15 Feb 1st–Feb 7th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | ALEBRIJES CAFE & GRILL 4900 N. Litchfield Road, Building B, Litchfield Park Plan ahead, and leave plenty of time for your meal at Alebrijes. This Litchfield Park restaurant is popular and often requires a wait. But the food is oh so worth it. The kitchen focuses on Oaxacan-style Mexican food, with many of the dishes smothered in sweet, rich black mole or the slightly spicy red version. Stop by for brunch and order the chilaquiles and a coffee-infused cocktail. Or, stay a little later and enjoy a hearty burrito drenched in mole and paired with a fresh fruit-filled margarita. Make sure to check out the specials boards posted in multiple locations around the colorful dining room, which sometimes features spicy and satisfying bowls of pozole or sweet creations such as concha French toast. ALL PIEROGI KITCHEN 1245 W. Baseline Road, Mesa All Pierogi Kitchen was always good, but this is a place that gets better and better with each passing year. Though officially a Ukrainian restaurant, All Pierogi Kitchen is a charming family joint that acts more like a repository of pan-Eastern European comfort food, less concerned with precise borders than with capturing the meat-and- potatoes essence of the region. The namesake pierogi shine, thick and buttery, stuffed with myriad fillings, and they sing when paired with sausage griddled to a fresh, juicy snap. Meaty mains such as a hefty beef goulash or the beef plov plied atop cumin-scented rice are enough to fill your belly for days. The chicken Kiev, predictably, is a revelation, rich and buttery and loaded with dill, and the pork schnitzel puts our local German restaurants to shame. And if that wasn’t enough, the attached market offers a panoply of frozen pierogi and plenty of chilled soups to go. ALZOHOUR RESTAURANT 7814 N. 27th Ave. Alzohour remains, to the best of our knowledge, the Valley’s only Moroccan restaurant, so we can consider ourselves fortunate that it’s as vibrant and delicious as it is. Zhor Saad has run the restaurant portion of her dining/market/clothing boutique almost single-handedly since 2008, scurrying between the front and back of house as she transitions in a flash between gracious host and talented line cook. Bring a little patience and a titanic appetite, because when the food finally hits the table, it’s a sensory feast. Popular Arabic starters such as orange-scented hummus and baba ghanouj pave the way for steaming tagines loaded with saffron- heavy lamb or fresh fish braised in tomatoes and olives. Mounds of delicate couscous topped with tender meats and vegetables are always a fine choice. But Saad’s bastilla — a savory-sweet phyllo pie filled with chicken and ground nuts topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon — is a unique Moroccan showstopper that is not to be missed. BELLY 4971 N. Seventh Ave. Fusion food gets a bad rap, but spots such as Belly make the case for how different cuisines can be thoughtfully paired and riffed on, with delicious results. At its core, Belly draws on flavors from southeast Asia, with dishes including crispy spring rolls served with herbs and lettuce, claypots and bao. The Melrose location, which opened in 2020, is sleek, dark and cozy — apropos for a casual date night dinner, thanks to ever-changing specials crafted by the kitchen, along with playful cocktails, natural wine, soju and sake. The bar is noteworthy, not only for its drinks but also for Belly’s reverse happy hour, which is offered from 10 p.m. to midnight, with cheap drinks and craveable late-night eats, such as Korean corn dogs, wings and vegan tofu “fish” and chips. While the Phoenix location is an evening affair, its second location in Epicenter at Agritopia in Gilbert offers earlier hours, giving diners more options with lunch and brunch. BOTTEGA PIZZERIA RISTORANTE 19420 N. 59th Ave., Glendale It’s not every day that a wedding expert who has done everything from opening bridal boutiques to planning receptions winds up opening a pizzeria. But that’s where owner Nick DiLello’s Italian heritage takes over. Born in Milan, DiLello shares his love for all things Italy with his customers in Glendale. The experience starts with a bread basket bursting with a selection of freshly baked slices. The large menu includes soups, salads, appetizers, pastas, fish and veggie dishes. But the star is the pizza. The supple dough gets a kiss of char as it cooks in the restaurant’s wood-fired oven. And the toppings explode with flavor — from the brie cheese on the Speck CC’s on Central (Photo by Dominic Armato) Sushi Nakano (Photo by Dominic Armato) Hapa Food Co. (Photo by Dominic Armato) Caffe Boa (Photo by Tirion Boan) Cocina Chiwas (Photo by Dominic Armato) Buck & Rider (Photo courtesy of Buck & Rider) >> p 17
