The biggest flex in Phoenix these days? Scoring a table at Arizona's first Din Tai Fung, which officially opened at Scottsdale Fashion Square last week.

The big picture: The extremely popular dumpling and noodle house has foodies, social media influencers, teenagers and Asian immigrants clamoring for a chance to try its world-renowned xiao long bao — delicious (and Instagram-worthy) soup dumplings.

The intrigue: Dedicated diners are staying up until midnight to snag newly released reservations, lining up at Fashion Square before opening and even trying to scalp reservations.

State of play: We've been checking the restaurant's booking page intermittently since the April 20 grand opening and have only seen a slot available once. And by the time we clicked to book it, it was gone.

• Last Thursday, the waitlist estimate was 225 minutes at 2pm.

Pro tips: We mined Reddit for the best hacks to get into Din Tai Fung.

🫩 Refresh at 11:59pm: New reservations go live at midnight, so try refreshing right before then.

• Yes, but: A couple hundred of your closest friends might have the same idea. Many people reported failure with this method because of high demand. And don't refresh too many times or you might get flagged as a bot.

⌚ Join the waitlist at 11am: You can join the list before you arrive to the restaurant, and you'll get an estimated wait time (which is usually shortest right at opening) so you know when to jump in the car.

💳 AMEX concierge: If you've got an American Express Platinum or Centurion card, one Redditor had luck using the company's concierge service to lock down a table.

✈️ Fly to Vegas: Definitely the most extreme suggestion, but perhaps a faster option than waiting in line here. Las Vegas' Din Tai Fung is at Aria and has reservations aplenty.

The bottom line: The whole menu is available for takeout, and that may be the move until the hype dies down.

What's next: A second Arizona location is planned for Chandler Fashion Center next year. You may want to get in line now.

Plan your reservation strategy

More Arizonans are becoming what Zillow calls "accidental landlords."

Why it matters: As buyers gain leverage and homes take longer to sell, a growing share of homeowners are renting their properties out instead.

The big picture: 2.7% of Arizona rental listings on Zillow in October were previously for sale.

• That's above the national rate of 2.3%, which is at its highest level since 2022, according to the real estate site.

The fine print: These homes were listed for sale on Zillow for at least two weeks, then delisted and relisted as rentals within three months of being off the market.

• The trend typically peaks in the fall because home sales slow around the holidays, per Zillow.

Between the lines: Accidental landlords add homes to the rental pool, which can ease rent prices.

• Single-family rents rose 2.6% in February from a year earlier, the slowest annual growth in Zillow data going back to 2015.

What we're watching: Whether sellers who pulled listings last year have better luck as they try again. Redfin reports that many have relisted.

Tell an accidental landlord

🗳️ A federal judge dismissed the U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit against Secretary of State Adrian Fontes for refusing to turn over Arizona voter rolls. (Votebeat)

🚨 Several inmates were injured in an altercation that the head of the correctional officers association described as a riot at the Arizona State Prison Complex–Eyman in Florence. (AZcentral)

⚖️ Harassment laws can apply to comments made to a third party about someone, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled. (KJZZ)

🎓 UofA is investigating three fraternities over hazing allegations, with two currently barred from hosting organizational activities or using university facilities. (12 News)

Two Arizona brews won medals in this year's World Beer Cup, including a Tucson brewery that brought home the gold.

🥇 Nolan's Porter from Barrio Brewing Co. in Tucson won gold in the brown porter category.

🥈 Pedal Haus Brewery in Chandler won the silver in the international light lager category for its Day Drinker Light Lager.

Catch up quick: These aren't the first World Beer Cup accolades for either brewer.

• Barrio's Rojo won bronze in the English-style brown ale category last year.
• Pedal House's Day Drinker also won the silver in 2024.

State of play: The World Beer Cup was created in 1996 by the Brewers Association, a nonprofit representing small and medium American brewers, and is held annually to "celebrate the art and science of brewing," per the organization.

• Judges award gold, silver and bronze awards in more than 100 categories for beer, as well as several cider categories.