Rhema Soul Cuisine isn't your average neighborhood soul-food restaurant. True, you'll find familiar dishes on the menu, including chicken and waffles. But at Rhema, this staple dish is prepared with a playful twist — the fluffy, oversize waffle is prepared with a red velvet batter, drizzled with sugary icing, and served with juicy boneless chicken. The friendly Childs clan, who own and operate Rhema, have fashioned a one-of-a-kind menu that creatively draws culinary inspiration from Southern and Caribbean cooking, with the occasional nod to Southwestern cuisine. Try, for instance, the Brorito, a soul-food take on a burrito. It's essentially a Southern meat-and-three meal wrapped up in a flour tortilla. It's gargantuan, hearty, and oh so good.

Avanti has been doing it for more than four decades now, and we're glad. Its dependable service, delicious entrees, and sincere retro vibe are part of the Phoenix experience. Founded by Benito Mellino of Sorrento, and Tuscan restaurateur Angelo Livi, Avanti (Italian for "forward") began tempting us with perfect pasta and superb sauces in 1974, and its black-and-white and chrome decor has barely budged since. Blood-red walls and zebra-stripe fabrics add a little something extra to tasty entrees like linguine carbonara, rich with spaghetti, eggs, and cheese, and a hearty lasagna like Mama might make. If this, one of Phoenix's favorite old dinnertime haunts, ever leaves us, we'll have to move to Sorrento.

There's so much we envy about our friends across the pond. They've got great accents, Harry and Meghan, and they've got classic English pubs, dimly lit bastions of beer and conversation. Until we can get back to Jolly Olde England, we indulge our Anglophilia at George & Dragon, a central Phoenix mainstay for more than two decades. The G&D is the place to have a pint (or several), enjoy some traditional English dishes (there are several types of pasties and curries, bangers and mash, shepherd's pie, and more), and watch some football — meaning soccer. You can grab a booth inside, or sit on the patio and watch the city traffic go by; either way, you're in for a good time.

This pub is authentically Irish, from the Guinness on tap to the Emerald Isle memorabilia scattered around the bar. Founder Seamus McCaffrey is also tied to sibling Irish pubs in Phoenix: Rosie McCaffrey's on Camelback Road and The Dubliner on Thunderbird Road in north Phoenix. But the atmosphere at Seamus McCaffrey's is second to none. Founded in 1991 and next door to the Hotel San Carlos, you might think you're in Ireland after knocking back a few pints in the dark wood booths. The live bands might not be for everyone: They're authentically Irish and, as a result, occasionally ear-splitting. The menu includes corned beef and cabbage, fish and chips, shepherd's pie, and potato skins. Sláinte.

Isn't it wonderful how many of the cities that make up the Valley of the Sun come with their own little historic downtown area? Glendale is no exception, and a big part of its draw is Haus Murphy's. For over two decades, the quaint restaurant has dished out authentic German cuisine — which is still prepared by chef and owner Brett Hoffmann. It's known for its Original Oktoberfest Pretzel, sausage sampler, juicy bratwursts, house-made sauerkraut, and a variety of schnitzels. And this being a German eatery, there's of course a bar with giant and bottled biers, and a charming patio area — which is just delightful at night. As seen on Food Network, Haus Murphy's offers you a chance to visit the Old World in the west Valley.

Marcellino Ristorante is the best of both worlds: a long-beloved destination for fans of classic Italian fare and discerning foodies alike. Everything is done with care and artistry here, from the food to the service. We like to start with an appetizer like scallops with pesto, then move on to something more substantial, perhaps the strozzaprete with broccoli di rape in olive oil, white wine, and garlic. If we save room for dessert (it's hard, but worth it), we love the warm apple galetta served with gelato. We're also fans of Marcellino's happy hour, which features light bites like bruschetta and caprese salad, along with wine selections, at reasonable prices.

Traditional French cuisine is in short supply in metro Phoenix, but you'll find classic Continental cooking at this longtime Cave Creek restaurant. The menu remains mostly unchanged from the days when original owner Louis Germain was at the helm. Today, longtime head chef Jose Rivera continues the restaurant's legacy of decadent and traditional French cooking. Highlights include the trout sauteed in lemon butter; the coq au vin (chicken cooked in a Burgundy sauce); and the beef tenderloin en brochette, served with mushrooms and dressed in a red wine sauce. This is probably not the spot to skip dessert. Try the sugary, extra-creamy crème caramel.

This west-side mom-and-pop shop is one of the oldest Vietnamese restaurants in metro Phoenix and still one of the best. First-time visitors should try the pho dac biet, or the house special pho, which comes with slices of brisket, tendon, and tripe floating atop rice noodles submerged in a meaty broth. The broth is clear and fragrant with a distinctively savory depth. Don't miss the shareable banh xeo, a turmeric-stained rice paper crepe stuffed with bean sprouts, shrimp, and shredded pork. Of course, you probably shouldn't leave without one of the restaurant's famous macaron ice-cream sandwiches.

It used to be that you had to drive to L.A. for the kind of funky and creative Korean fusion bar food you'll find at Drunken Tiger. Not anymore. This quirky and dive-y restaurant and bar, which is tucked into a corner of a Mesa strip mall, delivers a menu that's rooted in the tradition of Korean anju, otherwise known as drinking food. Don't miss the bao — the fluffy steam buns are folded over savory ingredients like barbecued pork belly and juicy fried Spam. If you're craving Korean fried chicken, try the padak, bite-size pieces of deep-fried chicken breast buried under ribbons of scallions. If you're feeling brave, order the buldak, a.k.a. fire chicken. The silky hunks of chicken are bathed in a fiery hot sauce, then smothered in melted mozzarella cheese. Wash it all down with one of the bar's delicious soju cocktails.

A perennial favorite just north of central Phoenix's Melrose District, Hana Japanese Eatery is a lively bistro serving a strong menu of casual yet polished Japanese dishes. Co-owners Lori Hashimoto and Lynn Becker, along with a long-running crew of sushi chefs and cooks, put out signature dishes like ika kara age, fresh squid slathered in sweet butter and then fried tempura-style. For many regulars, though, Hana is a destination for artful, well-crafted sushi and sashimi. One of the freshest and most beautiful-looking rolls on the sushi menu is the florid Hana Pride, which features crisp cucumber wrapped around yellowtail, tuna, salmon, crab, albacore, and whitefish.