Chefs absolutely love these 10 metro Phoenix restaurants: 'Dining is an expression of art'

Corrections & Clarifications: Course chef-owner Cory Oppold's name was misspelled in an earlier version of this article.

The Arizona Republic published our annual list of the 100 essential restaurants of 2024 in January. It's a collection of the places we keep going back to, curated by not only the dining team, but other editors and reporters who cover the Valley's music, travel, arts and entertainment scenes.

While this list offers plenty for your dining to-do list, we wanted to know which restaurants were essential to local chefs. So we spoke to some well-known metro Phoenix chefs about their favorites, which ran the gamut from historic to new; casual to fine dining; hole-in-the-wall to award-winning.

Here's a look at 10 Phoenix restaurants local chefs have on permanent rotation.

Silvana Esparza: Durant's

Local icon, owner of Barrio Cafe and 2023 James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Chef, chef Silvana Esparza's essential Phoenix restaurant is Durant's. Open since 1950, Durant's is one of Arizona's oldest restaurants. It's long been a destination for movers and shakers the likes of Joe DiMaggio, Clark Gable and John Wayne. Find fried calamari, crab cakes, sauteed chicken livers, grilled scallops with herb cream sauce, 8-ounce slow roasted prime rib, a 22-ounce bone-in ribeye and the famous 48-ounce porterhouse steak.

Details:  2611 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-264-5967, durantsaz.com.

Cory Oppold: Chula Seafood

Food Network star and chef-owner of Course restaurant in Scottsdale, Cory Oppold is a fan of San Diego-based Chula Seafood for "amazing ingredients and amazing flavor profiles." Patrons can grab seafood to prepare at home or order from the menu of dishes like clam chowder, Hawaiian style poke and seafood sandwiches.

Details: 8015 E. Roosevelt St., Scottsdale. And 100 E. Camelback Rd., #172, Phoenix. And at 20581 N. Hayden Rd., #100. Scottsdale. chulaseafood.com.

Crystal Kaas: Wanwaan

The pastry chef of Valentine, Crystal Kass has been a James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef two years running. Her current favorite restaurant is neighboring take-out spot Wanwaan, which translates into "the good old days." Owners Thunder and Goong Vance brought their experience from Glai Baan to open their own Thai eatery in the Highland Food Hub.

Details: Located inside Highland Food Hub at 720 W. Highland Ave., Phoenix. 480-646-7125, @wanwaan.az on Instagram.

Rene Andrade: Pho 43

Rene Andrade, chef of Bacanora and James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef Southwest in 2023 and 2024, always recommends Pho 43. He's not alone in his love of the casual spot. The popular family-run Vietnamese restaurant in west Phoenix serves about 20 versions of pho, appetizers like banh xeo Vietnamese crepes, rice dishes, macarons and large macron ice cream sandwiches.

Details: 2844 N. 43rd Ave., Phoenix. 602-269-3383, @pho43express on Instagram.

Tracy Dempsey: FnB

Renowned pastry chef Tracy Dempsey's go-to restaurant is FnB, run by chef and co-owner Charleen Badman, James Beard Award winner for “Best Chef — Southwest” in 2019. Badman's plates highlight local, Arizona vegetables with dishes such as cauliflower adobo with i’itoi onion relish, perfect paired with Arizona wines like ‘Renato’s' Grenache blend from Los Milics, her partner's vineyard.

Details: 7125 E. Fifth Ave., Suite 31, Scottsdale. 480-284-4777, fnbrestaurant.com.

Donny Hawk: Old Town Taste

The executive chef of Valentine, and James Beard Award semi-finalist for emerging chef in 2022, Donny Hawk, without hesitation, shouted out Old Town Taste. Open in Tempe since 2019, the restaurant serves Shandong and Sichuan food with a chef's recommendation section that features items like House Specialty Spicy Pot, made with beef tripe, potatoes, spam, lotus root, celery, tofu skin, wide vermicelli, quail eggs and squid.

Details: 1845 E. Broadway Road, Tempe. 480-702-7101, oldtowntaste.com.

Gio Osso: Hush Public House

Chef and owner of James Beard Award nominee for Best Restaurant 2014, Virtu Honest Craft, Gio Osso has a few favorites, including Dom Ruggiero's Hush Public House. The restaurant is scheduled to appear on Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," season 38 in episode 16: "Bird, Belly and Beef." Some of the menu highlights include Sonoran Pasta Co. mafaldine, pork ragu, parmesan reggiano and crispy cauliflower with coconut curry, shaved almonds, golden raisins and lime.

Details: 14202 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 480-758-5172, hushpublichouse.com.

Mahfam Moeeni-Alacron: Anhelo

Moeeni-Alacron of Mingle + Graze in Chandler raved about chef Ivan Jacobo's fine dining restaurant Anhelo, for both food and service. The menu offers a choice of cold first course, hot second course, an entrée and dessert. The hot course section features dry aged tuna with peppered demi-glace, chive, smoked olive oil, sun choke puree and lemon balm. "Anhelo is a reminder to us that fine dining is an expression of art, love and vulnerability," Moeeni-Alacron said.

Details: 114 W. Adams St., Suite 103C, Phoenix. 602-596-7745, anhelorestaurant.com.

Dom Ruggiero: Vecina

Chef and owner of Hush Public House and Fire at Will, Dom Ruggiero reccomends Vecina, which translates into "neighbor." The little gem in Arcadia has a Latin-inspired menu featuring dishes like hiramasa ceviche made with grilled pineapple, coconut leche de tigre and crispy tortillas and Saltspring mussels, served with Spanish chorizo jalape?o citrus broth, mesquite grilled Noble bread.

In addition to Vecina, Ruggiero seconded two of our essentials on his list, Glai Baan and Little Miss BBQ.

Details: 3433 N. 56th St., Phoenix. 602-675-2000, vecinaphx.com.

Chris Bianco: Valentine

Famous pizzaiolo and James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Restaurateur in 2022, Chris Bianco loves a meal at Valentine. Chef Donald Hawk and pastry chef Crystal Kaas have made a menu of dishes with Arizona-centric ingredients. In a recent Instagram post, Bianco called his meal at Valentine "a truly special 3 meal point restaurant with a fantastic late night bar @1912_phx round back for the late night owl in you."

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

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Best Phoenix restaurants, according to local chefs