Best Sunday Brunch 2012 | Wrigley Mansion | Food & Drink | Phoenix
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Best Sunday Brunch

Wrigley Mansion

Paola Embry, co-owner of Christopher's Restaurant & Crush Lounge in Central Phoenix and the CEO of Wrigley Mansion, the Valley landmark just a few blocks away, has rejuvenated this onetime chafing dish cornucopia into a stylish and colorful selection of exquisite eats. Flush with fine cheeses, fresh fruits and produce, jumbo shrimp and crab legs, and house specialties like baby lamb chops and pan roasted salmon, the spread also features an omelet station, an enticing eggs Benedict, a dazzling array of desserts, and unlimited mimosas. And the breathtaking views of the city from the mansion's hilltop home make this brunch a mouthwatering and memorable affair that's bound to impress any dining guest.

Best Downtown Lunch

Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails

Thanks to this "contemporary gastro-lounge" headed up by 32-year-old chef Stephen Jones, downtown denizens not only have a stylish spot for lunch, they also (gasp!) have a reason to visit CityScape. Located on the second floor inside the new Hotel Palomar, the city lunch-going set can enjoy familiar and flavorful favorites from a selection of salads, sandwiches, and flatbreads. (Hint: Get the duck confit with zesty pickled kumquats.) Plus, since a lot of the grub is offered in two sizes, sharing the meal (and the tab) with your co-workers just makes good business sense. And that's a thought you can bask in while looking out to the surrounding high-rises from the sleek dining room, the patio, or with drink in hand at the lively bar. Don't worry. We won't tell the boss.

Best Multi-Task Lunch

Campfire Grill, inside Tom's Thumb Fresh Market

Like the lovechild spawned from an errand-running orgy, this friendly, counter-service eatery inside Tom's Thumb Fresh Market in North Scottsdale puts the mmm in multi-tasking. Surrounded by a high-end car wash, gas station, coffee shop, farmers market, and wine shop, Campfire serves up satisfying, Southern-style barbecue along with other Mexican and American favorites to its time-crunched customers doing their shopping one-stop style. Smoked over hickory and pecan hardwoods, the 'cue features loaded pulled pork sandwiches and luscious beef brisket with sides like a dreamy baked mac 'n' cheese. And, for multi-taskers wanting to check dinner off the to-do list, takeout is available.

Best Sack Lunch

Noca's Nocawich

Evie Carpenter

Sorry, Mom; even though we love your PB and J, every once in a while we get a hankerin' for a sack-lunch with a gourmet edge. In this case one from Noca, the stylish restaurant in Central Phoenix. Every Tuesday through Saturday afternoon, the restaurant turns into the fast-casual Nocawich, serving up a menu of six stellar sandwiches (plus a special), flavorful soups, and a few sides. Tuesday's feature is a patty melt, Wednesdays mean the delectable lobster roll is up for grabs, and other days there are knock-out creations like The Cisco Kid, featuring in-house roasted turkey and cranberry jam. With your meal stuffed into a sack with a side and a sweet treat, you can take it to go or enjoy it inside while watching the restaurant's chefs prep for the evening's dinner service.

Best Lunch Between Phoenix and Tempe

The Stockyards

Jacob Tyler Dunn

There are plenty of places to eat in downtown Tempe and an ever-increasing number in Phoenix. But the stretch between the two cities remains a bit of a no-man's-land. That's why we're glad to have The Stockyards. There's not an ounce of hipness in this old-school steak house, and that's just fine, because we're here to eat. The service is lovely, the booths are comfy, and the menu is straightforward, with a soup of the day and a selection of salads to suit any midday diner. Feeling hungry? Try a hunk of steak. Feeling adventurous? Try the calf fries. Just don't say we didn't warn you.

Best Place for a Twilight Drink

Jade Bar at The Sanctuary Resort & Spa

Heather Hoch

If you're looking to impress a certain someone with exquisite city views from the north side of Camelback Mountain, cocktails, and a little bit of people watching, the sleek Jade bar is the place to be. We like to hit this swanky bar right before a big haboob so we can watch the action safely from the floor-to-ceiling windows; better yet, try it right before the sun disappears behind the distant mountains during one of Phoenix's epic pink and purple sunsets. During the cool winter months, head out to the secluded patio to sip on your one-of-a-kind signature Jade cocktails and enjoy overhead stars.

Best Place for a First Date

Rokerij

Diana Martinez

Sure, dragging your date down into the basement of a restaurant may not sound like a good idea on paper (at least not to her), but trust us on this one — it's going to be awesome. And if she doesn't appreciate the fact that you took her to one of the best restaurants in town, then she obviously is crazy and tasteless and should be immediately kicked to the curb. Up your chances of getting to second base by taking that special someone down to the basement of the Rokerij for cocktails and small plates of roasted garlic, bacon-wrapped shrimp, and prime rib sliders. The downstairs bar is a cozy spot to get to know someone a little better or you can always sit at the upstairs bar, if hanging out in a basement seems a little too creepy.

Best Industry Night

Roka Akor

Nicole Hoffman

Plenty of restaurants and bars offer special deals for people in "the biz," but Roka Akor easily takes the cake. Provide proof of employment in the hotel, bar, restaurant or tourism industry, and you'll receive a bona fide Roka Akor Industry Card. Present that little black ticket to deliciousness on Sunday night, and you'll get 41 percent off your entire bill. Limited exclusions apply, but with such steep discounts at one of Phoenix's finest sushi and steak establishments, we've got no complaints. They'll also buy you a drink by making your first round two-for-one. Now that's quite a way to unwind after a hot night in the kitchen.

Best Restaurant with an Invisible Dance Floor

SoChu House

You can always count on Johnny Chu to bring a party to the dinner table. With a long list (Lucky Dragon, Fate, Sens) of successful Asian fusion restaurants, we have come to expect this skinny, spiky-haired chef to bring some of the best sauces in town, too. His latest spot does not disappoint in either regard. The House Dynamite is still on the menu — and so's the house party. A friend muttered one of the best lines we've heard in ages when — upon realizing that party was creeping toward her dinner plate in a not entirely non-scary way, asked her server, "Am I sitting on the invisible dance floor?"

If you crave hot-and-sour soup, ginger mint duck salad, and the aforementioned House Dynamite in a lower-keyed setting, you're in luck. These new digs are spacious and airy, located smack in the heart of CenPho's business corridor. Chu's open for lunch, and he's even got a new option: a prix fixe including a small salad, entrée with rice, and even a bit of fried whipped cream for dessert. It's affordable enough to leave you some cash for cocktails later that night.

Best Playlist

Windsor

When you dedicate an entire wall of your restaurant to your old cassette tape collection, you better make damn sure your restaurant has an outstanding playlist. Thankfully, the folks behind the music at uptown's Windsor have impeccable musical taste. The fun and upbeat restaurant cranks out alternative and indie tunes from the '80s and '90s with a few modern-day tracks thrown in for good measure. Beastie Boys, Violent Femmes, Devo, Talking Heads, Foo Fighters, and even a little Bob Marley will have you chair-dancing all the way through your meal and probably through a cocktail or two.

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