14 Feb 26th-March 4th, 2026 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | reservation, go home and get dressed up, and come back for a delightful date night. The dinner menu can be served a la carte, letting customers pick and choose from items including refreshing tuna crudo, hearty pork ragu ravioli and chocolate mousse. Or, go all out with the tasting menu, a four-course meal with extra bites sprinkled in at the chef’s discretion. Knowledgeable servers walk you through each creative dish and recommend drinks to match. This restaurant whisks you away to France from start to finish. Only when you step outside do you land back in Gilbert. Main Burgers 161 W. MAIN ST., MESA It’s no secret that restaurateur Armando Hernandez is all-in on downtown Mesa. It’s where he and his wife, chef Nadia Holguin, have an outpost of Tacos Chiwas, and where they’ve partnered with chef Roberto Centeno on the swanky surf-and-turf spot Espiritu. When the three James Beard Award semifinalists teamed up for another Main Street restaurant, they gave diners a nostalgic, everyday burger joint. The casual restaurant has a retro charm, courtesy of crisp white tiles and pastel-painted details inside and out, including a cute, anthropomorphized burger on the wall. You’ll spy cooks assembling burgers, hot dogs and loaded fries from the line to the stainless steel counter. The menu, inspired by the simplicity of a well-known California burger chain, offers just a handful of mains that can be combined with well-seasoned French fries and aguas frescas. The burgers, semi-smashed and available with one or two patties, are the stars. We’re partial to the Sonora burger, which is packed with texture and heat from griddled cheese, chiltepin and bacon. Soon, the trio will open Mesa Brewing Co. on Main and make craft beer for all their restaurants. A crisp Mexican- style larger paired with one of these burgers is our kind of happy meal. Marisco Boys 2026 N. SEVENTH ST. Mariscos fans, rejoice! There’s a new spot in town serving stellar seafood. And contrary to many of the casual mariscos spots in town, this new restaurant is perfect for date night. The Seventh Street eatery was opened in April 2025 by the team behind Taco Boys. It’s an elevated, swanky counterpoint to the casual taco shop, where the team is letting their creativity lead the way. The large menu is split into many sections, including a cold bar, a selection of ceviches, specials, tacos and items grilled over mesquite charcoal. The yellowtail tostada is one of our favorites, with cubes of fresh fish piled high on top of two crisp tortillas with rich black garlic aioli, creamy avocado and crunchy fried leeks. In the mood to try a mix of flavors and textures? Opt for either the hot or cold molcajete with shrimp, octopus and either ceviche or steak. Leave a little room for dessert and round out your meal with a fruit-forward cocktail or large- format Modelo served tableside in a cham- pagne chiller. Malegria Latin Cafe 1031 GRAND AVE. Melina Ruan Serrano brought the little corner restaurant on Grand Avenue and Fillmore Street back to life last summer. Malegria Latin Cafe highlights the owner’s multicultural background through an all-day menu of Mexican, Guatemalan and Salvadoran dishes. You can pick up a drink or your to-go orders at the window, but if you step into the shaded patio behind the restaurant, you’ll have al fresco table service. It’s a tranquil space to start the day. Kick off your order with an iced latte made with nutty Salvadoran horchata or opt for a hot coffee drink with rich piloncillo. The Central breakfast sandwich is a fresh, comforting flavor bomb between sweet bolillo bread. The sandwich is layered with creamy refried beans, fried plantains, herbaceous crema verde, avocado, queso fresco and an expertly fried egg that’s studded with tender bits of onion and jalapeno. A bright, zippy Guatemalan salsa, chirmol, is served on the side. The Central sandwich, along with a side of baby potatoes bathed in a spicy-sweet macha chile oil, chiltepin honey and crema verde, is our new go-to brunch order. Saint Pasta 100 W. PORTLAND ST. Saint Pasta turns out dishes that take you to the cozy nostalgia of an East Coast red sauce joint while seated right in the heart of downtown Phoenix. Chef and owner Racan Alhoch and his team blow the cobwebs off those staid, checkerboard tableclothed spots from an open kitchen that is bathed in the red glow of a neon sign that reads “Al Dente or Die.” You’re more likely to hear Frank Ocean than Frank Sinatra playing through the speakers, and you’ll probably find yourself staring at the reruns of “The Sopranos” projected onto the wall behind the bar. The food and service at Saint Pasta will center you amid all that exuberance. There are colorful craft cocktails and a taut selection of low- intervention wines and beer. Saint Pasta makes arguably the best Caesar salad in town from humble iceberg, peppery arugula, a creamy dressing and a generous dusting of a garlicky bread- crumb crumble. The slow-cooked vodka sauce inspired a cult following back when Saint Pasta was a food truck. That silky sauce is devilish on rigatoni, garnished with snow peas and parmesan. When it is paired with one of Saint Pasta’s chicken parmesans, it’s downright sinful. A lot has been made of Alhoch’s snarky social media persona, and he’s just as direct in person, saying, “We’re not for everybody.” The lines of people regularly queued up outside this no-reservations restaurant would beg to differ. Top 50 Restaurants from p 13 >> p 16 The owners of Taco Boys leveled up their offerings with their new seafood restaurant, Marisco Boys. (Isaac Torres) At Malegria Cafe, Guatemalan, Salvadorian, and Mexican influences come together on one menu. (Malegria Cafe) Bolognese from Saint Pasta. (Jackie Mercandetti)
