It’s also one of the most reliably excellent restaurants in the Valley — a BYOB, to boot — that has never been better than it is under the auspices of chef Cory Oppold. But in 2012, he returned to Old Town and opened up a time portal on Scottsdale Road, leading straight into a bygone era of white tablecloths, soft music, servers who know when not to talk and Italian fare that sports a little class while satisfying on a deep, visceral level. This swanky joint with a Scottsdale nightlife vibe is in a part of town where it could have easily coasted on image alone. You make just one batter, but after baking you end up with three layers of cake, fruit and custard. There are endless reasons to love FnB, a quirky, cozy space that embodies its proprietors’ penchant for marching to their own beat. Soups like a squash puree or a lobster bisque have a silky feel and bold intensity; and a side of ancient grain risotto is a nutty delight. Find North Scottsdale restaurants in the Scottsdale area and other neighborhoods such as Carefree, Central Scottsdale, Cave Creek, and more. Franco’s gently tiptoes the line between Italian and American, embracing some of the New World’s meatier, saucier habits without drifting into full-blown red sauce territory. A delicately composed tostada or bruschetta might light up the specials board. Find Scottsdale restaurants. Those who forgot about Virtù need to come back for another look, and soon. What’s evolved is something leading-edge and lush, a tribute to his Italian roots with a hefty dose of American ingenuity. They range from the chaos of paella plied with sea critters of every stripe to the aching simplicity of pan con tomate. Grandma's old fashioned crab cake rollThis cake is truly magical. Oft overlooked due to its distance from the city’s core, Lamp serves a pizza that’s modestly topped, roundly flavored and crisper than most. This is contemporary dining, but there’s a lingering hint of cowboy cuisine in Pacheco’s menu, from a smoky tortilla soup with pulled chicken to a confit duck crepe with spiced mole to gorgeous pecan-roasted lamb. And though it’s one of Phoenix’s prime specimens, the pizza isn’t even the best thing on the menu. VPN-certified (that’s food geek speak for “hardcore traditional”) Neapolitan pizzas, such as the margherita and bufala verace, do a fine job of conveying the style’s chewy countenance, bubbling cornicone and straightforward adornment. But it has evolved into something more — a local restaurant group that has harnessed popular Italian fare and elevated its integrity without sacrificing its broad appeal. That’s a theme carried straight through every aspect of the experience — from the refined room to the stunning desert views to the dishes that glide in and land on the table. Filled with California- and Italian-influenced classics you can ease into like a worn leather chair, the menu’s focus on pure flavor, unfussy presentations and classic comforts is at once timeless and squarely on trend. The way Badman ropes in diverse international influences while expressing Arizona’s underappreciated agricultural bounty is unparalleled. Republic dining critic Dominic Armato selected his favorite restaurants around the Phoenix area and these are the best restaurants in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley.It was difficult to choose, but one single criterion emerged for deciding which restaurants to include: How excited he is for you to try them.Click MAP IT! It isn’t that he hasn’t done his homework. His collection of wood-fired pizzas and fresh pastas is a delectable, never-ending work in progress that pushes diners just a little bit further with each successive year. But I’m still stuck on the swordfish steak, a juicy specimen set ablaze by an herbal, green harissa. A bit of American brashness meets European sensibilities while drawing in flavors from around the world. The Phoenix-area restaurant scene has witnessed tremendous growth over the past decade, both in quality and diversity. There’s Charleen Badman’s preternatural ability to coax vegetables into revealing their truest nature; her talent for sizzling premium proteins on the grill; and Pavle Milic’s zeal for Arizona wines and spirits.