Author: Jess Harter

🍩 Randy’s Donuts, the iconic Los Angeles doughnut shop featured in dozens of movies and TV shows, has made its Arizona debut near the southeast corner of Seventh Street and Bethany Home in north central Phoenix. What’s on the menu? Randy’s

🍩 Outcast Doughnuts, the new concept launched last year in downtown Mesa by the owners of Level 1 Arcade Bar, has opened its second location inside the original Level 1 in downtown Gilbert. Outcast specializes in layered croissant doughnuts ($3.85

⚾️ The Nest North, a sports bar and grill that closed a couple years ago near Camelback and the 101 in Glendale, has reopened (with an appended name) on the southeast corner of Thunderbird and 59th Avenue, about a mile

🇰🇷 Manna BBQ – an all-you-can-eat, grill-it-yourself Korean BBQ concept out of San Diego – has opened its fourth Valley location at the Chandler Crossroads on the northwest corner of Gilbert and Germann.. It takes over the space formerly home

🇮🇳 Tikka Shack Indian Grub, a Texas-based chain of north Indian restaurants, has opened its third Valley location in the former Mici Italian space near the southwest corner of the 202 and Power in southeast Gilbert. The menu offers a

🍣 Full Moon Izakaya, a casual Japanese bar offering ramen, sushi, and rice bowls, has opened in the former Komodo Asian Fusion space on the southwest corner of Northern and 12th Street in north Phoenix. The menu boasts six kinds

🐝 House of Honey, a family-run beekeeping business offering raw unfiltered honey, has opened the House of Honey Cafe on the southwest corner of Union Hills and 91st Avenue in Peoria. A variety of coffee drinks includes four signature beverages:

🥙 Pita Cafe, a family-owned Mediterranean restaurant.in north Scottsdale, has opened Pita Cafe Express – a takeout and delivery location – on the northwest corner of Bell and Seventh Street in north Phoenix. What’s on the menu? Diners choose a

🍫 Taste 117 – an artisan chocolate shop, cafe, and tea house concept from Provo, Utah – has opened an Arizona location on the northwest corner of Mesa Drive and Second Avenue near downtown Mesa. What’s on the menu? Savory

🌯 Quik Burrito, a fast-casual Mexican eatery, has opened at Mountainview Marketplace on the southwest corner of Thunderbird and 32nd Street in north Phoenix. What’s on the menu? Burritos ($12.99), burrito bowls ($13.99), flour or corn tacos (two for $13.99),

🍔 Ingo’s Tasty Food, a self-described ‘‘gourmet food stand’’ concept that debuted in Arcadia in 2013, has opened its third Valley location on the southwest corner of Scottsdale and Mayo Boulevard in northeast Phoenix. What’s on the menu? All-day breakfast

🍕 Pizza to the Rescue, an Italian restaurant whose mission includes supporting a dog rescue, has opened on the southeast corner of Indian School and 26th Street in Phoenix. Geri Hormel, the founder of Almost There Rescue, opened the pizzeria

🥢 Stellar66, a Chinese restaurant and bar offering both authentic and Americanized dishes, has opened in the TownShip Plaza on the southwest corner of Gilbert and Baseline in Gilbert. What’s on the menu? The signature dish is Peking duck ($49.99

🐟 Ceviche 101, a counter-service seafood restaurant specializing in what it calls ‘‘Californian cuisine,’’ has opened just north of Westgate on the northwest corner of Glendale and 91st Avenue in Glendale. What’s on the menu? Ceviche tostadas ($12.95-$17.50), shrimp cocktails

🍺 Tempe restaurant and bar Boulders on Broadway, a 17-year fixture in the East Valley’s craft beer scene, is transforming into SaltFire Brewing Tap House. Boulders owner Erick Geryol says he and his wife, Rochelle, are partnering with their friend

🍷🍺 The Pairing Room – a restaurant created by Doajo Hicks, the owner of Coronado Vineyards and Throne Brewing, to pair food with his wines and beers – has soft-opened on the northwest corner of Central and Portland in downtown

🍕 Moon Pie Pizza & Patio, an indoor-outdoor bar that specializes in tavern-style pizzas, has opened in the former Teddy’s Preserve space on the northeast corner of Central and Roosevelt in downtown Phoenix. What’s on the menu? Twelve-inch pizzas –

🇮🇳 Honest – a global chain of sit-down vegetarian restaurants specializing in Indian street foods, including pizza – has opened its first Arizona location in the former Founding Fathers Kitchen space on the northwest corner of Alma School and Ray

🔥 Barley & Smoke, a 30-seat speakeasy from the owners of Peoria Artisan Brewery, has opened next to the brewpub on the southeast corner of Lake Pleasant Road and Lake Pleasant Parkway in Peoria. What’s on the menu? Highlights from

🇰🇷 Sorimmara, a global chain of Korean mala eateries, has opened its third U.S. location in the food court of the 99 Ranch Market on the northeast corner of Chandler and Dobson in Chandler. Mala, a spicy sauce made with

 Nando’s Mexican Cafe, a sit-down restaurant with four East Valley locations, has opened its fifth in the Fry’s Marketplace shopping center on the northeast corner of John Wayne Parkway and Edison Road in Maricopa. Laurshan Construction did the build. What’s

🥗 Sweet Tomatoes, the national chain of salad buffet restaurants that went bankrupt and closed all 97 of its locations (including seven in the Valley) during the covid pandemic, has reopened a restaurant in Tucson. It’s the first opening in

🇹🇭 Real Thai & Sushi, a restaurant specializing in Thai street food and Thai rolls, has opened at The Boulevard Surprise Pointe on the southeast corner of Litchfield and Waddell in Surprise. What’s on the menu? Appetizers ($5.95-$14.95), salads ($5-$17.95),

☕️ Empower Coffee Roasters, which Denise and Zach Gamza (pictured) launched in 2020 with a mission to empower women through education and opportunity, has opened a bricks-and-mortar cafe on the southeast corner of Southern and Gilbert in Mesa. What’s on

🍣 Zu Izakaya, an eight-year-old Tempe kitchen and bar offering Asian fusion cuisine and sushi, has opened a second location in the Sprouts shopping center on the northeast corner of Tatum and Cactus in northeast Phoenix. What’s on the menu?

🍨 Gelato Cimmino, a locally owned gelato shop that opened in Old Town Scottsdale in 2018, has launched its long-in-the-works second location on the northeast corner of Gilbert and Vaughn (just north of OHSO Brewery) in downtown Gilbert. Owner Mario

🥢 Number 1 Buffet, an all-you-eat Chinese restaurant, has opened at the Gateway Crossing shopping center on the northwest corner of I-10 and 99th Avenue in Avondale. What’s on the menu? A huge buffet of Chinese dishes (well, mostly Americanized

🍜 A Ma’s Kitchen & Pho, a family-run Vietnamese eatery focused on that country’s signature soup dish, has opened at the Chandler Ranch shopping center on the northeast corner of Chandler and Dobson in Chandler. What’s on the menu? Ten

🍷⚾️ Vintage XIV Wine Bar & Sports Lounge, a new elevated concept from the owners of The Draft Sports Grill in Mesa, has opened in the Paradise Village Center on the northeast corner of Tatum and Shea in northeast Phoenix.

🍩 Parlor Doughtnuts, a national chain founded in Evansville, Ind., in 2019, has made its Arizona debut on the northeast corner of University and Farmer in downtown Tempe. What’s on the menu? Large layered doughnuts ($3.65 apiece) in more than

🥯 Rolled Out Bakery, a husband-and-wife-owned bakery specializing in rolls, holds its grand opening Saturday inside Beanchain Coffee on the northeast corner of Alma School and Southern in west Mesa. What’s on the menu? Cinnamon rolls ($5.25), orange rolls ($5.25),

🇲🇽 Corazón de Agave, a family-owned, refined Mexican sit-down restaurant and bar, has opened on the northeast corner of Bell and 40th Street in north Phoenix. What’s on the menu? Appetizers ($10-$32), salads ($12-$14), soups ($13-$17), tacos ($15-$18 for three),

🥢 Bloomy Kitchen, an Asian sit-down restaurant specializing in wok dishes and ramen, has taken over the short-lived Mimi Kitchen building on the northwest corner of Dobson and Guadalupe in southwest Mesa. What’s on the menu? Wok dishes include orange

🥞 Maple & Rye, a new all-day American concept from Westside Concepts (Haymaker, Copper & Sage, Cantina Gueros, etc.), has opened on the southeast corner of Clearview and Sunrise boulevards in The Grand resort-style community in Surprise. What’s on the

🐐 The Buzzed Goat, a 5-year-old locally owned coffee bar and taphouse in Ahwatukee, finally has opened a long-awaited second location on the southeast corner of McClintock and Southern (behind Boston Market) in Tempe. The new location, originally scheduled to

🍣 Shimogamo, the highly acclaimed Japanese restaurant in south Chandler, has launched a second location at SanTan Village shopping center on the northwest corner of Santan Village Parkway and Williams Field in Gilbert. Unlike the original, which opened in 2003

👺 Devil’s Hideaway, the latest concept from Valley nightlife entrepreneur Julian Wright, has opened in the former Rula Bula Irish Pub space on the southeast corner of Mill Avenue and Fourth Street in downtown Tempe. Wright (Pedal Haus Brewery, Lucky’s

🍜 Tucson-based JA Ramen, which debuted in 2022, has opened its first Valley location – and sixth overall – on the southeast corner of Baseline and 59th Avenue in Laveen. What’s on the menu? Appetizers ($3-$14.49), salads ($9.40-$14.40), 13 kinds

🎷 Lush Café & Lounge, a chef-driven restaurant and live music venue, has opened in the former Fuddruckers building on the northwest corner of Elliot and Priest in south Tempe. What’s on the menu? The day menu features bakery items

🇲🇽 Cielo Rojo, a new sibling concept to 22-year-old Mexican seafood restaurant Mariscos Playa Hermosa in Phoenix, has opened near the northeast corner of 16th Street and McDowell in Phoenix’s Coronado neighborhood. What’s on the menu? Most dishes on the

🍗 Maynard James Keenan, owner of The Merkin Vineyards and Caduceus Cellars, opens a new restaurant concept – Four 8 Fried Chicken by Four 8 Wineworks – today in Old Town Cottonwood. It takes over the space formerly occupied by