FnB Makes Vegetables Better Than Any Other Restaurant
FnB
Back in the day, FnB used to do lunch. It wasn’t your typical lunch though—the menu changed daily, and it was never more than a handful of items. Wildly creative items, usually making vegetables taste more delicious than they were ever designed to be. I assume normal people would order a thing and a glass of wine and call it, but the pro move was to bring a hungry friend and order the entire menu. For a run there, lunch at FnB was my favorite food experience in town. But then lunch ended, and while FnB is still incredible, a small piece of my heart may never recover. Sorry, FnB, for making this about me, but at least one person would be over the moon if FnB lunch made a comeback.
Scottsdale - 7125 E 5th Ave
Awards + Accolades
James Beard Awards
2020: Outstanding Wine Program - Semifinalist
2019: Best Chef: Southwest | Charleen Badman - Winner
2018: Best Chef: Southwest | Charleen Badman - Semifinalist
2017: Best Chef: Southwest | Charleen Badman - Semifinalist
2017: Outstanding Wine Program - Semifinalist
2016: Best Chef: Southwest | Charleen Badman - Semifinalist
2015: Best Chef: Southwest | Charleen Badman - Semifinalist
2014: Best Chef: Southwest | Charleen Badman - Semifinalist
AZ Central
2024: 100 essential restaurants
2023: 100 essential restaurants
2020: Dominic Armato’s 100 Essential Restaurants
2018: Dominic Armato’s Top 100 Restaurants
Eater
2024: The 38 Essential Restaurants in Phoenix
Foodist Awards
2019: Wine Program - Winner
2019: Innovative Restaurant Concept - Finalist
2018: Uniquely Arizona - Finalist
2017: Premier Wine Program - Winner
2015: Top Chef | Charlene Badman - Winner
Phoenix Magazine
2019: Top 100 Restaurants
2019: Most Exciting Wine Program
2019: Best Store to Score Local Products
2018: Most Exciting Wine Program
2016: Best Sunday Eats
2016: Best Neighborhood Sandwich Joint
2016: Best Store to Score Local Products
2015: Best AZ Wine List
2015: Best Locavore Restaurant
2014: 50 Best AZ Restaurants
2014: Best Locavore Restaurant
2010: Best New Restaurant
Phoenix New Times
2024: Top 100 Restaurants
2022: Best Restaurant
2021: Best Authentic Arizona Restaurant
2020: Best Wine Program
2019: Best Chef
2018: Best Farm-to-Table Restaurant
2017: Best Cider Selection
2016: Best Authentic AZ Restaurant
2015: Best Desert-Inspired Menu
2014: Best Vegetables
2013: Best Chef
2012: Best Late-Night Nosh
2011: Best Way to Eat Your Veggies
2010: Best New Restaurant
Reviews
February 25, 2010 / Michele Laudig
Phoenix New Times: FnB Makes You Feel at Home with Chef Charleen Badman's Take on Contemporary American Cuisine
Home cooking gets all the credit for being comforting and soul-satisfying, but every so often, a restaurant comes along that's as cozy as a warm blanket. Such a place transforms deceptively simple ingredients into something that lifts your spirit and makes you feel cared for — like you're meant to be right there, reveling in that delicious moment.
I haven't felt that way about a place in quite some time, but right now, for me, that restaurant is three-month-old FnB, in Old Town Scottsdale.
What to Get
Braised Leeks
If you think leeks could never be special enough to win an award, you're wrong. And you've clearly never tasted the braised leeks at FnB. Not only did the dish receive the New Times' Best Way to Eat your Veggies in 2011, but in 2010, it was named one of the 10 Best Restaurant Dishes by Food & Wine Magazine. These leeks have such a following that when the restaurant tweeted that they were coming off the menu due to seasonal availability, a crowd of 40 people showed up that last night to get their veggie fix.
- Dominique Chatterjee, Phoenix New Times
Corned Beef Hash
There's always something special on the menu for Late Night Love at FnB in Scottsdale. The restaurant hosts the event on Saturday from 10 p.m. to midnight, giving night owls a chance to dine and drink off a limited menu. This month's specials included corned beef hash with salty but tender corned beef, roasted yukon gold potatoes and peppery iI'Itoi onions. Topped with a fried egg, this dish perfectly showcases James Beard Award semifinalist Charleen Badman's unpretentious but unforgettable cuisine. I can't tell you when it will reappear on the menu, but when it does, I suggest you act fast.
- Lauren Saria, Phoenix New Times
Falafel
The contrast between the sizzling hot falafel and icy cool yogurt sauce is the first thing to strike. But as they start to come together, the texture of the falafel takes the stage. The earthy blend of chickpeas and greens is delicate and pliable, almost creamy, and as it melts together with the sauce, the spice starts to swirl around, tempered by a dose of lemony tart yogurt. When the habanero kicks in — and it does — it’s far less assertive and more supportive than you’d expect, and as you savor, the radish jumps and crunches and adds a fabulous textural counterpoint.
- Dominic Armato, AZ Central
Fried Chicken
There was a full house at FnB in Scottsdale on Wednesday, August 20 and that's because chef Charleen Badman's fried chicken has an honest-to-god groupie following. Before last month I'd never tried the chef's chicken but after doing so I can honestly say I understand what the fuss is all about. For starters, Badman uses locally raised chickens that are slaughtered just days before being served to you at dinner -- and yes, you can taste the difference. The batter is also a work of art, with a nice little peppery kick and just the right amount of salt.
- Lauren Saria, Phoenix New Times
Lamb Manti
Chef/co-owner Charleen Badman is beloved for making little-known global dishes and spices accessible, and her modern spin on Turkish manti is a perfect example. Pan-fried dumplings are stuffed with ground lamb, onion and pine nuts, drizzled with Urfa butter, topped with lemon-sparked yogurt and seasonal fruits (pomegranate arils this winter), then strewn with cilantro and mint. Every bite is a brilliant earthy/ethereal paradox.
- Phoenix Magazine
Roasted Tomatoes
Ah, the beefsteak tomato. It's not exactly the sexiest of food but as she so often does, chef Charleen Badman manages to elevate the veggie -- ok, technically it's a fruit -- to a level rarely achieved by so humble an ingredient.
- Lauren Saria, Phoenix New Times
