Arizona

Arizona Restaurant Week is back. These are the 16 best menus to try during the spring event

Published

2 months ago

May 14, 2024

Arizona Restaurant Week is back. These are the 16 best menus to try during the spring event

Georgann Yara
| Special for The Republic

The spring edition of the bi-annual Arizona Restaurant Week dining event returns from May 17-26. It’s a great time to get out and try restaurants that have been on your list, as the participants are offering $33, $44 or $55 menus with either three or four courses and some even include a drink.

Participants range from casual neighborhood hangouts to luxe resort establishments, longtime destinations to buzzy newcomers, and all categories in between. With more than 160 restaurants, figuring out where to eat can be overwhelming. We scoured the Arizona Restaurant Week website, where new menus are added daily for the most exciting offers. These 16 menus caught our attention thanks to the number of options for each course, creativity of dishes, the value — or all of the above. Reservations are recommended for them all.

Here’s a look at the most exciting menus to try during spring Arizona Restaurant Week 2024.

Kembara, JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa

$55 per person
3 courses
Dine-in only

Chef Angelo Sosa’s menu is inspired by some of his favorite Asian street foods. The experience commences with the popular Tuna Thai Jewel with lemongrass-ginger broth, kiwi, jicama and Thai basil. A sampling of three dishes comprise the second course: chicken satay with lemongrass, ginger and cashew sauce; crab fried rice with oyster sauce, sugar snap peas and curry leaf; and the green papaya served with salted egg, tomato and charred beans with fish. Vietnamese coffee doughnuts with Lens Coffee and condensed milk on the side is dessert.

Details: 5350 E. Marriott Drive Phoenix. 480-293-3936, kembaradesertridge.com.

Kaizen

$44 per person
4 courses
Dine-in only

Start with shishito peppers tossed in miso caramel with bonito flakes or the miso soup shimeji with mushrooms, tofu, green onion and wakame with small sunomono salad. A Kaizen nigiri sampler with seared tuna, yellowtail with orange and shiso aguachile, salmon with apple mint chutney and inari with spicy tuna is the second course. For the entree, decide between anise ginger marinated slow braised short ribs served with house pickles, jicama slaw and two bao buns or Nanban tempura fish with ceviche sauce. End the night on a sweet note with yuzu white chocolate pot de creme green tea macarons.

Details: 515 E. Grant Street Phoenix. 602-432-0752, kaizenphx.com.

Match Market & Bar, FOUND:RE Phoenix Hotel

$55 per person dinner, 4 courses
$20 per person lunch, 2 courses
Dine-in and takeout

Those who come in for dinner will choose two tapas from the following: patatas bravas; spicy crab salad; Iberico ham; blistered padron peppers; albondigas; and fried pearl onions with Calabrian chile oil. Next, go with the Russian potato salad with albacore and hard boiled egg or the pear and fennel salad with truffle pecorino and maple dressing. Four main course dishes vie for the spotlight: pan-seared cod; pollo asado; grilled hanger steak with patatas bravas; or orecchiette with Spanish chorizo, manchego and roasted tomato sauce. For the finale, decide between cajeta-filled churros with Mexican hot chocolate for dipping or orange cinnamon crema Catalana.

Swing by for lunch and start with the Russian potato salad, pear and fennel salad or Spanish style Caesar salad with Marcona almonds, crispy chickpeas and shaved manchego. Next, choose from four sandwiches that come with chips: grilled or fried chicken sandwich on ciabatta; grilled hanger steak on baguette; tuna on baguette; or grilled vegetables with romesco and goat cheese on ciabatta.

Details: 1100 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-875-8080, matchphx.com.

The Market by Jennifer’s

$44 per person
3 courses
Dine-in and takeout

Kick off dinner with Chula Seafood jumbo shrimp with cauliflower puree and grilled corn, fried parmesan-crusted burrata with baby artichoke or cold asparagus soup with fried spinach chips. Next, choose among four entrees: pan seared Chula Aussie Ora King salmon in a shitaki mushroom broth with caramelized shallot compound butter on a bed of sticky rice; Sonoran Pasta Co. fusilli with spring peas, heirloom cherry tomatoes, squash and carrot ribbons and asparagus tips; chicken cacciatore on orzo or Meat by Lindz grilled hanger steak with chimichurri and Frites Street’s baton cut fries. Select one of two desserts from Tracy Dempsey Originals: a goat cheese panna cotta with rosemary infused strawberry compote or the chocolate-Italian sweet vermouth caramel tart with crushed pistachios and whipped crème.

Details: 3603 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. 602-626-5050, themarketbyjennifers.com.

The Rosticceria

$33 per person
4 courses
Dine-in only

Begin with a starter of zeppole and prosciutto or grilled baby artichokes. After a second course of an Italian wedge or Sicilian salad, entree choices are: a 10-layer lasagna with short rib ragu and béchamel; red wine-braised Italian short ribs served over creamy polenta; shrimp Parmigiano featuring herb and breadcrumb dusted jumbo prawns in a white wine and san marzano tomato herb sauce with mozzarella or porchetteria, featuring their signature pork rubbed with wild fennel pollen that’s cooked for six hours and served with baked Sicilian pasta and broccolini. Walk it all off with a trip to the build-your-own gelato milkshake bar for dessert.

Details: 12811 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix. 480-916-0116, therosticceria.com.

Arcadia Farms

$55 per person
3 courses
Dine-in only

A dizzying array of 26 items offered over three courses means there’s something for everyone. Of the 10 starter options, the artisanal cheese plate with five French cheeses, fig jam and dried fruits; pate with cornichons, French mustard and toasts; and a bacon gruyere and leek tartlet with baby greens and tarragon dressing are attention grabbers. Of the seven main course options, chicken, wild mushroom and leek crepes with baby spinach, goat cheese and bechamel; beef bourguignon and a warm, layered grilled vegetable napoleon are worth strong consideration. Of the nine desserts, the carrot cake tuxedo cake with chocolate mousse filling, white chocolate buttercream and chocolate ganache, and their twist on a strawberry shortcake with a fresh strawberry scone, vanilla bean whipped cream and fresh strawberries, had our mouths watering.

Details: 7025 E. First Ave., Scottsdale. 480-941-5665, arcadiafarmscafe.com.

Familglia

$55 per person
4 courses
Dine-in only

The restaurant helmed by sommelier Broc Chavez and executive chef Richard Rangel kicks things off with housemade focaccia with basil salt and Calabrian chile butter. For the second course, choose from grilled peach and housemade mozzarella, fritto misto with squid and shrimp or caesar salad. Main course options are: sausage and pepper gnocchi, pear and cheese-stuffed sacchetti, spaghetti primavera, chicken piccata or the acqua pazza’s market fish with fennel, baby tomatoes and crostini. The house cannolo is dessert.

Details: 17025 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 480-366-4021, famigliascottsdale.com.

Liz Modern Asian

Dine-in and takeout
$33 per person dinner
$44 per couple for dim sum lunch

For dinner, a smorgasbord of 10 courses await: Chinese chicken salad, dumplings, cheese puffs, pork bun, prime rib, Korean fried chicken, walnut shrimp, Hainan chicken and rice and brisket lo mein.

The dim sum experience includes dumplings, cheese puffs, spring roll, Chinese chicken salad and Korean fried chicken. Both menus end with cake.

Details: 15323 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 480-292-7689, lizmodernasianrestaurant.com

Taza Bistro & Bar

$55 per person
3 courses
Dine-in and takeout

Take an international culinary tour with globally-inspired plates. To start, choose the pear and brie salad with arugula and balsamic reduction, bacon-wrapped dates with spicy chutney or baked feta puttanesca and toasted sourdough. For the main course decide among: duck breast a l’orange with dauphinoise potatoes and grilled asparagus, zaatar herbed grilled lamb with tzatziki, herbed couscous and honey glazed carrots or wild caught pan seared sea bass in lemon caper butter and spaghetti cacio e pepe. For dessert, opt for New York-style cheesecake, mixed berry compote baklava or honey chocolate mousse.

Details: 9619 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale. 480-842-2275, tazabistro.com.

Bar Cena

$55 per person
3 courses
Dine-in only

Begin with marinated cucumber with whipped tofu, fresh herbs and chili crunch; frisee salad with endive, apple and Point Reyes bleu cheese in a roasted shallot vinaigrette; or mussels escabeche with pickled vegetables and grilled noble bread. Choose from three entree offerings: crispy skin chicken thigh with orzo, sundried tomato and feta; Sonoran Pasta Co. pappardelle with a wild mushroom bolognese; or seared ahi tuna in a green sauce with edamame and radish. For dessert, choose between the billionaire’s shortbread with caramel, ganache and a French sea salt finish or cheesecake with biscoff cookie crumb crust.

Details: 14202 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 480-597-6526, barcenascottsdale.com.

Liberty Market

$44/person
3 courses, beverage included
Dine-in and takeout

This beloved downtown Gilbert restaurant impresses with the food it’s known for right off the bat with starter choices of boneless fried chicken with a cheddar-jalapeno biscuit or sweet sesame fried shrimp. For the main course, decide between beef stroganoff with wild mushrooms and spaetzle or seared pork belly accompanied by creamy polenta, grilled asparagus and a cherry red wine sauce. Key lime cheesecake or raspberry eclair will be dessert. Sip on a fountain drink, drip coffee or glass of red or rose wine, any one of which are included with your meal.

Details: 230 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert. 480-892-1900, libertymarket.com.

Terra Tempe Kitchen & Spirits, The Westin Tempe

$55 per person
3 courses
Dine-in only

The signature ground-floor restaurant at the Westin in downtown Tempe offers three starter options: halibut Peruvian ceviche; roasted baby carrots, squash, mushroom and cauliflower salad with brown butter brioche; cilantro-jalapeno hummus and roasted garlic oil; and mixed green salad with drunken goat cheese, mango and pomegranate vinaigrette. There are four entree choices: ricotta gnocchi; pan seared halibut with zucchini puree and red quinoa in an aji-mango sauce; membrillo half chicken with Sonoran bacon-potato salad, quince glaze and salsa verde; and braised short rib with mesquite polenta fries, summer squash and pomegranate beef gravy. For the sweet ending, decide between Mexican Chocolate atole custard with dulce de leche caramel, chantilly and mini churro bites, or the orange creamsicle cheesecake made with Arizona citrus cremeux, blood orange gel and mandarin oranges.

Details: 11 E. Seventh St., Tempe. 480-968-8885, terratempe.com.

Feringhee Modern Indian Cuisine

$55 per person
3 courses
Dine-in and takeout

Khandari pork ribs, chicken tikka highway, samosa pinwheel chaat and a trio of puchka are among the eight starter choices. Saffron pulao rice, black dairy dal and garlic naan accompany each of the six main course options, which include: malai kofta; mushroom pepper fry; saag paneer; Old Delhi butter chicken; kashmiri mutton rogan josh and tandoori salmon. For dessert, decide among gulab jamun cheesecake, chocolate brownie with pistachio ice cream and saffron milk foam or Kulfi popsicle bar with candied rose petals.

Details: 3491 W. Frye Road, Chandler. 480-534-7178, feringhee.com.

Tempo Urban Bistro

$55 per person
3 courses
Dine-in and takeout

Choose from starters like lobster beignets, black bean duck spring roll or poached pear salad. Next, ponder four main selections: salmon wellington, pork osso buco, steak au poivre or Dungeness crab ravioli. For dessert, a tough decision awaits between banana xango, lemon meringue pie and bourbon pecan pie.

Details: 21067 W. Main St., Buckeye. 623-594-6788, tempourbanbistro.com.

Ajo Al’s Mexican Cafe

$55 per couple
3 courses, beverage included
Dine-in only

Share an order of chile con queso or guacamole to start, then each person gets their own entree of blanco enchiladas stuffed with mushrooms or spinach, shredded beef quesabirria tacos with consomme dipping sauce, a burrito bowl with chicken or steak or a crisp chicken burro topped with cream cheese and melted cheddar. For dessert, split the flan or key lime pie. Toast with a Mexican beer, house margarita or Mexican mule, any of which come with your meal.

Details: 5101 N. 16th St., Phoenix. 602-222-9902. Other locations at ajoals.com.

Fabio on Fire

$44 per person
3 courses
Dine-in and takeout

Begin with lightly breaded shrimp roasted in a wood-fired oven, wood-fired pork belly with rosemary focaccia and chickpea hummus or lightly fried short rib ravioli. Main course options are: white pizza adorned with imported bufala mozzarella, prosciutto di parma, arugula and shaved parmesan; lobster tortellini in a pink vodka cream sauce with crab; braised short rib ravioli in a buttercream sage sauce; or homemade tagliatelle with Bolognese sauce. One scoop of chef Fabio’s homemade gelato is dessert.

Details: 8275 W. Lake Pleasant Pkwy., Peoria. 623-680-5385, fabioonfire.com.

The best places to dine in 2024: 100 essential restaurants in metro Phoenix

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Arizona

DeAndre Hopkins Throws Shade at Cardinals

Published

7 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Press Room

DeAndre Hopkins Throws Shade at Cardinals

ARIZONA — Professional football player or not, it’s human nature to wonder if the grass is actually greener elsewhere.

In his own words, former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins believes that to be the case with the Tennessee Titans as year two with the organization approaches:

“I love Tennessee. I love what Miss Amy (Adams Strunk, the Titans owner) is doing,” Hopkins told The Tennessean’s Nick Gray. “I think this is the happiest I’ve been in any organization, so I’ll just let that speak for itself.”

Hopkins was released by the Cardinals last summer after months of trade speculation with the Cardinals. New general manager Monti Ossenfort made the decision to cut Hopkins and wipe the slate clean, allowing the former Houston Texans star to hit the open market while getting his salary completely off the books in 2024 by absorbing all of the $22.6 million cap hit last season.

Hopkins visited with a handful of Super Bowl contenders before inking a two-year, $26 million deal with the Titans before the start of last season. He caught 75 passes for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns.

Hopkins’ tenure in the desert could be viewed in a few different lights. On one hand, the Cardinals did get strong production out of their star wideout with some exciting memories attached. Arizona needed another prominent pass catcher for Kyler Murray, and more times than not, Hopkins rose to the occasion.

On the other, Hopkins played just 19 games his final two years in the desert and was notably suspended for PED use, something he wholeheartedly denied both during and after the suspension.

There were also reports he sat out the final two games of the 2022 despite being healthy. In the months leading up to his release, Hopkins was extremely impartial on wanting to remain in Arizona in podcasts and on social media.

Not all the shade was directed at Arizona, however. The Texans traded him for scraps ahead of the 2020 season, a move that’s still discussed in low light to this day.

When asked about Hopkins’ contract, Titans GM Ran Carthon offered this:

“He’s one of the guys that’s on our team, and we’ve talked about a number of guys on the team to have those conversations,” Carthon said.

“One thing I appreciate about D Hop is, if you guys have gotten to know him, D Hop is straight forward and D Hop and I, we can have some straightforward conversations, and we have and we do. And so D Hop knows how we feel about him, and I think that’s a big thing, especially for a veteran at this stage of his career.

“I think the way he’s shown up here, the way he’s bought into a new staff, kind of shows how he feels about us and what we have going.”

If Hopkins is as happy as he says he is, he could very well stick around with the Titans.

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Another Lake Powell pipeline proposal — but for Arizona tribes

Published

14 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Press Room

Another Lake Powell pipeline proposal — but for Arizona tribes

There’s another proposal on the table to build a pipeline from Lake Powell, but the water wouldn’t go to St. George.

Arizona lawmakers this month introduced legislation that would fund a pipeline to bring water from Lake Powell to three tribes with Colorado River rights. The $5 billion deal — negotiated by the tribes, the federal government and the state of Arizona in May — includes $1.75 billion for the pipeline, and now needs approval from Congress.

The Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024 is crucial to the many tribal communities in northeastern Arizona that lack access to drinking water, said Rep. Juan Ciscomani, an Arizona Republican who sponsored the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Those of us in the West understand that water claims are inadequate without the infrastructure needed to move the water,” Ciscomani told the House Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday. “Investing in our water infrastructure is more important now than ever with the persistent drought affecting the Colorado River and all communities that rely on it as well.”

The Arizonans have introduced the settlement during a tense time for Colorado River decision-making.

The seven Western states that depend on the river’s water — including Utah — are negotiating how to use its water after 2026, when current agreements expire. Facing persistent drought and a future with less water to go around, the states disagree on who should have to cut their Colorado River water use, and by how much.

The Upper Basin states — Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming — claim that they don’t need to reduce their use. Rather, they argue that the Lower Basin states — Arizona, Nevada and California — should bear the brunt of cuts.

But 30 Native American tribes in the Colorado River Basin have rights to its water, too, though many of those rights haven’t been adjudicated.

The proposed iiná bá—paa tuwaqat’si pipeline from Lake Powell would be built by the federal Bureau of Reclamation, which owns and operates water infrastructure across the country. The water would go to the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe and San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, settling their Colorado River water rights.

It’s not the first time a pipeline has been proposed to move water from the second-largest reservoir in the country. There has been a 20-year push to build a pipeline from Lake Powell to Washington County, the fastest-growing part of Utah. But a stalled permitting process, enduring drought and significant opposition have prevented the project from materializing.

Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren said that the legislation and pipeline would “secure the necessary resources to provide water to Navajo communities while at the same time resolving the most significant outstanding water claims in the State of Arizona.”

In all, the tribes would gain access to 56,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water each year.

Utah’s representatives aren’t yet speaking on the legislation and how it would affect the Beehive State’s Colorado River use.

Reps. Celeste Maloy, Blake Moore and Burgess Owens, as well as Sen. Mike Lee, did not respond to a request for comment. Spokespeople for Rep. John Curtis and Sen. Mitt Romney said they did not have a statement, as did the Colorado River Authority of Utah.

The legislation would also give the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe the ability to lease their water rights, which are more valuable than gold in the arid Southwest.

The tribes could lease their water to growing cities like Phoenix and Tucson, “providing a badly needed water source for central Arizona during a time in which their water supplies have already been significantly cut due to Colorado River shortage,” said Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton from Arizona, who also sponsored the legislation.

But the water leasing aspect of the settlement violates the 1922 Colorado River Compact, the foundational document for sharing the river. The compact says that each basin is entitled to 7.5 million acre-feet of water per year without extra transferring.

At least some of the water sent to the Lower Basin tribes under the proposed settlement is from the Upper Basin. Leasing that water across basin lines isn’t something that the century-old compact — which also barely mentions tribes — didn’t consider.

Congress would have to grant special permission to make that leasing possible. But in ongoing, heated Colorado River talks, the Upper Basin states have made it clear that they don’t want to send any extra water downstream to the Lower Basin.

“Utah is committed to living within our means on the river, but we also expect others to do the same,” said Amy Haas, executive director of the Colorado River Authority of Utah, in March. “We are protecting our water users and defending every drop of our entitlement.”

U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly and Krysten Sinema — an Arizona Democrat and an Arizona Independent, respectively — introduced the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act on July 8.

Reps. Ciscomani and Stanton were joined by Arizona Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva and Arizona Republican Rep. David Schweikert to introduce the bill in the House on the same day.

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Arizona Diamondbacks acquire reliever A.J. Puk from Marlins

Published

21 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Press Room

Arizona Diamondbacks acquire reliever A.J. Puk from Marlins

The Arizona Diamondbacks have acquired left-handed reliever A.J. Puk from the Miami Marlins, the team confirmed Thursday.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the news.

The D-backs gave up two prospects in the deal, infielder Deyvison De Los Santos and center fielder Andrew Pintar.

In 32 appearances for the Marlins across 44 innings, Puk has a 4.30 ERA and 1.34 WHIP for Miami. The 6-foot-7 29-year-old began his career with the Oakland Athletics, where he spent three seasons before playing the last two for Miami. Puk was originally the sixth overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft by Oakland.

Some context on Arizona’s acquisition of A.J. Puk: Since moving back to the bullpen after starting the season in the rotation, he has a 2.08 ERA over 30.1 innings with 33 strikeouts and opponents are slashing .159/.204/.252. In a market with good relievers, he is one of the best.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 26, 2024

Puk adds another lefty to the bullpen rotation alongside Joe Mantiply. Reports suggested Arizona would look toward relief help and left-handers specifically at the deadline. The D-backs are 28-18 since the start of June and firmly in the wild card race, certifying them as buyers this deadline, while the Marlins declared as sellers very early after dealing Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres in May.

Puk is under team control through the 2026 season.

De Los Santos has been perhaps the biggest story in the D-backs’ minor league system this year. He mashed 14 homers and 37 RBI in just 38 games at Double-A, earning a quick move up to Triple-A. He has continued to destroy baseballs there, posting 14 homers and 47 RBI in 49 games for an OPS of .926. De Los Santos is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the D-backs’ 14th best prospect.

Pintar has an .852 OPS in the minors across three different organizations this year after debuting in the minors last year. MLB Pipeline puts him down 30th in the D-backs’ farm system.

To make room for Puk on the 40-man roster, the D-backs designated relief pitcher Joe Jacques for assignment. Jacques was claimed off waivers in late April. He pitched primarily in Triple-A Reno, sporting a 3.63 ERA in 22.1 innings and 19 appearances.

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