It’s Memorial Day weekend, which marks the official kickoff of summer barbecue season. If you’re hosting or going to a gathering over the holiday weekend, don’t just offer up a boring dessert like chocolate chip cookies or brownies. Why not try making a zippy, summer-y key lime pie with a pretzel crust?

Each month, we of the PHOENIX magazine editorial team ask ourselves a different question about our favorite dining and drinking experiences in the Valley. Our picks are usually hidden in the back of the magazine among our Dining Guide restaurant listings. Not any more. Our picks are going digital! Feel free to follow us on social media (at least, those of us who tweet) and be sure to tag us (@PhoenixMagazine on Twitter and @PHXMagazine on Instagram) on pics of your favorite picks.

Happy May! As we celebrate our annual out-of-state travel issue, we're going pescatarian and asking ourselves, "What is your favorite local fish dish?"

There are many ways to eat fresh peaches, but have you ever thought about grilling them? This week, executive chef Robert Nixon of Toscana’s Restaurant & Lounge at PebbleCreek (Robson Resort Communities), offers up his grilled Arizona Peach Flatbread recipe.

The recipe calls for pizza dough, which you can pick up at Trader Joe’s in lieu of making it yourself, but Nixon says you can also use lavosh or French bread. Arizona peaches are coming into season, so it’s the perfect time to for some local fruit love. “The season is about two months,” he says. “All the farmers’ markets are going to have them soon.”

In February, Oregano’s Pizza Bistro rolled out the Power Greens Salad because Oregano's founder, Mark Russell, joked that he wanted a healthy salad he could eat after going to the gym, says Nadia Salem, Oregano’s Director of Culinary. So Salem and Russell put their heads together and came up with a kale-heavy salad that customers can’t seem to get enough of. “It gives you so much power and energy because of the protein and vitamins,” Salem says. “It’s been such a popular salad for us.”

If you're hankering for pasta carbonara, but want to forgo the eggs and heavy cream (not a traditional ingredient, but many recipes include it), Needle Rock Kitchen & Tap executive chef Paul Steele has lightened up the recipe for you. Instead, he uses heart-healthy olive oil.

While the nights are still balmy, you might be looking for a reason to eat al fresco. Jeff Coonce, executive chef at Robson Ranch Grill in Eloy, shares a steak recipe that’s great for entertaining and is partially cooked on the barbecue.

It seems there's an official holiday for every animal, person, food and trend these days. And I am here for each one: National Compliment Day, Eat Beans Day, Talk Like a Pirate Day. What better way to make a celebration out of a random Thursday?

This random Thursday happens to be named in honor of everyone's favorite twisted, salted carb day: National Pretzel Day! We're rounding up some of the best, and most unique local pretzel dishes to celebrate.

The peak season for English peas is short, says Jacques Qualin, chef de cuisine of The Phoenician’s J&G Steakhouse. “At the beginning of spring, the peas are really tender and sweet.” So, once in a while – not every year – Qualin puts sweet pea soup on the menu for about 6 to 8 weeks to take advantage of the season.

Each month, we of the PHOENIX magazine editorial team ask ourselves a different question about our favorite dining and drinking experiences in the Valley. Our picks are usually hidden in the back of the magazine among our Dining Guide restaurant listings. Not any more. Our picks are going digital! Feel free to follow us on social media (at least, those of us who tweet) and be sure to tag us (@PhoenixMagazine on Twitter and @PHXMagazine on Instagram) on pics of your favorite picks.

Happy April! As we celebrate our annual Top Docs issue featuring the latest health and wellness news around the Valley, we're asking ourselves, "What is your favorite local plant-based dish?"

When Grape Bistro owner Kellie Pruitt unexpectedly lost her 17-year-old daughter in July 2016, she stepped away from running the Scottsdale restaurant. "My whole life went crazy after that," Pruitt says. The restaurant stayed open while she spent time trying to heal. She hiked a lot on Pinnacle Peak and decided to reopen the restaurant under the new name, PNPK, as an homage to the mountain that helped her cope with her unimaginable grief.