The 6 most delicious bites we tasted around Phoenix last month

A superb slice of pizza, some standout sushi and more wowed the Phoenix New Times food team in August.

September 9, 2025

Image: Prince St. Pizza opened on Mill Avenue in August with plenty of square and Neapolitan slices to choose from.

Prince St. Pizza opened on Mill Avenue in August with plenty of square and Neapolitan slices to choose from. Tirion Boan

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August was a tasty month for the Phoenix New Times food team. On our travels around the metro area, we stopped in at a new West Valley wine bar, tried some slices at Tempe's newest pizzeria and dove into the sushi menu at the recently-opened Minnow. We also enjoyed some dishes at Valley staples, slurping spicy noodles in Tempe and savoring pillowy gnocchi in downtown Phoenix.

Here are the six best bites we tasted at Valley restaurants last month, and how you can get a taste.

Spicy vodka slice at Prince St. Pizza

680 S. Mill Ave., #102, Tempe Prince St. Pizza, a New York City-based slice shop, opened its first Arizona location in late August. We stopped by the new Tempe counter-service spot to get a taste, and out of the different square slices and traditional Neapolitan pies available, we were partial to the Spicy Vodka Slice. The seemingly vegetarian-friendly option comes with a warning: there's prosciutto in the vodka sauce. This gives the creamy sauce a savory, salty kick that plays well against the sweetness of the tomatoes. While there's almost no spice detectable, the sauce packs a flavorful punch and is a tasty alternative to traditional red sauce. The crust is thick, with a crisp base and fluffy interior.

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The Khao Soi at Sala Thai is a tasty and textural adventure.

Tirion Boan

Khao Soi at Sala Thai

1740 E. Broadway Road, #106, Tempe

The Tempe location of the Valley staple Sala Thai has an expanded menu with street food options, one of which is the Khao Soi, or curry noodles. The dish starts with Sala's yellow curry sauce filled with tender egg noodles and braised chicken. Pick your spice level and decide if you're in the mood for a gentle, comforting dish or noodles with a kick. Nestled in a large bowl, the noodles and chicken are topped with a nest of crunchy fried egg noodles, cabbage, carrots, cilantro and green onion. The rich, creamy sauce is piping hot and contrasts against the cool, fresh crunch of the veggies for a dish that is both fun to eat and delicious.

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At MT Barrel Tasting Room, the menu includes dishes with a Caribbean twist.

Tirion Boan

Tostones Rellenos at MT Barrel Tasting Room

9784 W. Northern Ave., #1205, Peoria

New West Valley wine bar MT Barrel Tasting Room has all of the classic wine-and-food pairings, from charcuterie boards to flatbreads. But the menu also includes a few dishes that provide a taste of the owner's Puerto Rican heritage. One such dish is the Tostones Rellenos, little cups made from smashed and fried plantains, filled with seasoned beef picadillo and topped with garlic aioli and cilantro. The plantains are starchy and sweet, pairing perfectly with the savory, rich beef. Garlic aioli brings a pop of cool, creamy flavor to set the whole thing off. The dish comes with four bites, perfect for sharing with a friend over a glass of wine selected from the wall of pour-your-own-wine machines.

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Requinto's Chicken Tecolata torta artfully merges chicken milanesa and chilaquiles.

Sara Crocker

Chicken Tecolata at Requinto

6522 N. 16th St., #6Chef Erick Pineda has served his Guerrero-style Mexican brunch at Linger Longer Lounge since 2022. Requinto’s food is every bit as delicious as it was when New Times’ former food critic Dominic Armato reviewed the pop-up last year. The chicken tecolata is a torta that stuffs chicken milanesa and chilaquiles between the two fluffy, voluminous halves of a bolillo roll. This brunch sandwich isn’t just a mash-up of two ideas; they blend and balance each other well. The tangy salsa verde chips add a bright contrast to the fried cutlet that’s generously topped with rich crema and served with a side of spicy salsa arbol. The chips soften as the salsa seeps in, changing up those final bites of this decadent, playful sandwich.

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Drunk Fish, featuring spicy tuna and halibut, is a standout roll from Minnow.

Sara Crocker

Drunk Fish at Minnow

4501 N. 32nd St.Minnow, a matcha and sushi bar from chef and restaurateur Bernie Kantak’s In Good Spirits Hospitality, debuted in July. The fast-casual Phoenix restaurant is an ideal spot for a lunch date and a must-order roll is the Drunk Fish. The soy paper-wrapped roll features spicy tuna, bright pickled daikon, tender green onion and spring mix. Savory and spicy garlic ponzu and wasabi mayo add unexpected depth, which is punctuated by buttery, translucent slices of halibut.

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Light-as-a-feather gnocchi tossed in pesto from Saint Pasta.

Sara Crocker

Gnocchi Pesto at Saint Pasta

100 W. Portland St.Saint Pasta’s vodka sauce has a well-earned cult following, but after a recent visit, the downtown restaurant’s creamy pesto has put us under a spell. The herbaceous basil, citrus and roasted pine nuts shine through the cream, which adds a velvety luxury to the sauce. The pesto tops pillowy, light-as-a-feather gnocchi that are finished with crunchy, garlicky breadcrumbs that add texture to each bite.

Tirion Boan is the Food Editor of Phoenix New Times where she’s worked since May 2022. Tirion keeps a close eye on restaurant openings and closings, offers dining recommendations and reports on metro Phoenix food news and trends. She also publishes major annual lists like Top 100 Bars and Top 100 Restaurants, and contributes to the Best of Phoenix project. Tirion previously worked for publications including The Arizona Republic and The Tucson Weekly. She holds a bachelor’s of arts in journalism from the University of Arizona.

A message from Tirion Boan: If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of Phoenix's evolving dining scene and the chefs and restaurants that serve our community.

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Sara Crocker is a staff writer for Phoenix New Times where she focuses primarily on food. She began freelancing for New Times in July 2022 and joined the staff in February 2023. Prior to New Times, Sara worked for publications such as The Denver Post, Phoenix Magazine, Phoenix Home & Garden and Colorado Life Magazine. When she’s not reporting on the Valley’s dining scene, Sara brews beer at home and is an avid cook.