At the end of the year, it's time to reflect. And we're looking back on a very tasty 2024. Through the mountain of dishes and drinks that we tried throughout the year, some rose to the top. These are the entrees we found exceptional, the drinks that made us order another round and the desserts that we dream of. Here are the 12 best bites and sips we enjoyed at Phoenix restaurants and bars in 2024.
Lamb at Hai Noon
7017 E. McDowell Road, Scottsdale We could put just about anything we had during our visit to Nobuo Fukuda's Hai Noon on this list, but of the several small plates we gobbled up with delight, the dish that is living rent-free in our minds is the lamb. The dish appears simply: two lightly seared chops with a mango and fennel salad. That first bite is disarming, not just for how tender and perfectly cooked the lamb is but also for the bold burst of flavor rendered from a coconut curry marinade. It gets even better with some of that refreshing salad piled on top. Our only regret afterward was not ordering a second plate.
The Cemita Poblana from El Rincon Poblano is packed with flavor and texture from its crisp bun, fried beef cutlet, stretchy Oaxacan cheese, slices of avocado, onion and spicy chipotle casero, a housemade chipotle condiment.
Sara Crocker
Cemita Poblana with Milanese de Res at El Rincon Poblano
3302 W. Thomas Road, #1El Rincon Poblano highlights the owners' family recipes from Puebla, Mexico. Among them is a Pueblan-style torta, the Cemita Poblana. Cemita is the name of both the sandwich and the bun, which is light with a crisp exterior topped with sesame seeds. A breaded, fried beef cutlet is the traditional foundation and the sandwich arrives with the cutlet overhanging the bun, offering an enticing first bite. The sandwich is also topped with stringy, stretchy Oaxacan cheese, slices of avocado, onion and, if you like, chipotle casero, a housemade chipotle condiment. The crisp toasted bun and beef give way to sweet onion and creamy avocado, punctuated by salty bits of cheese and hits of spice from the chiles. It's a feast all wrapped up in a green-and-white checkered paper.
The Quesa-Birria at Baja Roots is the perfect combination of rich, cheesy, spicy and satisfying.
Tirion Boan
Quesa-Birria at Baja Roots
Multiple locations Tijuana-style food truck Baja Roots pops up frequently at Cobra Arcade Bar downtown, and occasionally at other spots around town. Run by chef Emilene Carillo, the truck is known for its menu of tacos, slow-roasted elote and spicy birria ramen along with a few secret menu items. But we're partial to that tender birria folded into cheesy quesadillas and dunked in a rich, savory consome. Red and green salsas add a pop of brightness to the hearty meat and cheese. It's messy, spicy and greasy in the best way. What more could you want from a late-night snack?
The menu at Rayoog Cafe has a wide selection of dishes. The Arabic Way, a sampler breakfast perfect for sharing, allows you to try many dishes at once.
Tirion Boan
The Arabic Way at Rayoog Cafe
78 N. Cooper Road #101, GilbertThe suburbs of Gilbert may not be where one might expect to find a tiny restaurant serving an outstanding array of Middle Eastern breakfast foods. But the secret's out. On most weekend mornings, every table is filled with families starting their days with a hearty meal. Rayoog Cafe calls itself a Mediterranean breakfast restaurant and has connected locations in Jordan and Iraq. The menu includes many individual dishes, but to get a taste of a selection, we ordered The Arabic Way, a sampler that comes with fried eggs topped with sausage, bread, hummus, falafel, salad, yogurt, fava beans and baba ghanoush. Salty bites of sausage sop up the rich egg yolks. The hummus was silky smooth and the falafel was soft and spongy. The meal is also fun to eat, as you can rotate between all the different dishes one bite at a time. The spread is perfect for sharing between two people and is best paired with a cup of strong Turkish coffee or a refreshing frozen mint lemonade.
Pork Belly at Barley & Smoke
10144 W. Lake Pleasant Pkwy., PeoriaBarley & Smoke, the West Valley speakeasy and chef's table experience tucked inside Peoria Artisan Brewing, serves simple, elevated New American fare and craft cocktails in a sleek, stylish setting. The pork belly was our favorite bite from our first visit. Crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, the cubes of pork belly are paired with similarly sized chunks of lightly tart and sweet cured watermelon and a bright adobo sauce. Salty roasted peanuts add crunch, and peppery splices of radish give the refreshing relief to go back for more.
Mezzelune at Tratto
1505 E. Van Buren St.It's hard to go wrong with Tratto's homemade pasta, but one summer special was a showstopper. The Mezzelune, half-moon-shaped folded ravioli, are stuffed with creamy ricotta, sprinkled with sweet corn kernels and confit Sungold tomatoes and bathed in a bright green pesto-like sauce. The creaminess of the pasta contrasts with the bright, sweet pops of corn and salty, buttery sauce. The combination worked so perfectly, we're still dreaming of the dish.
Kid Sister, a midtown wine bar, serves small plates that include a tapas-style pan con tomate.
Sara Crocker
Pan con Tomate at Kid Sister
4810 N. Seventh St.As we rattled off our food order at the Uptown wine bar Kid Sister, we asked our server if we had missed anything that was a must-try. She pointed to the Pan con Tomate. Admittedly, we were planning to pass over the humble tapas dish of grated tomato, garlic, olive oil and salt. But the intervention made us see how divine this dish can be. The base of this small plate is a thick toasted slab of Nice Buns Bakery sourdough. The tomato is well-salted, bringing its summery sweetness into focus, with a strong kick of garlic and a hint of smokiness. Kid Sister's menu rotates with the seasons, but we'll cross our fingers in hopes the Pan con Tomate remains. It's the perfect way to start your meal, alongside a chilled glass of wine or a white port with Big Marble Organics Tonic Water.
Strawberry Milkshake Wheat at Fate Brewing Co.
Multiple locationsStrawberries and cream may not be flavors commonly found in beer, and "milkshake" may be a term typically paired with IPAs, but Fate Brewing Co. proves both of these norms ought to change. The local brewery, which has locations in Phoenix, Tempe and Scottsdale, uses over a pound of fresh strawberry puree per gallon of its Strawberry Milkshake American Wheat, along with vanilla and lactose. The result is a subtly sweet strawberry treat that works as both a refreshing beverage and a dessert. The beer's menu description promises to "make you feel like a kid again," but at 6.4% ABV, this sweet sip is all grown up.
First & Last's deliciously complex Bacon Sourdough Bolognese is fortified with bread crumbs, house smoked pork belly and barrel-aged fish sauce.
Sara Crocker
Bacon Sourdough Bolognese at First & Last
1001 N. Third Ave., #1We'll admit, we were a little late to tasting this pasta, which has appeared off and on the menu at First & Last for the past two years. But, one bite left us feeling better late than never. The sauce for this rigatoni dish has a pop of tang from sourdough bread crumbs, but then a rich smokiness and salinity quickly washes over. That's thanks to house-cured and smoked pork belly and a more surprising ingredient: oak-barrel-aged fish sauce. With so much complexity and flavor, we're already thinking about the next time we can visit to taste this one-of-a-kind pasta.
Warm Date Cake at Board & Batten
4012 E. Palm St., MesaFrom appetizers to salads, pastas and entrees, the menu at Board & Batten is packed with winners. But make sure to leave room for dessert. At this Mesa gem, hidden at the back of an office park and tucked next to a wedding venue, the sweets really stand out. The Warm Date Cake is a flavor-bomb that is both comforting and surprising. The cake itself resembles sticky toffee pudding and is served with homemade date swirl ice cream. On top, a drizzle of date syrup brings both sweetness and depth. And the final touch takes this dish from home cooking to elevated dining. Shards and crumbles of honeycomb are sprinkled on top. The honey's floral notes marry perfectly with the earthiness of the dates for a dessert perfect for enjoying on this restaurant's garden patio.
The Phoenix-inspired cocktail, We Call It Home, pays homage to several of the Valley's most iconic chefs and restaurants.
Sara Crocker
We Call It Home from The Cave at Quartz
341 W. Van Buren St., Suite BQuartz bar director Maxwell Berlin admits that when he was coming up with ingredients for the cocktail We Call It Home, which pays homage to people and flavors of Phoenix, it was kind of a hodgepodge. There was pho seasoning and chiltepin, fish sauce and tomatoes. But, Berlin manages to make them all work together in this riff on a classic margarita, which is part of the bar’s recently updated menu. Each element adds a layer of complexity to the cocktail. There’s a bit of smoke from tomato-infused bacanora, brightness from a housemade citrus stock, sweetness from a prickly pear, red onion and toasted rice syrup and a kick of chile that gives way to warmth from the Asian spices. While there’s no shortage of spots serving unique takes on a margarita in Phoenix, Berlin has come up with something that manages to taste both familiar and brand new.
Shredded green papaya gets a heavy dose of funk from fermented fish sauce and salted crab at Thai Boat Noodle.PS in Gilbert.
Tirion Boan
