to sit at the bar. Once you’re inside, don’t even bother with the small side room or the hightops. Just pull up a bar stool and prepare to be treated like family by the bartenders. Whether it’s for brunch, lunch, happy hour, or dinner, the bar is where it’s at in Dick’s Hideaway. You’ll feel like a regular in no time.

The food at Linger Longer Lounge isn’t just good lounge food. It isn’t even just good bar food. The food at Linger Longer Lounge transcends all places within the Venn diagram of establishments that serve both food and alcohol — it’s just plain ol’ good food. With appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and pizzas that could stand next to any of the other hot spots around town, we’d venture to Linger Longer Lounge any hour of the day — not just after the sun goes down — for good eats and drinks. Plus, it has some of the best fried pickles we’ve ever had. Seriously, ever.

Fez has relocated, moving into the former Portland’s space just off Central Avenue. Friendly, easy service (most of it from young, bearded guys), an open indoor dining room, and a hopping after-hours scene (check out the shifting bar specials) are all pluses. But lately, restaurants and diners are opening all over town with high-end tasting menus, crafted cocktails, and gimmickry based on locally grown everything. But few of them have such a nice wide patio for dining al fresco. Comfy, bright orange chairs and four-top tables surround the rounded façade of this swell building. Fez’s outdoor dining patio fronts on First Avenue and offers views of an ever-better downtown, with the Westward Ho tower in the immediate distance, and just across from the public are of a big-city light rail stop. As those trains whiz past, you can’t help but think two things: 1) What city am I in? and 2) I’ll have another Manhattan!

When the Phoenix Ritz-Carlton went kaput a few months ago, ladies all over town shed a delicate tear for the death of high tea, long celebrated with flair and a song by Jeffrey Hattrick, the hotel’s tea sommelier. But we soldiered on knowing we’d found an even better tea just up the street at the Arizona Biltmore. True, there’s no live music (not on the day we were there, anyway) but the service is impeccable, the china lovely, the tea selection varied. And, as at any proper tea, the lemon curd, clotted cream, and scones are divine. Pinkies up!

Downtown diners looking for an elegant lunch that won’t break the bank need look no further than Nobuo at Teeter House. Located at Heritage Square in a converted historic bungalow, this restaurant is home to James Beard Award-winning chef Nobuo Fukuda, who crafts refined Japanese cuisine that’s at once impressive and approachable. Dinner is worth every penny, but at lunch you’ll be able to enjoy more budget-friendly dishes such as a $10 soft shell crab sandwich served on homemade focaccia or $14 warm duck salad with warm greens and yuzu vinaigrette. Between the lower price points and beautiful digs, Nobuo at Teeter House might just be the most underrated lunch spot in town.

Readers Choice: Mother Bunch Brewery

Chef Bernie Kantak’s grits, served during brunch with a thick slice of buckboard bacon and a side of toast, are totally worth getting out of bed for on a Sunday morning. Gussied up with truffle oil and shaved Pecorino Romano, they’re creamy and light. In fact, the Grits and Eggs is one of our favorite dishes on The Gladly’s concise Sunday menu — though with options ranging from the restaurant’s famous Chopped Salad to smoked chicken wings or chilaquiles, we’d like to think this is a menu with something for everyone. The Gladly’s brunch cocktails also are worthwhile. You can have your mimosa upgraded to include a scoop of seasonally flavored sorbet, and the restaurant’s Bloody Marys come spiked with locally made Homeboy’s Hot Sauce.  

Readers Choice: Snooze

When we’re in the mood for a simple breakfast done exceptionally well, only one place will satisfy — and that’s Matt’s Big Breakfast. Along with griddle cakes and oatmeal on the menu, you can find the city’s best waffle, perfectly cooked hash browns, and thick-cut peppered bacon that’s simply unparalleled. The options are limited but all will satisfy, and for first-timers, we recommend the basic Hog and Chick. The meal includes two eggs (cooked your way, of course) and either thick-cut bacon or country sausage (pick the bacon), as well as toast and either hash browns or home fries (pick hash browns). Another favorite option is Matt’s version of a breakfast sandwich. Called the Five Spot, it comes with two eggs, two slices of bacon, American cheese, and grilled onions.

Readers Choice: Matt’s Big Breakfast

Italian-born owners Roberto Dadone and Luca Dagliano and Cuban native Mili Fernandez make up the trio behind Forno 301 Pizzeria, a lively restaurant that’s brought European flair to downtown Phoenix. Both Dadone and Dagliano bring decades of restaurant experience from Italy — but it’s the pair’s dedication to doing things the traditional way that makes the restaurant stand out. Forno 301’s wood-fired pizzas are made with fresh mozzarella and flour from Naples, but they’re by no means the only things on the menu worth trying. The bruschetta and salads showcase beautiful, fresh ingredients and want nothing more than to be washed down by a cold Italian beer or glass of $6 house wine. Still, what seals the deal is the owners’ over-the-top hospitality. Welcoming but not fussy, casual but not indifferent, Dadone and Dagliano more than live up to the Italian reputation for gracious hospitality.

Readers Choice: Union Barrelhouse

Sometimes it can be hard to find upscale organic farm-to-table food that appeals to mixed company — and by mixed company, we mean the gluten-free and the rest of us. If you have ever had trouble finding a spot that caters to both your appetite and your allergen restrictions, this airy Tempe eatery’s pizzas, pasta dishes, salads, desserts, and cocktails will appeal to everyone. With additional locations around the Valley and the state, Picazzo’s makes gluten-free dining a breeze with comfort dishes such as lasagna Bolognese, chicken or eggplant Parmesan, and baked cannelloni. The signature ravioli and gnocchi choices include vegetarian or vegan alfredo, pork ragu, and a traditional carbonara. If pizza and Italian food doesn’t suit you, try a fresh quinoa bowl, the Jammin’ Jambalaya, or Asian fusion creations such as mu shu chicken or Thai-inspired curry. With an extensive menu, gluten-free beer choices and cocktail creations, there is something here to satisfy just about any dietary desire.

Readers Choice: Pita Jungle

This place is a vegan’s dream come true. Some of the handcrafted and locally sourced goodies in the case at 24 Carrots Natural Café and Urban Juicery are examples of raw food done right (not heated over 115 degrees), and others are gluten-free. The dining room has an array of old farm tables and charming mismatched chairs with a reading nook full of books and a bakery case filled with mouth-watering vegan goodies tempting your taste buds while you place your order at the counter. 24 Carrots creates flavorful fare and an expansive selection of juice and smoothie blends. Breakfast is served until 11 a.m. weekdays and 2 p.m. on weekends. Located in Tempe in the same plaza as Changing Hands Bookstore, the watermelon pizza — each slice drizzled with jalapeño nectar, toasted pistachios, basil, and a kiss of salt — is our favorite snack before browsing the books.

Readers Choice: Pita Jungle

Sam Fox’s Flower Child is a vegetarian’s paradise. The majority of the restaurant’s menu is vegetarian-friendly fare, and the restaurant itself, well, it makes you feel like a million bucks. Designed to look like a farmhouse — albeit a perfect farmhouse filled with beautiful people — Flower Child makes eating your veggies both easy and chic. You can get bowls of crisped kale paired with pink grapefruit and apple or plates of dressed-up vegetable and grains, a sort of build-your-own veggie sampler with options such as organic mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, or a salad of heirloom tomatoes and cubes of watermelon. There’s kombucha on tap, seasonal fresh lemonades, and even organic red or white wine and local beers. What more could a vegetarian want?

Readers choice: Pita Jungle

Since 1964, this downtown Phoenix restaurant has been serving such Southern and soul food classics as macaroni and cheese and collard greens, beloved fried chicken, and chicken-fried steak. The menu is written on the wall — as are many names and messages from customers over the years. The scrawled-on walls and simple décor give the place a certain old-school charm, one that pairs well with a smothered pork chop, plate of fried catfish, or piece of peach cobbler. Even today, owner Mrs. Elizabeth White makes the cobbler at the restaurant, so you’ll want to grab a slice before the day’s allowance is gone.

Readers choice: Lo-Lo’s Chicken & Waffles

If loving Hana Japanese Eatery is wrong, then we don’t want to be right. This cozy family-owned and -operated restaurant offers excellent Japanese cuisine including sushi, noodle dishes, and traditional dinner entrées. You’ll often find brother-and-sister sushi chefs Koji and Lori Hashimoto behind the restaurant’s sushi bar plating photo-worthy dishes of fish. And out of the restaurant’s kitchen, you’ll witness a parade of cooked dishes including some of the city’s best ramen; ika kara age (butter-marinated tempura battered squid), and habachi gyuniku and ebi, a surf-and-turf combo of grilled ribeye and shrimp. The pièce de résistance is the Hana Tomago, a contemporary Japanese creation that features a tempura-battered soft-boiled egg topped with a creamy, yogurt-based sauce; a mixture of mentaiko (marinated roe of cod), togarashi, garlic, and onion; and vinegar-pickled myoga.

Readers Choice: Hana Japanese Eastery

Chef Jian Yu came to the Valley from China’s Guangdong province in 1997 and worked at several restaurants around town before taking over New Hong Kong Restaurant nearly a decade ago. Since then, he’s built a loyal following of fans who know this place is a destination for well-executed Chinese fare. And don’t be fooled by appearances; the restaurant’s tired exterior and worn booths stand in stark contrast to the lively Chinese food you’ll find inside. Yu’s menu includes excellent versions of Cantonese dishes, with some of the best options being the clay pots, the chef’s specialty. We love the clay pot with pork belly and rich taro root, while more adventurous diners might like to opt for the pork stomach clay pot, spiked with whole peppercorns. On the Americanized menu, you’ll find all the typical dishes, but even the fried rice and twice pork are better than usual here.

Readers Choice: Jade Palace

This Mesa restaurant has been serving authentic Korean fare for years, and we’re happy to say that in all that time, HoDoRi hasn’t slipped. On any given night, you’re likely to find dozens of diners in the restaurant tucking into oversize bowls brimming with rice and spicy meats or scooping up mouthfuls of soft tofu soup. The kimchi bokum bap (kimchi fried rice) is one of our favorite dishes, featuring rice, kimchi, beef, and an egg served in a massive hot stone bowl. And the haemul jungol, a Korean seafood stew, makes an adventurous meal. It’s enjoyed family-style, gets cooked tableside, and comes chock-full of everything from squid and shrimp to crab and sea squirts.

Readers Choice: Takamatsu

We were worried last year that Thai Rama would close permanently after a car crashed into its building. Thankfully, everyone was fine and our favorite Thai place was up and running. Once again, we could devour the classics it makes so well, including the comforting paht thai, the spicy satay appetizer, the sweet and savory khao paht saparod, or fried rice with pineapple, chicken, shrimp, and yellow curry. Of course, Thai Rama offers more exotic and traditional dishes for more adventurous diners. But if you happen to stop by during the summer, be sure to save room for the seasonal sticky rice with mango for dessert. It’s so good, we’re actually thankful for the summer.

Readers choice: Thai Basil