Our Favorite Cafe Review Photos of 2020

By Lauren Cusimano

Thursday, October 15, 2020 at 9 a.m.

Jackie Mercandetti Photo Crab ravioli with citrus, fennel, and saffron from Francine. 1/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo Whole branzino cooked in a salt crust at Francine. 2/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo Francine's eggplant mezza. 3/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo Colorful syrups from Francine's bar. 4/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo The hand-poured Hotate Aguachile at Kaizen PHX. 5/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo Octopus Tiradito with Gyoza at Kaizan. 6/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo Gyoza from Kaizen. 7/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo Fresh ginger and wasabi at Kaizen. 8/43

Charles Barth Lutong Bahay’s halo halo special. 9/43

Chris Malloy Homemade ube pandesal — stuffed bread dyed purple with yam from Phx Lechon Roasters. 10/43

Chris Malloy Longsilog plate at Deez Buns. 11/43

Chris Malloy Skewers and a lechon baboy remix at Toduken 12/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo All the housemade barbecue sauce you can handle from Word of Mouth Grill. 13/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo Word of Mouth’s Demetrious Makel at his smoker. 14/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo Hotlinks, ribs, tips, turkey, and sides at Word of Mouth. 15/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo Hot links, ribs, and a corn muffin at Word of Mouth Grill. 16/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo The Octopus Fritto dish at The Americano. 17/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo Reviewing Pizzeria Virtu and The Americano — where meatballs are the star of the short takeaway menu. 18/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo At The Americano, it’s largely steak, meat-centric dishes that lean Italian or American. 19/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo The Americano’s elegant Versace on the Floor cocktail. 20/43

Chris Malloy Chef Gio Osso probes for doneness at Pizzeria Virtù. 21/43

Chris Malloy Topping a margherita pizza with olive oil at Pizzería Virtù. 22/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo These noodles at Sherpa Kitchen have more color than most in town. 23/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo The dish of creamy curry is a lot like a big bear hug at Sherpa Kitchen. 24/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo Chef Subash Yadav presents his food like an artist Sherpa Kitchen. 25/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo The a la carte oysters at Century Grand. 26/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo Chef Sasha Levine's reimagined beef cheek Wellington. 27/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo Get some dim sum shrimp at Century Grand. 28/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo Dim sum carts frequently swing by at Century Grand. 29/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo The sensory course of Navajo tea poured over creosote, desert broom, and jojoba at Kai. 30/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo Kai's Pee-Posh Garden. 31/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo A vivid new plate of fish three ways at Kai. 32/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo Colorful pickings from the salsa bar at Taco Boy's. 33/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo Tripas at Taco Boy's. 34/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo A carne asada platter with beans at Taco Boy's. 35/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo Ropa vieja French dip sandwich with a side of jerk sauce from Little Cay. 36/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo "Tostonadas," a Little Cay creation. 37/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo The picadillo empanadas at Little Cay. 38/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo A plate of oxtail, ropa vieja, and white rice at Fe La Cubana. 39/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo A small but mighty side of yucca at Fe La Cubana. 40/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo Elote also gets the Hot Cheeto treatment at Urban Phoenix Cafe. 41/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo The FFS taco goes next-level with crisped cheese and ghost chile oil at Urban Phoenix Cafe. 42/43

Jackie Mercandetti Photo Another keeper: the Cho, a chorizo taco, at Urban Phoenix Cafe. 43/43

Our Favorite Cafe Review Photos of 2020

It's 2020, which means a whole new year of our now monthly cafe review. Food critic Chris Malloy is ready to talk about some outstanding tacos, Nepalese dishes, Neapolitan pizza, and much more — all accompanied by some stunning food photography. Enjoy your spin.

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