Best Restaurants for Foodies in Central Phoenix

In a dessert of chicken wings and ranch… The food at Tarbell’s is like a vacation back home to NYC where cuisine is an art and a passion. Unlike anything else in this city. The menu changes but I can confidently pick anything and know I will love it. Warning: The Hostesses will not honor the 15 minute grace period that is noted on OT. I called to inform them I was 15 minutes behind to be told I was being pushed onto the waitlist to seat those who are on time. This behavior does not match the warm service and atmosphere of this establishment. I was 17 minutes late and she wanted to let me know that I was “passed the grace period” which she told me she wasn’t honoring anyway. I will return and hope to have a better experience with the host staff so that I can say everything was perfect!

Amazing Valentines Day Dinner. Got there early to explore and enjoy the views. Had two rounds of drinks at the wine bar and then got the most amazing table with views for dinner. 4 course menu delicious and the somm helped us get an awesome bottle of Chianti.

Valentine's Day with my wife found us at Beckett's Table for the first time. Look past the quasi-strip mall feel, the interior is absolutely beautiful: rustic elegance and just really well designed. Although we didn't sit at the bar, the bar's design should be in a magazine. For VD, there was a limited menu. Three courses: 1st course a choice of 3 or 4 items. My wife had the curry dish (which she loved), and I had the French Onion soup which was good (hard to make FOs great -imho). Second course: my wife ordered the gnocci which featured duck sausage. My wife, again, loved it! I ordered the Bourbon lacquered short rib with au grain potatoes and asparagas. Everything on my plate was beautifully presented and perfectly cooked. For desert, there were two choices and we ordered one of each: a dark chocolate cake with espresson whip and I had the strawberry champagne sponge cake with little (unidentified crunchies). Both were excellet. Oh, and we each had a glass of cabernet although I can't recall which. Now to the service: Dimetria was our server and is a pro. She recommendations were spot-on and her attention to us was terrific. There were also a couple of rovers who constantly circulated to refill our water glasses and remove any plates. We never had to "look" for someone. In short, even though we live in Cave Creek, this was a great experience and we are eager to explore other menu items. Again, the ambiance is warm, rustic, and classy.

We celebrated our 32nd Wedding anniversary, and as usual, the experience at Elements was outstanding. Our server was professional, knowledgeable, and helpful without being intrusive. The ambiance and surroundings are superb. Our starters and entrees were exceptional, and the chef's anniversary dessert was out of this world. Overall, a 5-Star experience. My only complaint- and this is about almost every restaurant we've patronized lately- was the inappropriate music selection--much too contemporary and improper for a fine dining experience. Please use simple background jazz at a lower volume. Your guests will appreciate it!

The Ends is an incredible restaurant. I love that they don’t use any seed oils and instead focus on cooking with tallow. The food is amazing, and I think their pasta is better than any Italian restaurant here in the Valley. I know everyone says this, but the Cacio e Pepe is definitely something to write home about. It’s really, really good. Almost equivalent to the one I had at Osteria Da Fortunata in Rome. The thick noodles and sauce are very similar. Absolutely delicious. We also had the mushroom pasta, meatballs, Hamachi crudo, and beet burrata. All excellent. The only downside was that they were out of multiple dishes, which was a bit disappointing. However, they made it up to us by giving us a $45 gift card, which we appreciated. Overall, it was a great experience, and I would definitely recommend it to friends and family.