Hipster Mexican to Japanese-Sonoran fusion: 10 biggest restaurant openings of 2023, so far

Endia Fontanez, Arizona Republic
Updated ·7 min read

Just halfway through the year, metro Phoenix has already seen over a hundred new restaurants open their doors in 2023. Some of the most standout newcomers include Hai Noon, a Japanese-Sonoran crossover from esteemed chef Nobuo Fukuda and Course, an upscale 10-course meal from the mind of chef Cory Oppold.

And who can forget the long-awaited return of Fazoli's? The chain returned to Phoenix earlier this year, with plans to expand throughout the Valley in the coming months.

If the long list of recently opened restaurants is overwhelming, do not fret: we've narrowed it down to the 10 most exciting, must-try new restaurants that debuted in metro Phoenix this year.

32 new restaurants in metro Phoenix: Brunch, tacos and Italian paninis

Central Records

The Smoked Salmon Sando at Central Records Wine Cafe in downtown Phoenix on Feb. 15, 2023.
The Smoked Salmon Sando at Central Records Wine Cafe in downtown Phoenix on Feb. 15, 2023.

Metro Phoenix's first record cafe opened in February. Central Records serves sandwiches, mushroom pate, tagine spiced olives and drink options including coffee, wine, beer and canned cocktails.

"Music, food and coffee and entertainment are age old pairings," said owner Jake Stellarwell. "We are not re-inventing the wheel. We are just bringing really, really well-intentioned and well-curated aspects to a single space."

Details: 824 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-638-0433, @central.records on Instagram.

Course

Romaine, jidori chicken oysters, oyster mushroom and smoked oyster veloute from Course, a new multicourse restaurant in Scottsdale.
Romaine, jidori chicken oysters, oyster mushroom and smoked oyster veloute from Course, a new multicourse restaurant in Scottsdale.

Celebrity chef Cory Oppold, former executive chef of Atlas Bistro and 2019 "Chopped" champion, has opened Course, a fine dining restaurant in Scottsdale.

Dinner, served Thursday to Saturday, consists of 10 courses for $190. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, there is a five-course option for $135. Wine pairings are available for $125 for the 10-course pairing and $85 for the five-course meal which includes dishes like the "oyster course" composed of charred romaine lettuce topped with oyster mushrooms and chicken oysters fried and glazed in honey mustard set atop smoked oyster veloute.

Details: 7366 E. Shea Blvd., Suite 106, Scottsdale. 480-687-0491, courserestaurantaz.com.

Fabio On Fire Panini & Gelateria

Chef Fabio Ceschetti, chef and owner at Fabio on Fire Panini and Gelateria, holds a panini made with homemade dough, 18-month-aged prosciutto di Parma, pistachio pesto, burrata, pecorino spread and an olive oil drizzle inside the restaurant in Peoria on June 13, 2023.
Chef Fabio Ceschetti, chef and owner at Fabio on Fire Panini and Gelateria, holds a panini made with homemade dough, 18-month-aged prosciutto di Parma, pistachio pesto, burrata, pecorino spread and an olive oil drizzle inside the restaurant in Peoria on June 13, 2023.

Fabio Ceschetti, the chef and owner of the popular West Valley Italian restaurant Fabio on Fire, opened a second restaurant in Peoria in June. The new restaurant focuses on paninis and gelato, hence the name. Panini options include the Toscano, made with porchetta al forno a legna or wood-roasted pork belly, provolone, parmigiano spread, fried zucchini and extra virgin olive oil and the Donna di cuori, made with mortadella with pistachios, creamy mozzarella, Sicilian pistachio pesto, arugula and extra virgin olive oil. Gelato options include pistachio, cherry, stracciatella — sweet cream with chocolate shavings — and mascarpone with Nutella.

Details: 24775 N. Lake Pleasant Parkway, Suite 101, Peoria. fabioonfire.com.

Fazoli's - Sky Harbor

The fast-casual Italian chain might seem like an outlier on this list, but after waiting over 10 years for the chain to reopen, Arizonans excitedly welcomed the state's first location since 2008 at Sky Harbor International Airport earlier this year.

And several more locations are on the way. An Instagram post in August 2022 announced the chain's return to Phoenix and promised a total of nine locations.

Details: Sky Harbor International Airport, 3800 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Terminal 4. Phoenix. fazolis.com.

Hai Noon

Chef Nobuo Fukuda prepares panko-fried tofu with green papaya salad and curry dressing at Hai Noon inside Sonder The Mariposa in Scottsdale on April 5, 2023.
Chef Nobuo Fukuda prepares panko-fried tofu with green papaya salad and curry dressing at Hai Noon inside Sonder The Mariposa in Scottsdale on April 5, 2023.

Sloane McFarland and Ian Rosales, the owner and chef of Welcome Diner, teamed up with James Beard Award-winning chef Nobuo Fukuda, formerly of Nobuo at Teeter House, to open Hai Noon earlier this year. The logo for Hai Noon depicts a saguaro growing out of a bonsai. It is meant to represent the cross between Japanese and Sonoran cuisine, which is reflected in the restaurant's menu.

The Southwestern feel of nearby Old Town Scottsdale and the restaurant's location inside a motor lodge were factors. And combining the American Southwest with Japanese food felt like an obvious choice, McFarland said, pointing to samurai movies inspired by Western films as another way Southwestern and Japanese cultures are connected.

Hai Noon's menu includes small bar bites like shishito peppers, duck salad and cauliflower and sugar snap peas. The restaurant also offers limited availability of tuna, salmon, oysters and yellowtail. The drinks menu includes Japanese beers and sake, plus cocktails such as the Typhoon made with orange, lemon, pineapple, pomegranate, yuzu juice and barley shochu.

Details: 7017 E. McDowell Road, Scottsdale. hainoonaz.com. Instagram: @hainoonaz.

Latha

Digby Stridiron, chef and co-owner at Latha Restaurant & Bar, plates shrimp moqueca and coconut rice grits at the restaurant located within the Diaspora Collective in Phoenix on April 19, 2023.
Digby Stridiron, chef and co-owner at Latha Restaurant & Bar, plates shrimp moqueca and coconut rice grits at the restaurant located within the Diaspora Collective in Phoenix on April 19, 2023.

Evelia Davis opened Latha — Swahili for flavor — at Heritage Square in April to bring a taste of African culture and cuisine to Phoenix. Located inside the Silva House, it's part of the Diaspora Collective, a space that includes a soko (market), a restaurant and a bar. With it, she hopes to share the story of the pan-African diaspora.

The restaurant, headed by chef Digby Stridiron, serves a range of dishes representing the entire diaspora, including flavors of Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean and the Southern United States. The menu includes a number of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.

Highlights include shrimp moqueca, jerk pork chops, piri piri wings, berbere fried chicken and an Amarula cheese torte.

Details: 628 E. Adams St., Phoenix. lathaphx.com.

Cocina Chiwas

Husband and wife Armando Hernandez (left) and Nadia Holguin pose for a photo at Cocina Chiwas in Culdesac Tempe on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023.
Husband and wife Armando Hernandez (left) and Nadia Holguin pose for a photo at Cocina Chiwas in Culdesac Tempe on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023.

Fans of the popular Phoenix restaurant Tacos Chiwas rejoiced at the opening of a sister restaurant, Cocina Chiwas, on Apache Boulevard in Tempe. Co-owners Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin opened the new restaurant with a focus on Chihuahuan-style tacos, wood-fired quesadillas and mesquite grilled meats with prices ranging from $10 taco plates to more expensive steaks.

The bar serves cocktails made with agave spirits, including a Paloma made with grapefruit soda, lime juice and tequila, Sotol hibiscus punch and an absolutely delicious piña colada.

Details: 2001 E. Apache Blvd., Tempe. @cocinachiwas on Instagram.

Sauvage

Bottles of wine are displayed at Sauvage Wine Bar at the Helen Anderson House in Phoenix on March 22, 2023.
Bottles of wine are displayed at Sauvage Wine Bar at the Helen Anderson House in Phoenix on March 22, 2023.

Chris Lingua has moved and expanded his natural wine shop, Sauvage, from The Churchill to the historic Helen Anderson House in downtown Phoenix, where he serves a well-curated menu of wines made from sustainably farmed grapes with little interference, a selection of mezcals, Amari, organic port and digestifs, priced per glass from $16 to $25.

There's also a menu of snacks and small bites from select Valley chefs and food vendors. Patrons can find popcorn, olives, labneh, a cheese plate and seasonal charcuterie from Underbelly, as well as desserts from Dinersaur. Prices range from $6 to $25.

Details: 149 W. McDowell Road. sauvagephx.com.

Chilte

Owned by former NFL player and chef Lawrence "L.T." Smith and his fiancée, Aseret Arroyo, the popular Chilté Tacos food stand opened as a brick-and-mortar restaurant at the Egyptian Motor Hotel on Grand Avenue on Feb. 3.

Though the restaurant can best be described as serving Mexican cuisine, Smith draws inspiration from all parts of the world and tries to understand how a particular food relates to the foods of his childhood and how he can incorporate global flavors into the restaurants' specials.

"We are the new wave rather than a fusion restaurant," Arroyo said. "We are taking a different approach to cookie-cutter recipes."

Details: 765 Grand Ave., Phoenix. 602-807-5225, chiltephx.com.

Source

At Source, Chef Claudio Urciuoli focuses on the integrity of the ingredients.
At Source, Chef Claudio Urciuoli focuses on the integrity of the ingredients.

Chef Claudio Urciuoli drew a loyal following of fans at his woodfire Phoenix restaurant Pa'La, which he parted ways with in the fall of 2022 to focus on Source. Though the casual Mediterranean counter service restaurant technically soft-opened at Epicenter in Agritopia in December 2022, it officially opened this year in January.

As promised, he keeps things simple with a menu that includes vegetable and cannellini bean soup with house bread; smoked prosciutto, Parmigiano Reggiano and house bread; Controne chickpea hummus, chermoula and za'atar flatbread to start, along with a couple of salads, sandwiches, fresh-made pizzas and a grain bowl, and fresh baked loaves of bread and a rotating selection of desserts.

Details: 3150 E. Ray Road, Gilbert. eatatsource.com.

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Reach the reporter at endia.fontanez@gannett.com. Follow @EndiaFontanez on Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Most exciting new Phoenix restaurants of 2023 (so far)