13 Dec 21st–Dec 27th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | BY SARA CROCKER, DOMINIC ARMATO AND TIRION BOAN F rom central Phoenix to Scottsdale and Peoria to Tempe, exceptional new restaurants have opened around the Valley this year. Some have been brought to life by well- known local chefs stretching their creative wings and expanding their empires. Other eateries have opened thanks to entrepre- neurs with serious kitchen skills dipping their toes into restaurant ownership for the first time. One thing is true about all of these spots: They have taken our local dining scene by storm. Here are the 10 best new restaurants to open around metro Phoenix in 2023. CC’s on Central 2800 North Central Ave. There are a number of restaurants around town serving Southern, Louisiana cuisine and soul food, but not all at once and never so well as at CC’s on Central. Devan Cunningham, now a nine-year veteran of the Valley’s restaurant scene, lured his mother, Sharon, away from her California restaurant to team up and open this casual spot. The duo serves their family’s personal takes on classic comfort dishes like grits and greens — creamy stone-ground grits topped with a plank of sizzled chicken sausage, perfect stewed collards and a splash of vinegary potlikker. The jambalaya, which the Cunninghams describe as “untraditional,” is a thickly spiced, ruddy stew of chicken and Cajun sausage spooned around the rice rather than cooked with it. Devan’s killer chicken wings are a hoot — flavors like dill pickle will make you pucker. And the first Sunday of every month, Sharon takes over the kitchen and serves up a classic soul food dinner of her choice, with all the trimmings and a long list of home- style cakes for dessert. Chilte 765 Grand Ave. Perhaps one of the buzziest openings this year, Chilte is firing on all cylinders from its brick-and-mortar location in the recently revamped Egyptian Motor Hotel on Grand Avenue. When the owners of the beloved pop-up turned food truck decided to open a permanent location, Phoenix fans and a few national publications took note. The modern Mexican restaurant, helmed by couple Lawrence Smith and Aseret Arroyo, landed on best new restaurant lists from Esquire and Bon Appetit magazines. We’ve raved about Chilte’s birria, which is stuffed into hand-pressed squid ink torti- llas or a local Benny Blanco flour tortilla and served alongside a savory miso consommé, as well as the prawns in chocolate aguachile and a seasonal quesadilla with grasshop- pers. Chilte’s menu changes frequently and the owners often host collaboration events with other chefs, making it worth a visit, and a revisit, regularly. Cocina Chiwas 2001 East Apache Blvd., Tempe Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin, the couple behind Tacos Chiwas and co-owners of Bacanora and Espiritu, have taken inspiration from their experiences as chefs, along with their journey of building their lives in Phoenix, to give diners Cocina Chiwas. The Tempe restaurant shows how the duo’s cooking has evolved and takes you from their Chihuhuan roots to a seat at their family table. We’ve swooned over their rendition of chile rellenos, which is paired with a silky tomato sauce, crema and queso requesón. The dish was named the very best in our Best of Phoenix awards. The space inside the restaurant is comfortable and chic. You can smell the mesquite and pecan wood that fuels the grill and oven used to char meats and open-faced quesadillas. The sweet corn panna cotta is a stunner — creamy, beautifully set and full of rich, sweet flavor from the corn that plays well against seasonal fruit. Course Restaurant 7366 East Shea Blvd., Scottsdale For years, chef Cory Oppold flourished at Atlas Bistro, Todd Sawyer’s low-key fine dining BYOB tucked inside Arizona Wine Company. But after a pandemic pause, Oppold re-emerged with a decidedly more flashy space of his own. At Course Restaurant, Oppold now serves meticulously crafted high-concept fine dining menus, composed to exacting stan- dards and stunningly presented. For a plateful of variations on manipu- lated corn or an artfully deconstructed Cuban sandwich, Course is the place to be. But perhaps even more compelling is Oppold’s brunch concept, Morning Would. The years have seen no shortage of spots for a refined, artful dinner. But how often do you see this kind of kitchen turn its attention to dishes like diminutive Monterey jack cheese biscuits smothered with an explosive chorizo gravy, “Milk and Cereal” pumpkin spice panna cotta topped with grains and nuts, or “Green Eggs and Ham” — a verdant slice of quiche Florentine topped with Oppold’s intense, salty ham jam? Dahlia Tapas, Tequila & Wine 2221 North Seventh St. Located in an old brick house along Seventh Avenue decorated with deep turquoise and royal purple accents, Dahlia is the perfect date night destination. Fresh flowers top each table and the warm glow of soft lighting and candles floods the space. The restaurant, owned by Audrey Corley of Boycott Bar in the Melrose district, opened in September. Chef Andrew Renteria, who customers may recognize from his Chubasco Tacos food truck or the short-lived downtown restaurant Ay, Chabela, runs the From left: New restaurants Chilte, Dahlia, Cocina Chiwas and Fabio on Fire Panini & Gelateria took the Phoenix dining scene by storm in 2023. (Photos by Allison Young, Tirion Boan, Jacob Tyler Dunn and Fabio On Fire) SIMPLY THE BEST The top 10 new restaurants of 2023. >> p 14
