204 Best of phoenix 2023 | WWW.bestofphoenix2023.c0m | septemBer 28, 2023 blurs the line between home and the old- school elegance of eating out, only with more red meat and way less preten- tiousness than this dynamic may imply. You come to The Stockyards for something very specific, and it will continue to deliver as long as there are steaks to be cooked and whiskey to be sipped. Best Steak PERSEPSHEN 4700 N. Central Ave. 602-935-2932 persepshenarizona.com Repeat after us: The best steaks in Phoenix aren’t in the steakhouses. If you want a competently prepared piece of cryovac beef that looks pretty and tastes predictably acceptable, go to one of the city’s many Mastro’s clones. If you want to see what somebody who actually knows his way around the animal can do with a steer, go to Persepshen. Chef Jason Dwight buys whole, grass-fed, organic beef carcasses from Arizona purveyors and slowly breaks the animal down over the course of months. (His walk-in is not for the squeamish.) In addition to elimi- nating waste, this allows Dwight to offer a wide variety of cuts at various ages, including some smoking flat irons and giant Flintstones ribeyes aged a mind- bending 270 days (not a typo), lending them a supple texture, concentrated flavor and a hint of complex, mineral-rich funk. Dwight offers different cuts as he works his way through the animal, and the more popular ones can disappear quickly, so it’s best to call and reserve. He may dress them up or dress them down, but simply presented or fancified with sauces and garnishes, the steak he serves is something special. Best Classic Diner 40TH STREET CAFE 4022 E. Greenway Road 602-992-2511 40thstreetcafe.com In a city dominated by dusty ham-and-egg dives of dubious quality and kitschy faux- retro corporate chains, 40th Street Cafe stands tall as a bastion of quality, no-frills short-order diner fare. This boxy little joint may lack the patina and romance of the Tom Waits aesthetic, but the servers can sass, the kitchen can cook and there’s even a tiny counter crammed into the back of its diminutive strip mall footprint. The food isn’t artful, just pretty damn good — exactly what you expect, right down the middle of the plate. A Taylor Ham breakfast sandwich with an egg your way comes on bread griddled so perfectly it shatters. Pancakes are thick and fluffy with a gentle, sweet scent. The tuna melt doesn’t fuss, filled with tuna salad that’s little more than fish and mayonnaise. And local touches shine, like a “taco omelet” that arrives smothered in tender, flavorful chunks of stewed beef. Best Trendy Diner WELCOME DINER 929 E. Pierce St. 602-495-1111 welcomediner.net Should we care if a restaurant is cool or trendy somehow? Yes, if it’s done in the way Welcome Diner has over the last seven years from its place near 10th and Fillmore streets. Because it’s not just that Welcome has repurposed and reinvigo- rated the look of the ’50s-style diner for our modern age. Or that it’s taken the same approach to its menu, which includes jackfruit french fries, a burger with peanut butter and garlic aioli, chicken biscuits with house beer mustard and the criminally unsung bourbon salted chocolate pecan pie. Not even that it’s always crowded with the young and cool flocking for chicken melts and PBR tall cans. No, it’s that Welcome does all of this without making a big deal out of it. That truly unassuming approach, and that care for a laid-back but nonetheless tantalizing experience, is why Welcome Diner is undeniably cool across the board. It’s why this diner has helped shape and reflect the city’s culture around the most important things, like community and slamming down endless poutine. Best Southern Food THE LARDER + THE DELTA 200 W. Portland St., #101 480-409-8520 thelarderandthedelta.com The Larder + the Delta celebrates Southern cuisine, showcasing and evolving well- known dishes like shrimp and grits, Hoppin’ John and blackened catfish. Chef Stephen Jones cooks seasonally, spot- lighting Arizona produce and inviting diners to look beyond the classics with playful dishes that bring local ingredients to the fore, like shatteringly crisp chicken skins with oranges, dressed with honey from Twisted Bee Farms. The kitchen is open to the intimate dining room and L-shaped bar — offering a chef's table-like experience where you can watch them and the bartenders at their craft. The space is always humming but never loud, with a hip-hop playlist in the background as Jones’ team puts on dinner and a show.
