The gist: The sister restaurant of Melrose’s Restaurant Progress, Sottise enchants from the moment you walk through the door with its warm atmosphere, shareable French-inspired fare, excellent aperitifs, and vibey playlist that sets the tone from happy hour to after-hours. The century-old bungalow that houses Sottise stands out against the growing backdrop of highrises and apartment complexes that pack the Downtown Phoenix landscape, providing an intimate, slowed down dining experience for hungry bon viveurs.
The food: Refined, unpretentious cuisine that draws inspiration from Paris and the French countryside, with a nod to the classics—think warm baguettes decorated with cultured butter and fig jam and savory veal broth onion soup. Standouts include the baked camembert with calvados honey and hazelnut vinaigrette, salmon rillette, braised pork shank, and the croque harmonized with country bread, French ham, gruyere, and egg.

The gist: A new ramen concept by the restaurant pros who blessed us with Clever Koi, Across the Pond, and Fellow Osteria. The Scottsdale Skysong newbie takes a fast-casual approach with counter-service, build-your-own ramen bowls, and a shortlist of sides all served in convenient takeout packaging. Hanging out? Slurp your noodles in Clever’s art-peppered dining room or bring your bao out to the shaded open-air patio.
The food: Choose from traditional, vegan, or gluten-free ramen options and stock your customizable bowl with your choice of full-flavored broth, hot proteins including braised pork belly, chicken, or grilled tofu, and don’t forget the veggies and housemade kimchi. Sides including a full selection of steamed bao buns that run the gamut from pork belly and hot chicken to kimchi cauliflower are on standby. And the kimchi cheese fries and Krazy Fries, decked out with black pepper garlic aioli and pork belly, are a savory indulgence, respectively.

The gist: A fashionable, ultra-luxe hangout oozing with opulence, Wren & Wolf gives restaurant-goers the royal treatment, with caviar served in fabergé eggs, gooey raclette, bread service that involves a literal tower of carbs, and delectable, inventive cocktails. The dining room features drapey greenery, ambient lighting, and whimsical decor ranging from large scale murals painted by local artists to taxidermied animals of the night including coyote, fox, and wolf. It’s truly a visual and sensory experience. A day-to-night experience, the wolf in Wren and & Wolf symbolizes night, and the wren, daytime.
The food: Open for espresso in the morning and martinis at night, Wren & Wolf offers an expansive menu brimming with over-the-top indulgences, many of which are made from locally sourced ingredients—Crow’s Dairy, Chula Seafood, Sonoran Pasta. Steakhouse classics like cast-iron-cooked filets, dry-aged meatloaf and more out there offerings like wild boar ragù and bone-in schnitzel are just a few of the hearty, elevated dishes you can sink your teeth into at Wren & Wolf.