198 FOOD & DRINK SEPTEMBER 25, 2025 | WWW.BESTOFPHOENIX2025.C0M | BEST OF PHOENIX 2025 B E S T C O L L A B O R AT I O N CP PATISSERIE 850 N. FIFTH ST. Mark Chacón and Julia Peixoto Peters are no strangers to our Best of Phoenix awards. They’ve been recognized for their outstanding pastry and coffee roasting skills, respectively. And now, the two Valley power- houses are teaming up to bring CP Patisserie to life. The new bakery, coffee shop and cafe is scheduled to open in downtown Phoenix in late September, and we can’t wait. For starters, those of us who don’t live in the East Valley just got a much shorter commute to enjoy Peixoto’s delicious seasonal lattes and cold brew. And what better to pair with a stellar cup of coffee than an exquisitely crafted pastry? Chacón is known for making magic out of flaky layers of dough, and recently, he’s brought in even more star power to join the team. Nick Beitcher, a baker who learned his craft at the interna- tionally regarded Tartine in San Francisco, is crafting breads for the cafe. It’s a collabora- tive effort for the ages. e e e B E S T R E S C U E M I S S I O N DURANT’S 2611 N. CENTRAL AVE. DURANTSAZ.COM Durant’s is one of the most recognized names in Phoenix. Perhaps that’s due to the longtime restaurant’s iconic sign glowing along Central Avenue. Maybe it’s because the steakhouse was an all-important meeting place for the Valley’s most influential diners. Or it could be because it’s served customers in Phoenix for 75 years. Either way, it’s a true icon. And one that closed in February. After a seven-decade run, the restaurant’s second group of owners decided to retire. They sold the restaurant to Prime Steak Concepts, the company behind such well-known destina- tions as Steak 44 and Dominick’s Steak- house. The new owners shut down the iconic spot to revive it, make renovations to the dining room and revamp the menu. It’s scheduled to reopen in December, and we hope it continues to serve customers along Central Avenue for another 75 years. e e e B E S T E X P A N S I O N CALDWELL COUNTY BBQ 18324 E. NUNNELEY ROAD, GILBERT 480-892-0512 25000 S. 206TH ST., QUEEN CREEK 480-659-5428 CALDWELLCOUNTYBBQ.COM For diners seeking great barbecue, the pick- ings in our vast Valley can be slim, with a precious few exemplary smokehouses leading the way. Among them is the East Valley-born Caldwell County BBQ, which takes culinary inspiration from Texas while infusing Southwestern ingredients. Its pitmasters deliver tender brisket, turkey, links and more at its meat market-style restaurants in Gilbert and Queen Creek. For those in other parts of the Valley, it’s a worth- while trek, but a trek no less. So imagine our delight (and the gas savings) when the team shared they will double in size, adding smokehouses in Peoria and Scottsdale. The new Caldwell outposts will open at Wash- ington Street near 83rd Drive and near Scott- sdale Road and Mayo Boulevard in 2026. We can smell the mesquite already. e e e B E S T C H E F YOTAKA ‘SUNNY’ MARTIN The Valley has known about chef Yotaka “Sunny” Martin’s expert kitchen skills for a while now. But in June, she rocketed onto the national stage, winning the James Beard Award for Best Chef – Southwest. And we couldn’t agree more. Martin brings flavors and techniques from her native Thailand to downtown Phoenix at Lom Wong. But while her food is grounded in tradition, it stays anything but stagnant. She and her husband and business partner, Alex Martin, frequently travel back to Thailand to learn new recipes and observe trends in the coun- try’s cuisine. In Phoenix, Martin brings massive amounts of flavor to diners’ tables thanks to an exacting attention to detail. You won’t find store-bought curry paste or canned coconut milk in Martin’s kitchen. She and her team make everything from scratch, and you really can taste the differ- ence. e e e B E S T C H E F T O WAT C H LAWRENCE ‘LT’ SMITH 765 GRAND AVE. 602-807-5226 CHILTEPHX.COM Chilte chef and co-owner Lawrence “LT” Smith has been cooking some of the best and most adventurous Mexican food in Phoenix since opening the restaurant’s doors along Grand Avenue in 2023. The chef has caught our attention for the work he’s been taking on outside of that kitchen, too. He’s made splashes on a national level, first being tapped by Taco Bell to remix its Crunchwrap Supreme. Yes, it’s a silly, nostalgic marketing ploy (and we’re still waiting for Taco Bell to bring Smith’s Crunchwrap to Arizona), but the interest spoke volumes. That was followed up by an appearance on the Food Network culinary gauntlet “24 in 24: Last Chef Standing.” Here in Phoenix, Smith regularly opens his kitchen to collaborate with other chefs for unique one-off dinners where the cooks flex their culinary and creative muscles. Even as his star is rising, he’s staying rooted and hyping fellow chefs on the come-up. e e e B E S T P A S T R Y C H E F CRYSTAL KASS Take one look at the pastry case at Valentine and you’ll see the skill and creativity of pastry chef Crystal Kass. Her baked goods and desserts celebrate Arizona’s natural bounty through ingredients such as white Sonora wheat, chiltepin and prickly pear. And sweet and savory don’t stick to their own lanes in Kass’ kitchen. Flavors typically reserved for savory dishes are crafted into desserts in the most unusual and delicious ways. Kass has been in the running multiple times for a James Beard Award, recognizing the best pastry chef in the entire country. Lucky for us, she’s crafting danishes, conchas, cakes and cookies in the heart of Phoenix’s Melrose District. Stop by for a taste of Kass’ creations in the morning or visit Valentine for dinner. And make sure to leave room for dessert. e e e B E S T R E S TA U R A N T THE ENDS 7137 E. STETSON DRIVE, #12, SCOTTSDALE 480-367-9900 ENDSRESTAURANT.COM Have friends in town? Celebrating your anniversary? Or want to impress a foodie date? The Ends is the place to be. This newish restaurant opened in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale in June 2024. Walking in, customers are treated to a sleek, cozy yet contemporary space decked out with greenery, gold accents and wooden furni- ture. Warm, orange-tinged lights cast a glow over the bar and dining room. And the welcoming and intriguing atmosphere carries through into the food. Dishes on the menu range from familiar to funky, and they take inspiration from all around the world. The restaurant was designed to honor the acclaimed chef and world traveler Anthony Bourdain, and dare we say, it does him justice. Start with the hamachi crudo with barrel-aged tamari and chili flakes, before diving into some Texas-style burnt ends. Make sure to leave room for tender home- made pastas, and wrap things up with crois- sant bread and butter pudding. Standout cocktails and a stacked wine list round out the experience at the Valley’s best restaurant. e e e B E S T S E R V I C E KAI 5594 W. WILD HORSE PASS BLVD., CHANDLER 602-385-5777 KAIRESTAURANT.COM Call us old men yelling at clouds, but we feel like politeness has gone out the window in recent years, a phenomenon that often spills over into the foodservice industry. Service can be one of those things at a restaurant you don’t notice till it’s bad, but at Kai, the service is so thorough, so attentive, so thoughtful, that it competes with the outstanding food as the most memorable part of the evening. The Forbes’ Five-Diamond restaurant at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass resort serves elevated, inventive, gorgeous cuisine inspired by the Indigenous cultures of the region, and the service experience starts before you sit down; by the time you pull up to the valet stand, everyone you’ll encounter knows if you’re celebrating a birthday, anni- versary or just a big night out. Your server describes the many courses of the exquisite tasting menu in depth, and is gracious and patient while you make your selections and savor each dish. Small touches such as crumbing the table and folding a napkin during your restroom break add to the expe- rience. And if that’s not enough, you’ll find a handwritten thank-you note and a small gift in your car when you retrieve it from the valet. In an impolite world, Kai is an oasis of courtesy. e e e B E S T R E S T A U R A N T Y O U C A N ’ T G E T I N T O THE RA RA ROOM 201 E. JEFFERSON ST. THERARAROOM.COM We felt pretty special when a friend took us to the Ra Ra Room. See, there are two ways to dine at the ultra-exclusive supper club located inside PHX Arena downtown. You can pay $15,000 per year for a membership. (You can probably guess that folks who work at a print alt-weekly don’t have the money for that.) Or, you can scour your contacts list till you find someone who ponied up for access and be their new best friend. However you find a way in, you’re in for a treat. Under Major Food Group’s direction, the Ra Ra Room is an unforgettable and luxurious dining experience. The menu is heavy on steaks and Italian dishes, including the deservedly famous Carbone spicy rigatoni vodka. The Caesar salad, prepared tableside from scratch, is worth it not just for the show, but it’s topped with the best croutons we’ve ever eaten. And after you’re full of martinis and pasta, it’s time to visit the candy
