The Phoenician spent decades as the Valley’s most buttoned-up resort. Mowry & Cotton, opened in its 2017 reinvention, is the deliberately loosened collar — a fire-driven modern American kitchen, a DJ-scored room, and a patio looking over the pool toward Camelback Mountain.
Treat the menu as a table-wide project: char-kissed plates passed around, with the cocktail list getting as much attention as the wine. Resort scenery, minus the steakhouse bill.
When to go: just before sunset, patio first. Book dinner in the winter and spring high season, when resort guests keep the room full.