Restaurants: Right Place - Right Time >>

• Readers' Choices
  Best Breakfast Spot International House of Pancakes several Valley locations Best Downtown Executive Lunch Durant's 2611 North Central 602-264-5967 Best Romantic Restaurant The Melting Pot 8320 North Hayden, Scottsdale 480-607-1799 3626 East Ray, Ahwatukee 480-704-9206 Best Healthful... More >>
• Best Place To Take A Foodie
  Medizona
  Foodies are so easily bored. But they won't be singing their "been there, done that" song at Medizona, an intriguingly novel restaurant from star chef Lenard Rubin. Rabbit, fig and pine nut baklava with quail egg and chive sauce? Oh, sure, we had that for lunch. Eggplant tacos with lamb,... More >>
• Best Place For A First Date
  Farrelli's Cinema Supper Club
  Jeez, dating is expensive. Dinner and a movie can run $75 plus. (Think about the cost for two: $15 for tickets, $7.50 for watered-down soft drinks, $8 for sacks of stale popcorn, or $7 for boxes of Goobers, and another $40, easy, for steaks afterward.) At Farrelli's, we can scope out a... More >>
• Best Place To Wine About Dinner
  Wright's
  Okay, so we didn't conduct a personal count, but we're taking Wright's word that its wine cellar/private dining room boasts 10,000 bottles. Certainly it looks to be true, with a sea of shimmering bottles just begging to be opened and sampled. While the wine -- and the resort, built in 1929... More >>
• Best Airport Fare
  D'Atri's at Scottsdale Municipal Airport
  Fine dining has landed at the Scottsdale Municipal Airport, thanks to the Valley's own Channel 3 celebrity Jan D'Atri. This joint's home-style Italian food is so delicious that you'll find us there, even if the only baggage we've got is our childhood. The location's a surprise, until you... More >>
• Best Place To Eat If You're Starting A Diet Tomorrow
  Honey Bear's BBQ
  From the first seductive aroma of smoking meat and simmering sauces, this artery-busting, fat-packing food demands we EAT UP. Honey Bear's slogan: "You don't need no teeth to eat our meat." That's true. Tender pieces of pork, beef and poultry fall off the bone before we open our mouths. Sure,... More >>
• Best Caterer
  Continental Catering
  An event just isn't a success unless the food is fabulous, and Continental Catering is the life of our party. In business since 1966, Continental is our choice for both VIP dinners and family milestone celebrations. For those fancy evenings, go with an elaborate spread of herbed mesquite grilled... More >>
• Best Place To Eat Cheap, Fast And Healthfully
  World Noodles
  Chefs Eddie Matney and Dave Andrea own two important Valley restaurants, but they've branched out into convenience food, setting up a casual, quick-dining and take-away concept. World Noodles serves -- what else? -- noodles, cooked to order in a wok and heaped in a big bowl for just $3.95 to... More >>
• Best New Phoenix Charm
  Cowboy Ciao
  Folks who've never been to Phoenix are convinced that we dine solely on hunks of steak, barbecue beans, baked potatoes and paint-peeling coffee made with eggshells. Leave it to Cowboy Ciao, with its ultra-stylish, spaghetti Western ambiance, to show them creative American cuisine, spiked with... More >>
• Best Patio Dining
  House of Tricks
  It's easy to miss House of Tricks as you drive by on the two-lane street next to ASU -- and that's part of the reason we love it so. Set, amazingly enough, just steps from a row of Tempe's rowdiest bars and restaurants, this Victorian-inspired 1920s chateau lolls in quiet splendor behind a thick... More >>
• Best Place To Eat, Drink And Be Merry
  Kazimierz World Wine Bar
  Kazimierz shows how terrific the upscale sip-and-nibble concept can be, with a fashionably funky interior, eclectic music, creative wines and superb "small plates" of creative, refreshing snacks. After finding the door (it's hidden in the back, with no sign), snag a cozy, cushy, overstuffed... More >>
• Best Upscale Breakfast
  Squash Blossom
  The idea of morning sure sounds good: happy chirping birds, gentle dew, rose-kissed clouds. But it's never that way as we stagger all sticky-eyed, wild-haired and crabby-spirited out of bed. That's the time to treat ourselves to an indulgent breakfast at Squash Blossom, a gorgeous place... More >>
• Best So-late-it's-early Breakfast
  LEO
  We've been known to stay out a bit past curfew on weekends, and most places roll up the carpet by 10 or 11 p.m. That's why we're so thrilled that LEO takes its "late, early and often" acronym seriously. Until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, get a jump-start on breakfast with a fine... More >>
• Best Downtown Casual Lunch
  Coronado Cafe
  The only problem with Coronado Cafe is that it's so hard to find parking. And, if we show up at high noon, it's so hard to find a table. We don't mince words when telling our lunch dates that they'd better be on time -- this cafe doesn't seat partial parties. Once we've settled in, though,... More >>
• Best Place To Take An Out-of-towner For Lunch
  Lon's at the Hermosa
  Lon's is generally known to be a great place for a nice dinner, and it's often difficult to get a reservation. But it's easy to get a table at lunch, which is strange, given the fact that the outdoor patio is the loveliest place in the whole Valley to sit outside on a nice day. Visitors will be... More >>
• Best Place For A Downtown Executive Lunch
  A League of Our Own
  This classy supper club gives us hope that, yes, Phoenix will someday have an honest-to-goodness downtown dining scene. Business associates will be impressed with A League of Our Own's 1940s-style elegance, featuring Tiffany-look lamps, plush booths and vintage photos of famous women. They... More >>
• Best Place To Eat With The Chef
  Michael's at the Citadel
  Its roots are in Europe, but it has taken firm hold in the Valley. It's the chef's table, an exclusive seating directly off the kitchen, with personal attention from the celebrity chef. With six to eight of our closest friends, we're in for a remarkable seven-course meal, custom-crafted, and... More >>
• Best Place To Sniff A Cork
  My Wine Cellar
  This little place in an Ahwatukee strip mall is aptly named. It's a snob-free zone where everyone feels at home at wine-tasting classes, theme nights and private parties. Best of all, you can stop by anytime, belly up to the bar and sample any of the 40 or so open bottles. Buy some cheese and... More >>
• Best Place to Get Hit By A Meteor
  Cosmic Pizza
  Here it comes, spiraling toward the Earth, a spinning, hot orb that lands with a thundering thud. We're not getting out of the way, though, because it's a pizza, a beautiful feast that's crashed into our table at Cosmic Pizza. It's called the Meteor, and it's out of this world, monstrous with... More >>
• Best Restaurant For Remote Control Freaks
  Damon's
  We hate going to sports bars where screens are tuned to some obscure sporting event we have no interest in. Or worse, the game is something we care about, but the volume is turned down or the bar chatter is so loud we can't hear the play-by-play. At Damon's, you, the sports fan and diner, are in... More >>
• Best Late-night Meal
  Christopher's Fermier Brasserie
  We know where to hunt down the most magical midnight snack: at Christopher's, where from 10 p.m. to midnight Thursday, Friday and Saturday, there's a sumptuous gourmet spread set out for a mouth-watering $9.95. We choose cheese: selecting from Taleggio, Reblochon, Fourme d'Ambert, Camembert,... More >>
• Best Private Dining Room For The Rich
  The Praying Monk
  Ah, we miss the days of the dungeons. Time was we could punish an inept private chef by chaining him to the rack, and tossing the leftovers to the crocodiles. Now, our staff is unionized and gets all bent out of shape over a little constructive criticism. Unless we reserve the ultra-luxe... More >>
• Best Private Dining Room For The Rest Of Us
  Dick's Hideaway
  How cool is it to take a sudden turn, open a door that looks as if it leads to nowhere, and announce to your companion that you've arrived at your highly select dining secret? This private party room is a little hole in the wall. It's a hidden hole in the wall, in fact, behind a door set... More >>
• Best Place To Pig Out For Just A Few Pennies
  Bennett's Bar-B-Que
  This is a belly-buster, an all-you-can-eat fiesta with five meats (pork, brisket, sausage, chicken and pork spare ribs), served with beans, coleslaw, French fries and garlic bread. At just $14.99, we don't know how this restaurant makes money. Because, while other places might try to trick us... More >>
• Best Romantic Restaurant
  The Latilla Room
  There's something so purely sensual about the setting at Latilla. Tucked into the Sonoran Desert foothills, the restaurant treats us to a symphony of wood, white adobe and Native American weavings. Giant wood posts stand sentry; the room's ceiling is crafted from ocotillo branches (latilla, or... More >>
• Best Place To Expect The Unexpected
  Palm Court
  "Conference Resort" rarely conjures images of fine dining. And the name describes this property perfectly. It caters primarily to large groups; we can't even get a table without being asked which company we're with. But, hey, we'll lie about our affiliations if it gets us seated for the... More >>
• Best Party Platters
  Flancer's Cafe
  To look at this simple little storefront, you'd never think that its chef-owner, Jeff Flancer, is a graduate of the renowned Culinary Institute of America. All doubts will be put to rest after one bite of any of his creative, full-flavored creations. Just as surprising is the fact that his party... More >>
• Best Place To Eat Cheap And Fast
  Miracle Mile Deli
  Our time is valuable. We don't always have the luxury of a relaxed, hourlong lunch. (Okay, actually we do -- but our bosses are reading this.) But no way, no how, are we going to waste our greenbacks (or our guts) at most drive-through grease pits. Why would we, when we have Miracle Mile... More >>
• Best Old Phoenix Charm
  Pink Pony Steakhouse
  As Scottsdale has grown up around it, the Pink Pony, owned by the same couple for 50 years, has stayed firmly in its past -- from the large, rose-colored ceramic pony behind the bar, to the comforting retro menu that has long charmed spring training baseball camps -- the Cubs, the Angels, the... More >>
• Best View
  Different Pointe of View
  The views from this place are pretty enough to eat. We're standing on the patio, mesmerized by the panorama of the Valley from 1,800 feet above the desert. When we move inside for dinner, we take the beauty with us, seated next to floor-to-ceiling windows framing a stunning Arizona sunset. After... More >>
• Best Patio Dining Not Overlooking A Parking Lot
  Carlsbad Tavern and Restaurant
  What is it with casual Valley restaurants putting us on a patio where we're face-to-face with the car bumpers that crowd strip malls? Carlsbad Tavern is having none of that. This funky, New Mexican eatery had adapted its building along busy Hayden Road to take advantage of its... More >>
• Best Breakfast
  Kiss the Cook
  We'll gladly pucker up for the pancakes served at Kiss the Cook. We'll surrender a smooch for the seafood omelet, brimming with bay shrimp, crab and broccoli in a smothering of Cheddar cheese. And we'll bust a buss for biscuits, homemade, drowning in country gravy and teamed with our choice of... More >>
• Best Continental Breakfast
  Café Soleil
  When the sun breaks over the horizon, we're inclined to groan and stuff another pillow over our head. We know we need to snack on something to regain our strength, but eggs, bacon, home fries and toast will simply send us back to bed. Day breaks more gently at Café Soleil, a tiny,... More >>
• Best Brunch
  Marquesa
  It's too difficult to decide what to order from Marquesa's amazing menu. This Mobil Four-Star restaurant is also one of two AAA Five-Diamond restaurants in Arizona, and serves cuisine from one of Spain's best-kept secrets: Catalan, blended with Italian and French influences. The feast never ends... More >>
• Best Place To Hide In The Dark At Lunch
  Monroe's Food and Fine Spirits
  It's another one of those days. The boss is being completely unreasonable, expecting us at work before noon, when we only get up at 11 a.m. so we won't be late for our lunch break. So we soothe our ruffled dignity by hiding in the cozy heart-of-downtown darkness that is Monroe's. Descend... More >>
• Best Downtown Lunch
  El Portal
  The new El Portal hasn't been in business long, but this little house turned eatery has become a fast favorite among the downtown crowd, with some of the best Mexican food anywhere in metro Phoenix. Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox and her politico husband Earl refurbished the old,... More >>
• Best Healthful Eating
  Green Leaf Cafe
  Pity the poor dieter who believes that eating well has to taste bad. These pitiful creatures have never embraced the power of fresh ingredients, fats served only in restrained portions, and everything snapped up with exotic spices. At Green Leaf Cafe, healthful dining goes global, influenced by... More >>
• Best Place To See Cooks Who Love Their Jobs
  Guedo's Taco Shop
  In some restaurants, getting an up-close view of the kitchen and the folks who are slaving away over the proverbial hot stove might just spoil your appetite. But at Guedo's, watching the cooks work adds to the sheer joy of eating their signature tacos. We love waiting in line to order here,... More >>
• Best Place To Eat At The Bar
  Razz's Restaurant
  Talk about cooking lessons. We've always loved Chef Razz Kamnitzer's creative Mediterranean-inspired dishes. Now, with his newly relocated restaurant, we can sit at the bar directly overlooking the master in action in the tiny, galley-style kitchen. We study Kamnitzer performing his ballet, his... More >>
• Best Place To Eat Without Silverware
  Classic Italian Pizza
  Why would we let something as superficial as a fork get in the way of genius? Nothing comes between us and the incredible pizzas crafted by chef Halim Nefic. His pies aspire to art, spun in whisper-thin circles, topped with the freshest, most vibrant ingredients, and baked in a wood-burning oven... More >>
• Best Place To Impress A Client
  Gregory's World Bistro
  As with any business presentation, preparation is key. So study up on Gregory's menu before bringing that Fortune 500 bigwig client to the restaurant. You'll want to impress him or her with your world-class knowledge of fine cuisine and wines. And if any Valley restaurant tests your skills, it's... More >>
• Best Cheap Dinner In An Odd Atmosphere
  Don Jose's
  Thriving for several decades in a former IHOP A-frame, "The Don," as regulars affectionately refer to it, can never be accused of lacking atmosphere. Go in -- hungry, of course -- and munch thin, hot chips and admire the year-round, Mylar Christmas decorations that spin and twinkle lazily in the... More >>
• Best Comfort Food In A Restaurant
  Rancho Pinot Grill
  Divorce? Death in the family? Nothing that a little meat loaf and mashed potatoes can't fix. Because we turn to comfort food during difficult times, it had better be nice food. No hard edges, nothing challenging, no effort involved. Nonni's Sunday Chicken, which is always on the menu at Rancho... More >>