Holidays often mean out-of-town guests, and if you’re anything like us, you want to show off your city. This usually means a visit to a favorite restaurant or watering hole. While we have thoughts on the most exciting newcomers to the eating and drinking scene, there are a few standby spots that always make the list when playing tour guide to friends and family around the Valley.
This list is far from inclusive, but: Endia Fontanez never misses a chance to take someone to Jewel’s Bakery and Cafe, Bahar Anooshahr loves snagging brunch at pop-up Requinto when the timing works out, Reia Li loves a leisurely dim sum excursion to Great Wall , and I love a fancy, lingering meal at Santo Arcadia . The places below are the spots that are reliable and accessible enough that we take every guest, without fail.
These are our favorite metro Phoenix restaurants and cafes to take visitors.
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Café Mollie
Café Mollie’s menu is inventive, serving up a mix of classic Vietnamese coffee drinks, like egg coffee, and innovative takes featuring staple Asian flavors like pandan and black sesame. One of my favorite menu items, the salted coffee, features a bitter, dark-roasted base sweetened with condensed milk and topped with a creamy, salted cold foam. Every trip to the bustling café is an adventure in deciding which drink to try next, as they also feature a rotating seasonal menu. I’ve taken multiple Asian American friends when they’ve visited me and, without fail, they tell me how they wish their city had Café Mollie, too.