Downtown Mesa Restaurants Close to Mesa Center for the Arts

Merely when did downtown Mesa go one of the almost vibrant restaurant districts in the entire state of Arizona? It's hard to say exactly, just over the by several years the historic Principal Street district has been flooded with dining options from a Venezuelan restaurant to the honour-winning Proof bakery, cute farmers market stores like Master Street Harvest, craft pizza and a growing array of breweries, taprooms and cider confined.

A Mesa native, I've been eating my way through this eclectic and ever-growing neighborhood on a regular footing. Recently, I snagged a coveted seat at the crowded bar at Espiritu, the trendy sister concept to Bacanora. The newly opened spot was buzzing well by xi p.m. with revelers sipping spicy chiltepin cocktails and ripping into massive platters of Mexican fried snapper.

Later a host of unforgettable meals, here are my favorite local restaurants in downtown Mesa, and what to club at each i.

Espiritu

The trivial sis to the highly-acclaimed G Artery restaurant Bacanora, this trendy Mexican cocktail bar delves deep into the seafood side of Sonora. Chefs René Andrade and Roberto Centeno have been expanding the menu lilliputian by picayune since information technology opened in January.

Espiritu'due south carte du jour is dominated by colorful, intricate mariscos dishes similar ceviches and aguachiles, including a spectacular tostada of fat hiramasa yellowtail with avocado and radish slivers in a squid ink salsa negra.

As with Bacanora, specials are plentiful and always-changing. During my visit, I enjoyed a magnum opus in the grade of an entire red snapper that had been deep fried and caked in sesame seeds, paired with a bright salad of julienned vegetables and mint.

Of course, you're supposed to become here for the cocktails and I found the Sonoran Sling with its charred pineapple and chiltepin-infused Bacanora liquor to be the most unique. When tiki gets spicy, that's a earth you wanna be in.

Details: 123 Westward. Main St., Mesa. 480-398-8129, espiritumesa.com.

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Que Chevere

Arizona's ane and only Venezuelan eatery, Que Chevere is the spot for heartily stuffed Southward American corn cakes known as arepas. Originally a food truck owned by Venezuelan-born Maria Fernanda and her husband Orvid Cutler, they made the motion onto Principal Street in 2020.

Dissimilar Colombian arepas, which oftentimes come stuffed with merely cheese, these Venezuelan versions pile on the savory fillings with carne mechada, a saucy shredded beef, vegan black beans and the reina pepiada, which is basically an herbaceous chicken salad.

My favorite detail after a couple visits is the cachapa ($10), a sweet corn pancake that looks like an omelet but tastes similar a cross between lunch and a dessert. The soft masa filling is blimp with queso de mano, a stretchy white Venezuelan cow and sheep'south milk cheese that'southward like a funkier mozzarella. I would gild information technology as an addition to other items and share information technology with the table, equally it's super filling.

Details: 142 West. Primary St., Mesa. 480-474-4954, quechevereaz.com.

Republica Empanada

This Latin fusion eating place was hither earlier Mesa was cool. Republica Empanada has spent near a decade in a colorful, mural-strewn house tucked onto a side street, where it pumps out some of the Valley'due south most creative empanadas. On the savory side, three varieties of jalapeño popper empanadas, made with grilled seeded jalapeños, cream cheese, and either ham, potatoes or beans, are the ones to seek out. The cream cheese filling gets soft and molten in the fryer, oozing out when you rip the pastry apart.

As for the sugariness options, make sure to society the Ruiz'southward Pieces, a velveteen combination of chocolate Nutella and peanut butter, with two scoops of vanilla ice cream.

The restaurant too serves a variety of calorie-free Central and Southward American dishes like sopa verde, packed with greens and rice in a lite craven goop. A must.

Details: 204 E. First Ave., Mesa. 480-969-1343, republicaempanada.com.

Read the total review:This OG empanada eating place is an essential

Worth Takeaway

This downtown Mesa store wants to exist the "Cheers" of sandwiches, or at least that'due south what they say on their website. I go more of an artisanal vibe from the minimalist chic dining room and the eclectic menu of French dips, veggie sandwiches and spicy candy-coated BLT.

Most recently, I tried the Italian grinder ($12), which came loaded with fresh garden greens that lightened up the sweetness and flossy flavors of mayonnaise and pickled pepper relish. The sandwich is layered with thick slices of ham, Genoa salami and pepperoni on fluffy local staff of life. It disappeared rather quickly, and while Worth isn't a identify where "everybody knows your name," sandwiches like these are plenty to make a regular out of anyone.

Details: 218 Westward. Main St., Mesa. 480-833-2180. worthtakeaway.com.

Myke's Pizza

I of the Valley's best pizzerias, Myke's is tucked back into the bar area of Veteran-owned cider mill, Cider Corps. Y'all can encounter the wood-fired oven called-for as you sip your Mango Foxtrot, a difficult apple tree cider infused with mangoes and rose hips.

Myke'due south has one of the most exciting pizza menus in town, and I was bowled over past the sophisticated pairing of charred babe kale with a tangy lemon enjoy and sweet aureate raisins ($17) that was on special during my visit.

If a pizza doesn't accept red sauce, it needs to be actually freaking good for me to enjoy it, and this was really freaking good. I've never had a pizza that'due south been blessed with melty Idiazábal, a smoky cousin to Spanish sheep'due south milk Manchego. And forever onward, I volition be the annoying girl requesting information technology. Or possibly I'll only come back hither.

Details: Inside Cider Corps, 31 South. Robson #103, Mesa. 480-687-8526, mykespizza.com.

Just plain wrong:Phoenix ranked with worst pizza cities on the dumbest list always

Reach reporter Andi Berlin at amberlin@azcentral.com. Follow her on Facebook @andiberlin,  Instagram @andiberlin or Twitter @andiberlin.

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Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/dining/2022/04/26/where-to-eat-in-downtown-mesa/7387816001/

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