click to enlarge photo illustration by Tom Carlson. Source photos: Getty Images. Since the pandemic first closed restaurants in the spring of 2020 and hampered indoor eating, guests in Phoenix have seen a new crop of food pop-ups emerge. Many are excellent – some of our favorite restaurants in the valley. Here are nine. (And read our coverage of this local trend here.) Click to enlarge Brian Webb from Phx Lechon Roasters. Chris Malloy PHX Lechon Roasters Brian and Margita Webb cook old-school, full on, Lechon Baboy. Brian spins whole pigs over charcoal for hours until the skin turns mahogany and develops a deep crack. This is the PHX Lechon Roasters staple when it shows up around town. However, the Webbs sell other Filipino take-away foods from their Mesa kitchen, including whole Kamayan meals that focus on foods like Lumpia, Lechon Manok, and Ube Pandesal. click to enlarge Alex and Yotaka Martin from Lom Wong. Courtesy of Lom Wong Lom Wong One of the great dining experiences in Phoenix. Lom Wong, Alex and Yotaka Martin’s Thai pop-up in the region, continues to delight the valley’s most intense gourmets. The duo create unparalleled Sai Oua, all kinds of curries and other exciting hyper-local Thai specialties, right down to coconut milk and pork cracklings from scratch. Shameless Burger “Vegan burger” is a phrase that might put off a certain subset of burger fans, and in the case of Shameless, they’d be missing out on one of the most impressive burgers in town. Izzy Salazar treats the Impossible Burger with love and skill so that it tastes like meat. Salazar also serves special burgers with guac, melting onions, and vegan cheese. I Support Local Community Journalism Support the independent voice of Phoenix and help keep the future of the New Times clear. click to enlarge Chilte Tacos Chris Malloy Chilte Tacos This new school pop-up with a Mexican heart has recently been upgraded to a food truck but aims to keep its pop-ups going in some way. Nowadays, however, they are mostly caught on the truck. Lawrence Smith and Aseret Arroyo serve up remixes like a chorizo al Pastor burger and hot chicken tortas, as well as plates that are more traditional. The Chilte menu is constantly changing. click to enlarge Sabor a Mi. Courtesy Sabor a Mi Sabor a Mi In this pop-up with canopies and plenty of seating, Stephen and Desme Estrada cook the same birria they served on their wedding night, the same recipe, their mother’s desme learned. In a local Birria scene that seems to be growing with each passing day, the version at Sabor a Mi is one that should top your list. Toduken on Saturdays at the Uptown Farmers’ Market, John Cornelio offers a rotating take-away menu, ranging from classic Filipino food (kilawen, a Filipino ceviche) to riffs (a chorizoburger). The offers from Toduken change greatly from week to week. You can’t go wrong with Cornelio’s grill offerings like Yakitori and Lechon Baboy. Sometimes he even makes omakase to take away. Falaf.A.Lot Miles Palmer’s popup Falaf.A.Lot has a narrow focus: falafel, filled pita and Middle Eastern side dishes like dolmas, couscous salad and muhammara. Palmer soaks chickpeas and processes them from the raw form into finished, crispy, brown fried balls. Recently, Palmer even included in the delivery. Click to enlarge Shorty’s steak sandwiches are served. Courtesy Shorty’s Charpit Shortys Charpit The locally acclaimed James Beard Award nominee chef Cassie Shortino has turned from Tratto high-end Italian cuisine to steak sandwiches. At Shorty’s Charpit, she pushes thin ribeye pieces over charcoal onto rolls, the steak garnished with the meat-heavy “minced meat hot sauce” from her hometown Rochester. Shortino also serves mac salad, cucumber salad, and other main dishes like smoked chicken thighs. click to enlarge James Piazza from Bad Jimmy’s. Tom Carlson Bad Jimmy’s former Pizzeria Bianco chef James Piazza grills double cheeseburgers from his own mix of Rovey Dairy meat, which he hand-grinds on the day of the event. He slips five ounces into a potato bun with American cheese, pickles, grilled onions, and specialty sauce. The atmosphere at Bad Jimmy’s is very 70s. Antique car. Root beer floats with vanilla balls. Everything is good.
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