Over years of Downtown Dining reviews, our critics have tasted some of the best food that Phoenix has to offer. We’ve listed a selection of the top local dining experiences, based on their letter grades, as part of our 2012 Welcome Back guide.
Grade: A-
Gallo Blanco, a retro Mexican restaurant located in the midcentury Clarendon Hotel, is a popular nightlife hub that serves a wide array of tasty appetizers and unique entrees.
The queso fundido replaced the usual chorizo with vegetables and came with an unusually creamy cheese dip. Gallo Blanco’s tortillas are noticeably fresh and have a distinct maize taste. And the entree chilaquiles verdes — traditionally a breakfast dish — has hearty flavors and a good amount of spiciness.
Grade: A
The Prime Chinese Restaurant, a friendly, family-owned business on Camelback Road near Central Avenue, offers a mix of traditional and Americanized meals.
The fish with bean curd is one of the menu’s highlights, served in a decorative clay pot and offering a subtle taste of sweetness. And fans of the classic Asian fried rice dishes will like the Prime’s the house special fried rice, which combines pork, seafood and vegetables.
Grade: A-
Pane Bianco brings the widely praised food of downtown’s award-winning Pizzeria Bianco to midtown Phoenix, serving sandwiches for lunch and pizzas and entrees for dinner.
The mozzarella, tomato and basil sandwich is a top-notch caprese, with incredibly fresh cheese and warm, crisp bread. For dinner, the unusually large, light and fluffy pieces of gnocchi are a must-try for pasta lovers. The restaurant’s location, directly next to Lux Coffee Bar, is a nice bonus, too.
Grade: A
Nobuo at Teeter House brings the work of nationally renowned chef Nobuo Fukuda to a century-old bungalow in downtown Phoenix’s Heritage Square. Its Asian delicacies, served in small portions, are delicious and memorable.
The grapefruit and hamachi is on of the best Asian dishes in Phoenix, adding a tart flavor to a classic sushi dish. The warm duck salad is a great option for lunch.
Grade: A-
Tuck Shop is one of Phoenix’s most unique restaurants — and one of its strangest. Located in a renovated house, the restaurant is filled with tacky decor that evokes an odd sense of 1970s nostalgia, and its family-style comfort-food dishes accompany its unorthodox atmosphere perfectly.
Tuck Shop’s gnocchi may be even better than Pane Bianco’s, and its macaroni and cheese — served with breadcrumbs and bits of prosciutto — combines familiarity and creativity in one tasty dish.
Grade: A-
Windsor and Churn have so much to offer it couldn’t fit into one restaurant. Windsor, a restaurant and bar, serves Mediterranean dishes with interesting twists; and Churn, the ice-cream parlor next door, ensures that customers will want to try some dessert.
Windsor’s Veggie Stack, a pita served with bean spread, pickled beets, black quinoa and other toppings, is a health nut’s dream. At Churn, the vanilla and butterscotch flavors were the perfect mix of sweet and salty.
Grade: A-
Jobot Coffee Shop, surrounded by all the activity of the Roosevelt Row arts district, is the kind of quirky business that gives Phoenix a true identity. Its late hours make it perfect for downtown residents who want somewhere to go on a Saturday night, and its selection of sweet and savory crepes is delicious.
The raspberry and sweet ricotta-spread crepe blends the light flavors of fruit and cheese perfectly, and the coffee, supplied by Cartel, is excellent.
Grade: A-
Postino Winecafe combines a cool atmosphere with fresh ingredients to make one of midtown Phoenix’s most popular restaurants.
Its 11 kinds of bruschetta are all good options, especially the smoked salmon with pesto and the prosciutto with figs and mascarpone. The panini sandwiches also feature fresh Mediterranean ingredients that are sure to please.
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