Restaurant Samarkand

Ever wonder what folks eat in Uzbekistan? Well, then, Samarkand is your place. Run by two Uzbek expats, Samarkand serves killer kebabs, everything from lamb chops and chicken to captain fish (sea bass) and salmon. In addition to the skewers, you can order from a list of salads – including carrot salad, mushroom salad – […]

Restaurant Takamatsu

Cool sushi bar/restaurant serving Japanese and Korean food. The sushi, especially the nigiri sushi, is of pretty high quality, and Takamatsu also offers Korean table barbecue. But the menu is extensive, and this may be your chance to venture into realms of Korean cookery that you’ve yet to explore. A little intestine casserole, anyone? Or […]

Romanelli’s Italian Deli

Unlike New York, where thereâ??s a deli on every corner, it can be tough to find a good one in Phoenix outside of the grocery store. Enter Romanelliâ??s in West Phoenix, which will not only hook you up with a badass sandwich, but also offers Italian products like homemade dressings and sauces, dozens of kinds […]

Rum Runner’s Bar

This pirate-themed dive in the Sunnyslope neighborhood in north Phoenix opens at 6 a.m., and if you make it there that early, you’re rewarded with a complimentary dish of biscuits and gravy with the purchase of a beverage (there are also burgers, corn dogs, and soft pretzels). This joint is a little more polished than […]

Sala Thai Restaurant

Small, family-run Thai restaurant where the dishes are some of the freshest in the Valley. Chef Somsaun Pluemjit shops for produce every day before opening, and this comes through in her cooking, which is lighter than at most other Thai eateries and chock-full of cucumber, onion, tomato, and carrot. Those of you with a fetish […]

Salvadoreño Restaurant #3

When you’re tired of Mexican tortilla-based meals like tacos, burritos, and enchiladas, mix it up with a specialty from El Salvador called pupusas. Somewhat of a combo between a burrito and a stuffed pita sandwich, the pupusa is made with thick corn masa patties filled with cheese and other flavorful ingredients. Carnivores will enjoy the […]

Sandbar Mexican Grill

We love to hate Sandbar’s clientele, but if there’s one thing the North Phoenix bros and ladies know how to do, it’s drink hard all day long. Because Sandbar is one of the only bars around the Desert Ridge shopping area, there’s almost always a small crowd lounging around the outdoor patio or in the […]

Santisi Brothers Pizzeria & Sports Grill

Thanks to Santisi’s “wide wall of sports” (a.k.a. the ginormous cluster of more than 60 high-definition TVs located in the bar area), there are plenty of prime viewing spots from which to witness every bit of televised athletic endeavors on any given weekend. More than 40 other boob tubes are scattered around this combination sports […]