Tirion Boan
Audio By Carbonatix
In May, the Phoenix New Times food team traveled around the Valley, eating our way from North Scottsdale to Chandler. Of all of the tasty bites and sips we tried, some stood above the rest.
To start the morning, a couple of cafes wowed with standout coffee and pastry options. When dining later in the day, unique twists on wings, plantains and fried octopus left us craving more.
Here are the five best bites and sips we tasted at Phoenix restaurants in May.
Sweet Plantains at Chilte
765 Grand Ave.
On Grand Avenue, Chilte churns out creative dishes that play with bold, bright flavors on an ever-rotating menu. On a recent visit, we started our meal with a plate of sweet plantains. The plantains themselves are tender and delicious, but it was the pairings on the plate that made this dish sing. The plantains are served alongside a small cast-iron skillet of spicy refried beans made with lamb fat, topped with sliced red onion, queso fresco and avocado. The spice contrasts the sweetness for an exciting plate that leaves you going back and forth with each bite. A ramekin of a creamy white sauce described on the menu only as “house crema” adds cool relief with a hint of tang. Each element is excellent, but together this trio showcases the kitchen’s expertise.
Sara Crocker
Pain au Chocolat at Brasserie Melrose
4971 N. Seventh Ave.
Browsing the pastry case at Brasserie Melrose is like walking into a posh jewelry shop. Neatly arranged rows of pastries shine with glossy bands of chocolate, mounds of jewel-toned berries and clouds of whipped cream, offering a feast for the eyes. The restaurant’s pain au chocolat is its signature bake, boasting a rich brown pinstripe on its crust. Cutting into the pastry, there’s a satisfying crackle as the chocolate bands snap and the crisp outer layer reveals a bubbly, buttery interior. Batons of velvety Valrhona chocolate are tucked into each roll of the ear-shaped croissant, adding a hint of rich, not-too-sweet decadence. There’s been an explosion of French pastry options in the Valley of late. Brasserie Melrose’s bakes taste as good as they look. Savor the pain au chocolat with a café au lait in the restaurant’s cozy upstairs dining room.
Sara Crocker
Wings at Beerded BBQ
15111 Hayden Road, #100, Scottsdale
Brisket, ribs and burnt ends are often the go-to for many barbecue diners. While researching the Valley’s barbecue history and scene for a recent cover story, we ate plenty of smokehouse staples along the way. The barbecue dry-rubbed wings at Beerded BBQ make the case for more joints to recreate this sports bar staple. The wings from the barbecue trailer outside of Pinnacle Brewing Co. have smoke, crunch and wood-fired char. That combination preserves the wings’ moisture while offering plenty of texture and a deeper, earthy flavor. The dry rub adds a hint of sweet and heat to the succulent wings. You can grab one of Beerded BBQ’s housemade sauces to dip, but we couldn’t stop going back to the herbaceous, creamy scratch-made ranch, which offered a bright, contrasting tang.
Sara Crocker
Chicharron de Pulpo at Marisco Boys
2026 N. Seventh St.
Marisco Boys is the kind of spot that can break us out of the doldrums of the summer. It’s breezy and fresh but has upscale touches that make it worthy of a night out. Most diners visit the sophisticated spot on Seventh Street for its bright ceviches, tostadas towering with tuna and large, well-made tacos. The Chicharron de Pulpo is among our go-to dishes whenever we visit. Nuggets of marinated, deep-fried octopus offer a satisfying, tender and briny bite that outshines just about every version we’ve tasted with pork. Avocado puree and halved cherry tomatoes hide underneath the mound of crispy octopus. Scoop them all into an accompanying tortilla and add a bit of salsa negra for a satisfying build-your-own taco.
Tirion Boan
Freddo Cappuccino at Aristocrat Coffee Roasters
201 S. Washington St., Chandler
In Chandler, just off the main stretch of downtown and behind the city’s government buildings, a small coffee shop is churning out excellent brews. Aristocrat Coffee Roasters is fairly new to the Valley and opened in December 2025. Inside the light and airy space, customers sip lattes and work on their laptops at tables surrounding the central roastery. One of the cafe’s most popular sips is the Freddo Cappuccino, a gorgeous multi-layered iced sip. The drink starts with a double shot of espresso that’s mixed with sugar and ice. Then, a thick layer of frothed milk foam is added on top, with a dusting of cinnamon. The layers stay mostly separate, but slowly blend together, like a dark beer or cold brew on nitro. As visually stunning as it is delicious, this sip has a strong shot of caffeine, but drinks light as air. We’ll be reaching for one all summer.
