Bahar Anooshahr

3 days ago | azcentral.com | Bahar Anooshahr |Ed Masley |Endia Fontanez |Bill Goodykoontz |Michael Salerno |Dina Kaur | +1 more

In February 2025, The Arizona Republic published 100 essential restaurants, and it included both relative newcomers and longtime favorites, including a few historic haunts that laid the foundation for the city's diverse and ever-evolving dining scene. These restaurants have stood the test of time — some for decades — serving everything from Sonoran birria and Japanese comfort food to New York-style deli sandwiches and fry bread tacos.

2 weeks ago | azcentral.com | Bahar Anooshahr |Endia Fontanez |Reia Li

Metro Phoenix enjoys a bustling LGBTQ+ nightlife scene year-round thanks to a few classic watering holes and dance clubs. Phoenix's diverse bar scene includes places everyone in the LGBTQ+ community can celebrate their niche, from gay men in leather to drag queens in glitz and glamor. Phoenix is also home to one of the country's last-remaining lesbian bars.

3 weeks ago | usatoday.com | Bahar Anooshahr

Hap's Pit Barbecue is closing after 34 years on July 11. Barbara and Dan Darroch opened Hap's as a trailer in 1991 at Dan's used car dealership at 24th and Jefferson streets. To entice more customers to visit, he built a smoker on the chassis of a GMC truck. They remained there, tucked between a car repair lot and an adult shop, until 2001, when they moved into their current brick-and-mortar on Washington and 48th streets.

3 weeks ago | azcentral.com | Bahar Anooshahr

Welcome to First Bite, The Arizona Republic's guide to can't-miss dishes at restaurants that are new — or new to us. Sunny's Lounge in Phoenix introduced a new cocktail called the Malevolent James, an old fashioned infused with blended smashburgers. The Malevolent James is made with Jim Beam, anejo tequila, celery salt, and a hint of brioche bun, served with a side of boozy malt. When I first read about the new smashburger-infused old fashioned at Sunny's Lounge, I did the expected double-take.

3 weeks ago | azcentral.com | Bahar Anooshahr

While eating at newly opened establishments around the Valley over the last couple months, I discovered three restaurants with sandwiches that every foodie should put on their list. And while it's fun to go out to dinner, there's something indulgent about a really great lunch or breakfast built around a perfectly constructed sandwich.