Best Restaurant FNB 7125 East Fifth Avenue, #31, Scottsdale 480-284-4777 fnbrestaurant.com The menus are ever-changing at celebrated Scottsdale eatery FnB, subject to the passing of the seasons, the availability of fresh, local ingredients, and the imagi- nation of James Beard Award-winning Chef Charleen Badman. On a recent evening, we enjoyed a salad of bitter greens with anchovy, chile garlic crumbs, jammy egg, and bottarga, before our main course of Jewish-style fried chicken on a bed of beans, corn, peppers, and roasted meyer lemon gremolata. What doesn’t change at FnB is the excellent service, the expan- siveness of the wine menu with a decent array of Arizona-made options, and the feeling that you’re experiencing something very special. Tucked away in a courtyard in Old Town Scottsdale, FnB isn’t flashy; it doesn’t try to draw attention itself. Rather, it brings in new and returning customers Consume Actual Cactus Best Place to Best Chef HEARD MUSEUM CAFE 2301 North Central Avenue 602-251-0204 heard.org/visit/dine Phoenix, as a rule, does things a little differently than the rest of the country. For instance, we don’t know how to use roundabouts that well, which is both a point of pride and a concern. But it also means that maybe we’re a bit more open-minded when it comes to culinary options. So, while the rest of the U.S. is cool with sucking down plain old lemonade, the Heard Museum’s prickly pear lemonade feels less like a cool gimmick and more of a significant declaration of the state’s identity. Sure, there are enough folks who think sampling the fruit of a prickly pear cactus might be silly, especially since most of us have some direct experience with the pain cactuses can deliver. But on the other hand, it’s really not all that removed from actual lemonade, and that extra bit of tartness and sweetness makes this concoction just novel enough without feeling overly adventurous. Plus, you can tell your friends and families you drink cactus fruit like they drink sweet tea, and that’s about as Phoenician as you can get without being made of copper. 188 YOTAKA ‘SUNNY’ MARTIN Lom Wong 218 East Portland Street 602-675-0522 lomwongaz.com Last year, we recognized Thai eatery Lom Wong as the best pop-up restaurant. This year, they’ve secured their own space. The restaurant is always busy but cozy, and the food feels like a communal experience. That’s what self-taught Chef Yotaka “Sunny” Martin of Lom Wong has fostered. But the atmosphere is nothing next to the culinary experience of Lom Wong. Martin grew up on a farm in Thailand, where her family raised livestock and grew rice, herbs, and vegetables. She brings that inspiration and foundation to every dish on Lom Wong’s menu, and the depth of her recipes makes the experience unlike any other Thai restaurant in Phoenix. Martin does as much as she can by hand and is faithful to the region’s culinary traditions. This means she pounds her curry paste, makes her own sausage and grills it over charcoal, and brings in as many regional flavors as possible. Meals are made for sharing, and the current menu highlights include sai ua (charcoal-grilled Thai sausage), kaeng phet fak tawng (curry paste, bamboo shoots, and eggplant), and the tom yum haeng sen yai (stir-fried rice noodles, langoustine, and tom yum sauce). the old-fashioned way: a hard-earned reputation for food too good to be forgotten. Best New Restaurant SOTTISE 1025 North Second Street 602-254-6378 sottisephx.com If the weather is nice, sit on the patio; otherwise, grab a table inside. Either way, prepare to be transported far from Phoenix. Sottise, a new restaurant making its home in the historic Knipe House near Roosevelt Row, burst onto the scene with modern French fare, a top-notch sound system, and the hottest reservation in town. Order from a selection of fruits de mer for an extravagant starter, or indulge in the salty, savory beef tartare for a satis- fying bite. Chef TJ Culp, best known for his Melrose district joint Restaurant Progress, keeps the flavors right on the line between classic and fresh, and wine guru Esther Noh stocks the wine list with the perfect pairings. Best Pastry Chef MARK CHACÓN Chaconne Patisserie 720 West Highland Avenue 480-330-6006 chaconnepatisserie.com Mark Chacón, baker-owner of Chaconne Patisserie, is not only the best pastry chef in Phoenix, this year he was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef. Though he has no formal training, he’s worked at some of the best bakeries in the world, including Tartine, Chez Panisse, and Hart Bageri in Denmark. When you’re eating a Chacón-made pastry, you know it. An expert in lamination with the rare ability to weave seasonal fruits, like pluots and cherries, into gorgeous fruit tarts and dazzling danishes, Chacón creates deli- cacies that pair technical excellence with a dig-in decadence. Think gloriously gooey pecan sticky buns on rich brioche, cara- melized croissants coiled with paper-thin layers for a shatteringly crispy finish, and rustically regal hand pies studded with poached pears on flaky, all-butter pâte brisée. Available at some of the best restau- rants and coffee shops in Phoenix, including Tratto, Bacanora, and Futuro, as well as farmers’ markets and by special order on his website, there’s seriously no better way to indulge your carb cravings. Best Return JOHNNY CHU Mifan Claypot Kitchen 1616 North Central Avenue, #102 602-334-1516 mifanaz.com Johnny Chu has spent decades creating, preparing, and serving tasty Asian cuisine, earning him a Valley-wide following. His roster of eateries includes Lucky Dragon, Fate, and Red Thai. That last one felt the wrath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Chu had to close the doors of the chic-meets- casual north Phoenix restaurant. Earlier in 2022, Chu came in hot, literally, with his new spot, Mifan Claypot Kitchen. Delicious dishes are prepared at 600 degrees in clay pots — a Southeast Asian cooking tradition — allowing steam to do most of the work, meaning there’s less oil and fat in the equation. Add a protein of choice to options such as HK Typhoon Style, where vege- tables mix with crispy garlic, a butter sauce, and Sichuan peppercorns for an intoxi- cating mix of flavors. The menu, which also features an array of soups and appetizers, is highly vegan-friendly. Chu’s back, and his commitment to feeding Phoenix with healthy, mouthwatering meals is a part of what makes him a local treasure. Best Relocation LUANA’S COFFEE AND BEER 1502 West Thomas Road 602-314-5557 luanascoffee.com Luana’s Coffee and Beer didn’t want to move. But after being shuffled out of their original McDowell Road digs, the cafe’s owners made the very best of a bad situ- ation. The coffee shop, bar, and hangout moved a few miles north and expanded into the old Mu Shu Asian Grill on Thomas Road. From the outside, the Mu Shu sign and the pointed roof remain. But inside, the space is transformed. Dark walls, plush velvet chairs, spinning vinyl, and draping greenery set the tone, rounded out by a menu of coffee, beer, sandwiches, pizzas, and baked goods. We’re partial to the indulgent Campfire Smores mocha with hazelnut, cinnamon, and mocha, or if we show up at lunchtime, the And Put Your Spell on Me spicy chicken salad sandwich. Take a Foodie PA’LA Best Place to 2107 North 24th Street 602-795-9500 132 East Washington Street 602-368-3052 palakitchen.com Walk into either location of Pa’La, and you’re likely to run into a chef. Yes, Claudio Urciuoli, the chef who owns the eateries, but also other chefs from restaurants around the Valley. People who really appre- ciate every element of food eat here. At the 24th Street bungalow, the menu is filled with tapas, little plates that let individual ingredients shine and provide small but BEST OF PHOENIX 2022 | WWW.BESTOFPHOENIX2022.C0M | SEPTEMBER 29, 2022