Page 38 September 2015 By Josh Cutlip Everyone has their go-to restaurant that they frequent for a guaranteed satisfying meal. But here’s a question: If I can guarantee satisfaction, why not try something new? Here are my top five restaurants you may not have heard of, but definitely need to try. 5. The Corner 50 W. Jefferson St. Suite100 Located at Cityscape in downtown Phoenix, The Corner acts as a classic sandwich shop, selling grilled cheese, BLTs, and Reubens along with soup and salads that will make your mouth happy. Sandwiches are served with coleslaw and pickles; the salads are full of color and flavor. Their menu is also rounded out by delicious pizza, perfect for any occasion. The Corner is a seat-yourself restaurant with a large cafe style setup, including family sized tables and barstools, complimented by artwork, all of which give a feeling of home. The Corner also includes a Fractured Prune doughnut shop located in the southeast corner of the restaurant so you can enjoy a hot, fresh doughnut after your delicious meal. It’s a win-win scenario: good food, good doughnuts, happy you! 4. Frank & Lupe’s 4121 N. Marshall Way There are a lot of good Mexican restaurants in Arizona, but my go-to place is Frank & Lupe’s. Their menu has all the favorites including tacos, enchiladas, chimichangas and a lot of sopapillas (sweet and savory). Plus it’s only a short drive from Fashion Square, on Marshall Way in Old Town Scottsdale. With summer cooling off in the coming months, the outdoor patio seating provides a great area to enjoy your delicious fish tacos with beans and rice. Or, if you prefer, you can have an enchilada in the quaint dining area indoors. Whichever option you choose, the meal would be incomplete without my favorite treat, churros with ice cream. Who could say no to that? Not me, that’s who! 3. Welcome Diner 924 E. Roosevelt St. You may have read about this place in my review of the Phoenix Fry Crawl, and yes, Welcome Diner is good enough to write about again. If the pulled pork or cheddar and sausage gravy fries weren’t enough to get you over to 10th and Roosevelt streets, then maybe the fried chicken sandwiches on warm biscuits will. Options for the chicken sandwiches include the Big Jim, fried chicken with cheddar cheese, bacon and sausage gravy, or my favorite, the Koko, a delicious piece of fried chicken with chipotle sauce, arugula and tomato. They also serve burgers like the unique PB&B, an unconventional burger with peanut butter, pickles, bacon and cheddar. If you’re not a fan of meat, don’t you worry: The Welcome Diner has the Fried Green Tomato sandwich with chipotle sauce and arugula, their Grilled Cheese sandwich with tomato confit, and a vegan Pulled Jackfruit Po’boy with coleslaw and Carolina barbecue sauce. In case you don’t know, Jackfruit is a tropical – and delicious – Asian fruit. Pro Tip: Welcome Diner has happy hour all night on Tuesdays between their regular weekly hours from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. and they are unfortunately closed on Mondays. 2. Fuzzy’s Taco Shop 414 S. Mill Ave. Suite 115 If you haven’t tasted one of these tacos from the corner of Fourth Street and Mill Avenue, then you haven’t experienced the delicious combination of meat or grilled vegetables with lettuce, tomato, feta cheese and a smooth garlic sauce that rounds out all the flavors. And guess what: The tacos are only a $1.50 on Tuesdays! That’s as exciting as an all-day happy hour! With a wide variety of fillings like chicken, ground beef, fish, grilled shrimp, grilled veggies and more, these tacos are very delicious. The unique flavor of the garlic sauce combined with the addition of a homemade hot sauce is unbeatable. Other menu items from Fuzzy’s include burritos, salads, nachos, enchiladas, fajitas and quesadillas. If you’re still unsure about whether you want to try it, just remember: There is no harm in trying a few tacos for less than $5 on a Tuesday! 1. Craft 64 6922 E. Main St. I have eaten at a lot of pizza restaurants like Pomo, Pizzeria Bianca and Cibo, but this newly opened brick oven spot in Old Town Scottsdale is already as good as its competition. When I heard that the chef for Craft 64 came from Pizzeria Bianca, I knew that it would be delicious. The menu is flooded with different wines and 36 different beers, 34 of them coming from Arizona breweries. The pizza comes out around 12 to 14 inches, proving enough food for yourself, and even enough to split with a friend. The salami and chorizo are both salty and mild, while the fennel sausage adds some spice. Even if you don’t eat meat, you can’t go wrong with the menu. The caprese sandwich, served with house-made bread provides a delicious Italian option for vegetarians. Located on Main Street next to the Tortilla Factory, this place should be a must on everyone’s list. For a full review, check out our July issue of Arcadia News ! I know what you’re thinking, “Josh there is so much delicious food described on this page, where am I supposed to start?” My response? You can’t go wrong with any one of these places, so let your heart (and stomach) lead the way! That was my top five. What’s yours? Gimme 5: Local restaurants you probably haven’t tried