The Larder + The Delta is a small restaurant operating out of a food stall inside downtown Phoenix's DeSoto Market. It's worth seeking out a meal here, though, since there's nothing else quite like it around town. Take a seat at the small counter, or put in your order and wait for it to be delivered to your table. Either way, you'll bask in the rich, often hearty flavors of the southern-inflected menu, which plays with creative pairings and puts a gourmet spin on down-home Southern classics. The menu is always being revised and updated, but look for house favorites like the fried pig ears garnished with crumbles of Cheetos dust. The KFQ (Kentucky Fried Quail) is also quite good, as is the irresistible fried chicken skin po boy sandwich.

Zookz Sandwiches is the brainchild of chef Carole Meyer, who spent 18 months experimenting with a patent-pending sandwich press designed to create delicious, wholesome "sandwiches with an edge." The disc-shaped grilled sandwiches at Zookz are crispy on the outside and deliciously gooey on the inside, made from scratch with freshly baked French, white or whole wheat bread. The bread is stuffed with your choice of thinly sliced meats, cheeses and other fillings and then sealed using Meyer's unique press.The fresh sandwich creations at Zookz promise to deliver exceptional quality while also delivering convenience to foodies on-the-go.

Once a humble downtown Phoenix food truck, Short Leash Hot Dogs is now one of downtown Phoenix's most-loved local eateries. The restaurant specializes in gourmet hot dogs - but these are not your typical ballpark hot dogs. They come wrapped in toasty, pillowy naan bread and topped with an assortment of unique, fresh ingredients. For example, there's the currywurst, a knockwurst sausage slow-cooked in a tomato and onion curry broth and then topped with crunchy onions. The results are playful and delicious. New hot dog specials grace the menu regularly. Don't miss the "Rollover" menu, featuring a delightful mix of gourmet donuts, including the infamous "The Bear" doughnut, a smoked gouda and bacon donut filled with peanut butter custard and topped with cracker jacks. The flavors are initially confusing, but ultimate a palate-pleaser.

Chris Bianco, the well-known chef and restaurateur, started Pane Bianco as an offshoot of Pizzeria Bianco, the award-winning Phoenix pizzeria that gained him national attention. Pane Bianco is a tiny sandwich shop with an even smaller menu. The menu consists of a few sandwiches and salads, but the results are extraordinary. All the breads are baked on site in the cafe's wood-fired oven, and the mozzarella could only be fresher if you made it yourself. (The mozzarella is in fact made in the restaurant). The focaccia and caprese salad are both outstanding. This is a popular take-out lunch spot, and it's easy to see why.

Noble Eatery may not look like one of the hottest lunch spots in Phoenix at first glance. The restaurant and bakery is shoehorned into a tiny cafe on an unassuming stretch of McDowell Road. But step inside and you suddenly feel like you've been whisked into a small town, Euro-style bistro, where the bread is lovingly shaped by hand and brought to life slowly over the course of three days. Noble bread has been quietly conquering the Phoenix food scene - the high-quality bread shows up on almost every high-end menu in town - and now, the restaurant side of the bakery is dishing out great sandwiches and bowls. The restaurant is only opening for lunch, but it's worth timing your Phoenix lunch just right to sink your teeth into the kitchen's daily selection of gourmet sandwiches.

You would think that finding authentic Neapolitan-style pizza would be a challenge in the Arizona desert. If traveling to southern Italy in search of great pizza isn't feasible right now, you can satiate your appetite for great pizza with a visit to Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana. The pizzeria features thin-crust pizzas made according to the ancient pizza-making traditions of Napoli, in an oven imported from Italy. The expansive menu runs the gamut from the classic margherita to savory specialties like the quattro stagioni (four seasons), which is loaded with sausage, mushrooms and salami. The menu also features antipasti, pasta dishes, and salads.

Comedor Guadalajara, situated on a quiet stretch of Central Avenue, has been catering to South Phoenix Mexican food-lovers for more than 40 years. The Sonoran-style menu is straightforward but consistently delicious. Tamales, burros, flautas, and chiles rellenos all make an appearance here, but the specialty at Comedor Guadalajara are their parrilladas--large, sizzling platters of grilled meats and seafood served with vegetables and special garnishing. This is a popular place to grab lunch, but it's also a family-friendly restaurant with a large and lively dining room. The kids menu features small burritos, chicken nuggets, and even small portions of menudo on the weekend.

Since it opened, folks have been clamoring to this hopping, no-reservations-accepted restaurant for its inventive southern Mexican and Southwestern cuisine. Abandoned are bland burritos and tacos in favor of lush, richly layered flavors achieved with zesty chiles, authentic cheeses, and complex moles. Start with guacamole prepared tableside (peppered with fresh pomegranate fruit) and then consider cochinita pibil, a delectable slow-roasted pork dish. Grilled steaks, seared duck breast, and seafood enchiladas are also much-requested. Plus, there's no better dessert than deep-fried fritters with goats' milk caramel - ask anyone. The restaurant also delivers a winning margarita, perfect for a long, leisurely afternoon with friends.

Ocotillo is a bonafide food and drink compound in central Phoenix, with a sprawling, ambitious menu of New American eats. Here, "New American" means everything from big plates of gorgeously burnished roasted chicken, enormous falafel burgers, or perhaps a small plate of roasted cauliflower that's almost as appetizing and richly flavored as a slab of steak. For dinner, the menu offers a selection of vegetable and meat small plates, house-made pasta dishes, and entrees. For lunch, feast on big, fresh gourmet salads, sandwiches, roasted chicken dishes, pasta, or put together your dream meal with various small plates. The restaurant is also home to an outdoor beer garden, a swanky indoor bar, an extensive wine list, an on-site gourmet coffee bar ("O-To-Go"), and a popular weekend brunch.