Author: Jess Harter

🔥 Sizzle Korean Barbecue, a popular restaurant from Scottsdale-based HL Concepts, has opened its third location at Arrowhead Towne Center on the northwest corner of Bell and 75th Avenue in Glendale. The menu offers a dozen different cuts of beef

🥢 Hao Hao, a Chinese restaurant from the former team behind Nee House Chinese Restaurant in Phoenix, has opened on the northwest corner of the Loop 101 and Via de Ventura in central Scottsdale. The menu features both authentic Cantonese and Americanized Chinese dishes. Highlights

🇹🇭 Yod Thai Eatery, a small, family-run restaurant, has opened in the former BK Lobster space on the northwest corner of Scottsdale and Thunderbird in north Scottsdale. The menu features traditional noodle and rice dishes, such as pad Thai ($11), drunken

🐓 Phoenix-based Angie’s Food Concepts launches its latest Valley multi-location – the first to feature its newest concept, Angie’s Chicken – at 10:30 a.m. today at Indian School and Jackrabbit Trail in Buckeye. Angie’s Chicken offers $3.99 fried or charbroiled chicken sandwiches and

🍛 Peacock Indian Bar & Grill, an Indian fine-dining restaurant already drawing rave reviews, has opened on the northeast corner of Scottsdale and Bell in north Scottsdale. It takes over the strip-mall space formerly home to Famiglia Modern Italian Trattoria and,

🥖 Paris Baguette, a South Korea-based chain of bakery cafes, has opened its third Valley location just south of Postino near the southwest corner of Central and Colter in uptown Phoenix. The menu offers a wide variety of breads ($3.89-$7.99), pastries

🧆🍕 Shish kebabs or pizza for dinner? You don’t have to choose one or the other at Shish & Slices, a new fast-casual eatery offering Mediterranean food and Italian-style pizzas on the northwest corner of Apache and McClintock in Tempe. During

🍷 Wine Down Lounge, whose elevated menu features a clever twist on charcuterie boards it calls ‘‘jarcuterie,’’ has opened in the former Peacock Wine Bar space on the southeast corner of Gilbert and Baseline in Gilbert. The signature starter features small jars

☕️ 85°C Bakery Cafe, a Taiwanese chain with more than 1,000 locations worldwide, has soft-opened its second Valley location at Arrowhead Ranch near the northeast corner of Bell and 75th Avenue in Glendale. Best known for coffee, tea, bread, and cakes,

🍕 Patricia’s Pizza, a new restaurant from The Italian Daughter owner Melissa Maggiore Meyer, has opened in the Safeway/Target shopping center on the northeast corner of Scottsdale and Ashler Hills in far north Scottsdale. The wood-fired pizzeria takes its name from

☕️ Better Buzz Coffee, a San Diego-based chain that opened its first out-of-state locations in north Phoenix and south Tempe last year, has expanded with two more Valley shops. One is near the southeast corner of Bell and Bullard in Surprise;

🇯🇵🇪🇸 Tiki Taka, a shared-plates restaurant inspired by flavors from Japan and Spain but incorporating Southwest ingredients, has opened at the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort near the northeast corner of Scottsdale and Doubletree Ranch roads. The 138-seat venue is the

🍽️ Mixela, a globally inspired tapas bar from owner and chef Gian Franco Brugaletta, has opened on the northwest corner of 24th Street and Osborn in Phoenix. The seasonal menu from Brugaletta, whose roots are in Venezuela and Italy, ranges from

🍹 Industry Standard, a neighborhood small-plates restaurant and upscale craft cocktail lounge, officially opens today on the northwest corner of Second and Roosevelt streets in downtown Phoenix. The new concept from Scapegoat Beer & Wine owner Mike Cheathem, along with DashTrack founder

🍖 Rollin Smoke Barbeque, which has four restaurants in Las Vegas, has made its Arizona debut at Gateway Pavilions on the northwest corner of McDowell and 99th Avenue – just off I-10 – in Avondale. The menu features what it

🍷 Postino WineCafé, the Valley’s pioneering wine bar concept, has opened its first West Valley location adjacent to the Peoria Sports Complex on the southeast corner of Bell and the Loop 101. A dozen kinds of bruschetta are the centerpiece of

🍕 Electric Pickle, a pickleball-themed entertainment complex from California-based Eureka Restaurant Group, has opened near the northeast corner of I-10 and Warner Road, just south of IKEA and Main Event, in south Tempe. The 4.5-acre venue soft-opened over the weekend

In roughly chronological order: 🍝 Élephante: The upscale coastal Italian restaurant from Santa Monica, Calif., opens a second location in the former Crate & Barrel space at Scottsdale Fashion Square. (see story) 🍣 Three Thirty Three: The high-end Asian-inspired concept is the

🍔 Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers will open its 18th Arizona location at 3 p.m. Thursday at Gilbert Town Square on Gilbert Road between Warner and Ray. It replaces its recently closed sibling concept Famous 66 American Tavern. Besides 19 specialty burgers

🇻🇳 Pho Thien Long, a restaurant offering southeast Asian cuisine, has opened at the Cactus Crossing shopping center in Glendale. It takes over the space formerly home to China Rainbow on the northeast corner of Cactus and 67th Avenue. The

🥩 Chicago-based steakhouse chain Morton’s has opened its third Valley restaurant at the new Desert Diamond Casino White Tanks on the Tohono O’odham Nation in the far West Valley. The high-end restaurant is located on the southeast corner of the Loop

🤠 Not My First Rodeo, a country-western bar and restaurant, has opened in Old Town Scottsdale. It takes over the former Geisha a Go Go space near the northwest corner of Scottsdale and Sixth Avenue. The menu features burgers, sandwiches, canned

🍽️ Flour & Thyme, chef Ivan Jacobo’s sibling concept to his fine-dining Anhelo, has opened in Anhelo’s former space at the Orpheum Lofts on the northwest corner of First Avenue and Adams in downtown Phoenix. (Anhelo is in the process of moving

🐐 Flavor Eatery & Lounge, an American-Caribbean fusion restaurant, has opened in downtown Tempe. It takes over the space formerly home to short-lived Ted’s Refreshments at Hayden Square near the northwest corner of Mill and Fourth Street. Before Ted’s, it

🥟 Kofu Dumpling House, a restaurant specializing in dishes from northeast China, has opened in west Mesa. It takes over the former Wenyu Hot Pot space in front of the recently closed AZ International Marketplace on the northeast corner of

🍝 Saint Pasta, a popular Italian food truck that left its brick-and-mortar home at The Pemberton in 2022, opens a new bricks-and-mortar restaurant Wednesday in downtown Phoenix. It takes over the space briefly home to The Pairing Room and, before that,

🌺 Buy one meal and get another free Wednesday when Ono Hawaiian BBQ opens its seventh Valley restaurant on the northwest corner of I-10 and 67th Avenue in west Phoenix. The grand opening celebration also will feature Hawaiian dancers, a

🍕 Johnny T’s Brooklyn Pizzeria has opened in the former Andiamo Pizzeria space on the northwest corner of Scottsdale and Shea in central Scottsdale. Andiamo opened in February and quickly became a viral sensation. It temporarily closed in May to expand and

🍕 Russo’s New York Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen, an international chain based in Houston, has made its Arizona debut at Cannon Beach in southeast Mesa. The new surf park is located on the southeast corner of Power and Warner. It

🌮 Blanco Reserva, an elevated version of Fox Restaurant Concepts’ Blanco Cocina & Cantina, has opened at PV, the $2 billion redevelopment of the former Paradise Valley Mall on the northwest corner of Cactus and Tatum in northeast Phoenix. It’s

🌮 Moe’s Southwest Grill, a fast-casual chain of Mexican restaurants with a Southwest twist, returns to Arizona on Friday with a new location at Pebble Creek Marketplace on the southwest corner of McDowell and Pebble Creek Parkway in Goodyear. The Atlanta-based

  🍜 Sorimmara, a South Korea-based chain specializing in malatang, has opened its second Arizona location at the Fry’s shopping center on the southwest corner of Gilbert and Baseline in Gilbert. Malatang is a Chinese soup featuring the numbing spice

🌯 Burritoholics, a fast-casual Mexican concept from the owner of the former El Zocalo Mexican Grille in downtown Chandler, has opened in downtown Mesa. It’s located near the northwest corner of Main and Robson between Worth Takeaway and Oro Brewing.

🍣 Nozomi Sushi House, a Japanese restaurant offering sushi, ramen, and more, has opened on the northeast corner of Alma School and Chandler Heights in south Chandler. It takes over the strip-mall space formerly home to D’Vine Gourmet, which moved

🍔 Haymaker, an all-day breakfast, burgers, and barbecue concept, reopens its north Peoria restaurant at 7 a.m. Tuesday across the street from its original space. It’s now located in the new Sunrise Promenade on the southeast corner of Happy Valley

🐓 Dave’s Hot Chicken, a Los Angeles-based fast-casual chain specializing in Nashville-style hot chicken, has opened its third Valley location at GSQ, the new downtown square in Goodyear. Dave’s menu offers chicken tenders (alone or in a sandwich) with a choice

🍣 Three Thirty Three, the long-awaited flagship restaurant at The Watermark development overlooking Tempe Town Lake, officially opens to the public today. The high-end Asian-inspired concept focuses on wood-fired creations and sushi; signature dishes include wagyu with foie gras and

🥃 Trevor’s Liquor’s has opened its fourth Valley store on the southwest corner of Tatum and Paradise Village Parkway as the latest addition to PV, the $2 billion redevelopment of the former Paradise Valley Mall in northeast Phoenix. Besides an incredible selection

🍺 12 West Brewing has opened its third Valley location – a taproom in the recently vacated Whining Pig space on the northwest corner of I-10 and Ray in Ahwatukee. The craft brewery’s popular beers include its flagship Zona pilsner, Blap!Blap! wheat beer,

☘️ R.T. O’Sullivan’s, an Irish-themed sports grill that’s been serving Valley fans for 31 years, opens its third location at 11 a.m. today in north Phoenix. It takes over the former Gallagher’s on the east side of 16th Street about a

🍜 Kungfu Noodles, a well-regarded Chinese restaurant formerly known as Kungfu Ramen before closing for several months of upgrades, has reopened on the southeast corner of Broadway and McClintock in Tempe. The restaurant originally debuted in 2020, specializing in Chinese

🍝 Élephante, an upscale coastal Italian restaurant, opens at 4 p.m. today at Scottsdale Fashion Square. The concept from the Wish You Were Here restaurant group debuted in Santa Monica, Calif., in 2018. The Scottsdale location, which takes over the

🍕 Giovanna’s Pizza, a family-run Italian restaurant specializing in New York-style pizzas, has opened on the southeast corner of Mountain View and Via Linda in central Scottsdale. It takes over the Mercado at Scottsdale Ranch strip-mall space formerly home to

In no particular order: 🌮 Velvet Taco: Dallas-based chain’s first Arizona location offers more than 20 globally inspired tacos in Old Town Scottsdale. (see story) 🇮🇳 Curries Indian Cuisine & Bar: Popular Yuma restaurant’s second location boasts nearly 50 kinds of

🍝 American Way Pasta, a sit-down Italian restaurant featuring a variety of freshly made pastas, has opened in the Safeway plaza on the southwest corner of Elliot and 48th Street in Ahwatukee. It takes over the space formerly home to