Given the ever-expanding list of restaurants nearby, it is easy to stay in one’s little bubble when deciding where to dine. But why not branch out? Arizona offers a melting pot of diverse flavors and ingredients to explore around every turn.
Phoenix
Phoenix is a foodie city on the rise thanks in great part to the influx of talented culinary teams opening restaurants in the area in recent years. Pyro, Anhelo, Christopher’s at Wrigley Mansion, and Ambrogio15 have especially elevated the scene.
Pyro (PyroPHX.com), located in Phoenix’s Arcadia suburb, is inspired by the supper clubs in 1930s Japan. Bold in its look—think audacious fixtures, rich velvets, and era-inspired art pieces—as much in its menu, dishes are crafted by manipulating fire with wood and charcoal to roast, sear, grill, and smoke, enhancing the natural flavors of ingredients before pairing them with eye-catching dishware and garnishment.
Anhelo (AnheloRestaurant.com) is tucked into a beautiful, custom-designed space on the ground floor of the iconic Orpheum Lofts in Downtown Phoenix and led by chef Ivan Jacobo, a maestro of flavor combination who takes exceptional pride in marrying ingredients from around the world with American classics, all in a fine dining setting with white glove service.
Christopher’s at Wrigley Mansion (WrigleyMansion.com) is perched atop a 100-foot knoll in the Biltmore area and completely encased in glass to allow for nearly 360-degree views of the city below. The space is helmed by Christopher Gross, an icon in every sense of the word, who delights in shocking the senses with his whimsical-yet-nuanced tasting menu that will delight even the most discerning diner.
Ambrogio15 (Ambrogio15AZ.com), newly opened at Biltmore Fashion Park, is a soaring, two-story Italian eatery destined to be a local culinary classic. Visually, it seeks to evoke the style and modern aesthetic of Milan, and throughout the menu, there are fresh-made pastas and crudo, an impressive raw bar, pizzas crafted with flour imported from a 191-year-old mill in Italy, and a bevy of well-seasoned proteins, some flambéed tableside.
Scottsdale
While Scottsdale also has a bevy of new musts, many of the longer-standing menus are very much worth the extra miles, especially Dominick’s Steakhouse, Bourbon Steak, Sel, and Café Monarch.
North Scottsdale’s Dominick’s Steakhouse (DominicksSteakhouse.com) and Bourbon Steak at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess (ScottsdalePrincess.com) are the epitome of ultra high-end dining destinations in Arizona. Both are worthy of setting the stage for a proposal or other special occasion. Dominick’s wet-ages its meat for 28 days before hand-cutting it in-house and has some of the most impressive seafood in the Southwest. Bourbon Steak grills its fork-tender meats on mesquite, offering domestic and imported wagyu, as well as angus selections nightly, plus a nice array of shellfish and caviar.
In South Scottsdale, while Sel (SelRestaurant.com) and Café Monarch (CafeMonarch.com) also offer steak, they are a good bet if looking to indulge in an electric, eclectic prix fixe menu. Sel is the brainchild of Food Network favorite Branden Levine and feels very much like a local version of the French Laundry, while Café Monarch is consistently ranked the most romantic restaurants in Arizona, and among the bucket list culinary experiences nationwide.
Of course, if you’re seeking something new, there are some freshly opened spaces turning heads, as well. Course (CourseRestaurantAZ.com) is an ultra-experiential fine dining concept with an ever-changing multi-course menu that blends nostalgic flavors with Avant Garde arrangement and plating, and Uchi (UchiRestaurants.com) is a seductive spot featuring a non-traditional menu of Japanese specialties with Pacific Rim influences and ingredients from across the globe.
Fabulous, but Farther
Willing to venture even a little farther? Flagstaff offers copious ways to wine and dine in the cool summer pines, thanks to James Beard nominees Atria (AtriaRestaurant.com), a modern-American restaurant with both a la carte seasonal dishes and a mind-bending tasting menu; Forêt (ForetFlagstaff.com), a French-inspired café; and Shift Kitchen & Bar (ShiftFLG.com), which offers locally sourced shared plates.
If headed to Tucson, do not miss the crave-worthy curated collection of distinctive dishes at CORE Kitchen + Bar inside the Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain (RitzCarlton.com) or picture-perfect Passaggio at the sprawling JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa (JWStarrPass.com).