BY ALI DUGAW AND ALISON BAILIN BATZ
While it’s getting chilly outside in Flagstaff, the restaurant scene in the picturesque Ponderosa pine-covered city scene is getting hotter by the day. In recent years, several eateries in the region have earned James Beard Award nominations and Wine Spectator “Best of Excellence” honors, while its breweries have cleaned up at the World Beer Cup. One popular pizzeria was even named by Visit Arizona as the state’s “preeminent pizza pedaler.”
There is no better time than now to make the trip up north to see what all the delicious fuss is about. Need help planning? Read on.
LUMBERYARD BREWING CO.
Since opening in 2010, the female-led Lumberyard Brewing Co. has worked tirelessly to put Flagstaff beer on the map. Housed in a historic former lumberyard building that dates back to the early 1900s, Lumberyard has taken home more than a dozen national medals for its brews from the likes of the World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival. Its beers largely pay homage to the area: Railhead Red notes Lumberyard’s proximity to the railroad; Humphrey’s Hefe, a German style wheat beer, honors nearby Humphreys Peak; and Pumphouse Porter is a pale ale named for a local wash. Beyond the brews, Lumberyard has also made a name for itself for its extensive menu, which offers all things comfort food that one could ever want at a pub but with some truly tasty twists.
Crowd favorites include the Southwest Poutine, which subs the usual gravy for Hatch green chili sauce; Irish egg rolls stuffed with corned beef, sauerkraut, and Swiss; and the Vietnamese burger, which adds char siu pork, pickled daikon, carrots, cilantro, and Sriracha aioli to a traditional beef patty. Fun fact: the folks at Lumberyard are also the team behind Beaver Street Brewing down the street.
FORÊT FLG AND PETIT MARCHÉ
Opened in 2021, Forêt FLG is a French-inspired café in Downtown Flagstaff that most recently earned executive chef and co-owner Sam Greenhalgh a 2024 James Beard Award nomination for “Best Chef: Southwest.” The veteran chef cut his teeth in kitchens across the Valley, notably at Clever Koi, Tratto, and North Italia before making northern Arizona home. Greenhalgh runs the space with his sister — a talented barista formerly of LGO in Arcadia — leading the coffee program and his mother working in operations. The family affair takes great pride in clean, fresh, light French dishes with a few sinfully rich and indulgent treats made fresh every day. The success led Greenhalgh to open a second concept near Forêt in 2023 called Petit Marché. The combination market, bakery, and espresso bar showcases fresh, sustainably sourced ingredients in clever ways based on seasonality and daily inspiration. Think butternut squash in a savory tart, a chocolate chunk pistachio cookie, and vegan fig salami.
SHIFT KITCHEN + BAR AND OENO WINE LOUNGE
Shift, a 2023 James Beard nominee, got its name because owner and dessert-making maven Dara Wong sought to turn everything people may assume about “small mountain town food” upside down.
While many dishes are family style, each offers a taste of bold local ingredients in a composed, artful recipe that feels like something one might order on a New York tasting menu. Though the menu changes regularly, diners can always expect a savory take on sorbet, a precisely plated protein like lamb tartare with chili threads and dried corn, and handmade pasta that challenges taste buds with umami flavors. Like Greenhalgh, Wong’s success has led to expansion. In 2022, Wong opened Oeno Wine Lounge down the street from Shift. Named for the Greek word for wine, the lounge offers local and international wines, as well as several mocktails and wine-based cocktails. And while there are small bites available, guests are also able to order anything from Shift’s menu, giving guests a chance to enjoy both concepts at once.
PROPER MEATS + PROVISIONS
Equal parts retail shop, butchery, and sit-down restaurant, Proper Meats + Provisions — a 2023 James Beard Award nominee — partners with fellow award- winning vendors Copper State Rancher’s Reserve, Forestdale Farms, Hayden Mills, Murdock Family Farms, Tender Belly, and more to offer sustainably and humanely raised meat as well as local cheeses, fresh bread, and soups. Smart customers treat the space like an old-school butcher shop and a specialty grocer, but never leave without sampling a specialty sandwich with salad or soup, like the warm pastrami with grilled onions, pickles, Swiss, and Carolina-style mustard on rye, or the Bánh mì with pork shoulder confit, cilantro, and pickled veggies on a hoagie roll.
ATRIA RESTAURANT
Acclaimed chef Rochelle Daniel — a veteran of Scottsdale staples The Mission and Fat Ox — opened this rustic fine dining concept in 2022 and within a year was honored with a James Beard nomination. The simple yet elegant 94-seat restaurant is largely adorned in various textures of white and accented with natural oak butcher block tabletops, artfully placed mirrors, and hanging plants.
The menu, focused on seasonal modern American fare, excels at showcasing hyper-local ingredients and handmade pastas which change regularly and are highlighted on Daniel’s chef’s tasting menus. Forest-inspired plating and oft-foraged garnishes make the experience elevated and unique. Daniel plans to expand her talents with a handful of other eclectic, sustainably- focused concepts next door and under Atria, as well.
THE SILVER PINE AT THE LITTLE AMERICA HOTEL
Set amongst 500 acres of pristine forest, The Little America Hotel is wholly focused on bringing people together in natural surroundings combined with an authentic Arizona aesthetic. This is especially true at the expansive Silver Pine, Little America’s signature eatery. Thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, every seat in the house offers an impressive forest view, but none as majestic as the one from the patio, set just steps from the protected land. Silver Pine’s mouthwatering menu of elevated gastropub fare leans Southwestern in its ingredients, showcasing layers of flavor. The eatery also has one of the sneaky best bars in town, with a sleek, modern look and menu of handcrafted signature offerings — many with Arizona spirits — as well as a laundry list of local beers, and seasonal, whimsical specialties.
JOSEPHINE’S MODERN AMERICAN BISTRO
An icon in Flagstaff since 2002 and named to honor the chef’s late mother, expect refined American fare at its best here. The regularly changing menu is focused on showcasing the best produce and seafood the season has to offer and has one of the best patios in town.
The extensive wine list has earned Wine Spectator’s “Award of Excellence” for several years running, as well. On the weekends, people in the know from across Arizona descend upon the eatery for brunch to enjoy the beloved cocktail menu (hello, green chili-spiced mule) and French-inspired morning favorites.
TINDERBOX KITCHEN, ANNEX COCKTAIL LOUNGE, AND TEATRO
Opened in 2009, Tinderbox Restaurant was the first restaurant in downtown Flagstaff’s now-popular Southside neighborhood to offer a more elevated menu and dining experience. In the years since, the team has led the charge in continuously innovating new menus to shock and awe the palates of locals and visitors alike. While the menu is ever-changing, always expect a five-course tasting menu option with a variety of vegetable-, seafood-, and meat-forward offerings ranging from marinated olives with cashew misto and brie with poached pears and blackberries, to steelhead trout with red pepper butter and Iberico pork with wild mushroom farro. Before or after dinner, head next door to Tinderbox’s sister concept, Annex, which has some of the best craft cocktails in the Southwest, as well as its own menu of eclectic tapas. The family of eateries is also the braintrust behind Teatro Italian Food & Wine. Italian for “theater,” Teatro is all about giving guests a show. Set in an early 1900s theater, the sleek steakhouse specializes in elevated takes on Northern Italian recipes, as well as fresh seafood and hand-crafted pasta. Its wine menu, with over 100 Italian varietals, is also the recipient of a Wine Spectator “Award of Excellence.”
PIZZICLETTA
Who knew a geologist who loves cycling would become one of the nation’s foremost pizza makers? Owner Caleb Schiff, a former geologist who ran a lab at Northern Arizona University, is as surprised as anyone. Schiff found his love of Neapolitan-style pizza while cycling through Milan, building a wood-fired pizza oven in his backyard when he came home before opening Pizzicletta with an even more impressive oven imported from Italy.
Schiff sources local ingredients for nearly everything on the menu, crafting each item lovingly by hand (including the mozzarella), and takes pride in accommodating food restrictions and vegan diets right along with meat and cheese lovers.
Visit www.flagstaffarizona.org for more information.
