Nobuo at Teeter House
Chef Nobuo Fukuda's See Saw was one of Scottsdale's first destination restaurants, and its closing in 2009 marked a low point in the city's culinary development. But Fukuda is back, this time in a classic downtown Phoenix building, serving Japanese cuisine-a recent omakase menu featured seven different takes on sashimi-that's among the best in the country. 622 E. Adams St., Phoenix, 602-254-0600, nobuo
fukuda.com

Culinary Dropout
Sam Fox is one of the valley's most successful restaurateurs, with a baker's dozen of unique rooms on his resumé. And while the buzz is around his new room, Arrogant Butcher, we're still partial to this more casual gastropub, which is really hitting its stride after 16 months. The low-key (and low price) menu blends comfort food like sweet corn cannelloni with a perfect, page-long beer list. 7135 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale, 480-970-1700, foxrc.com

FnB
This little spot initially created a buzz with its gimmicky all-Arizona wine list (which turns out to be pretty decent), but it is chef Charleen Badman's clean cooking (think dishes like crispy stuffed squash blossoms and rabbit paté with figs and pickled peppers) that has made this room one of the most coveted tables in Scottsdale. That and the $5 flat fee for bringing your own beer. 7133 E. Stetson Dr., Scottsdale, 480-425-9463, fnbrestaurant.com

Noca
Though this room is no longer new, chefs still tell us it's top of their list for a special occasion. This room on Camelback Road may be nondescript (Great Clips for Hair is next door), but the menu channels a note-perfect Berkeley farm-to-table vibe (their sandwich menu has no equal in Arizona) and the expansive wine list has the best selection of impossible-to-source California and Oregon pinot noir in the state. 3118 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, 602-956-6622, restaurantnoca.com

Elements
Hotel dining is iconic in Scottsdale and no room captured the vibe of the early 1990s better than the swank Elements and its panoramic views from the Sanctuary resort. Though the stunning views remain, the space has been entirely re-imagined and chef Beau MacMillan has updated the menu. He's clearly having fun with his new smoker, and the raw options, from sashimi to shellfish, all work wonders on the palate. 5700 E. McDonald Dr., Scottsdale, 480-607-2300, sanctuaryoncamelback.com

Grind
A $10 Nogales burger with chorizo and poblano peppers cooked in a 1,000-degree coal-fired oven, paired with a $4 pint of Kilt Lifter Scottish Ale, is the perfect recipe to cure the valley's woes. This casual spot in the ultra-hip Arcadia neighbourhood is always packed with folks who have cottoned to a place where the menu tops out at the $17 Kobe burger, root beer is on tap and they serve warm donuts with salted butterscotch for dessert. 3961 Camelback Rd., Phoenix, 602-954-7463, thegrindaz.com