The Mission

This is the restaurant you're going to start hearing about at all your Bunco parties, or at book club, or at whatever it is you call it when you get together with friends to do a certain thing but really you just drink and talk. The lunch, brunch and dinner hot spot is operated by Brian Raab of the Manhattan-ish Merc Bar, Terry Ellisor and chef Matt Carter, the steady hands that brought us the fabulously French Zinc Bistro. Carter promises "new Latin" food from Peru, Spain and Ecuador and delivers clever items such as chipotle grits, swordfish buñuelos, roast corn gordita and a fried banana dessert with butter, nutmeg, peanuts and dulce de leche that would make Elvis cry. The Mission stocks about a zillion tequilas, too, so there's ample opportunity to learn how to sip, not shoot.

See more: Northeast Valley restaurants, Scottsdale restaurants, Old Town restaurants