WATERING HOLES + QUALITY FOODSTUFFS

Legendary (and asthmatic) pizza guru Chris Bianco suffered a career-shifting case of “baker’s lung” a couple of years ago and turned over his pie ovens to capable sous. Next door, on Camelback Road, the James Beard award winner built a whitewashed gem called

Tratto. The simple, to-the-point menu describes Bianco’s Italian obsession, and the plates show a very deft hand— the short rib cavatelli and the roast chicken stand out, but the ragù is the reason you’re here. trattophx.com

On a desolate stretch of downtown’s eastern reach, 3 Mrs. White’s Golden

Rule Cafe serves inexpensive soul food: oxtail, red beans and rice, peach cobbler and the showstopper: made-toorder fried chicken. facebook.com/mrswhites.goldenrulecafe

Are there a thousand taco options in the valley? Close, but one that’s worth the Uber is 4 Tacos Chiwas. Guilt-inducingly cheap (two of you will be challenged to spend more than $20, with beers) and deeply, sloppily satisfying. Order the frijoles charros (bean soup—$2.50!) and the tacos tripas (tripe) and lengua (beef tongue). The al pastor version resonates, too. tacoschiwas.com Claudio Urciuoli’s tiny lunchtime- only

Pa’La restaurant’s centrepiece is the wood-fired grill, where beautiful chunks of fish rest briefly. The halibut ceviche and albacore salad are clever ripostes to the heat. palakitchen.com