Southwest Tables Sizzle

By Melissa Castleman and Amy Traverso, Sunset Magazine

Ask an old-timer in Phoenix or Scottsdale what the food scene used to look like, oh, 10 or 15 years ago, and you'll be painted the bleak picture of a ghost town in a spaghetti Western-minus the spaghetti. But that was before some exciting new chefs and restaurants rolled into the area.

Read on for the tables where we're most excited to pull up our chairs-and look for the sun icon, sun seekers: Several of these have great outdoor patios.

Barrio Café

This little high-energy spot is a riot of color. You won't find burritos, but you won't miss them with such comforting, robust fare to choose from as poblano chiles stuffed with chicken, apples, nuts, and cilantro, or blue-corn enchiladas with crab and Mexican goat cheese. $$$; 2814 N. 16th St., Phoenix; 602-636-0240.

Deseo

Sit at the ceviche bar and watch the chefs toss tuna with soy, citrus, and cilantro, or shrimp with roasted tomatoes and avocado. Douglas Rodriguez, the granddaddy of Nuevo Latino cooking, is consulting chef, and the menu takes classics like duck confit and wraps them in preparations like tamales steamed in banana leaves. Don't miss the Argentina-inspired churrasco of beef, a tender fillet served with a tangy chimichurri sauce (here made with basil instead of the usual parsley). The menu encourages multiple tastings with ceviche, soup, and entrée "samplers," so taste away. $$$$; Westin Kierland Resort, 6902 E. Greenway Parkway, Scottsdale; 480-624-1015.

Kai

The dining room's stunning views of the mountain-rimmed Gila River Indian Community are matched by the fabulous Native American-inspired cooking from the kitchen. Don't miss the Sioux-raised buffalo tenderloin with cholla cactus buds and saguaro-blossom syrup or the zippy olive oil made from fruit pressed by local tribe members and served up with warm, seeded breads. $$$$; Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa, 5594 W. Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Chandler; 602-225-0100.

Pizzeria Bianco

It's no surprise that Chris Bianco won a 2003 James Beard award for "Best Chef Southwest." Pizza fiends call his the best pies in America, and even when the mercury reaches 110°, folks still line up 40 minutes before opening. Why? Ingredients are impeccable, combinations are fresh but never wacky, and the pies are baked in a wood-fired oven. $$; 623 E. Adams St., Phoenix ; 602-258-8300.

Pane Bianco

The same standards that made Pizzeria Bianco such a critical success guide this 2-year-old take-out sandwich shop near Steele Indian School Park. Ingredients like tuna with arugula, lemon, and niçoise olives, or housemade mozzarella with fresh tomatoes and basil, are layered in crusty focaccia rolls (baked in-house, naturally). In the Italian tradition, everything is kept very simple and close to the source. $; 4404 N. Central Ave., Phoenix; 602-234-2100.

Zinc Bistro

Isn't it nice to know that, even on the edge of the Sonoran Desert, you can still get a good steak au poivre and proper pommes frites? Zinc Bistro brings a little Parisian flair to an upscale Scottsdale pedestrian mall. Have a kir at the zinc-topped bar and slather some pâté on crusty bread. $$$; Kierland Commons, 15034 N. Scottsdale Road, Ste. 140, Scottsdale; 480-603-0922.

More Great Eats

At the La Grande Orange Grocery, owners Craig and Kris DeMarco have turned a corner of Arcadia into a foodie mecca. $$; 4410 N. 40th St., Phoenix; 602-840-7777.

Brides in the know rush to Tammie Coe Cakes to place their cake orders with Coe, who is a master of multi-tiered confections. 610 E. Roosevelt St., Ste. 145, Phoenix; 602-253-0829.