196 Best of phoenix 2023 | WWW.bestofphoenix2023.c0m | septemBer 28, 2023 enjoy and contextualize an evening out. You say wood-fired, but we’d also say this is food lovingly and carefully forged for the enjoyment of mind and body alike. Best Authentic Arizona Restaurant THE FRY BREAD HOUSE 4545 N. Seventh Ave. 602-351-2345 frybreadhouseaz.com Long before craft cocktails and trendy vegan fare, before Chris Bianco put our pizza scene on the map, before Arizona became a state and even before the Spanish showed up, the land you’re standing on belonged to Native people. So we can’t think of any food that’s more authentically Arizona than that of the Indigenous community. The Fry Bread House was opened in 1992 by Cecilia Miller, a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation. It won a James Beard Award in 2012 in the America’s Classics category, and even after Miller’s death in 2020, it continues to be one of the most beloved restaurants in Phoenix. The menu is simple and hasn’t changed much over the years because it doesn’t need to. Options like red or green chile beef frybread tacos with beans, cheese and lettuce; hominy stew with chumuth (a Native flatbread); and for dessert, a piping hot frybread drizzled with honey have kept customers coming back for 30 years. Best Hotel Restaurant CALA SCOTTSDALE Senna House Hotel Scottsdale 7501 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale 480-590-5676 calascottsdale.com Scottsdale hotel restaurant Cala doesn’t feel like it’s in a hotel — or in Scottsdale. The restaurant, decorated with light woods, leathers, linen and greenery, feels like a little piece of the Mediterranean. The food also does its best to transport guests to far-away places and has something for everyone, from simple and familiar to exciting and complex. Try the Lumache a la Vodka, a creamy tomato-based sauce that blankets tender pasta, or the spicy calabrese pizza for a taste of Italy. The Moroccan chicken with Egyptian sesame seed dukkah and the muhammara, a spicy red pepper dip originally from Syria, expand the regional offerings. The flaming saganaki is a showstopper, with a block of fried kasseri cheese found on nearly every table, and the drinks enhance the already luxurious and elegant experience. If not for the party busses filled with bachelorette parties rolling past the patio, you’d hardly remember you’re in Old Town. Best Fast Food CASA DE FALAFEL 4920 W. Thunderbird Road, Glendale 623-230-2920 cdfalafel.com What, you were expecting burgers and fries? Please. Fast food can be so much more than the usual preprocessed grease bomb, and with prices at the big chains rapidly ballooning, there’s no longer an excuse not to seek something better. Casa de Falafel is the perfect example of a new breed of fast food restaurant — a local inde- pendent offering something fresh, cheap and delicious at a moment’s notice. Ten dollars nets you a cup of lentil soup and a hefty wrap filled with cool vegetables, tahini, hot sauce or mango pickle if you like, and the restaurant’s namesake — beautifully seasoned rings of crispy, hot, steaming falafel. There’s beef and chicken shawarma if the thought of eating vege- tarian freaks you out, but here’s betting you won’t miss the meat. This isn’t cheap fast food that’s better than most. It’s great food that happens to be fast and cheap. Best High-End Happy Hour THE COLLINS SMALL BATCH KITCHEN 3160 E. Camelback Road 602-730-3533 thecollinsaz.com Local chef/restaurateur Christopher Collins takes happy hour to new heights 4-6 p.m. daily at his seasonal restaurant. You won’t find ho-hum hummus or flaccid flatbread at The Collins; the “social hour” menu is packed with affordable ($8-14) but upgraded options. A solid selection of wine and cocktails mostly comes in at $10 or under, too, and draft beer is $5. Sample plates include charred shrimp risotto with Parmesan-chive risotto and arugula, shaved prime rib and brie sliders with truffle aioli and spicy tomato jam on Noble brioche, or short rib mac and cheese with Gruyere, Parmigiano-Reggiano sauce and bread crumbs. Even the onion dip made with sweet onions and chives is in a league
