Fine Dining

Kai

(5594 West Wild Horse Pass Blvd., 602/385-5726, www.wildhorsepassresort.com, dinner only Tues. - Sat., $20-$53)

The strange New Native American cuisine at Kai, one of the most unique five-star restaurants in the West, seems at first completely foreign; but then, slowly, one realizes that most of the foreign-sounding ingredients are actually as native as they can be. Consider that Kai, which means “seed” in the local O’odham language, serves baby lettuce hand-picked by children from the Gila River Indian Reservation and you’ll begin to understand what’s going on here. The menu is fascinating, and the interiors proof that Native American motifs can be made new and surprising again.

Cafes

Harlow's Café

(1021 W. University Dr.,480/829-9444, 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. daily, $5-$8)

You’ll likely see a few hung-over A.S.U. students trying to quell their head-fire in bacon grease at Harlow's Café, a favorite and filling greasy spoon in Tempe. Head here for no-frills, short-order comfort food for breakfast or lunch. Special fans of the genre should definitely visit.

Burgers and Steaks

Monti’s La Casa Vieja

(100 South Mill Ave., 480/967-7594, www.montis.com, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sun.-Thur,, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Fri.-Sat., $11.95-$25)

Monti’s La Casa Vieja occupies the oldest standing building in Tempe, across from the now-closed flower mill and ferry stop that gave the riverside suburb its life in the early days. Monti’s has atmosphere to spare, good steaks and burgers and prime rib, and a crowded, fun cantina.

Rustler’s Roost

(8383 South 48th St., 602/431-6474 www.rustlersrooste.com, 5 p.m. -10 p.m. daily, $14.95-$29.95)

Another Valley favorite is Rustler’s Roost, a cowboy-style steakhouse that seeks to recreate a rough-hewn ranch mess-hall near South Mountain. Here you’ll get pots of cowboy beans and steaming ears of corn, thick steaks, an always celebratory atmosphere and expansive views of the desert and city. This place is great for families, and has a relatively inexpensive kids’ menu offering small steaks and ribs. If you’re just visiting Arizona, this may be your one chance to try fried rattlesnake.

Four Peaks Brewing Company

(1340 E. 8th St., 480/303-9967, $7.50$17, www.fourpeaks.com, 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m. Sunday brunch (happy hour from 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. daily and 10 p.m.-close)

You won’t find many hand-crafted microbrews better than the varieties served at Four Peaks near campus in Tempe, and the pub eats and entrées—burgers, sandwiches, pizzas, and some really excellent starters—are equally as good. The happy hour from 7 P.m. to 10 p.m. daily features cheap appetizers and drinks and is always a fun time.

Middle Eastern

Haji-Baba Middle Eastern Food

(1513 E. Apache Blvd., 480/ 894-1905, 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Mon.-Sat., Noon - 5 p.m. Sun.(takeout only), $5-$8)

A storefront in a strip mall just south of the ASU campus in Tempe, Haji-Baba serves without a doubt the best Middle Eastern food in Arizona. The babaganoosh is amazing, as is the hummus, the gyros, the kebabs, and the falafel. The place is laid-back and casual, with a bustling grocery store operating behind a thin partition; it’s often packed, and the service can be a bit lackadaisical, but the food is perfect and cheap.

Italian

Caffe Boa

(398 S. Mill Ave., 480/968-9112, www.cafeboa.com, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sun.-Wed., 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Thur.Sat., $7.95-$30)

Caffe Boa serves the East Valley’s best Italian and Mediterranean food in an intimate setting in the busy Mill Ave. District. The panini here are particularly good for lunch, and there’s a new dinner menu every month, always featuring delectable and creative pasta dishes grounded in tradition.

Indian and Vegetarian

Delhi Palace

(933 E. University Dr., #103, 480/921-2200, indiandelhipalace.com, dinner: 5 p.m.-10 p.m. daily, lunch buffet:11:30-2:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 11:30 a.m.4:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun, $5-$15)

Perhaps the best Indian food in the state is served out of the Delhi Palace near A.S.U., offering the well-known dishes prepared well; the service can be patchy, but you will never leave unsatisfied, especially after partaking in the buffet.

The Udupi Café

(1636 N. Scottsdale Rd., 480/994-8787, www.udupicafeaz.com, dinner: 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Sun., Mon., Wed., Thur., lunch buffet: 11 a.m. -3 p.m. Sun., Mon., Wed., Thur., $5-$15)

The Udupi Café serves rather different Indian fare, dishes that may be unfamiliar to haunters of American-style Indian joints exclusively. If you’re feeling a bit experimental, though, this is the place to go. Some 80 percent of the food here is vegan, so those brave souls will want to go crazy.

Mexican

Casa Reynoso

(3138 S. Mill Ave, 480/966-0776, 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m., Tue.-Thur., 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sun., Closed Monday, $20 -$40)

The food at Casa Reynoso is prepared from old family recipes passed down from an older place in the Central Arizona mining region of Globe-Miami. The Mexican food here is a bit more authentic than your average chimichanga hut, and the hacienda-style building gives the place an Old Mexico aura that makes for a fun night out just slightly north of the border.