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 a recent Saturday morning, every table was 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. 
Gemelli "Peas and Carrots" at Tesota
300 W. Camelback Road Chef and restaurateur Doug Robson added an internationally-inspired eatery to his collection of Mexican food restaurants with the opening of Tesota. The new restaurant is located in the former Southern Rail space on Camelback Road and serves a little of everything from steaks to poke, pizza and Asian noodles. The Gemelli "Peas and Carrots" seems like one of the simpler items on the menu, but it's an unexpected hit. The noodles come from local maker Sonoran Pasta Co. They're mixed with peas, asparagus, sugar snap peas and heirloom carrots all just-cooked to maintain their freshness and flavor. The mixture is tossed in a bright pesto made with arugula and pistachios. And the whole thing is placed in a bowl spread with black truffle whipped ricotta. The vegetables and pesto contrast against the sturdy noodles and creamy whip, making the perfect fresh and colorful summer dish. 
Sweet, rich caramel and a crunchy blend of spices and nuts are just the icing on the cake of the deep-fried milk toast dish at CC's on Central.
Tirion Boan
French toast at CC's on Central
2800 N. Central Ave. A100 CC's on Central, a Southern and soul food restaurant tucked into an office plaza, puts a spin on many of its dishes, adding culinary artistry to classic staples. But perhaps the dish with the most creative license is the French toast. It starts with three layers of milk bread which are stacked like a layer cake and deep fried. Over the top, there's a condensed milk caramel and a pad of butter on each piece. Then the spices get in the mix. Cinnamon and nutmeg are accompanied by cardamom and fennel, which blended with crushed pecans, give the soft bread a crunchy contrast. This is not your average French toast. But if you're up for an adventure, this dish is an exceptional sweet, savory dessert and breakfast combo.
Pork Belly at Barley & Smoke
10144 W. Lake Pleasant Pkwy., Peoria
Barley & Smoke, the West Valley's new speakeasy and chef's table experience tucked inside Peoria Artisan Brewing, is serving simple, elevated New American fare and craft cocktails in a sleek, stylish setting. The pork belly was our favorite bite from a recent visit. Crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, the cubes of pork belly are paired with similarly sized chunks of lightly tart, 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.
Cocktail #401 at Idle Hands
401 S. Mill Ave., Tempe
There's a lot to take in at Tempe's new hidden bar. Nestled inside Devil's Hideaway along Mill Avenue, Idle Hands is an enchanted greenhouse, with vines creeping along its walls. Above and past the bar through the faux windows, a projection-mapped nighttime forest scene quietly unfolds. There are plenty of drinks on the menu that seem built to compliment the imagined locale, with warm spices or herbaceous elements. But, one of the most surprising and satisfying sips we encountered was Cocktail #401, a bright, nutty, tropical tiki-ish tipple. The rum-based drink is light, with zip from quince, grapefruit and lime, balanced by the warmth and richness of allspice, clove, turmeric and Brazil nut.
