Go here when you want very high quality food in an intimate kitchen setting. The owners are charming and involved in the customer experience and the quality of the food. This is a gourmet restaurant.

Also consider Tarbells.

Go here when you want a casual bite to eat that you can bring kids to, anything impromptu as it is a large restaurant space in Scottsdale Quarter that normally doesn't need a reservation. The food is organic and hippyish but it caters to most tastes with staples like pizza.

Also consider North Bar at Kierland Commons or Parc Central

Go here when you are in the mood for dinner with your significant other, or with another couple. Citizens public house is also a good place for ladies celebrating a birthday or another event. There is a good price range in the menu, from a $10 burger to a $30 steak which covers to all tastes.

Also consider Herb Box or FNB

Go here when you want to have a casual fun time with friends where you can share modern and contemporary Thai food in family style. Soi4 has a Scottsdale quality and atmosphere but is reasonably priced.

Also consider Stingray, Geisha-au-go-go,

Go here when you are out shopping at Scottsdale Quarter and want a quick drink, lunch or dinner. It is reasonably priced with tasty food and has a good contemporary twist on modern dining.

Also consider Bar North at Kierland Commons, True Foods.

Go here when you want to impress clients, friends from out of town or a date. Tanzy is a good place to go with a group of friends for a night out.

Tanzy isn't intimate. It is loud, bustling, full of life and with large tables. The bar area bleeds into the restaurant and into the nearby iPic theater. For that reason it is a great place to go for that style of outing, night life and being seen.

Also consider Roka Akor, Sushi Roku

Go here when you are not in a hurry and enjoy an Italian style meal without the lashings of cheese and cream sauce.

POMO is a traditional style Italian Pizzeria which mimicks the Napoletana style of food, drinks, coffee and restaurant. The culture of the resturant is unhurried and the atmosphere is crowded and bustling which mirrors the large street scape on the western wall.

Also consider Grazie, Humble Pie, Parlor

Go here when you are in Kierland Commons and want a drink.

Bar North is a nice bar at Kierland Commons. Its main draw is its patio which is nice and sunny and looks out into the main area. It is good for a relaxing drink after shopping and watching other shoppers wander by.

Also consider Humble Pie

Go here when you are with a group for happy hour and want to catch a bite to eat as well.

Hula is well set up as a happy hour modern restaurant with a large patio and inside spaces that open up to the patio directly. They also have good happy hour deals. The food is modern Polynesian style and nearly everything is a permutation of seafood.

Also consider Maizie's Cafe, Switch, Fez or Postino on Central.

Go here when you are down on Mill and looking for a modern or contemporary restaurant rather than a chain restaurant or pub.

La Bocca is the only place on Mill Avenue that is like the modernist and contemporary restaurants of Arcadia and Old Town Scottsdale. The patio for La Bocca winds from the front of the restaurant to the side so you can watch the comings and goings of University influenced Mill Avenue while you relax.

Also consider Grazie, Humble Pie, Parlor

Go here when you are on a date or dinner with friends.

Vatra is a new modernist grillhouse in eastern Arcadia along Indian School in what used to be a gas station. The building has been modernized beautifully and the main eating area, the bar and the patio are well organized.

Update Vatra has closed and re-opened as Kitchen 56.

Also consider Tuckshop, Pasta Bar, Avalon

Go here when when you are doing a casual dinner with friends downtown, a late night dinner or a drink after work.

Cibo is located in a house at the corner of 5th Avenue and Filmore. It is an Italian style pizzeria and more traditional in its pizza than some of the contemporary and modernist pizzerias.

Also consider Grazie, Humble Pie, Parlor

Go here when for lunch when you are in the neighborhood, or to watch a game.

RnR is a modernist tavern in the same style as the Vig. It looks like a sports bar from the outside, but this does it a little of a dis-service. It fits with the Phoenix style of contemporary restaurant and bar.

Also consider The Vig, Daily Dose or Bungalow.

Go here when you are meeting up for Friday night dinner and drinks. The Vig is very Phoenix tavern experience and great for taking an out of towner to a comfortable, casual, modern restaurant and pub.

The Vig Uptown is the new Phoenix tavern that has spawned from the successful Vig on 40th St in Arcadia. The Vig Uptown doesn't have 40th St's outdoor area but compensates for that by a very cool glassed in indoor-outdoor style area.

Also consider The Vig on 40th, RnR or Daily Dose

Go here when you are downtown and you want sushi as it is currently the only sushi place downtown. It is a good restaurant for having dinner after work as it is reasonably priced for a Japanese style restaurant.

Moira isn't the largest restaurant around and tables can fill quickly. While the staff is very friendly and polite the service can be a bit spotty when it gets crowded.

Also consider Sens, Pastabar and Ra.

Go here when you are heading downtown with your significant other or with friends on the weekend.

Pasta bar has pasta dishes as their main menu which are very tasty but also heavy. The plates aren't huge which is good, personally I dislike the twenty pounds of pasta that some places serve up and which you know you will never be able to eat through.

Update Sadly Past Bar has closed.

Also consider Tuckshop, Cibo or Sens

Go here when you want a light and casual lunch or dinner. Also good for having happy hour downtown.

Fez is in the modernist Phoenix style of setting and food. It has a good mix of seating and an open floor plan which makes the restaurant usable for drinks, lunch and dinner.

Also consider Switch, Postinos on Campbell or Lisa G's.

Go here when you are having happy hour after work with a group of people, or meeting for lunch or dinner in downtown Phoenix.

Switch is in the urban contemporary Phoenix style. It has a good mix of seating environments which makes it usable from happy hour drinks, to quick lunch to a casual dinner.

Also consider Fez, Maizie's Cafe, Postinos on Central, Lisa G's or Hanny's.

Go here when you want an intimate romantic date or for a family birthday.

Metro is French food which is quite rich and heavy. There are sandwiches on the menu but it isn't really suitable for a quick bit to eat if you order anything from the main menu.

Update Metro Brasserie as closed.

Also consider Coup De Tartes, Bario Cafe or Olive and Ivy

Go here when on weekend for a date or meet friends after work on a weekday. Alternatively if you are downtown for something like the art walk.

Also consider Fate, Chevrounts, Cibo or My Florist

Go here when you want a casual lunch or dinner. It is a good place to meet for happy hour after work in Central Phoenix.

My Florist is located where one of Phoenix's largest florist's used to be. My Florist is in the modernist style and is unique in having a pianist play while you are eating or chatting.

Note Myflorist has closed.

Also consider Chelsea's Kitchen, Postinos on Central, Lisa G's or Maizies Cafe

Go here when you want to wind down from the working week with bruschetta, sandwiches and wine; or just for happy hour after work.

There are now two Postinos Winebars or winecafes, one on Campbell and 40th, and the other in central Phoenix on Central and Colter. They have the same menu, though Postinos on Central has a better patio. The main thing to be aware of is saying which Postinos you plan to meet up at; it can cause confusion.

Also consider Postinos on Campbell, AZ88 or The Vig.

Go here when you want a great pizza in a nice family style environment with a glass of wine or beer.

Humble Pie has a wide bar area with big screen TVs that are on the current sporting event which gives it a bar-like feel, but in reality it is more a family style pizza winebar. At dinner there will be families with children and grand-parents in the mix. The main reason to go to Humble Pie though - is the pizza. It is excellent.

Also consider Grazie, Parlor and Le Grande Orange

Go here when you are in the mood for a casual dinner, a relaxing place to take a date, or when you are meeting friends after work.

Parlor is a new Pizzeria in Central Phoenix. It has a large bar area so is a good environment for happy hours after work. It is also near to the 51 which is a good accessible location for groups to navigate their way to. In Phoenix, being new generates its own demand. Parlor will probably be a busy place and continue to be busy if it establishes itself.

Also consider Grazie, Humble Pie and Le Grande Orange

Go here when you have a group get together for happy hour.

Furio is a modernist restaurant in the contemporary Phoenix style. The dinner menu is a bit heavier than most of the other modernist restaurants in Old Town Scottsdale. Furio is dimly lit inside with a mix of stools, booths, lounge chairs and more formal dinner tables.

Also consider Postinos

Update Furio is now closed.

Go here when for casual lunch or dinner when the weather is good and you can hang out on the patio.

The main draw of Arcadia Farms on 1st Avenue is the patio which wraps the back, side and front of the building. The restaurant is a converted old house which is in an old traditional style. Arcadia Farms isn't modernised with a contemporary look like many Phoenix restaurants are. The food is good and the patio is excellent.

Also consider Orange Table or My Florist

Go here when there is a long wait at Postino's and you have already handed your car over to the valet service.

Radio Milano is the red-headed step child of the group of restaurants on 40th and Campbell. Undeservedly as it has good food and is a nice atmosphere.

Also consider Postino's on Campbell, Chelsea's Kitchen and The Vig.

Go here when you want to have a casual dinner with friends or when you are downtown.

Maizies Cafe is a good place to catch a quick bite. It has a nice atmosphere and pleasant staff. There is a mix of seating; high chairs, bar area, lounges and cafe tables and chairs. The food is good and there is a strong selection of drinks.

Also consider Postinos on Central or Lisa G's

Go here when you want breakfast, brunch or a casual dinner.

The Daily Dose leans toward the tavern or pub side of feel and presentation. The food is more pubbish than restaurant and there is a strong selection of drinks of all kinds.

Also consider The Vig

Go here when you are meeting up for Friday night dinner and drinks. The Vig is also good for taking an out of towner to lunch as it is casual with upscale pub food but in a modern Phoenix setting.

The Vig has one of the best patios in Phoenix. The outdoor area of the restaurant includes a mix of seating and cover from the sun; such as roofing, trees and umbrellas. Despite it tavernish aspirations The Vig is a direct competitor to the likes of Postinos, Chelsea's Kitchen etc as a trendy place to hang out. There is now a second Vig, the Vig Uptown on 16th and Bethany.

Also consider The Vig Uptown, RnR or Chelsea's Kitchen

Go here when you want a casual brunch, lunch or dinner. Orange table is also excellent for breakfast.

Orange Table has a very informal style, almost hippyish. The outdoor patio normally has several bicycles leaning up against the central pole. Dogs are welcomed on the patio as well. This is one of our favorite places in Phoenix.

Also consider Daily Dose, Cafe Zuzu or Pita Jungle

Go here when you want to meet up after work, for a Sunday brunch, or for a nice relaxing weekend dinner.

Bomberos is in a modern contemporary setting with a large patio out the back of the restaurant. The food is excellent and in a similar style to Postino. Seating is a mix of lounge chairs and small tables.

Update Bomberos has closed due to disputes between the restaurant and the landlord. We were there on their final weekend being open and it was packed. Hopefully Bomberos re-opens in a new space somewhere as it was a wonderful restaurant.

Also consider Postino's on Central, Lisa G's or Chelsea's Kitchen.

Go here when you feel like an intimate dinner with friends or family.

The Tuckshop is in a neighborhood rather than downtown or in a mall; which gives the restaurant a nice feel. The Tuckshop is in the modernist Phoenix style.

Also consider Lisa G's, Switch or My Florist.

Go here when you want to catch an early dinner. It is also a good 'pre-place' to go to on the weekends before heading out for the night.

The crowd at AZ88 goes in phases, moving from the gray hairs to the hipsters as the evening goes on. It draws an eclectic crowd of gays and straights. AZ88's food is light and it has a very good patio. There can be a long wait on weekends though as it is quite popular.

Also consider Stingray, Furio or Postino's.

Go here when you want to meet for lunch or after work for a drink, or a casual dinner. Lisa G's is a good downtown location to catch up over happy hour.

The food is based on the sliders model and comes in sets of four small servings. The restaurant has a nice outdoor patio, a comfortable bar area and modernist interior.

Note Unfortunately Lisa G's is no longer open.

Also consider Fez, Switch, Maize's Cafe or Postinos on Central

Go here when you want to meet people after work for drinks or dinner. Chelsea's Kitchen has a fantastic patio. There are better places to eat in Phoenix and often the wait is not worth it but it is a great place to meet people.

Chelsea's Kitchen is part of the Le Grande Orange, Postino's and Radio Milano group of restaurants that cluster around 40th. Chelsea Kitchen is just north of Camelback Road.

Also consider Postinos on Campbell or Cheuvronts

Go here when you want to wind down from the working week with bruschetta, sandwiches and wine; or just for happy hour after work.

There are now two Postinos Winebars or winecafes, one on Campbell and 40th, and the other in central Phoenix on Central and Colter. They have the same menu, though Postinos on Central has a better patio. The main thing to be aware of is saying which Postinos you plan to meet up at; it can cause confusion.

Also consider Postinos on Central, AZ88 or The Vig.

Go here when you want a modernist meal with good wine in contemporary settings. Avalon is a good change from the normal Scottsdale restaurants and an ideal place for a birthday, or for taking someone from out of town to a Phoenix style restaurant.

Avalon is located on McDowell Rd and 77th just in-front of the 3 Palms Resort. The setting inside is dark, contemporary with lots of mood lighting. The food is heavy on taste but not so filling that it feels like you will burst.

Also consider The Tuckshop, Furio, Roka Akor

Go here when you feel like sitting out on a large patio and eating strong tasting pizza with wine.

Grazie Pizzeria and Wine bar is a restaurant with a big patio in Old Town Scottsdale. It is located on Main Street near the Valley Ho.

Also consider Humble Pie, Parlor, or La Grande Orange Pizzeria.

Go here when it is a special occasion and you feel like sushi or Japanese in a high end modernist environment.

Roka Akor is a relatively expensive Japanese restaurant located on Scottsdale Road just north of Indian Bend. The food is fantastic and the presentation excellent.

Also consider Sushi Roku at the W Hotel on Camelback.

Go here when you are in downtown Phoenix and want a drink at a modernist bar. Hanny's is good if you want to get some food while you are having a drink.

Hanny's is owned by the same folks as AZ88 in Scottsdale. The downside is that the food at Hanny's is not as good as at AZ88. Their tends to be an over reliance on fried onions as garnish which is kind of Hanny's schtick.

Also consider AZ88, Postinos on Central or My Florist.