And the winner is...

Phoenix-Scottsdale: 47 / Tucson: 46

Why it won: 7 spots to convince you Pho-Sco is king

1. Nobuo at Teeter House. The izakaya has an everyday menu that’s terrific, with elevated Japanese pub grub like okonomiyaki, seafood-and-pork pancake. But it’s the $130-a-person omakase chef’s-choice tasting menu—with such mind-boggling concoctions as foie gras–infused egg custard and Wagyu short ribs with miso butter—that makes Nobuo perhaps Arizona’s foremost dining destination. $$$; 622 E. Adams St., Phoenix; 602/254-0600.

2. Eating at Pizzeria Bianco is like visiting the Louvre when you’re touring Paris: It won’t be the highlight of your trip, but you’ll be glad you went—especially after biting into the wood-roasted onions and house-smoked mozzarella that grace Bianco’s famous sausage pizza. $$; 623 E. Adams St., Phoenix; 602/258-8300.

3. Heat seekers, prepare to meet your Waterloo at Los Dos Molinos. Famously hard on the soft tissue, the spicy slow-roasted meats and go-for-broke chile pepper–dominated salsas are also impossible to resist, even as you wipe the tears out of your eyes. $; 8646 S. Central Ave., Phoenix; 602/243-9113.