Author: Jess Harter

☕️ Aruma Cafe, a Mexican coffee shop from the owners of Cocina Chiwas and Tacos Chiwas in partnership with former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, has soft-opened next to Cocina Chiwas at Culdesac Tempe on the south side of Apache between McClintock and Price.

🥢 Kitchen 7 Asian Food & Sushi, a restaurant focusing mostly on sushi and traditional and Americanized Chinese dishes, has opened on the northeast corner of Bell and 51st Avenue in Glendale. The menu offers familiar items such as orange chicken

🍺 Cogburn’s Big Wings, an East Valley group of country-themed sports bars that just closed a location at Cooper and Warner in Gilbert, is back to four locations overall with the launch of a new one on the northwest corner of

🥙 The Green Olive, a Mediterranean counter-service restaurant and caterer, has opened in the former Supreme Shawarma space on the southwest corner of Country Club and Southern in central Mesa. The menu offers kabobs (steak, ground beef, chicken, shrimp, or salmon), gyros, falafel,

🌮 Taco Chelo, the popular taqueria on Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix, finally has opened its long-awaited Tempe location on the northeast corner of College Avenue and Sixth Street, just south across the street from Sun Devil Stadium. The menu focuses

🍛 Avasa, an Asian fusion restaurant whose menu ranges from Indian to Thai, has opened in the Changing Hands Bookstore plaza on the southwest corner of McClintock and Guadalupe in south Tempe. It takes over the longtime Mac’s Tap & Broiler

🐓 Sneakybird, a fast-casual oven-grilled chicken concept from former Native Grill & Wings CEO Daniel Chaon that debuted in Scottsdale in 2022, has launched a second location at Verde at Cooley Station on the southwest corner of Recker and Williams Field

🌮 Mexican restaurant Popo’s Fiesta del Sol has opened its third Valley location on the southwest corner of McDowell and the Estrella Parkway in Goodyear, joining others in west Phoenix (since 1964) and Glendale. House specialties include rolled quesadillas, green

🥌 Lane Park, believed to be the first restaurant or bar in the U.S. to have indoor “bar-style” ice curling, has opened on the northwest corner of First Street and Brown in Old Town Scottsdale. Besides four lanes of curling (pictured

🍹 Oliver’s Modern American, a new concept from the owners of The Eleanor and Fate Brewing, opens today near the northeast corner of Hayden and Thomas in south Scottsdale. The 1960s building, once the country’s only Polynesian Dairy Queen, was moved from

咽 Phoenix-based drive-through concept Angie’s Lobster has launched its sixth Valley location – this one also with inside ordering and dining – on the southeast corner of Rural and Ray in west Chandler. Maine lobster meals (warm or chilled lobster roll or

🍹 Tell Your Friends, an underground cocktail and live music lounge from Creation Hospitality, owners of The Americano and Mora Italian, and Clive Collective, owners of Cala, opens tonight beneath The Americano on the southeast corner of Scottsdale and Chauncey Lane in

🇫🇷 The Crêpe Club, a concept that started as an ASU food cart in Tempe, has opened its third bricks-and-mortar location at ASU’s MIX Center on the southwest corner of Centennial and First Street in downtown Mesa. The eatery sells sweet and

🌭 California-based Dog Haus, which closed its CityScape restaurant on the southeast corner of Central and Washington in downtown Phoenix last year, has reopened it under new franchisees (who also own the locations in Gilbert and Chandler). Besides specialty hot dogs,

🌺 Tiki Star, a classic tiki bar and restaurant from West Valley restaurateur Mario Rana (Osteria Mia, The Stetson Social), has opened at Park West on the northwest corner of Northern and the Loop 101 in Peoria. Besides traditional tiki cocktails (and

🌯 Family-owned Mexican fast-casual chain Someburros has soft-opened its 16th location – and its first in San Tan Valley – on the northeast corner of Gantzel and Combs. The menu offers crispy and soft tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, quesadillas, and, of course, its

🍕 Curry N Crust, a pizzeria that bills itself as ‘‘where Indian spices meet Italian flair,’’ has opened in the small Starbucks strip mall on the southeast corner of the Loop 202 and Rural in north Tempe. The menu focuses on

🥙 Sasa Restaurant & Sweets, a Mediterranean fast-casual eatery and bakery, has opened in the former Lebanese restaurant Mijana Express space on the southwest corner of Thunderbird and 40th Street in north Phoenix. Sasa’s menu features beef and chicken shawarma, beef

🦞 If you like unusual brunch fare – chicken fried lobster tails, red velvet chicken sliders (top), taco pancakes, oxtail and grits (shown bottom left), doughnut smashburgers, deep-fried devil eggs, and a lot more – you might want to check

🍪 Cielito Rosa Bakery & Cafe – a Latina-owned bakery whose offerings include (clockwise from top left) churro cheesecake bars, mini conchas, couture doughnuts, quesadillas dorado, red chocolate chip cookies, and chocolate strawberries – has opened near the northeast corner of Southern

🌎 Doug Robson (pictured), the restaurateur and chef behind Gallo Blanco and Otro Cafe, has launched his latest concept, Tesota, in the former Southern Rail space at The Newton on the northwest corner of Camelback and Third Avenue in uptown Phoenix. The comfort-food menu –

🍷 Downtown Mesa’s once-maligned food and drink scene just keeps getting better and better. The latest addition is Rebel Wine Lounge, an elegant wine bar with a sidewalk patio and occasional live music, on the northwest corner of Main and Macdonald, just

🌭 The Valley’s collective appetite for Chicago fare seems endless. So it’s not much of a surprise that Illinois-based Portillo’s has opened a seventh Valley location (all since 2013) at Prasada North on the northeast corner of the Loop 303 and Waddell

🍓 On the heels of opening its second Valley store in Fountain Hills in March, Florida-based Graze Craze has launched a third on the southwest corner of Thunderbird and 32nd Street in north Phoenix. The stores specialize in grazing boards and boxes

🍺 Tempe brewery Catalyst Crafted Ales, which made its debut in October, has expanded by soft-opening a taproom in southeast Mesa. It takes over the former Cork Crush Wine & Beer House on the southeast corner of Ellsworth and Ray. Some remodeling

🇮🇹 Little Joe’s Italian Market, a bricks-and-mortar spinoff of the East Coast Joe’s food truck, has opened in the former Matcha Grove space on the southeast corner of McQueen and Elliot in Gilbert. The menu features pizzas, pastas, and sandwiches to go.

🍜 Cha Yen Pho & Boba, a strip-mall eatery offering Vietnamese and Thai food, has opened on the southeast corner of Seventh Street and Bell in north Phoenix. The menu includes 12 kinds of the namesake pho, plus rice vermicelli (bun),

🍲 BoSa Donuts, the local chain with 50-plus shops throughout the Valley, has launched its new concept, BoSa Kobe Hot Pot, near the northwest corner of University and Farmer in downtown Tempe. The restaurant, which takes over part of the former Dilly’s

The Sidewinder, a Southwestern-influenced diner concept from the team behind Progress and Sottise, has opened in the original Welcome Diner space on the northwest corner of Roosevelt and 10th Street in downtown Phoenix. What’s on the menu? Unlike its higher-end siblings, The Sidewinder offers a menu

Sibling zabiha halal concepts Papa Locos Tacos & Burgers and Jay’s Hot Chicken have opened a shared space on the southwest corner of Mesa and Brown in north Mesa. What’s on the menu? Papa Locos offers tacos, burritos, enchiladas, tortas, and seven specialty

⛳️ The Adobe Bar & Grille, a reimagined rendition of the Arizona Biltmore Golf Club’s former Adobe Restaurant, has opened in the club’s new 19,400-square-foot clubhouse northeast of Camelback and 24th Street in midtown Phoenix. What’s on the menu? Executive chef Richard Castricone’s menu

🇰🇷 Nami Korean Kitchen & Sushi, a family-run restaurant whose specialty is Chuncheon dak-galbi (spicy chicken from the city of Chuncheon), has opened on the northeast corner of Cave Creek and Utopia in northeast Phoenix. What’s on the menu? Traditional Korean fare

Drink Me! Tea Room, a four-year-old business on the northwest corner of McClintock and Warner in south Tempe, has launched a sibling concept, Drink Me! Tea & Treats, next door. What’s on the menu? Besides loose-leaf teas, tea drinks, and cold brew

🇮🇹 Corso Italia Restaurant & Market – an Eataly-inspired venture from chef Corrado La Macchia, who previously owned Corrado’s in Carefree – has opened at the Shops at Gainey Ranch on Doubletree Ranch Road, about a half-mile east of Scottsdale Road, in

🇮🇳 Panchakattu, a sit-down restaurant specializing in south Indian cuisine, has opened in the Laguna Village plaza on the southeast corner of Kyrene and Ray in west Chandler. What’s on the menu? Highlights include Panchakattu karam chicken biryani, karam gobi, neyyi (ghee)

🇲🇽 La Purisima Bakery, an award-winning Mexican bakery that’s been in business since 1983, has opened a third Valley location on the northwest corner of Seventh Avenue and Union Hills in north Phoenix. What’s on the menu? Fresh-baked pastries – including conchas,

🍪 California-based Cookie Plug, a national chain of hip-hop-inspired cookie shops, has made its Arizona debut with two openings – on the southwest corner of Cactus and Tatum in northeast Phoenix and the northeast corner of Rural and Apache in Tempe. What’s

🍩 Indiana-based Parlor Doughnuts, which made its Arizona debut in Tempe in March, has opened a second location on the southeast corner of Chandler and 40th Street in Ahwatukee. What’s on the menu? Large layered doughnuts ($3.65 apiece) in more than two dozen

🌮 Sibling fast-casual concepts Taqueria Factory and Frutilandiaopen their latest dual location today on the southeast corner of Country Club and University in Mesa. It’s the fourth Taqueria Factory in the Valley and the eighth Frutilandia. What’s on the menu?

🍺 Pinnacle Brewing Company, a family-owned and -operated craft brewery, opens at noon today at the Corner Center Square near the northeast corner of Hayden and Raintree (just east of Scottsdale Airport) in north Scottsdale. What’s on tap from brewmaster

⚾️ DTC Sports Grille, the six-month-old sports bar in downtown Chandler, has launched a second location in the former Badlands Bar & Grill space in Tempe. The glass-walled building is located on the north end of the Hilton Garden Inn

☕️ Hidden Gem, a Japanese-influenced coffee shop with a small brunch menu, has opened at the Papago Motor Hotel (formerly known as Sonder at Mariposa) near the southwest corner of Scottsdale and McDowell in south Scottsdale. What’s on the menu?

🐓 Nashville Hot Chicken, a California-based chain with locations in six states, has made its Arizona debut in the Sprouts Farmers Market plaza on the northwest corner of McClintock and Southern in Tempe. What’s on the menu? Nashville-style chicken tenders

🍔 Angie’s Burger, the latest concept from the owners of Angie’s Lobster and Angie’s Prime Grill, debuts at 10:30 a.m. today in the Angie’s Prime Grill building near the southwest corner of Central and Thomas in central Phoenix. What’s on

☕️ Shaghf Cafe, a Dubai-based chain of Arabian coffee shops, has opened its first Arizona location (and just its third in the U.S.) in the former Pho Bamboo space on the northwest corner of Apache and Dorsey in Tempe. What’s

🍺 Brews Burger Joint, which opened in 2019 as the Valley’s first location of Wisconsin-based Mr. Brews Taphouse before going independent, has opened a second location. It recently purchased Hop Central on the southwest corner of Rural and Ray and

🐓🐖 Full Speed Chicken & Ribs, the new concept from Little Miss BBQ owners Scott and Bekke Holmes, has soft-opened in the former Trapp Haus BBQ space on the southeast corner of Roosevelt and Fifth Street in downtown Phoenix. What’s

🍰 Too Sweet Cakes, the Oregan-based bakery that services all the Black Rock Coffee Bar locations, has opened its second Valley location on the southeast corner of Val Vista and Pecos in Gilbert. What’s on the menu? A huge variety

🍕 iPizza, a family-owned pizzeria that serves 16-inch pies, has opened in the strip mall on the northeast corner of McKellips and Miller Road in south Scottsdale. What’s on the menu: Pizza (whole pies or slices), meatball and chicken sandwiches,

🍸 The Goose, the latest bird-themed speakeasy from the owners of Crust Simply Italian, opens adjacent to the pizzeria at 5 p.m. today on the northwest corner of Hayden and Via de Ventura in central Scottsdale. Menu highlight: Goose Bumps