Merci French Cafe and Pastisserie

If you ever dined at chef-owner Duc Liao’s past restaurant Scratch, you are familiar with a distinct French style in décor, with ornate wallpaper patterns contrasting with simple white walls and fashion photography spattering the walls. Merci is no different, though it has been altered from the original design. While breakfast and lunch options like […]

Mind Over Batter

Mind Over Batter is more than a cutesy, clever name. The wheels were clearly turning when cupcake flavors like Cotton Candy (strawberry cake topped with vanilla buttercream and cotton candy crunch), Hot Fudge Sundae (chocolate cake with chocolate chips topped with vanilla buttercream, rich dark chocolate fudge icing, sprinkles, and a cherry), and Dark Vader […]

Mind Over Batter

Mind Over Batter is more than a cutesy, clever name. The wheels were clearly turning when cupcake flavors like Cotton Candy (strawberry cake topped with vanilla buttercream and cotton candy crunch), Hot Fudge Sundae (chocolate cake with chocolate chips topped with vanilla buttercream, rich dark chocolate fudge icing, sprinkles, and a cherry), and Dark Vader […]

Mini Mercado Oaxaca

The small store may have only 10 tables, but the menu boasts more than 100 dishes. Regional specialties are attention-grabbing once the menu (it’s all in Spanish, with exotic Oaxacan ingredients) is deciphered. Particular favorites: Botana Oaxaque

Nami

Owner Damon Brasch opened this cool little vegan ice cream, coffee, and pastry shop in a renovated house in downtown Phoenix just days before he opened the second location of his vegan bistro Green right next door. And what Green does right in the way of comfort food, Nami does right in the way of […]

New York Bagels ‘N Bialys

Since 1987, New York Bagels ‘N Bialys in Scottsdale has been serving some of the Valley’s best real-deal New York bagels. How? First, they boil the dough before baking, which gives it a sturdy crust and doughy middle. Ah, perfection. The sandwiches are huge and delicious, and there’s even a bar here, so you can […]

New York Flavor

At this small but comfortable, fast-casual eatery in Surprise, ex-New Yorkers, or those who just want to eat like one, can find great-tasting food for less than a ferry ticket to see the Statue of Liberty. Featuring an all-day breakfast and lunch menu of New York-style grinders, salads, burgers, and other bites, sandwich favorites include […]

New York West Pastry & Bake Shop

Since 2000, Hugh and Pat McGurgan’s bakery has fed the West Valley an impressive array of breads, fresh rolls, cakes, pies, cookies, and even that old East Coast delicacy known as the Devil Dog. The two-layer chocolate cake features a cream filling and a chocolate ganache covering. For non-chocolate treats, the McGurgans also whip up […]

Ollie Vaughn’s

It’s far too easy to get lost in the pastry case at Ollie Vaughn’s. If the sky-high slab of peanut butter cheesecake drizzled in chocolate doesn’t get you, the caramel-drenched pecan sticky bun or powdered sugar-dusted lemon bar on buttery shortbread will. So many choices. But beyond the beckoning display, owner Lindsay Magee has created […]

Pane Bianco

Celeb chef Chris Bianco has worked his magic again, this time concentrating on a tiny menu of sandwiches and salads. Fare is takeout only, and it’s expensive, but worth it for farmers-market-fresh quality. Anything with homemade mozzarella is a marvel. Read our review.

Rainbow Donuts

The prices at Rainbow are so cheap, and the bar/café setup makes it feel like you’re in another era of doughnut-y goodness – a simpler time when you could munch on a few doughnuts while enjoying a cup of hot black coffee without any frills. But with several locations around the Valley, all of which […]