The Ends opened in Old Town Scottsdale with high expectations and showstopping food. (Photo by Tirion Boan) Huarachis glows in pink neon both inside and out. (Photo by Sara Crocker) 2024’s Best New Restaurants The 10 most exceptional eateries to open in Phoenix this year. A rice course will always be part of The Larder & The Delta’s 12-course tasting menu. For its opening menu, it is Caroline gold rice with okra and black garlic. (Courtesy of The Larder & The Delta) BY TIRION BOAN AND SARA CROCKER P icking the best new restaurants of the year is no easy task. So many great eateries have opened throughout the course of the year (and in December 2023, after last year’s list was published) that it’s hard to pick just 10. But we’re not complaining. The metro Phoenix food scene leveled up in 2024. Multiple James Beard Award- recognized chefs introduced new concepts to the Valley and flexed their culinary skills in new and exciting ways. Chefs from around the world brought exceptional international eats to the table, including standout Filipino, Thai, Peruvian and Indian foods. We’ve got some swanky new spots that live up to their elevated expecta- tions and a few new casual restaurants churning out top-notch menus. So yes, it’s hard to choose just 10. But sampling the cream of the crop to find the very best is a challenge we’ll hungrily accept. Here are the 10 best new restau- rants of 2024. The Ends 7137 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale When The Ends introduced itself as an “Anthony Bourdain-inspired” restaurant, we raised an eyebrow. But the new Scottsdale spot lives up to the high expec- tations that it set for itself, and then some. Located in the home of the former Kazimierz, the Old Town eatery is dark and moody yet warm, with mid-mod design and accents of greenery. Most of the tables seat two, and the menu is perfect for sharing. Start your journey with a cocktail – we love the Impeccable Arm Candy, a unique mix of vodka, Cointreau, passion- fruit, chai, lime and whey, which is then clarified. The crystal-clear sip tastes like a bright orange Pornstar Martini without any of the color. Next, dig into the food. The menu doesn’t have clear through lines, leaving it up to the customer to chart their own course. There are appetizers, salads and soups, but the shared plates are also a good starting point. Go with a classic shrimp cocktail or opt for the Bovine Tartar, a giant bone bursting with bruleed marrow and accompanied by a side of Wagyu and bison tartar. Or choose one of the homemade pastas. We suggest the Agnolottini, tender parcels of pasta swim- ming in sauce studded with crab and blis- tered tomatoes. From the entrees, the rack of lamb is a can’t-miss showstopper. Eight bones, the equivalent of eight lamb chops, are served over a rich, warm and spicy harissa broth. The meats come a la carte, so order a veggie such as the tempura enoki mushrooms with sweet chile sauce or charred broccoli on the side. Walking in the footsteps of its muse’s travels, the menu draws on flavors from around the world. The food and the ambiance inspire conver- sation, helping the overall experience live up to its inspiration. Huarachis Taqueria 814 N. Central Ave. Chef Rene Andrade’s first restaurant, Bacanora, has been home to some of the hottest and hardest-to-secure tables since it opened in 2021. But, diners were blessed with another place to grab a seat when he took over the location of the former Rodiberto’s Mexican Food near Central Avenue and McKinley Street. His new eatery, Huarachis Taqueria, opened in December 2023. A matter of months later, Andrade was at the podium in Chicago accepting a James Beard Award for Best Chef - Southwest. With Huarachis, Andrade is building on his story of Sonoran cuisine made with “puro amor.” Haurachis came out of the gate strong with hip, pink-hued ambiance; an energetic, thoughtful team; and a taut but growing food menu, which includes some hits from Bacanora and a regular rotation of specials. We’re smitten with the spicy frijole dip and the gloriously gut-busting sheet pan of loaded asada fries. But the centerpiece of Huarachis is the shareable platters of meats, including rich, juicy carnitas that are smoked then confitted. The platters come with a bevy of accompaniments including the restaurant’s outstanding beans and tortillas. The cocktails at Huarachis are just as playful and complex, infusing Sonoran flavors with seasonal ingredients. The Larder & The Delta 2320 E. Osborn Road Phoenix diners have watched, and tasted, the evolution of chef Stephen Jones’ Southern restaurant, The Larder & The Delta, from its 2015 start at a downtown food hall, to its five-year stint on Portland Street and its triumphant return in September as a 12-course fine dining expe- rience at the site of the former Binkley’s Restaurant. With each iteration, Jones has worked to tell the complex, layered story of Southern food while challenging percep- tions and stereotypes. From the moment we stepped onto the patio of the converted home, with Edison bulbs glowing overhead and an outdoor fireplace aroar, the service was pitch perfect. Inside, the dining room is set theater-style, with all seats angled toward an open kitchen. There, Jones and his team assemble around a large island and put the final touches on each dish before they’re sent to tables. The progressive, seasonally evolving menu elevates and sometimes transforms classically Southern ingredi- ents, from turnips and country ham to red eye gravy and the cherry-flavored soda Cheerwine. With the delivery of each course, the team peels back the layers of the ingredients, sharing the story of the dish before diners tuck in. In addition to its tasting menu seating, offered Thursday through Saturday, the restaurant serves a family-style meal on Wednesdays and has recently debuted brunch and a bar menu, offering guests a walk-in opportunity with a taut selection of bites and sips.
