A popular tourist destination just north of Phoenix has a quaint tradition. Any man who walks into the western-style restaurant wearing a tie is met with a pair of scissors that sever the cravat at its knot, whether it’s an Armani or from Wal-Mart.
Consider this a metaphor for dining in southern Arizona. Wherever you go — upscale, downscale or resort — informality is the order of the day. Forget that message and you risk having your pretensions snipped.
While Phoenix might lack a rigid dress code, it does not lack for good restaurants. The upstart town has come a long way since its first restaurants opened after the turn of the century.
At first, there were only roadhouses and small cafes catering to cowboys and westward travelers. Monti’s La Casa Vieja, still in operation after 75 years as a landmark in suburban Tempe, is believed by the Arizona Restaurant Association to be the first real restaurant, though documentation is sparse.
Loyal patrons still swear by Monti’s traditional Mexican and American menu, but more innovative chefs and upscale locations now command national attention from food experts and gourmet magazines.
Such attention has come only recently. It took Phoenix more than half a century for locals to realize there’s more to dining out than a steak, a baked potato and crackers wrapped in cellophane.
And then everything exploded.
While the Phoenix area might not have the depth of outstanding restaurants that a Chicago, New York or San Francisco can boast, the best chefs in the Valley of the Sun can hold their own, toque for toque against the best in any of America’s eating destinations. Awards from such illustrious sources as the James Beard Foundation confirm it.
Here’s a sampling of some of the best restaurants in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area as well as offerings from its sister city to the south, Tucson.
Phoenix-Scottsdale
Durant’s, 2611 N. Central Ave., Phoenix; 602-264-5967.
Local politicos frequent this venerable eatery that time once forgot and then rediscovered. It’s a retro haven of red-flocked wallpaper, waiters in tuxedos, shrimp cocktail and martinis.
It’s the kind of place Old Blue Eyes would have liked, an authentic steakhouse born before steakhouses made a comeback and raised their prices.
El Chorro Lodge, 5550 E. Lincoln Dr., Paradise Valley; 480-948-5170.
Another haunt for old-time Phoenix, a Barry Goldwater kind of place serving traditional American cuisine. Patio dining at the foot of Camelback Mountain is de rigueur, as are the famous sticky buns served with every meal. Catch El Chorro for Sunday brunch, when the most popular item is old-fashioned Eggs Benedict — with sticky buns. There’s no better place to spend an Arizona morning.
Convivo, 7000 N. 16th St., Phoenix; 602-997-7676.
One of the newest hot spots is this tiny and cozy place where everything on its metamorphic and eclectic American menu merits five stars. Trust the chef. He will be gentle, though his style defies definition: Roast chicken with buttermilk fig bread stuffing, flaky grouper with a saffron risotto cake, grilled pork with green onion gremolata.
Coup des Tartes, 4626 N. 16th St., Phoenix; 602-212-1082.
Another small eatery run by an innovative young chef. The name denotes its single-minded dessert menu: Nothing but tarts. But what a selection — chocolate ganache, banana brulee, peach, amaretto, blueberry. Entrees are equally inspired, from the pecan-crusted chicken to the glazed pork tenderloin in chipotle barbecue sauce.
Norman’s Arizona, 4410 N. 40th St., Phoenix; 602-956-2288.
More than Mexican, higher style than Southwestern. The storefront of this chic destination is a wall of glass enticing passersby who peer at the diners inside. Those diners are eating such delectables as rabbit chorizo, lomo de puerco (pork loin), mashed potatoes with strips of roasted poblano chilies and sauteed chicken. End the meal with a plate of miniature chocolate chimichangas.
Los Dos Molinos, 260 S. Alma School Rd., Mesa; 480-835-5356.
Some like it hot, and for those who do, this is the destination for authentic Mexican specialties. Decidedly downscale, “Los Dos” is not for the fainthearted — barely air conditioned with indifferent servers and some of the spiciest foods north of the border. The culinary experience is comparable to a tongue full of cactus needles. But its legions of fans wouldn’t have it any other way. There’s nothing gringo about this place.
Christopher’s Fermier Brasserie and Paolo’s Wine Bar, 2584 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix; 602-522-2344.
Chef Christopher Gross is one of the Valley’s most acclaimed chefs, and his mark is everywhere on his classic French cuisine: duck cassoulet, wild mushroom soup with port wine and foie gras. Not bad for a man who grew up in Phoenix and started his culinary career in a fast-food joint.
Razz’s Restaurant & Bar, 10321 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale; 480-905-1308.
Venezuelan expatriate Erasmo “Razz” Kamnitzer’s menu is broadly geographic from traditional French to Asian to Latin American. Don’t miss the duck cakes. Razz’s latest venture is the imminent launch of Latino Express, a chain of fast-food restaurants serving Latin American fare, making him the Ricky Martin of chefs.
Roaring Fork, 7243 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale; 480-947-0795.
Rainbow trout comes to the table in a skillet. A sugar and chili-cured duck breast comes with green chili macaroni and cheese. Beef jerky sits in a jar on the table, inviting a satisfying chaw. This is cowboy cooking at its finest from long-time Valley chef Robert McGrath. Make sure there’s a crease in your jeans. This is no ordinary chuckwagon.
RoxSand, 2594 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix; 602-381-0444.
One of the first of the truly ascendant dining experiences in the Phoenix area, RoxSand Scocos was touting fusion fare and only the freshest produce when neighboring restaurants were still breading frozen zucchini. Come for a creative entree, stay for an indulgent dessert. Better yet, don’t settle for less than the dessert sampler platter.
Pizzeria Bianco, 623 E. Adams St., Phoenix; 602-258-8300.
Recently named readers’ favorite in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area by Gourmet magazine, chef Chris Bianco’s wood-fired pizza place is nestled in the heart of Phoenix’s Heritage Square, between the turn-of-the century Rosson house and the new high-tech Arizona Science Center.
Lon’s at the Hermosa Inn, 5532 N. Palo Cristi Rd., Paradise Valley; 602-955-8614.
When the weather is balmy, the patio at Lon’s is the place to watch an Arizona sunset. But eating indoors in the ambient comfort of the dining room is just as satisfying for patrons who want the best in local cuisine. While the atmosphere of this boutique resort is part Southwestern, part Mediterranean, the eclectic menu at Lon’s is strictly from the imagination of chef Patrick Poblete.
Vincent Guerithault on Camelback, 3930 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix; 602-224-0225.
A local celebrity, Chef Vincent years ago fused classic French cuisine with Southwestern ingredients to create such superb combinations as duck quesadillas. He also does as fine a rack of lamb as you can imagine — served with smoking sprigs of rosemary.
Tucson
El Charro, 311 Court St.; 520-622-1922.
Touted as the oldest continuously operating family-owned Mexican restaurant in the United States, this is a funky hideaway in Tucson’s El Presidio district. Sometimes difficult to find (call for directions), El Charro is worth the journey for such authentic Sonoran Mexican specialties as carne seca, a succulent dried beef used in tacos, wrapped inside tortillas and used as a flavoring in hearty soups.
The Tack Room, 7300 E. Vactor Ranch Trail; 520-722-2800.
Located on property that once was a dude ranch and before that the Moltacqua race track, the Tack Room is one of Tucson’s historic sites as well as a AAA five-diamond restaurant. With a menu that is both traditional and innovative, it offers patrons such classic fare as Chateaubriand and roast rack of lamb and also regional dishes including roast duckling with an Arizona pistachio crust and Arizona four-pepper steak spiced with jalapenos, Anaheim chilis, serranos and sweet peppers.
Hacienda del Sol, 5601 N. Hacienda del Sol Rd; 520-529-3500.
Patrons reach the plush dining room called The Grill through a gracious courtyard that evokes old Mexico. The dinner menu starts with such appetizers as lobster and wild mushroom risotto and Asian pear and prosciutto salad. Entrees include a popular cioppino with lobster, prawns and sea scallops in a chipotle tomato broth; pecan-mesquite roasted chicken; and pecan grilled double breast of duckling. End with a cayenne peach cobbler. The lovely setting makes for a memorable evening.
Cafe Terra Cotta, 4310 N. Campbell Ave.; 520-577-8100.
California-native chef Donna Nordin and her husband have created a must-eat cafe in the heart of urban Tucson with southwestern dishes including a variety of non-traditional pizzas, grilled sandwiches, pastas, steaks and sea food. The atmosphere is casual yet upscale. (Phoenix also has a Cafe Terra Cotta, at 6166 N. Scottsdale Rd.; 480- 948-8100.)
Janos, 3770 E. Sunrise Rd.; 520-615-6100.
On the grounds of the Westin La Paloma resort, nestled in the foothills of the spectacular Catalina Mountains, Janos offers gracious southwestern dining with such selections as Dungeness crab and lobster cakes dusted with parched corn and mole (mo-LAY) powder, a fire-roasted Anaheim chili stuffed with mushrooms and brie, and quail stuffed with spoonbread and compote of Tucson Mountain prickly pears and black beans.
