198 FOOD & DRINK such as a dish called Tuna Treated Like Ham that confuses and delights. And while this restaurant focuses on fine-dining tasting menus, it’s not all serious. Desserts and add-ons often play off childhood favorites such as a banana pudding riff with cheri- moya and mangosteen and Animal Fries made with caviar, crème fraîche, shallots and egg yolk. The small dining room and open kitchen let you admire the chefs as they showcase their culinary finesse. i i i BEST AUTHENTIC ARIZONA RESTAURANT PONDEROSA HOUSE 4121 N. MARSHALL WAY, SCOTTSDALE 602-699-6122 PONDEROSAHOUSEAZ.COM On the corner of Indian School Road and Marshall Way in Old Town Scottsdale, a new restaurant serves “Arizona-born” food. Ponderosa House defines it as “authentic American and Mexican cuisines rooted in Arizona’s Southwest flavors.” The kitchen delivers exactly that. The dishes start with local and regional ingredients, including fresh fish from Chula Seafood and Hatch green chiles. Those chiles are found in the hearty pork shoulder ragout of the El Puerco Pasta, and atop the Pastrami Senor sand- wich. Much of the menu focuses on Amer- ican comfort food, with a dash of Mexican inspiration and Southwestern ingredients. The cocktails follow the theme, with names such as the Arizona Charlie, A Day with Dill- inger and the South Mountain Smash. As for atmosphere, take your pick from a modern patio, a cantina-style bar decorated with photographs of wild desert sunsets or a cozy- yet-upscale dining room. Old Town caters to tourists. At Ponderosa House, they’ll get a true taste of Arizona. For locals, this new spot captures the flavors of home. i i i BEST HISTORIC RESTAURANT THE STOCKYARDS 5009 E. WASHINGTON ST. 602-273-7378 STOCKYARDSSTEAKHOUSE.COM Few things stand the test of time in this young desert town. For legends, lore and a couple of ghosts served with your steak dinner, there’s no better stop than The Stock- yards. The restaurant opened in 1947 beside the massive cattle feedlot that, when it opened in 1919, was the world’s largest. Though the steakhouse initially fed packing- house workers, it became a destination for cattlemen, politicos and even Clint East- wood. Today, it’s a must-visit for any Phoeni- cian to get a taste of the Valley of yore. Every detail — the booths dedicated to notable Arizonans like Sandra Day O’Connor, the Western art displayed in the dining rooms and the hand-painted murals in the 1889 Saloon — nods to the history of the state or the steakhouse. Grab a seat at the elegant hand-carved mahogany bar, order a Baron’s Manhattan and calf fries and ask the bartender if they’ve ever encountered the spirit dubbed the Lady in Red. Or settle into the dining room with a date for a vintage Chateaubriand for two and raise a glass to the living history of The Stockyards. i i i BEST RESTAURANT VIEWS TALAVERA 10600 E. CRESCENT MOON DRIVE, SCOTTSDALE 480-513-5085 FOURSEASONS.COM/SCOTTSDALE/DINING/ RESTAURANTS/TALAVERA Talavera, the fine-dining establishment at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale, is a showcase of beauty. The large dining room, with its gray walls, wooden ceiling beams, hanging candelabras and cavalcade of wall art, feels mysterious, seductive. The modern Spanish fare is artfully plated, delighting eyes and bellies with classic tapas dishes like pan con tomate, paellas and plenty of steak options. But if you can peel your eyes away from the meal in front of you, you’ll be rewarded with a breathtaking view. Pinnacle Peak sits nearby, recognizable by its distinc- tive shape and rocky summit. Beyond it, the mountains of the north Valley sprawl out against the sky in an array of shapes and colors. A walk onto the patio to take it all in makes a special end to your meal. i i i BEST RESTAURANT PATIO LON’S AT THE HERMOSA INN 5532 N. PALO CRISTI ROAD, PARADISE VALLEY 602-955-7878 AZHIDEAWAYCOLLECTION.COM/HERMOSA- INN/LONS Few restaurant patios combine the magic of a tranquil setting, perfectly manicured foliage and such immaculate culinary offer- ings as rib-sticking corncakes and bacon or a wood-grilled pork tomahawk. On these counts, Lon’s at the Hermosa in Paradise Valley is the prototype. The all-day restau- rant, which touts its seasonal offerings in a bucolic setting, more than lives up to the billing, whether you’re enjoying a pick-me- up brunch or a baller dinner. The array of colors found on Lon’s patio transports you to destinations a world away. Yet here you are by a resort that has called Paradise Valley home since the 1930s, when it was the studio of cowboy artist Lon Megargee. The food and the setting will leave you counting the days until you can again ramble up 36th Street, a hop, skip and a dive across the Arizona Canal on the western flank of Camelback Mountain. i i i BEST FOOD TRUCK HIW KAOW THAI FOOD INSTAGRAM.COM/HIWKAOW_THAIFOOD Fresh flowers aren’t often an ingredient asso- ciated with food trucks. But Hiw Kaow Thai Food goes above expectations. The truck serves Laos-inspired twists on traditional Thai takeout, filled with fragrant herbs and topped, yes, with fresh purple orchids. Siblings Kik and Nickki Sidavone grew up in Laos, where their family owned a restaurant. After they moved to the U.S., they spent time tinkering in the kitchen to re-create the flavors of home. In 2023 they brought their creations to the streets of Phoenix and are now a staple at breweries and festivals around the Valley. Try the crispy Thai fried chicken wings served with Nam Jim Jaew, a tangy, smoky dipping sauce. Or the shrimp pad Thai, loaded with crushed peanuts. The mango sticky rice makes a sweet end to the meal. Wherever this food truck pops up next, it’s worth tracking it down. i i i BEST POP-UP MÁS AMABLE MASAMABLE.COM At pop-ups, the chefs are often in plain view. Some work in harried quiet, while others chat with waiting customers. At Más Amable, the flow among its three principal chefs, Matt Celaya, Michael Petry and Justin Dean, feels like a dance. Since first firing up the grill in 2022, cooking a blend of Euro- pean and Southwestern fare, Más Amable has evolved into a slick machine. The chefs glide around each other and their hulking wood-fired grill and prep tables. They make dinners feel like actual restaurant service with touches rarely seen in the bootstrapped pop-up scene. They bring plenty of backup to get food out to tables and never forget the music and fresh flowers — simple touches that impart a sense of occasion. For a charming bistro-style meal, stop into their monthly dinners hosted at Sauvage Wine Bar and Shop. Stay tuned to social media for other events, including exceptional pizza nights. If chasing pop-ups isn’t your bag, Celaya and Petry also guide the kitchen at Matilda’s in downtown Phoenix. The restau- rant’s menu is distinct, but fans of the pop-up will notice a little Más in the kitchen. i i i BEST POP-UP WE’LL MISS HARLEM COFFEE INSTAGRAM.COM/DRINKHARLEM For three years, every weekend morning, you could catch Kendrick Jones gliding through the rooms of Sauvage Wine Bar and Shop serving some of the most inspired caffein- ated brews in the city. It really didn’t matter which of his concoctions you chose to sip — it invariably would make you wonder if every K-cup shouldn’t go directly into a landfill. Harlem Coffee was a love letter to the spirit of the Harlem Renaissance and the commu- nity and creative spirit it embodied, in each cup of joe. There was simply no better place to be on a Sunday morning than eating a quiche or drinking a strawberry matcha on the patio. The pop-up poured its final service back in April 2026, and if you missed Harlem Coffee, you truly missed out.