This is a collection of what I thought was most delicious that I tried in Metro Phoenix in 2018 so far. I note that the foods are in no particular order.

In the beginning of the year I made it to Christopher’s again before the Chef relocated to Geordie’s at Wriggly Mansion. All the food I ever tried at Christopher’s over the years has been superb. The Chef is well known for classic and contemporary French Cuisine.

But my last meal there was lunch and it was exquisite! Things start out with the unforgettable amazing shattering baguette like no other. What not to enjoy about expertly  prepared house smoked salmon that blankets this thin crisp crepe like no other holding this magical lemony salad. It even came with an edible spoon filled with cream…..Dessert was so detailed and equally as STUNNING……Actually MOST of  the very BEST DESSERTS I’ve ever had in Metro Phoenix might have come from Christopher’s over the years…….. This lunch was deserving of a standing ovation.

WOW!

The Bourbon Cellar (now closed but soon to relocate near by) specializes in Burgers by day and in the evening also serves steaks and fish.  I tried the House Ground Prime Filet Burger with Bourbon Pickles on an Apple Cider roll topped with a Wasabi deviled egg and a Bourbon Cherry. WOWEEEEEEEeeeee it  was so FORKING SCRUMPTIOUS it just might flip Vegetarians to eat beef……DAM it was that great! ******FIRST Burger I’ve ever had anywhere that didn’t even need a sauce…..I’ll be honest like I always am that this burger was all the packed with LOTS of mixed greens that were annoying. BUT who cares?  The greens fell out and the actual burger was so incredibly flavorful and juicy….Dang it was Great!. I’m looking forward to the reopening of The Bourbon Cellar in the fall in North Scottsdale. I have hopes that they are more than a one hit wonder. But that one hit is sure worth trying again!

The Luna Flavor Gelato was also FORKING INCREDIBLE from Luna Gelateria in Scottsdale…..it was so smooth……so creamy……just the perfect amount of sweetness…….the most amazing flavor with great mouth feel………THIS WAS THE FORKING BEST GELATO I’VE EVER TASTED…WOW! It must be tasted to be believed!

The Hot Chicken from Starlite BBQ in Scottsdale was Mighty Forking TASTY……It was the most developed with delicious flavors of the hot chickens I tried so far….not just hot but also delicious….The house made pickles, and that really awesome house made mustard also helped to elevate things….

I do have to say the Thai Style Ice Cream Roll from Nomadic Ice Cream Rolls were the best Ice Cream Rolls I’ve Tried…..others I’ve tried were also good…..but Shhhhhh….these were Forking Better……..Nomadic were the most creamy with the best rich and most interesting flavors. This one was made with avocado, a Brazilian Candy, high quality chocolate and agave……sounds weird but it was crazy good.

From La Piazza al Forno in Glendale came the Bianca Pizza – It’s made with a house pulled mozzarella like no other, a high quality ricotta, fresh garlic, extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, Sicilian oregano and we added Calabrian Chili peppers…..This was insanely delicious. Nobody’s crust is as light, tender and chewy…..This is the one pizza that is lighter than all the others. It really melts in your mouth. The mozzarella here is the best I’ve tried anywhere. When La Piazza al Forno gets it right….there are angels singing…..

The Other BEST Pizza I had this year was the Bufalina from Fabio on Fire in Peoria. The Flavors were unexpected…..Everything was happening here….The Bufala cheese was unlike any Bufala Cheese I’ve ever had before and was very flavorful and not watery….This pizza had sweet from the balsamic and peppery from the arugula. The cheese and San Marzano Tomato sauce was scrumptious……It was just everything you want and MORE! in a pizza. I seriously think this gotta be one of the BEST pizzas in Metro Phoenix.

Cafe Monarch is a fine dining restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale. The two dishes I enjoyed most were the Squash Blossom Relleno and the Tuna on a rice cake with Calabrian Chili Oil and Capelin Caviar……. I could do a serious number of the Squash Blossom Rellenos……I could eat them all day till my gut explodes……….Cafe Monarch should open a side window just for those dam Squash Blossoms……….Yes they were that great!

Pizzeria Bianco is well known for possibly serving the best pizza in the country and sister restaurant Pane Bianco is well known for their original high quality sandwiches……But what lingers in my memory the most from these places was the Nutmeg Ice. It is something to FORKING reckon with…It should be on everyone’s bucket list……It’s a wonder. It’s among the best desserts you should get in Metro Phoenix. It’s so unique light but creamy with that unexpected refreshing surprising taste…..YES bucket list if you haven’t tried it yet.

The dinner I recently had at Prado in Scottsdale was all delicious and very enjoyable. The house baked Sour Dough baked with Brie and served with lemon curd can help to aid the world to make world peace. (providing they supply a steak knife to cut the crusty bread) Prado also makes one of the most delicious Chicken Dishes in Metro Phoenix……Be real…..Who doesn’t enjoy an insanely moist, juicy and flavorful chicken with a thin crisp well seasoned skin. This was Forking Delicious and the rest of the plate wasn’t too shabby either.

Notable Honorable Mentions.

The Pecan  Smoked Chicken from The Rogue Tomato in Glendale AZ with Sweet Potato Hash was pretty darn good!

The Semifreddo from Botegga Pizzeria Ristorante in Glendale AZ was delightful.

The Hot Pot from Shabu Fondue in Phoenix was FUN and Delicious. This makes dinner like a date night. You don’t just eat you dip, swish the meat in the hot bubbling broth and talk the night away.

You might not be aware that is very rare that you will find any restaurant that brines their own corned beef. Most restaurants either purchase already prepared or they just finish the cooking process of the already brined corned beef in house. 3on Smith Cafe in Phoenix impressed me with their in house brined corned beef, Although this corned beef sandwich is a very NON-TRADITIONAL tasting it still is very good and 3on Smith deserves a shout out!

We regularly enjoy the Banh Mi Baguette sandwiches and more from Banh Mi Bistro in North Phoenix. I like these Banh Mi Sandwiches best.

Both plates we tried from La Mejor Comida Barbacoa Restaurant in Glendale were quite good. I enjoyed my Corn Smut Quesadilla. I might be slightly more impressed with the Bisteck Huarache. It starts with a hand made flat bread that might be made from corn and it was topped with a house made green sauce, Mexican Crumbling Cheese and the tastiest tender nicely caramelized steak…I’m impressed because I usually don’t enjoy steak…It has to taste really good and be very tender like butter for me to eat it and it really was.

My last meal from Zabari Mediterranean Grill was a pita sandwich but it truly was the best pita sandwich I’ve ever had. They made a tastier, juicier and more caramelized Chicken Shawarma than any other I ever had anywhere. The pita bread was amazing and they also made all these delicious interesting  sauces and salads that none of the other Mediterranean Restaurants that I know of offer. I was particularly found of the Matbucha (cooked tomato salad) that was also in this pita. Sadly Zabari Mediterranean Grill has closed their brick and mortar restaurant. But who knows..maybe they aren’t done yet.

Saffron Jak Bakery and Cafe is located in North Phoenix and offers Modern Persian Food. They do make a great caramelized Chicken Thigh platter served with DELICIOUS charred vegetables. Most of the food they offer come with Persian Sangak Bread also known as Pebble Bread. It’s a flat bread that’s tasty and chewy…Saffron Jak also offers Persian Tacos and Pizzas made from Sangak Bread. This is a Great Value restaurant…delicious reasonably priced food and big portions.

The FORKING BEST FOODS of what I tried in Metro Phoenix AZ so far in 2018….

There’s so much more out there!

Don’t know what I’ll taste next!

Feel free to leave your favorite food finds in Metro Phoenix in the comment section……If you care too.

Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.