Phoenix Area, AZ

Sandy requested some Phoenix places for her trip, so...

To: [email removed]
Subject: Phoenix Restaurants

Sandy,

Hi, I don't know if you got any recommendations yet, but I can give you some pointers.  I lived in Phx for about a year and a half, until I recently moved to SF Bay Area.  I don't know what part of town you'll be in, so here's a bunch that jump around some.  I lived in the East Valley, so there's some bias that way...

Rule #1:  There is no dress code in Phoenix.  Except for the VERY fancy restaurants, you can wear whatever you want - including shorts.

Mexican:
Rosa's Tacos - University & Main, in Mesa (East Valley) Informal, noisy, busy.  GREAT tacos, burros and enchiladas.  Very fresh. Very good salsa and chips - homemade.  Affordable prices.  Believe it or not, but it's HARD to find good Mexican food in Phx.  I was told that Los Dos Molinos is very good if you find yourselves near one.

American:
Don and Charlie's - Camelback Rd, Scottsdale (E. of Scottsdale Rd.) Very busy - make reservations.  Nice sit-down meal - moderate prices. The decor is Sports - to the hilt.  Every wall is covered in sports paraphernalia.  Ribs, steak, Prime Rib, chicken, fish.  Good stuff.

New York Deli:
Chompie's - 32nd & Greenway, North Phx (don't go to a branch store) Amazing, but it's as good (if not better) than any New York City/New Jersey Deli.  Great corned beef, roast beef, turkey.  FRESH bagels. Very good food.  The owners are from Queens, NY.  Big place, good service, busy for weekend brunch.  Good prices.

Sushi:
Sakana Sushi Bar - 51st and Elliot (East Valley, just W. of I-10) What? Sushi in the desert?  Somehow, they get it right.  Good value on Japanese meals, too.  Tempura Shrimp is great.

Cheese Steaks:
Longitano's - Elliot and McClintock (East Valley)
The only source for a Philly Cheese Steak in Phx.  I'm from the Phila. suburbs, they're from Phila. suburbs.  They do it right.  Informal sit-down place.

Chinese:
C-Fu - Guadalupe and McClintock (1 mi. N of Elliot, East Valley) Delicious Chinese food, NOT common in Phx.  This place wins a lot of awards, especially for their FRESH seafood dishes.  They have tanks of live fish and shellfish (try the crab), and you pick out your platter. Depending on what you order, prices can be $10 to 20/person.

Thai:
Pick one of the Pink Pepper locations.  There are a few around.  Great soups.  Very spicy if you dare.

Steak:
I never found a really good Western Steakhouse.  The topnotch, best steaks available are Ruth's Chris' Steakhouse - a nationwide chain. They are VERY expensive, and sort of formal (compared to most), but they only use Prime beef.  It's extravagant, but worth it for beef lovers. For a decent meal, with some hokey Western fun, check out Pinnacle Patio or Rawhide (both North of Scottsdale, not near each other) - very informal, moderate prices, tourist-centric Western fare.  Oh, Rustler's Roost (in the East Valley, just W. of I-10 on Baseline) has more of the same, but with a very nice view at night.  It's at the Pointe Resort @ S. Mtn.

Some hints for good food:  There is a free paper, published every Wed, that you can pick up almost anywhere called the New Times.  The food critic is pretty good, and he covers most of the places around town. Each issue contains a thumbnail description of Phx restaurants, sorted by location, and some hints as to price/quality.  There is also a book available in many bookstores, that summarizes the Best Of Phoenix issue of the paper.  If you can find that, you'll be able to see the full reviews yourself.

Also, Scottsdale has the bulk of the better restaurants in the valley -- it's also the most expensive area.  You probably won't get bad meals in Scottsdale, but there aren't many great values.

While you're in Phx, go to "Out of Africa", a wildcat park near the Fort McDowell Reservation (E of Scottsdale).  They have many wild cats (you know, lions, tigers, etc.) that exist in a natural environment.  They have raised all of the animals from cubs, so they love and trust their owners.  There are also some other exhibits of snakes and critters. This park is very nice, and it's amazing to see the owners enter the fenced areas and play with the cats.  They usually have Pet-a-cub time, too.

Enjoy your trip, and don't forget it gets cold at night.

-Brad Sandman

Can anybody offer me some substitutions for these now that I'm in the South Bay near San Francisco?