Bacanora is a sonoran mexican restaurant in Grand Avenue, Phoenix.
Bacanora in Phoenix is Rene Andrade's wood-fired Sonoran room on Grand Avenue, the kitchen that won the 2024 James Beard Best Chef Southwest award.
Signature dishes: Wood-fired tomahawk, Chiltepin salsa, Agave cocktails
Must order: Anything off the open flame, finished with chiltepin Andrade hauls from his family's Sonoran ranch.
Tip: The room seats about 32 and books out fast; reserve well ahead or aim for an early weeknight seating.
Address: 1301 NW Grand Ave Unit 1, Phoenix, AZ 85007
Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix is Chris Bianco's wood-fired pizzeria in Heritage Square, the James Beard kitchen long called the best pizza in America.
Signature: Wiseguy, Rosa, Margherita
Order: The Wiseguy, with wood-roasted onion, smoked mozzarella and fennel sausage.
Tip: The Heritage Square original has stood at 623 Adams since 1997; arrive at open or expect a wait, no reservations for small parties.
Tratto in Phoenix is Chris Bianco's Italian trattoria at Town & Country, a white-tablecloth room of handmade pasta built around seasonal Southwest produce.
Signature: Handmade rigatoni, Seasonal pasta, Roman dishes
Order: Whatever pasta is on the day's handmade list; the menu turns with the season.
Tip: Tratto runs Tuesday to Saturday dinner only, next to the Town & Country Pizzeria Bianco; reservations fill fast.
Kai at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass is Arizona's only AAA Five Diamond restaurant, cooking Pima and Maricopa ingredients from the Gila River land.
Signature: Tribal buffalo tenderloin, Great Plains bison, Cholla buds
Order: The grilled tribal buffalo tenderloin with smoked corn puree, cholla buds and scarlet runner bean chile.
Tip: Open Wednesday to Saturday evenings only; the drive south to Wild Horse Pass is about 30 minutes from downtown Phoenix.
FnB in Scottsdale is Charleen Badman's vegetable-forward room in Craftsman Court, where the chef won the 2019 James Beard Best Chef Southwest award.
Signature: Braised leeks, Seasonal vegetables, Arizona wines
Order: The braised leeks with mozzarella, mustard, breadcrumbs and a sunny-side egg, a Food and Wine top-ten dish.
Tip: The menu changes with what local farmers harvest; Pavle Milic's all-Arizona wine list is the room's second draw.
The Mission in Old Town Scottsdale is Matt Carter's modern Latin room, drawing on Spain, Mexico and South America in a dark stone-walled dining room.
Signature: Tableside guacamole, Pork shoulder, Latin small plates
Order: The tableside guacamole and the slow-roasted pork shoulder; Carter won the 2024 Arizona Food Pioneer Award.
Tip: The patio under the church wall is the seat to book; lunch runs daily and dinner fills the bar early.
Virtù Honest Craft in Scottsdale is Gio Osso's Mediterranean room behind the Bespoke Inn, a courtyard kitchen with an early James Beard new-restaurant nod.
Signature: Crispy-skin branzino, Handmade pasta, Caper brown butter
Order: The crispy-skin branzino with caper-infused brown butter, a fixture on Osso's changing menu.
Tip: The fig-tree courtyard is the seat to request; the tasting menu is the deepest way into Osso's cooking.