The 5 tastiest bites we tried at Phoenix restaurants in December

December is a month all about indulgence. But we didn’t just feast on Christmas cookies and holiday treats. The Phoenix New Times food team had the chance to enjoy some delicious and unique dishes from restaurants around the Valley.

A standout breakfast sandwich left us with a new favorite way to start the day. Some spicy, tingly chicken inspired cravings for more. And an unusual savory pastry provided some sweet relief.

Here are the five most delicious bites we tasted at Phoenix restaurants last month.

Central Breakfast Sandwich at Malegria Latin Cafe

1031 Grand Ave.
The Central Breakfast Sandwich from Malegria Latin Cafe is a fresh, comforting flavor bomb between sweet bolillo bread. It’s part of the reason the Grand Avenue cafe was among our favorite new restaurants of 2025. The hearty sando balances taste and texture with layers of creamy mashed black beans, sweet caramelized plantains, herbaceous crema verde, avocado, queso fresco and an expertly fried egg that’s studded with tender bits of onion and jalapeno. Chirmol, a bright, zippy Guatemalan salsa, is served on the side. The sandwich is big enough to share, but no one will blame you for eating it all yourself.

Chongqing Style Spicy Chicken at Old Town Taste

1845 E. Broadway Road, Tempe
There’s nothing quite like the numbing, tingling sensation of eating a dish made with Sichuan peppercorns, but the unique experience leaves you coming back for more. At least that’s the case with Old Town Taste’s Chongqing Style Spicy Chicken. Marked on the menu as a “top seller,” it’s easy to see why fans love this dish. Small pieces of chicken are battered and fried to crispy perfection, with the crust shattering as you crunch down. They’re interspersed with sweet pan-seared green beans and plenty of dry, bright red peppers. Frying oil still clinging to the piping-hot chicken melds with the peppers to create its own type of chili crisp, which, coupled with the mouthwatering, tangy flavor and tingly feeling, leaves us craving more. 

French Onion Soup at Society Swan

7014 E. Camelback Road, #559, Scottsdale
At Sam Fox’s latest Valley restaurant, a swanky “French-American brasserie” at Scottsdale Fashion Square, a starter stole the show. Society Swan’s Customers may overlook the French Onion Soup unless it’s an unusually chilly day outside. But one bowl convinced us that this starter is a must-order item every time. The fairly classic rendition of the soup is deep mahogany in color, rich, silky and topped with plenty of molten gruyere. While the dish is a classic, it’s not one found on many menus around Phoenix. At Society Swan, it’s comfort in a bowl.

Green Chile Bressane from Süss Pastries

5337 N. Seventh Ave.
The treats baked by a who’s who of Phoenix pastry chefs at the inaugural “Bake N Take” sale took us to a new level of dessert nirvana. The event was organized by the Stoop Kid team to benefit United Food Bank, and Phoenix’s pastry pros stepped up to the plate for the occasion. The vast majority of items available to stuff into a pastry box were sweet. Yet, the item that stuck out was a savory, creamy brioche bun from Süss Pastries. This is a bressane that eats like a composed bagel and schmear, with a nice crust dusted in salty, garlicky everything seasoning, but with an airier, springier interior. The cream cheese, nestled at the center, is punctuated by snappy bits of roasted green chile. It’s a satisfying Sunday brunch bite that we’ll make a trip to Süss to enjoy again. Given the crowd and the exceptional treats, we also hope to see the bake sale again this year.

Charcoal Grilled Beef Tenderloin Hummus at Pinyon

7363 E. Scottsdale Mall, Scottsdale
The hummusiya, the regular rotation of hummus and dips at Scottsdale’s Pinyon, is the star at the Mediterranean-inspired restaurant. The chickpea dip is luscious and silky, with notes of toasty cumin and nutty tahini. That hummus is plussed up with a variety of ingredients, including hunks of beef tenderloin and roasted garlic for a rich dose of umami, along with a dash of Aleppo pepper. The hummus is served with warm, fluffy flatbread-style pitas that are the ideal vehicle to drag through this gorgeously simple starter. Not everything at Pinyon hit it out of the park like this hummus, but we’d return just for the restaurant’s next-level dips.