Gastropub is a word Scottsdale has since attached to a lot of sports bars with truffle fries. Citizen, opened on 5th Avenue in 2011 by chef Bernie Kantak and Andrew Fritz, is what it was supposed to mean: chef-grade cooking, a bar program built with the same rigor, and a warm room where nobody needs a blazer.
The Original Chopped Salad followed Kantak from Cowboy Ciao and still has a following that borders on religious. The pork belly pastrami is the co-headliner.
When to go: weeknights for an easy table. January through April and weekend prime time sell out, so book a few days ahead — or pair it with a Thursday ArtWalk.