Ah, brunch — the most important meal of the weekend. When we're in the mood for not-quite-breakfast, not-quite-lunch, we stop by Fàme Caffe in central Phoenix. It's usually busy, but the line to order moves quickly, so don't delay in choosing what to eat. We love the veggie scramble — eggs, goat cheese, mushrooms, cauliflower, and broccoli — with house potatoes, or if we're more in the mood for something sweet, the French toast crafted from sturdy country bread is also a wise choice. The lunch menu has plenty of delights as well, from the avocado grilled cheese to the garden kale salad. Also, Fàme has a standout selection of that most important brunch component: cocktails. There are plenty of a.m. favorites to choose from, including carajillos, greyhounds, palomas, and our favorite, the raspberry peach Bellini.

You won't find run-of-the-mill sandwiches or lackluster salads at this Roosevelt Row micro-restaurant, which specializes in playful, globally inspired street food with a gourmet twist. On the menu, you'll see everything from Korean-inspired yakitori, salads, burgers, and tacos. Skipped breakfast? Try the kitchen's All Day Burrito, which bulges with cheesy scrambled eggs, pico de gallo, bacon, hash browns, and avocado. Another highlight is the light and refreshing cold soba salad featuring glassy noodles buried under a colorful mosaic of dried seaweed and diced veggies. Service is quick and friendly, and there's a daily happy hour that runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. — the perfect excuse to indulge in a lunch hour cocktail.

Duck roasted high over a wood fire. Pickled cabbage flecked with chile. Pork ribs in black bean sauce. Pan-fried cheese. These are some of the small plates at Bri, the new Seventh Street restaurant captained by chef Vince Mellody (once an executive chef at Otro Café). At Bri, Mellody cooks whatever he wants, looping together flavors from Europe, Asia, and beyond. Duck legs are rich and mineral. An absolute stunner is the lychee "scallop." A pale coin of white-fleshed fruit rests on a cool, spicy carrot curry. The bite is unexpected and thrilling, turbocharged with clean flavors. At this spot, even the tiny radishes with house-made butter seem to have way more flavor than they should. 

Chris Bianco's Italian-Arizonan trattoria evolves with the Sonoran micro-seasons. Roasted eggplant with olive oil might be in one day, out the next. How do you know what's best to order? You sit at the bar and catch the ear of Blaise Faber, one of the Valley's most congenial and skilled bartenders, as he froths egg whites and measures house-made apricot liqueur. The bar at Tratto is an escape. You feel almost like you're sitting in a formal restaurant in Florence. From your perch with primo bartender access, you can dissolve into the hum of the simple but stellar eatery, and watch the roasted chicken and Bluebeard durum tagliatelle go by.

Romantic meals have something in common with real estate: It's all about location, location, location. That's why we keep coming back to House of Tricks, which is situated in a 1920s cottage just off Mill Avenue. It's an oasis of charm and refinement amid the hustle and bustle of Arizona State University's Tempe campus, an intimate space whether you're nestled in the dining room or eating on the tree-canopied patio. And, oh yeah, the food is outstanding. The seasonal menus are filled with well-executed classics like a spiced duck breast with orange gastrique and crispy fingerling potatoes, and a beef tenderloin with roasted shallot-rosemary sauce and mashed potatoes. It's the perfect place to enjoy a good meal with your special someone.

We love kids, but they're not always the easiest dining companions. When eating with little ones, the choice of restaurant is crucial, which is why we love Luci's. Part of the Orchard complex in north central Phoenix, Luci's has a simple but tasty kids' menu of perennial favorites — including chicken strips, a cheeseburger, Funky Monkey French toast, and a cheese crisp. There are plenty of good choices for the adults as well; breakfast is served all day, and options like a veggie-packed frittata or a sweet fig and tuna salad wrap are both healthy and delicious. But as good as the food is, it's what comes after that makes this the ideal spot for families. The Orchard is home to a splash pad and a shaded lawn surrounded by chairs, as well as Splurge Ice Cream & Candy Shop, a dessert spot that will delight kids of all ages. As you relax with a waffle cone and watch the kids play on the grass, you'll wonder why you don't take them out to eat more often.

There's a big chunk of the year when we try to avoid the outdoors as much as possible. But when patio season hits, there's nowhere we'd rather eat al fresco than Ocotillo. The central Phoenix eatery has been a favorite of ours since its inception several years ago, and the outdoor atmosphere is a big part of the reason. There's the covered area that contains long, picnic-style tables and its own bar; there's also a cozy area with couches for groups that's near a good-size lawn perfect for children to play on. Or, you could sit on the wraparound patio that looks out at Third Street. Wherever you end up seated, you'll enjoy your meal; Ocotillo's rotating seasonal menus have nothing but good options, including plenty of vegetable dishes and the famous mesquite-grilled Ocotillo chicken with citrus, chiles, and local honey.

Some of us never thought we'd say this, but Historic Downtown Chandler is super-cute and fun. Shops, restaurants, arts, underground bars — it's all here. And one of the area's staples is SanTan Brewing Company, which has served craft food and numerous varieties of craft beer since opening in its corner spot at Arizona Avenue and Chandler Boulevard in 2007. And if that's not everything you need already, the dog-friendly patio should cap you off nicely. SanTan has a roomy patio, fresh water, and attentive guests for your doggies to bask in. There are also Otto's Brew Bones — peanut-butter-flavored dog treats made with SanTan spent beer grain that are made and packaged in-house, and feature Otto, the cartoon dog who graces the label of SanTan's Oktoberfest German Style Lager. SanTan opened a second location earlier this year near Bethany Home Road and 16th Street; that outpost has the same great beer selection as the original location, but it doesn't have a patio, so make sure to head to Chandler when you want some quality outdoors time with your four-legged friends.

For all the growth that downtown Phoenix has seen in the past decade or so, late-night dining options are still in short supply. That's why we're so grateful that SoSoBa decided to open a second location of its Flagstaff noodle shop on Roosevelt Row. Craving a Vietnamese-style salad with rice noodles, veggies, and seaweed salad? How about blistered shishito peppers, pork belly or fried chicken bao buns, or a savory bowl of katsu ramen at midnight? SoSoBa has you covered. Everything on the restaurant's Asian-fusion menu is available until 2 a.m., making it the perfect spot to sober up after a night of drinking. If you're not ready to call it a night just yet, you can also pair your meal with one of the inventive cocktails, like the Honey and Knives, which combines tequila, grapefruit juice, ginger syrup, and serrano pepper.

The Valley dining scene is increasingly diverse, with restaurants representing countless regional and national cuisines available for the sampling. But sometimes, we just want a really good steak. J&G Steakhouse at The Phoenician resort recently celebrated its 10th anniversary by undergoing a redesign that included a desert-inspired color scheme and improvements to the patio area. Fortunately, the stunning views, outstanding food, and impeccable service haven't changed. Beef is the restaurant's raison d'etre, but it's by no means the only good choice on the menu — there's fresh seafood, craveable sides, and a beverage menu that ranges from domestic beers to bottles of wine that cost more than a mortgage payment.