Monsoon season has arrived, bringing rainy-day promotions, restaurant openings, and some special events. While many Phoenicians head out of town this time of year, these latest restaurant happenings prove there’s still plenty worth sticking around for.
Have a tip? Send us a note via Instagram or by emailing info@diningout.com.
The 411
Taiwanese Teatime
Award-winning Taiwanese tea house Chicha San Chen opened its first Arizona location Friday at The Boulevard Shops in Chandler. Stop in for Taiwanese teas, coffee, juices, and boba, including Dong Ding Oolong, Cassia Black, and High Mountain Pouchong in flavors like honey, mango, and passion fruit, served hot, iced, or as boba.
National Tequila Day
It’s National Tequila Day this Friday, and where better to celebrate than Phoenix? Head to Diego Pops for its $15 Humana Tequila Flight, or experience La Hacienda’s famed Tequila Goddesses, who can guide guests through more than 250 labels of tequila, mezcal, and sotol.
Coming in Hot
PRESS Coffee will open its newest location on July 24 inside Sprouts’ corporate headquarters at CityNorth. The 700-square-foot café also sits across from the new Sprouts market and will serve both Sprouts employees and the public.
Más Tacos & Tequila, Por Favor
Award-winning Cien Agaves Tacos & Tequila opens its second Chandler location August 5 with a 4 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony. New menu additions include the Tampiqueña with grilled arrachera steak and Sea Bass Tacos, as well as handcrafted margaritas and the restaurant’s daily happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m.
Brunch with Your Bestie
Invite your girlfriends for a one-day brunch featuring French-inspired bites and Veuve Clicquot Champagne at Wine Girl in Scottsdale on August 9. Chef Remy Lefebvre of Depwa will serve dishes like the Waffle Croissant topped with chocolate vanilla ganache and raspberry, plus Matcha Crème Brûlée. Reservations required.
On the Menu
53 Years. 53 Burgers.
DeFalco’s Italian Eatery & Grocery is celebrating 53 years in business with an off-the-wall special: 53 scratch-made smash burgers served daily through the end of summer. Each burger comes on a soft potato bun and topped with cherry pepper relish. The house-cut fries flank the dish, and each batch gets double-fried in beef tallow and sprinkled with sea salt.
Summer State of Mind
Horse & Hyde Uptown designed a lighter menu for Phoenix’s hottest months. Standouts include the Chicken Salad Sandwich, Cowboy Cobb Salad, and a pulled pork sandwich served on a sweet Hawaiian roll. Daily happy hour specials take place from 3 to 6 p.m. and live music on the indoor-outdoor patio makes for an easy summer evening.
Comfort Food Refresh
Haymaker’s summer menu features protein-packed harvest bowls with blackened shrimp, grilled chicken, or salmon, and hearty barbecue platters served with cowboy beans and mac and cheese. The line up of Back Porch Refreshers”= are worth a shout out too, including The Preacher with Sprite, strawberry, and coconut cream, or the Blush Rush with prickly pear and lemonade.
Don’t Miss This Week
Need some dining out recommendations? Try these three hot spots.
Wednesday: With a 50% chance of rain, we’re keeping El Camino on our radar for hump day. All summer long, the restaurant is offering $3 beers during Scottsdale rainstorms through its “When It Rains, We Pour” promotion.
While the beer is a nice perk, it’s really the rotating Burger of the Month that has our full attention with Swiss cheese, caramelized onions, and mushrooms. Also, when temps reach 115 degrees, come back for the $5 fireball shots. So, if there’s a downpour, see you there.
Thursday: Quiessence at The Farm reopens this Thursday following its annual summer break, and we couldn’t be more excited. Find us there with a bowl of Chilled Asparagus Soup Amuse Bouche topped with crème fraîche. It’s that bit of sophisticated taste-of-summer we’ve been craving.
Friday: I had to try DeFalco’s 53th anniversary smash burger (mentioned above) for myself—and let me tell you—it exceeded my expectations. While there, I also sampled the housemade cheese and pepperoni pizzas, the porchetta on ciabatta, and the footlong Philadelphia cheesesteak.
