Best new restaurants of 2007
December 30th, 2007, 10:19 am · Post a Comment · posted by Jess Harter
To be honest, 2007 wasn’t a banner year for new East Valley restaurants. Sure, there was quantity — more than 100 openings — but there were few shining stars. Most years, there’s at least one or two new places that would crack critics’ lists of the top 20 or 25 restaurants in the East Valley. In 2007, though, I don’t think I’d put any new restaurant on that list.
But there were several worthwhile additions to our local dining scene. I didn’t get to all of them, but I made it to most. Here are my favorites:
1. Centro Paninoteca
Created by chef-owner Chris Cottingham, former manager of the Biltmore area’s Delux, this midtown Scottsdale eatery (picture above) is tiny — just eight two-top tables and a small bar — but offers delicious panini sandwiches and wine by the glass until 2 a.m. 7120 E. Becker Lane, Scottsdale, (480) 443-7162.
2. Brush Fire Arizona Grill
D’Vine Bistro owner Mark Nowicki and chef Ramon Rice have transformed the former Dual Contemporary Cuisine in Gilbert into an upscale but affordable showcase for bold-flavored barbecue beef and pork, steaks and other grilled meats (shown at left). 4972 S. Power Road, Gilbert, (480) 457-8903.
3. SanTan Brewing Co.
Stuffed burgers and gourmet pizzas nicely complement a half-dozen excellent beers crafted by former Four Peaks Brewing Co. brewmaster Anthony Canecchia at this half-century-old bank turned brew pub in restaurant-rich downtown Chandler. 8 S. San Marcos Plaza, Chandler, (480) 917-8700.
4. Chef H
This small, unassuming Gilbert restaurant just opened by chef Hesham Khalik, whose previous gigs include The Phoenician and Arizona Biltmore resorts, offers inexpensive Meditteranean food like gyros, kebabs and wraps that taste way too good to be so healthy. 3107 S. Lindsey Road, Gilbert, (480) 786-9829.
5. Andreoli’s Italian Grocer
Italian chef/proprietor Giovanni Scorzo (pictured at right) makes his own bread, mozzarella and chocolate at this north Scottsdale stand-alone shop, which includes a deli case of imported meats and cheeses and a small dining room crammed with a mish-mash of antique furniture. 8880 E. Via Linda, Scottsdale, (480) 614-1980.
6. Urban Campfire
Owner-chef Robert Stempkowski has worked at some of the Valley’s finest restaurants, but there’s nothing fancy about the inexpensive smoked meats and simple comfort foods dished out at the former Greasy Tony’s building on the edge of the ASU campus. 921 E. University Drive, Tempe, (480) 967-5524.
7. Luc’s
Decorated in creamy white and powder blue, Cliff Skoglund and Robert Hall’s luxurious desert hideaway in far north Scottsdale fuses Southwest, French and Asian cuisines in dishes like seven-spice pork tenderloin and nuoc-mam-marinated rock hen. 34505 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, (480) 488-3811.
8. EJ’s Steakhouse
High-back mahogany booths with linen-covered tabletops help generate a Rat Pack-era vibe at this cozy east Mesa strip-mall steakhouse (shown at left), which includes a swanky lounge on one side and its own full-service butcher shop on the other. 5609 E. McKellips Road, Mesa, (480) 985-2925.
9. Cien Agaves Tacos & Tequila
Thirteen types of tacos and the namesake 100-plus tequilas draw an eclectic crowd, ranging from baby boomer turistas browsing Old Town Scottsdale’s curio shops to hip 20-somethings who can pack the place after dark, to this rustic two-story restaurant and bar. 7228 E. First Ave., Scottsdale, (480) 970-9002.
10. Forefather’s Gourmet Cheesesteaks & Fries
The name pretty much sums up the menu at this south Tempe strip-mall shop, but the Philly Original — complete with Wiz, of course — is one of the better cheesesteaks in the East Valley, and the fries (or, if you choose, sweet potato fries) are pretty good, too. 8707 S. Priest Drive, Tempe, (480) 763-1776.
