Cheba Hut

Nowhere but here will you find a pakalolo toasted sub(smoked ham, Swiss cheese, and Hawaiian pineapple), but even the old standards served at this comfortable lunch spot are tweaked attractively. Like the Panama Red, a new take on Chicken Marinara smothered in home-made red sauce and topped with Parmesan and Provolone. Even their pizza subs […]

Childsplay

Childsplay, founded in 1977, is a professional childrens theater company. The theater company founder David Saar recognized during his Master of Fine Arts studies that children could benefit in big ways from professional theater and after graduating, began performing in local classrooms. To this day Childsplay offers three annual touring productions that stop and perform […]

Chou’s Kitchen

Chou’s Kitchen, which serves the cuisine of northeastern China, has a diverse menu worth spending some time on. We love the stir-fried eggplant with minced pork and garlic sauce, the fish filet in hot chile oil, and above all, the xiaolongbao, steamed dumplings filled with soup and pork. But no Chou’s order would be complete […]

Christie’s Cabaret

The overriding philosophy of topless strip club chain Christie’s Cabaret seems to be that bigger is, indeed, better. All three of its Valley locations dwarf competitors in terms of venue size and revenue alone, serving as the sand-kicking 900-pound heavyweight to everyone else’s pipsqueak runt. Then there’s the chain’s enormous emphasis on unrivaled opulence and […]

The Chuckbox

The Chuckbox isn’t flashy. It’s not high-tech or cutting-edge. Heck, it still requires cash. But all of the things it’s not are why we love this Tempe institution. Housed inside a rustic cabin, it’s a stark contrast to the Miami-style high-rises that tower above it. The menu is tight, focusing on large mesquite-broiled burgers that […]

Classic Italian Pizza

Something about the way Classic Italian Pizzeria is situated in its Tempe shopping plaza makes it hard to spot. But the reward for getting good directions is excellent thin-crust pizza, served hot out of the wood-burning brick oven with fresh gourmet toppings. Try the one with homemade sausage, roasted mushrooms, and onions. Blond wood furniture, […]

Cocina Chiwas

Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin are behind some of the Valley’s most beloved and buzzy restaurants, starting with the Tacos Chiwas taquerias and as co-owners of Bacanora, Espiritu and the recently opened Santo. With Cocina Chiwas, the couple has carved out something that reflects where they are in their lives and as chefs, taking diners […]

Cold Stone Creamery

Phoenix diners who have never managed to master Starbucks’ sizing system will find Cold Stone Creamery’s similarly challenging; the ice-cream chain eschews small, medium, and large in favor of “Like It,” “Love It,” and “Gotta Have It” sizes. Once the portion is picked, patrons can concoct their own creations from super-premium ice cream flavors like […]

Cornish Pasty Co.

This chain of English-focused, somewhat-metal-themed restaurants is either referred to as Cornish or Pasty, depending on which circles you travel in, but never entirely Cornish Pasty Co. (We’re in the Cornish camp.) Around since 2005, Cornish has been known for its … pasties — savory ingredients entombed in a flaky, baked shell with a crimped […]