Every year, the number of white-tablecloth, fine-dining restaurants in town dwindles as more casual New American restaurants spring up. But that only makes Christopher's Restaurant and Crush Lounge all the more precious. Located at Biltmore Fashion Park, this sleek French eatery continues to offer upscale fare including foie gras, veal sweetbreads, and pied de cochon in a setting that's anything but stuffy. You'll still find Valley legend and James Beard Award-winning chef Christopher Gross in the kitchen, putting out pristine plates and photo-worthy desserts such as Chocolate Mousse Towers and Gateau Marjolaine. The restaurant even makes fresh bread in-house in a wood-fired oven, and boasts an excellent wine selection curated by sommelier Paola Embry. C'est magnifique.

With a spacious outdoor beer garden and 28 beers on tap, Brat Haus in Scottsdale makes every day seem like Oktoberfest. All you have to do to join in is fill a pint, a stein, or a giant glass boot with the beer of your choice and head outside for a game of giant Jenga, bags, or darts. Eventually, of course, you're bound to get hungry, and the restaurant serves a sizable menu of European-style fare. The housemade pretzels are a go-to snack and come with your choice of several housemade mustards. There's also the dangerously addicting Belgian-style fries (get them with the truffle aioli), grilled housemade sausages (try the spicy brat to punch things up), and classic German dishes, including a nice rendition of pork schnitzel.

This year, Marcellino Ristorante celebrated five years at its Old Town Scottsdale location, but chef Marcellino Verzino has been in the business for much longer than that. Before moving his restaurant to Scottsdale, he and his wife, Sima, had a successful run in North Phoenix, and even before that, he owned and operated restaurants in Rome, Calabria, Abruzzo, and New York. The chef takes all that experience — and what he learned growing up in Italy — and uses it to produce authentic Italian cuisine and some of the city's best fresh pasta. He hand-makes pounds of noodles daily and complements the doughy creations with high-quality ingredients including veal, imported mussels, proscuitto, and truffle oil. Choose from entrées including scaloppine al Gorgonzola, or sautéed veal in a creamy Gorgonzola sauce; gamberi affogati, featuring shrimp in a garlic and white wine sauce; or paccatelli al ragu di salsiccia, fresh pasta dressed in a hearty ragu.

Where to go in the Valley for the most Italian cheeses and cured meats, the best holiday candies and cookies, the paisano-perfect canned tomatoes, vegetables, olive oils, and pastas? Niccoli's has it all. You'll feel as though you've maybe stumbled into old Roma instead of having just walked in off of 16th Street. Once you've stocked up on provolone balls and mustacciuoli, grab one of the prepared sandwiches or cannoli that are among Niccoli's other delicious specialties. Linger, if you can, and chat up the molto italiano owners, Joe and Peppy Niccoli, who've been running Italian delis and catering lasagna-and-eggplant extravaganzas for 35 years. Bello cibo!

"Lo mejor de Colombia en Arizona" is La Tiendita Cafe's slogan, and it's true. This Mesa restaurant and market brings traditional fare from the South American country to the Valley — everything from Colombian-style arepas and empanadas to Colombian coffee and other hard-to-find grocery products. If it's your first time exploring Colombian cuisine, start with the bandeja paisa. This giant platter of food can fill one starving diner or two light eaters and comes with chicharrón, ground beef, and chorizo sausage, as well as rice, beans, avocado, plantain, a mini-arepa, and a fried egg. It's a standard dish of Colombian cuisine and a great way to get your feet wet. Be sure to take some of arepas to go; they come filled with meat or cheese or even butter and salt.

This family-owned and -operated market and restaurant has been chugging away in Mesa for more than a decade. It's a good thing, too, because without Princess Market's hummus, we might have a serious meltdown. Sold on-site at the restaurant, in tubs at the market, and at a few farmers markets, Princess Market's fresh, light-as-air hummus is easily our favorite in town. We're also fans of the Princess Market breakfast menu, which offers an affordable selection of Middle Eastern morning dishes, including a pita-wrapped egg sandwich and buttery puck cheese served with honey and pita bread. For lunch, you'll want one of the Princess Market platters, which come piled high with tender beef kebabs or flavorful kofta.

Readers choice: Pita Jungle

We fell in love with this family-owned and -operated restaurant almost at first bite. The Chandler eatery serves homestyle Puerto Rican food in a simple, counter-service setting. Start with an order of the restaurant's tostones (slices of fried plantain), which can and should be dipped in mojo de ajo (oil with sweet roasted garlic). For entrées, there are several excellent options, including the pollo guisado, a stew of slow-roasted chicken that's braised in spices with cubes of potato, and the chicharrón, a plate of fried pork cracklings that's impossible not to like. Every entrée comes with sides of beans and rice that's flavored with pigeon peas and ham. There are even Puerto Rican sodas to pair with the food; try the Cola Champagne, a sort of cream soda that's also lightly orange flavored.

You won't find any meat on the menu at Woodlands — but we promise you won't miss it when you get a taste of the restaurant's bold curries and fresh chutneys. If you're confused about what to order, just ask for a few suggestions, or go for one of the signature dosas. These paper-thin crepes made of rice and lentil batter are a staple in South India and come stuffed with everything from potatoes and onions to cheese at this Chandler restaurant. We love the spicy Chettinad dosai, which features onion, cauliflower, tomato, and chettinadu spice, as well as the paneer butter masala, a smooth curry studded with cubes of cheese. The restaurant also offers a complimentary chutney bar, where you'll find pickled veggies, tamarind chutney, yogurt sauce, mint chutney, and coconut chutney to punch up or cool down each dish as you see fit.

Readers choice: Jewel of the Crown

There are few better hangover cures than a piping-hot bowl of pho with a banh mi on the side. Yep, you read that correctly. Desperate times often call for an entire sandwich on the side of your meal. And don't be confused by the restaurant's name. Da Vang Coffee Shop serves so much more than coffee, though you can get a top-notch creamy, strong Vietnamese coffee as well. If you don't feel like going with the classic hot and spicy bowl of pho, try another noodle dish on the menu, like one of the vermicelli bowls. Or ditch the noodles all together and fill up on a few of the giant, fresh spring rolls. Hungover or not, you're sure to get a delicious, filling, and cheap meal at Da Vang.

Readers choice: Pho Thanh

We were worried last year that Thai Rama would close permanently after a car crashed into its building. Thankfully, everyone was fine and our favorite Thai place was up and running. Once again, we could devour the classics it makes so well, including the comforting paht thai, the spicy satay appetizer, the sweet and savory khao paht saparod, or fried rice with pineapple, chicken, shrimp, and yellow curry. Of course, Thai Rama offers more exotic and traditional dishes for more adventurous diners. But if you happen to stop by during the summer, be sure to save room for the seasonal sticky rice with mango for dessert. It's so good, we're actually thankful for the summer.

Readers choice: Thai Basil