Restaurants in Arizona
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Bison Witches
Dive into a bread bowl at this lively hangout for college students and the occasional hipster. It's all about the sandwiches; the beef and brie is exactly what it sounds like. The music is boisterous, there are myriad TVs and drinks from the full bar are served till 2am.
reviewed
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Blue Willow Restaurant
If you’ve greeted the day with bloodshot eyes, get back in gear with high-octane coffee, energy-restoring omelettes or a fiery chorizo scramble at this beloved local institution. Fresh pasta, bulging sandwiches, meat-free choices and daily specials keep the place packed through dinnertime. The patio is heated in winter.
reviewed
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Mandala Tearoom
An organic vegan cafe in cheerful minimalist surroundings, it serves up rockin' baked ziti, dozens of organic teas, and a weekend brunch with filling tofu scrambles. In addition to the creative international-inspired menu, treats include vegan truffles from Cosmic Cacao, herbal elixirs (around US$7) and free wi-fi.
reviewed
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Chelsea's Kitchen
Set in a converted mid-Century Modern home alongside a canal in Phoenix' quietly upscale Arcadia district. Get a platter of tacos or some ribs and you won't be disappointed; it's comfort food (yes, in the Southwest tacos are comfort food) gone gourmet.
reviewed
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E
MacAlpine's
The oldest diner in Phoenix serves basic salads and sandwiches, but it's the old-timey soda fountain that's the real attraction - nothing like a malted milk to chase those blues away.
reviewed
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Vincent on Camelback
You may never have heard of chef Vincent Guerithault, but in Phoenix he’s a household name. His secret? Ingenious French spins on Southwestern cuisine. Try such flavor-packed creations as corn ravioli with truffle oil or thyme-infused rack of lamb, and definitely leave room for a signature soufflé (try the one with Grand Marnier). For more casual gourmets, Vincent recently opened the Market Bistro behind the original restaurant. It’s especially buzzy on Saturday mornings from fall to spring when a tiny but immensely popular gourmet and farmers market takes over the parking lot.
reviewed
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Cheuvront Restaurant & Wine Bar
It’s a sophisticated spot, but don’t worry if you can’t tell your pinot noir from your pinot grigio. Each dish, including such menu stars as red-wine-smothered short ribs and orange-glazed salmon, comes with its own wine recommendation. Or just pair an entire flight of wines with a sampling of exquisite cheeses and pâtés. Ken Cheuvront, Arizona’s first openly gay politician (currently a state senator), owns the place.
reviewed
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Janos
[ourpick] Janos The James Beard Award winner Janos Wilder is a chef-magician who teases flavors that you didn't know existed out of meat. One of the most scenic spots for a romantic dinner or special meal in Tucson, the dining room at the Westin La Paloma overlooks the desert valley. Try the New York strip steak rubbed with coffee, molasses and Mexican chocolate. The attached J Bar is good for an after-steak drink.
reviewed
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Josephine’s
Josephine’s features a casual yet upscale atmosphere in a 1911 Arts and Crafts bungalow with an outdoor patio and two fireplaces. It’s run by siblings Tony and Jill (and named in honor of their mother) and offers a menu that mixes and matches culinary influences from around the world – from Mexico to the Mediterranean. Crab cakes and chipotle barbecue beef sandwiches are among the standout lunch choices.
reviewed
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Asia de Cuba
At this fusion of Cuban heat, Asian spice and the preeningly hip Mondrian Scottsdale hotel scene, you'll be licking your lips, gyrating those salsa-loving hips and puzzling about how they keep that white dining room so damn clean. Loaded with plates meant to be shared, the fun fusion menu includes dishes such as miso-glazed butterfish and Cuban-spiced chicken with Thai coconut sticky rice.
reviewed
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Barrio Café
Barrio’s T-shirts are emblazoned with ‘comida chingona, ’ which translates as ‘f…ing good food.’ Crude, maybe. To the point, definitely. Barrio makes Mexican food at its most creative; how many menus featuring guacamole spiked with pomegranate seeds or goat-milk-caramel-filled churros (stick-shaped doughnuts) have you seen?
reviewed
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Oak Creek Brewing Company
- Sedona, USA
- Restaurants › Pub
Beer-lovers will want to make the pilgrimage to this microbrewery, which has been racking up the medals at various beer festivals for ages. The nutty brown ale packs a punch, while the Hefeweizen is a fabulous post-trail refresher. They pair well with the gastropub fare, including delicious spicy wings. There’s a more upscale (and touristed) outpost at Tlaquepaque village.
reviewed
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Delux
The mirrored walls, communal table and unisex bathrooms may scream ‘trendy, ’ but deep down this is just a postmodern patty-and-bun joint. The panini and salads are also good, but we’re partial to the two-fisted Delux Burger made with Niman Ranch beef and piled high with Gruyère and blue cheese, applewood-smoked bacon, caramelized onion and arugula.
reviewed
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Sakura
Usually packed to the gills, this Japanese restaurant will satisfy purists with its fresh eel and tuna, the squeamish with its baked California roll, and meat-eaters with its teppan (fun tableside chopping and pyrotechnics). The Sakura Boat featuring 32 pieces is great for sharing and there’s even a ‘Karate Kids’ menu for pint-sized Samurai.
reviewed
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El Tovar Dining Room
Set a stone's throw away from the canyon's edge, it has the best views of any restaurant of the state, if not the country. If you don't get a table with a view - you can request it in advance but it won't be guaranteed - the grand stone and dark oak dining room warms the soul like an upscale lodge of yore, and the food, especially the steaks, makes the trip worthwhile.
reviewed
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Beaver Street Brewery
Perfect on a chilly night, grab a pint of hoppy Rail Head Red and plan your next day’s adventure by the pot-bellied stove. Grub is burger, pizza and sandwiches kicked into high gear – margarita chicken anyone? The attached billiard room with its heavy wooden bar stays open till 1am (2am on weekends). Cool beer garden with mountain views in summer.
reviewed
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Shugrue’s Hillside Grill
With panoramic views and an outdoor deck to enjoy them, this restaurant is perfect if you want top-drawer food but don’t feel like dressing up. Fresh fish prepared in umpteen ways is just one reason this place is perennially packed to the gills. At lunchtime, the spinach and wild mushroom quiche is so feistily flavored, even manly men will love it.
reviewed
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L’Auberge Restaurant
The chef at this romantic dining shrine overlooking Oak Creek knows his lexicon of world cuisine but seems to be especially fond of French classics such as sautéed foie gras, roast pheasant and the lunch staple croque monsieur (grilled ham and cheese sandwich). For the full survey, go for the six- or eight-course tasting menu. Dress nicely.
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Pasto
Italian food gets a contemporary twist at this candlelit cove with its copper ceiling and exposed brick walls. There are some interesting pasta dishes, but the chef’s talent truly shines when it comes to more complex mains, such as squab (young pigeon) with roast apples and spaghetti squash. The six-course tasting menu for two is a steal at $60.
reviewed
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Javelina Cantina
Perennially popular with both locals and tourists, this fun, feel-good place does respectable Mexican and Southwestern food, including tasty grilled fish tacos and unusual but good enchiladas stuffed with potato, cheese and spinach. Depending on your point of view, the tropical sunset mural complements or clashes with the fantastic rock panorama.
reviewed
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Casbah
- Tucson, USA
- Restaurants › Café
Beyond the 400-year-old wooden portal from Afghanistan lies Tucson’s grooviest hippie-style teahouse-cum-café. The patchouli hangs thickly in the Bedouin-tent-style back patio where you can loll on thick pillows, sip organic tea or munch on homemade vegan chile or a tempeh Reuben sandwich. Local performers entertain most nights.
reviewed
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Mountain Oasis
[ourpick] Mountain Oasis Come in your mountain-biking shorts for lunch and nice jeans for dinner - the class factor rises when the sun sets. More than an oasis of good food and drink, this place is a UN of flavors: dishes range from Mediterranean to Japanese to Thai, with weekend-only cuts of prime rib cooked just right.
reviewed
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Yoshimatsu
Billing itself as a ‘healthy Japanese eatery, ’ Yoshimatsu uses mostly organic foods, eschews MSG and offers lots of vegetarian and vegan options. Order a bento box, steamy soup or rice bowl at the counter and eat in the woodsy front tavern, or get table service at the separate and more intimate sushi café in back.
reviewed
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Lisa G Café Wine Bar
Lisa Giungo wanted to have her own restaurant since she was little, and when she opened her café, she hung her childhood portraits on the walls. It adds a fun touch to this sleek and contemporary space serving primarily salads and sandwiches. Even quirkier is the name of her meatball extravaganza - 'Lisa's Bowl of Balls.'
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Macy’s
Students, outdoorsy types and caffeine-lovers hunker down at wooden tables in this been-there-forever hangout owned by an opera aficionado. Pies, cakes, brownies and other sweet treats are homemade and taste it, while the small menu features wheat-, meat- and dairy-free dishes but without sacrificing a lick to the taste gods.
reviewed
