31. Butterfield’S Pancake House
City: Scottsdale, AZ
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (480) 951-6002
Address: 7388 E. Shea Blvd.
Description: Scottsdale has its share of solid breakfast places, but Butterfield’s is a step above. In summer 2011 the owners planned to open a new breakfast cafe in Scottsdale, but the original restaurant on Shea Boulevard serves breakfast all day and is usually packed. Weekends are especially busy for brunch. The menu from the Illinois-based owners includes Belgian waffles, crepes, omelets, and skillets. Consider it like an upscale, consistently outstanding breakfast chain. The smoothies are a nice addition. Lunch is also served daily.
32. Zinc Bistro
City: Scottsdale, AZ
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (480) 603-0922
Address: 15034 N. Scottsdale Rd.
Description: The name comes from the 25-foot-long zinc bar at the restaurant located right in the heart of Kierland Commons. It’s a pleasant place to sit outside, as if Paris were 25 degrees warmer. Daily specials are posted on a blackboard to add to the French bistro atmosphere, and the interior is lined with French books. The chef’s onion gratin, a traditional onion soup with bubbling gruyère, is terrific, as is the Zinc Burger, which is served open-faced with bacon and a blue-cheese melt. Scallops with chorizo and crab crepes are unique takes on the recipes. It’s also a fine place to enjoy a fruits de mer platter. Lunch and dinner are served daily.
33. Patsy Grimaldi’S
City: Scottsdale, AZ
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (480) 994-1100
Address: 4000 N. Scottsdale Rd.
Description: The first of several Grimaldi’s in Arizona, located in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale, serves a fine Caesar salad and fabulous thin-crust pizza. The secret to the success of this pizza lies in the coal brick oven used to bake it. The crust comes out crispy, and garden-fresh ingredients enhance the flavor. Open for lunch and dinner daily, there are three locations in Scottsdale. It’s a national chain, but it doesn’t taste like it. The downtown Scottsdale location is equally as consistent with its food as those in Peoria, Chandler, and Gilbert.
34. ’Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana
City: Scottsdale, AZ
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (480) 998-1366
Address: 6166 N. Scottsdale Rd.
Description: ’Pomo serves classic pizza Napoletana, like its Quattro Stagioni. The four-corner pizza gives you a taste of sausage, salami (Italians don’t eat pepperoni, you American tourist), mushrooms, and olives. The sweet sauce is pretty outstanding and rivals what’s served at the top pizza places in the Valley. But the white pizza is a nice departure from the norm and worth tasting in a more upscale pizza spot. ’Pomo is located at the Borgata shopping center, so there’s plenty to do before or after a meal.
35. Carlsbad Tavern
City: Scottsdale, AZ
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (480) 970-8164
Address: 3313 N. Hayden Rd.
Description: Walking into Carlsbad Tavern feels a bit like tripping into the depths of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. It’s bat country. But never mind the spooky motif and “Daily Guano” newsletter, it’s quite clean and inviting inside. The New Mexico-style menu also features steak and pasta. The servers are friendly, in a neighborhood tavern kind of way. Top dishes include grilled chicken pasta with andouille sausage and chiles, snapper tacos, and Green Chile Trail plates of items like carne adovada and chile rellenos. The bar serves refreshing margaritas and 35 kinds of tequila. Ask for a patio table. Lunch and dinner are served daily.
36. Los Sombreros
City: Scottsdale, AZ
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (480) 994-1799
Address: 2534 N. Scottsdale Rd.
Description: There’s something for everyone on the menu at Los Sombreros, so this is a nice option for families. Some of the more interesting items include the lamb adobo, a lamb shank with ancho chile sauce, and smoked chicken enchiladas with salsa verde. Los Sombreros is also known for its touches like chipotle cream, Puebla-style mole, and guajillo and pineapple pico. Ask for outdoor seating if it’s available.
City: Scottsdale, AZ
Category: Restaurants
Address: 6910 E. Main St.
38. Taberna Mexicana
City: Scottsdale, AZ
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (480) 607-6707
Address: 7001 N. Scottsdale Rd.
Description: This is upscale Mexican. It’s north Scottsdale, so you can expect a little culinary flamboyance. The ceviche and house sangria are not exactly classic South of the Border peasant food. Tacos are filled with filet mignon, scallops, and pork belly. The poblano potatoes make a nice side. Guests rave about the $10 guacamole as well. The recipe includes pumpkin seed and queso anejo. Entrees are equally rich, with innovative twists on chile relleno, cochinita pibil pork stew, and a fajita burger with brisket.
39. Arcadia Farms Cafe
City: Scottsdale, AZ
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (480) 941-5665
Address: 7014 E. 1st Ave.
Description: Arcadia Farms occupies two restored homes across the street from each other in downtown Scottsdale and serves American bistro-style dishes. This place has a knack for turning a grilled ham and cheese or albacore tuna into a one-of-a-kind lunch. There is both indoor and outdoor seating, but when the weather is nice it’s hard to resist the patio dining amid the lovely trees on the grounds. The menu ranges from grilled shrimp skewers to seared salmon on French green beans. The homemade breads and desserts are popular. Lunch is served daily.
40. Defalco’S Italian Grocery
City: Scottsdale, AZ
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (480) 990-8660
Address: 2334 N. Scottsdale Rd.
Insider Pick:
Description: There are few of these original, family-owned Italian delis in the Valley. You have a better shot at finding a mom-and-pop torta shop. So DeFalco’s is a treasure. It’s located a couple of miles south of downtown Scottsdale, right between Tempe and Scottsdale. The menu is loaded with hot sandwiches and pastas. The store carries take-home dishes, imported Italian canned tomatoes, olive oil, and ravioli. It’s also one of the best places in the Valley for imported meats and antipasto. There’s a great patio to sit outside with your eggplant parm, salami with vinegar peppers, or chicken cutlet. The family that runs DeFalco’s enjoys booming business, so expect a wait. At happy hour imported beers are $3. A personal favorite: “gabbagool” and egg on a toasted Italian roll.
41. Wildflower Bread Company
City: Scottsdale, AZ
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (480) 991-5180
Address: 15640 N. Pima Rd.
Description: Wildflower is a Valley workday favorite for everyone from office executives to moms with young kids. Sandwiches are served on fresh multigrain or ciabatta, focaccia, or wild mushroom. Signature sandwiches include chicken pesto and feta or roast beef and Gorgonzola. Also on the menu are salads—chipotle BBQ, ranch chicken, and almond tuna. Dishes come with a side of orzo pasta salad. There are cookies and biscotti to go with the good selection of coffees and teas. The Pima Road location southwest of the Loop 101 and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard is a popular spot, with so many offices and shops nearby. Check the website for other locations in Scottsdale, Phoenix, Chandler, Gilbert, and Goodyear.
42. Mastro’S Ocean Club
City: Scottsdale, AZ
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (480) 443-8555
Address: 15045 N. Kierland Blvd.
Description: Located amid the upscale shops of Kierland, the dinner-only seafood restaurant is something of an exclusive spot. It offers private dining, a lounge, and some of the freshest fish in town. You can create your own shellfish tower with oysters, lobster cocktail, and other delicacies. Mastro’s also serves steaks and chops. The fish entrees are sophisticated, like Hawaiian big eye tuna, vanilla buttered sole, and Maine lobster.