2 Arizona restaurants made USA TODAY's best-of list. Here are 5 more we wish we could add

Bahar Anooshahr, Arizona Republic
·3 min read

USA TODAY released its 2024 Restaurants of the Year list, which features 47 of the best restaurants in America. Two Arizona restaurants made the list: Glai Baan for homestyle Thai street food and Cocina Chiwas for mesquite-grilled specialties.

Glai Baan and Cocina Chiwas are solid choices and totally deserve the recognition. And the list got us thinking about some of the other restaurants we feel deserve national accolades.

From fancy French to Arizona-centric, Sonoran cuisine to Italian, these are five award-winning metro Phoenix restaurants that should have joined Glai Baan and Cocina Chiwas on USA TODAY’s list of best restaurants in the U.S.

Christopher's at Wrigley Mansion

Charcoal pillow of Hudson Valley foie gras from Christopher's at Wrigley Mansion in Phoenix.
Charcoal pillow of Hudson Valley foie gras from Christopher's at Wrigley Mansion in Phoenix.

Classic French cuisine presented in a modern way in a gorgeous setting? At Christopher's a surprising, multi-course meal comes with a stellar a view of the city below and the stars above. Award-winning chef Christopher Gross's restaurant is about attention to details, from chargers embellished with the chef's drawings to dishes served on a sculpted hand modeled after the chef's life partner to secret compartments for flatware, not to mention to food itself. It's no wonder that Gayot gave the restaurant a rare 18 out of 20 score and titled their review: "When poetry invites itself to the table."

Details: Christopher's at Wrigley Mansion, 2501 E. Telawa Trail, Phoenix. 602-522-2344, wrigleymansion.com/christophers.

Valentine

The elote pasta dish at Valentine restaurant in Phoenix.
The elote pasta dish at Valentine restaurant in Phoenix.

Valentine is Chef Donald Hawk's "love letter to Arizona." The 2022 James Beard semifinalist for Emerging Chef created his minimalist menu to showcase Arizona produce and indigenous ingredients. The restaurant and not-so-secret Bar 1912 are named as nods to Arizona's official statehood day, February 14, 1912. Aside from Arizona, the menu also tells a story of Hawk growing up in the Mesa suburbs and working his way through different restaurants from casual to fine dining. The crispy cauliflower is "inspired by the sweet Asian marinades on Korean fried chicken, as well as the orange chicken at Panda Express." And it's a must-try. Valentine's pastry chef, Crystal Kaas, has also received multiple recognitions, including 2023 James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef, for her innovative baked goods.

Details: Valentine, 4130 N. Seventh Ave, Phoenix. 602-612-2961, valentinephx.com.

Bacanora

An assortment of dishes and drinks at Bacanora including a tomahawk steak, aguachile, quesadillas, cucumber salad, warm calabaza, tamarind honey daiquiri, margarita, and La Chareauna on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, in Phoenix.
An assortment of dishes and drinks at Bacanora including a tomahawk steak, aguachile, quesadillas, cucumber salad, warm calabaza, tamarind honey daiquiri, margarita, and La Chareauna on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, in Phoenix.

Named after a Sonoran agave spirit, Bacanora is the brainchild of chef Rene Andrade, who reinterprets the foods of his childhood in Nogales in fresh, inventive ways. His culinary experience includes stints at The Mission, Elements and as executive chef at Ghost Ranch where he built his following. Since opening, Andrade and Bacanora have gained national attention as a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef Southwest in 2023 and Best New Restaurant finalist in 2022. And The Republic's former dining critic gave Bacanora a rare five stars.

Details: Bacanora, 1301 NW Grand Ave., Unit 1, Phoenix. 602-612-4018, bacanoraphx.com.

Tratto

Cacio e Pepe at Tratto in Phoenix is a killer dish.
Cacio e Pepe at Tratto in Phoenix is a killer dish.

Chris Bianco — 2022 James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Restaurateur— opened Tratto in 2016. The restaurant started as an intimate temple of creative Italian foods made with Arizona ingredients. In 2020, Bianco moved to larger digs in a 103-year-old building on Van Buren Street and in 2021, the restaurant landed on the New York Times list of America's favorite restaurants, in no small part because of the infamous cacio e pepe and farinata — and Italian chickpea pancake.

Details: Tratto, 1505 E. Van Buren St., Phoenix. 602-296-7761, trattophx.com.

Source

At Source, Chef Claudio Urciuoli focuses on the integrity of the ingredients.
At Source, Chef Claudio Urciuoli focuses on the integrity of the ingredients.

This is ingredient-driven restaurant was opened by chef Claudio Urciuoli, formerly of Pa'La restaurants in Phoenix. Located at the Epicenter at Agritopia in Gilbert, Source is a restaurant, bakery and small market where Urciuoli offers high quality dishes that he says he would make for his family. He worked with Trevor Routman, to create delicious seasonal Mediterranean menu of pizzas, salads and not-to-miss bread.

Details: Source, 3150 E. Ray Road, Gilbert. eatatsource.com.

Props: 22 Arizona restaurants made national headlines in 2023. Here's why

Reach the reporter at [email protected]. Follow @banooshahr on X, formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 5 Phoenix restaurants we wish we could add to USA TODAY's best list

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