Nappy New Year all! Will be staying at Sanctuary on Camelback in Feb and am looking for two dinner nights. Always loved Lon's and have been to all of the steak places in town (Mastro's group, etc.) but need some help for fresh ideas. Don't want to drive too far. I find the Zagat ratings for PHX to be inflated compared to other cities. Love farm to table, Southwest fare, New American. Thanks in advance.
Both within 15 minutes of Sanctuary:
Crudo is about as far from Southwestern or New American as you can get, but for my tastes it's bar-none the best restaurant in Phoenix. Italian-style small plates, the best dishes are the house-made cheeses, the raw fish preparations, and their house-smoked olives. This is also one of the best craft cocktail destinations in town, and the wines are good, including by-the-glass choices. Caveat: we've encountered occasional duds in the cooked dishes, specials, and desserts, but many of them are very good as well.
If you haven't been to Richardson's, check it out for some legitimately good, authentic New Mexican, in a mid- to upscale setting. Even after having lived in Santa Fe now for the better part of a decade, this place still impresses as the real deal. Anything that has green chile or adovada in the description is going to be outstanding. Good value on the wine list and some good cocktails as well. Sister restaurant Rokerij is good too but I prefer the original.
Check out Bourbon Steak for a new take on the traditional steakhouse experience or Zinc Bistro for a little French flair next time you're in the Valley.
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