Comfort meets sophistication at Beckett’s Table in East Phoenix, a culinary creation dreamt up by four friends—Chef Justin Beckett, his wife Michelle, and sommeliers Katie and Scott Stephens. The result: an elegant restaurant heightened by its genuinely warm hospitality, superb New American cuisine reminiscent of a home-cooked meal, and an expansive collection of hand-selected wines from Arizona and beyond. Beckett's Table also hosts a slew of special events, like Sparkling Week (an ode to bubbly) and its adored Grown-Ups Table Dinner Series.
A pizza style originating in Campania, Italy, foodies can enjoy Neapolitan pizzas at Pomo Pizzeria, which has locations in Scottsdale, Phoenix and Gilbert. These pies have gratuitous amounts of tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella, making for a soft, slightly wet texture toward the center—but don’t fret, this is the mark of a truly spot-on Neapolitan pizza, so you know you’re getting the authentic experience. Pomo’s handcrafted pies use slow-rising sourdough with highly refined organic wheat flour from Naples, proofed for a full 24 hours and stretched by hand, then cooked in a wood-burning oven at 905 degrees.
Blue Hound Kitchen + Cocktails
Chic and lounge-y Blue Hound Kitchen + Cocktails is the epitome of cool amidst the bustling cosmopolitan streets of Downtown Phoenix. Blue Hound offers seasonal New American cuisine paired with handcrafted cocktails by passionate bartenders, including sherry, vermouth and table wine, as well as one of the Valley’s most extensive menus of brown spirits. For dinner, you can’t go wrong with the lamb osso bucco or roasted chicken for a comforting feast. Blue Hound is the perfect spot to grab a bite before a downtown cocert or ballgame.
CRUjiente Tacos (pictured)
Phoenix’s CRUjiente Tacos takes Taco Tuesday to a new level with options like Korean fried chicken, pork belly and kimchi, duck breast and garlic-roasted mushroom tacos. Defending champions. CRUjiente Tacos earned the highest title Grand Champion again at the 2018 Arizona Taco Festival. (The restaurant also won first place the pork taco, seafood taco and salsa categories in 2018.) The margaritas are likewise amazing because one simply can't have a taco without a salt-rimmed cocktail to wash it down.
There’s no denying that the main draw at Postino is its fantastic bruschetta and wine menu, perfect for sharing with a group of friends. With several locations across the Valley, the bistro lighting, colorful art-adorned accent walls and plush couches make finding a place to lounge around for the night a no-brainer. The bruschetta boards, in which guests can choose four options from a large list, include varieties like brie with apples and fig spread; bacon, burrata, arugula and tomato; and smoked salmon with pesto. Other menu offerings include snacky things, paninis, soups, salads and desserts. And, of course, its lengthy wine list comprises unique selections from around the world.
