From steak to sushi and everything in between, we present your faves in Food & Wine in the Valley.
Best Cocktails, Best Wine Bar and Most Amazing Restaurant Interior
Christopher’s Restaurant & Crush Lounge
Winning in three impressive categories, it appears that Chef Christopher Gross and sommelier Paola Embry certainly didn’t lose any fans when they closed Christopher’s Fermier Brasserie & Paola’s Wine Bar at Biltmore Fashion Park in 2008 and opened Christopher’s Restaurant & Crush Lounge nearby shortly after. The contemporary, clean-lined interiors are decked in orange and brown hues, gorgeous banquettes, an exposed ceiling and supersexy photography. The restaurant’s lengthy wine list and superior cocktails also get the heart racing. Embry’s rotating wine selection features lesser-known bottles from around the globe and is broken into categories like “medium- to full-bodied rich dry whites” so it’s easy for guests from all levels of wine expertise to pick a glass right for them. The cocktail list also features many adventurous sips like the shishito margarita with crushed shishito pepper and the refreshing Aperol cocktails. 602.522.2344, www.christophersaz.com.
Best Breakfast
Orange Table Cafe
This Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza outpost is the spot to splurge in the a.m. Try the banana-nut pancakes and Mexican chocolate latte. 480.424.6819.
Best Burger
BluBurger Grille
With four Valley locations (the most recent of which opened last month in Scottsdale) and prices that won’t drain your purse, voters dig BluBurger Grille’s build-your-own burgers. The bison patty is a favorite. www.bluburger.com.
Best Cup of Coffee
Press Coffee Food Wine
Voters can’t get enough of the fresh, eco-friendly brews at this CityCenter of CityNorth coffee shop. Plus, the baristas at Press know how to impress with their eye-catching coffee art. 480.419.6221, www.presscfw.com.
Best Dessert
Classic Cakes and Confections
This Scottsdale bakery is a Valley favorite due to its too-cute cakes, cupcakes and cookies. And with flavors like orange-chocolate cake and divinity white cake, we don’t have to tell you how tasty the treats are. 602.795.9662, www.classiccakesandconfections.com.
Best Slice
Streets of New York
Valley dwellers have learned that you don’t have to buy a plane ticket to get a New York-style slice. The popular pizzeria started with a single Phoenix outpost in 1976 and has grown to more than 30 locations in the state. Voters are nuts about the New York Combo, the Pizza Primavera and the good ole pepperoni and cheese pizzas. www.streetsofnewyork.com.
Best Frozen Treat
Yogurtology
It didn’t take long for the sweet teeth of the Valley to fall in love with this newish self-serve fro yo shop. Yogurtology had nearly twice the number of votes as the second-place finisher, thanks to its changing flavor rotation and tasty toppings (think yogurt chips, cereal and fresh fruit). www.yogurtology.com.
Best Mexican Food
Frank & Lupe’s Old Mexico
For more than 25 years, Frank & Lupe’s has served up New Mexican-style cuisine for those with a craving for something south of the border. This family-owned and –operated Old Town treasure spotlights a lovely patio and a scrumptious selection of burritos, enchiladas, tacos, chalupas, fajitas and much more. 480.990.9844, www.frankandlupes.com.
BLT Steak
At BLT Steak, from chef extraordinaire Laurent Tourondel, diners get to choose from a variety of meaty cuts including American Wagyu and Japanese Kobe beef. The cowboy rib eye is a choice menu item among voters. www.bltscottsdale.com.
Best Sunday Brunch
Geordie’s at The Wrigley Mansion
At the popular Sunday Champagne Brunch, diners can feast on made-to-order eats from the French toast and omelet stations, as well as house specialties like seafood pasta, slow-roasted prime rib and baby lamb chops. 602.955.4079, www.wrigleymansionclub.com.
Best Sunday Brunch (Runner-up)
Wright’s at the Biltmore
Behind Geordie’s by less than one percent, Wright’s brunch is a winner in its own right thanks to its citrus-charred prawns and yummy Bloody Mary. 602.381.7632, www.arizonabiltmore.com.
Best Date Spot and Best Outdoor Dining
Sassi
Nothing’s more romantic than a slice of Southern Italy in North Scottsdale. Couples fill Sassi’s various dining rooms hoping for a “Lady and The Tramp” moment with Chef Peter DeRuvo’s house-made pasta while sipping on their choice of more than 250 vino selections. Sassi’s gorgeous city-light and mountain views that can be seen from the pretty patio only add to the amorous atmosphere, making it a winner in two categories. 480.502.9095, www.sassi.biz.
Best Asian Cuisine and Sushi
Ra Sushi Bar and Restaurant
The always-busy RA Sushi restaurants dish up quality sashimi and nigiri sushi, in addition to signature rolls like the popular Viva Las Vegas. For customers who crave something of the “turf” variety, the menu features noodle dishes and teriyaki bowls with chicken or beef to satisfy their hunger pangs. Plus, with five Valley locations, we don’t have to travel far for our Tootsy Maki fix. www.rasushi.com.
Best Asian Cuisine and Sushi
Roka Akor
The Scottsdale hotspot specializes in robata-grilled delicacies (including the got-to-see-it-to-believe-it Wild Madagascan Tiger Prawn) and trailed RA Sushi by a mere percentage point. 480.306.8800, www.rokaakor.com.
Best New Restaurant and Best Happy Hour
Avalon
Providing a feast for the eyes and taste buds, Scottsdale’s new Avalon, a double award-winner according to our voters, dishes up Contemporary American Coastal cuisine in one of the city’s most stylish dining rooms. Seafoodies and carnivores alike will find a dish to dig into like lobster ravioli, blue crab risotto, Colorado lamb osso bucco and bacon-wrapped pork tenderloins. Avalon’s happy hour, especially, is something to write home about: Instead of greasy onion rings, the eatery’s happy hour menu features Korean barbecue spare ribs, polenta-stuffed prawns and refreshing cocktails at petite prices. 480.656.0010, www.avalon-scottsdale.com.
The Herb Box
This adorable eatery/market, with two North Scottsdale locations, boasts a hearty yet healthy lunch selection of salads, wraps and sandwiches. Out-of-this-world eats that’ll boost your midday mood include the coconut shrimp salad, the turkey, apple and Swiss cheese wrap, and the addicting sweet potato chips (you can even buy bags of these chips to go). www.herbboxcatering.com.
Most Glamorous Place to Party
Kasbah Pool Bar & Grille
Whether you want to nosh on a dozen types of fries with your sweetie or indulge in custom sips from the cocktail cart with a bunch of friends, Kasbah is a fun spot to unwind in sumptuous surroundings. 480.627.3200, www.icmontelucia.com.
Best Place to Watch the Big Game
Fox Sports Grill
With more than 50 TV’s and bar food that includes Hawaiian poke and chipotle pork sliders, Valley sports fans like to stop by The Promenade to catch their favorite team in action. 480.368.0369, www.foxsportsgrill.com.
Best Cougar Bar
Blue Martini
The people who frequent this Phoenix-based martini bar are as sleek and sexy as the drinks, like the fruity The Good Life and Fly Me to the Moon. 480.638.2583, www.bluemartinilounge.com.
Best Gay Bar
BS West
This Old Town club has long been a favorite in the Valley gay scene, thanks to amazing signature drinks and killer daily specials. Sunday- and Thursday-night karaoke is another big draw to this 22-year-old hotspot. 480.945.9028, www.bswest.com.
