It’s my favorite foodie time of the year…It’s Arizona Restaurant Week. Going into their 11th year, with their best year yet.

Arizona Restaurant Week starts today, Friday, May 18th, and runs through Sunday, May 27th.

Arizona Restaurant Week
Spring 2018
May 18th – May 27th
arizonarestaurantweek.com

Arizona Restaurant Week is put on by the Arizona Restaurant Association and with an awesome group of sponsors put on this event every spring and fall. It’s a great way to discover some new local restaurants. The restaurant week menus include a multi-course dinner for $33 or $44. Regular menus area also always available but I highly recommend the special menu to try some new dishes.

A few weeks before every restaurant week, a few restaurants hold a media preview of the menu they’ll be serving during restaurant week. As a member of the local food media, the dine-around is one of my favorite events of the year. I love getting a sneak peak of the menus so that I share them with you. Not just the menus but I love supporting our local restaurants. Phoenix is an amazing food town and so many people haven’t yet discovered all that it offers.

Spring Arizona Restaurant Week Preview

First stop on the media tour was Fat Ox for the appetizer course. Fat Ox is one of my favorites – love the food, cocktails, and vibe. It’s a modern yet warm restaurant that serves elegant Italian dishes.

Fat Ox Arizona Restaurant Week Menu

Fat Ox is always top notch with hospitality and welcomed us with some bubbly. Followed by a Negroni (Fords Gin, Campari, sweet vermouth).

The Scallop Crudo is a very tasty antipasti starter. Gorgeous plating as always by Fat Ox.

Fat Ox
6316 N Scottsdale Rd
Scottsdale, AZ 85253

Hand Cut Burgers & Chophouse Arizona Restaurant Week

Second stop on the tour was Hand cut Chophouse for the main course. Have you ever been? Love their funky decor – I feel like there’s always more to see. I’m a big fan of burgers and steak, so this wasn’t my first visit. We sampled steak and very cheesy potatoes. Red wine pairs perfectly.

We also got to see a few of the other dishes that will be offered during AZ Restaurant Week

Besides wine, they have cocktails too

Hand Cut Burgers & Chophouse
Scottsdale Waterfront
7135 E Camelback Rd #154
Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Bario Queen Scottsdale AZ Restaurant Week

Final stop, this one for dessert, was to Bario Queen to their Scottsdale location. Their menu includes a 3-course menu plus beverage.

Barrio Bunuelo – crispy dough dusted with cinnamon sugar served with vanilla bean ice cream, served with strawberry compote, drizzled with Mexican chocolate sauce, Kahlua sauce and cajeta. YUM.

El Mexicano Blano – cinnamon sugar rim/two small ice cubes layered with Kahlua, camp azul reposado tequila/ homemade horchata/ cinnamon stick. WOW.

A few other items from the Arizona Restaurant Week menu – burrito, street corn, guacamole, and flan.

Bario Queen
Old Town Scottsdale
7114 E Stetson Dr.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251

 

Where will you dine this Arizona Restaurant Week? We want to know. Leave comments here or tag us on Instagram with your photos.

disclosure: I was invited for the media preview tour for Arizona Restaurant Week so I could share this event with my followers. All opinions are my own.