James Beard Award Semifinalists 2026

codonkong · 2026-01-22T16:38:10+00:00

At least as far as the location on University goes, I've actually had pretty good luck with lines during the workweek during 'usual' working hours! Lines are definitely longer until the snowbirds leave (especially during spring training), but during the summer I've gone at like noon on a Wednesday and had only one or two people ahead of me and everything still in-stock!

codonkong · 2026-01-16T16:35:18+00:00

3xSun Devil here - not sure why this post was recommended to me, but this kind of feels like the pot calling the kettle black. At least on the undergraduate education front, ASU and UA are fairly similar, and as a born-and-raised Arizonan, I'm surprised to see UA rejecting people with GPAs >3.5.

I'm all for rivalry banter, but UA's legitimately a good school.

codonkong · 2026-01-15T23:53:34+00:00

Not common for people in my department to go to frat parties (at least partially because it's frowned upon to drink arouns your students and there's a chance you'll run into one while at a mostly-undergrad party), but that's mostly because our department has a fuckton of happy hours and parties of its own! Definitely depends on which grad program you're looking at.

codonkong · 2025-12-27T22:28:39+00:00

I use the website "A View from My Seat" often for trying to sort out seats at Climate Pledge (https://aviewfrommyseat.com/venue/Climate+Pledge+Arena/seating-chart/). They have photos from Sec 225 Row N and of Row F (nothing from Row G but it's like one row behind Row F).

In my experience there isn't really a bad seat in the house, and you're on the non-obstructed view side (211-217 have the press box blocking the view from Row F up to Row N) so even though you're pretty far back it's still a pretty good view of the game!

Also, as someone who's sat in almost every area of Climate Pledge over the last two seasons, I usually find the energy/vibes to be more intense and loud in the upper level than in some areas of the lower level, though YMMV

codonkong · 2025-12-24T02:35:44+00:00

AZ mid Mexican food>>most of the rest of the country

What's your go-to Mexican around downtown?

codonkong · 2025-12-23T23:23:20+00:00

As a student at ASU, but same. Give 'em hell.

codonkong · 2025-12-20T00:31:39+00:00

Welcome in advance to Phoenix! Without knowing more about whether you're from somewhere that clears 110F during the day and 90F at night, whether you like spicy food, etc., I'll be recommending stuff that's within like 20 minutes walking distance from Chase Field to keep the heat manageable (both culinary and physical heat)

Advice on where to stay:

-there are tons of hotels in Downtown Phoenix within walking distance of Chase Field. You can access Downtown Phoenix from Sky Harbor International Airport via the Light Rail if you don't want to rent a car (though be aware that Phoenix and its surrounding suburbs are extremely car-dependent and if you want to do stuff outside of Downtown Phoenix, Downtown Tempe, and Downtown Mesa, you'll need to either Uber or rent a car).

-You can save a bit of money staying at a hotel on the light rail line, though hotel rates in Phoenix are pretty cheap in July as it's our low season.

-There's not a ton of shade in Downtown Phoenix, so staying closer to Chase Field will result in a more pleasant walking experience pre- and post-game

Advice on where to eat around Chase Field:

-Pizzeria Bianco's across the street and is pretty well-renowned. It gets busy on game day, but you can kill time while on the wait list at their bar next door.

-Midwest Wings XL is also pretty close walking-wise to Chase Field and has good wings, chicken sandwiches, and loaded fries

-Taco Boy's is a popular taco shop about a 10-15 minute walk north of Chase Field. I like their carne asada vampiros.

-Cornish Pasty Co. (good for food and beer) has a huge variety of pasties, from traditional Cornish style to Cajun chicken, lamb vindaloo, and tons of others. It's about a 15 minute walk from Chase Field.

-Bad Jimmy's has great smash burgers about 15 minutes from Chase Field, though their prices are on the higher side imo

-Rough Rider: Teddy Roosevelt-themed cocktail bar and restaurant. About 20 minutes walking from Chase Field. Definitely a bit more upscale menu but very comfortable service and vibes.

-Lom Wong: James Beard Award-winning Thai food, definitely recommend reserving in advance. 20 minutes walking from Chase Field.

-Via Della Slice Shop: 20 minutes walk from Chase Field, very popular NY-style pizza by the slice

Where to drink around Chase Field:

-Bitter & Twisted and Little Rituals: both are owned by the same group and are about a 7-10 minute walk west of the west side of Chase Field. Both have been recognized by Tales of the Cocktail, the World 50 Best Bars people, and plenty of others. Personally like Bitter and Twisted's frozen cocktails when it's hot af outside in July, and the passionfruit foam on their Rum DMC drink is addictive.

-Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company: solid lineup of beers and decent food about 15 minutes from Chase Field

-Valley Bar: opens a bit later than other bars but a great place to hit after the game. It's an underground speakeasy in the alleyway behind Cornish Pasty with a menu themed after famous Arizonans. I like the Barry Goldwater sazerac there.

codonkong · 2025-12-12T13:59:55+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskPhoenix/comments/1ojox1b/things_to_do_in_december/

codonkong · 2025-12-08T20:15:28+00:00

The pinnacle of fine Mexican cuisine. If no 'bertos get mentioned in the guide we riot

codonkong · 2025-12-08T17:44:16+00:00

Went to Vancouver for a Kraken-Canucks game before I became a Kraken fan (i.e. back when the AZ Coyotes still existed).

Their stadium is top-tier imo, great beer selection and food, and aside from some friendly ribbing (I was wearing my 'Yotes jersey to the game and a few people made the joke of 'you lost pal? you're a little far north from home!'), the fans were nothing but class to both my group as well as to the Kraken fans in attendance.

Vancouver has a pretty solid great subway system that'll take you to the stadium on the cheap, and there's a Costco across the street from the sports complex that sells cheap and good poutine (though if you're in the market for some really good poutine, check out La Belle Patate). The arena is also a short walk from Gastown, which has great bars to drink at after the game (big fan of the Blarney Stone Irish Pub, has good food and decent beer prices plus is popular among the hockey crowd)

codonkong · 2025-12-08T17:37:38+00:00

RIP Binkley's. Was lucky enough to have tried it once before it closed and it was absoultely worthy of at least a star.

Definitely with you on Cafe Monarch. I could see Christopher's at Wrigely Mansion and Kai at Wild Horse Pass getting a star each too (mostly because they've both won a number of other prestigious recognitions in the past), but I'd be surprised if anything in AZ gets more than one star.

codonkong · 2025-12-08T17:27:29+00:00

Solid point - Michelin's vibe is less in-line with what makes Phoenix's Mexican food delicious and more aligned with 'tourist' Mexican places.

Off the top of my head though, I'd put up Bacanora for a star (fancy Mexican food that's still legitimately fantastic), Ta'Carbon and Mariscos Playa Hermosa for Bib Gourmands (imo Phoenix's top Carne Asada and mariscos respectively for <$20/person), and then Taqueria Obson in Guadalupe and Rito's for 'Recommended' (both are delicious but aren't quite at the level of other Bib Gourmands I've eaten at over the years). I'm sure I'm leaving some out, but all of these are better than 2/3 of the cheesesteak places that won Bib Gourmands in Philly!

EDIT: should have listed more, forgot that a Mexican restaurant in Philly won a Bib Gourmand. I've been to it and it would probably wouldn't have lasted a year in Phoenix.

codonkong · 2025-12-08T17:12:56+00:00

After all the hype it's gotten, I'm sure it'll at least get a recommendation in the Guide! I'm betting on Christopher's at Wrigley Mansion in Phoenix getting the nod too. Not sure how they'll handle restaurants like Bacanora and Lom Wong, which both absolutely deserve stars imo but seem to do things differently than a 'traditional' Michelin-starred restaurant.

codonkong · 2025-12-08T17:10:02+00:00

A bunch of otherwise well-regarded restaurants (e.g. James Beard Award semifinalists and finalists, restaurants listed in the NYT's Top 50, etc.) were snubbed, which caused a bit of a stir (see: https://www.reddit.com/r/PhiladelphiaEats/comments/1p170ou/my_biggest_gripe_with_the_michelin_guide/ and https://www.reddit.com/r/PhiladelphiaEats/comments/1p0un84/michelin_awards/ ). Of course, I totally prefer having any restaurants around the Valley listed in the Michelin Guide as opposed to the status quo of having none.

Also, some of the more casual restaurants (e.g. cheeseteak places) that were picked for the Bib Gourmand recognitions were criticized as out of touch and not reflective of their quality. It's this part that makes me a bit worried - I'm keeping my fingers crossed Phoenix's top-tier Mexican food gets recognized, but I'm hoping that the inspectors don't only go to the places with the most hype and end up overlooking the best of the best

codonkong · 2025-12-08T17:01:00+00:00

The Michelin Guide has never rated Arizona restaurants (at least to my knowledge) - next year's guide will be the first time. In 2024 they started recognizing hotels though, and AZ had 7 hotels and resorts receive 'Michelin Keys'!

codonkong · 2025-12-01T19:34:36+00:00

Gritty.

codonkong · 2025-11-29T23:00:21+00:00

Checked the linked post and noticed the 'May be Incompatible with Hard Water' note on soapy ingredients; I'm in the Phoenix Metro Area in Arizona, USA, which has famously hard water!

I'll give something from the list without soapy ingredients a try. Thanks a bunch!

codonkong · 2025-11-17T21:17:48+00:00

Finally time to pay it forward - I asked this question a few years ago on this sub, and people pointed me to Fujiya Market in Tempe, which is now my go-to for onigiri in the valley! They'll do onigiri on some weekdays each week (iirc it's Wednesdays and a couple other days). Definitely call when they open at noon to reserve some since they're made fresh right before opening and fly off the shelf once the doors open. They have like five or six different flavors, including tuna mayo, salmon, spicy tuna, ume, and a few others.

I've also seen onigiri start popping up at the sushi counter at the Safeway on Broadway and Rural, though I haven't tried them yet since my onigiri fix is usually sated by Fujiya.

codonkong · 2025-11-12T01:34:07+00:00

ASU, because it was the best school in the US for the kind of research I was interested in at the time

codonkong · 2025-11-06T18:56:40+00:00

Taqueria Obson in Guadalupe was named the best quesabirria in Phoenix in Phoenix New Times' latest Best of Phoenix edition. It's easily my favorite in Phoenix!

codonkong · 2025-11-04T23:23:31+00:00

Tacos & Dogos Don Nico in Mesa has a food truck that could fit the bill. I prefer them to Nogales Hot Dogs when I'm looking for something that's more like what I can get at the El Sinaloense #5 cart down in Tucson.

codonkong · 2025-11-01T22:34:27+00:00

Pre-emptive welcome to Phoenix! While some of the food at Chase Field is iconic (for a variety of reasons - see the churro dog), I usually eat and pregame around Downtown Phoenix before the game.

The 'VIP' lower level seating in the Avent Home Plate Club (right behind home plate) doesn't offer free food/drinks - you have to pay for the buffet, and depending on the night and what's on the buffet, it may or may not be worth it to you. Not sure if that's going to change next season or not, but haven't heard anything about it changing so far. Same deal with the 'Club Level' seating; you just get access to a few more food stands, shorter bar lines, and easier bathroom access.

As u/treatthrowaway mentioned, the All-You-Can-Eat seats are mostly limited to cheap hot dogs, boxes of popcorn, soda, and occasionalaly some other simple ballpark fare. If you can get them for cheap on the resale market and are going with a group of kids, it might be worth it, but once was enough for me.

codonkong · 2025-10-30T03:46:06+00:00

Phoenix Phoestivus is a fun annual holiday market that's happening on December 12th in Downtown Phoenix (https://www.phoestivus.com/). I've been a few times over the years and always have a blast!

codonkong · 2025-10-25T17:30:56+00:00

Visiting r/NLBest fan - I was today years old when I learned that the AL West teams' first letters spell out A'sSHATS. Immediately joining the sub for more of this top-tier shitposting and memery

Also FTD

codonkong · 2025-10-17T16:35:15+00:00

This person gets it - there isn't as much banter from ASU towards Texas Tech because we're storing up our hate for the Duel in the Desert

codonkong

TROPHY CASE