The national Democratic and Republican parties are playing favorites in the contested primaries for Arizona's 1st Congressional District.

Why it matters: The path to the House majority in November likely goes through the highly competitive CD1, which is up for grabs after longtime Republican incumbent David Schweikert decided to run for governor.

The big picture: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) usually stay neutral in contested primaries.

• "It's not an unprecedented move, but it's certainly a very uncommon one," Democratic consultant Adam Kinsey said of DCCC.

State of play: The NRCC in March named former NFL kicker Jay Feely to its new "MAGA Majority" program, which is "focused on supporting and elevating the next wave of America First candidates."

• Last month, the DCCC added Marlene Galán-Woods to its "Red to Blue" program aimed at winning Republican-held districts.

Zoom in: Neither partisan group has spent money in the primary yet, and it's unclear whether they will.

• Even if they don't, the parties are picking who they think are the best candidates for the general election and sending signals to donors and super PACs to support them, Arizona Democratic and Republican operatives tell Axios.

Shortly after DCCC's announcement, Galán-Woods posted a memo on her website urging outside groups to go on the air with specific positive messages about her and lines of attack against opponent Amish Shah.

• A group called Crush MAGA PAC has since sent anti-Shah mailers, though it's not clear which candidate it's attempting to help. The group did not respond to our call.

The intrigue: In supporting Galán-Woods, DCCC snubbed 2024 nominee Amish Shah, who defeated her in the last primary and is again running.

• On the GOP side, NRCC backed Trump-endorsed Feely over former state Rep. Joseph Chaplik, who was a member of the Arizona Freedom Caucus and is popular with MAGA Republicans.

The other side: "This election will be decided by Arizona voters, not by establishment insiders in back rooms," Shah said.

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Dear readers, we have news. We finally got a reservation at Din Tai Fung in Scottsdale.

Why it matters: The April debut of Arizona's first location of the critically acclaimed Taiwanese chain was met with a groundswell of enthusiasm that made getting a table nearly impossible.

We're glad to report that the dumplings were worth the wait and deserving of the hype.

Best bites: We had to try a smattering of everything, for journalism.

• Cucumber salad: Not what we were expecting, but in a good way. Slices of Persian cucumber are assembled in a pyramid and then covered in sesame and chile oils for a crunchy, spicy starter.
• Crab & Kurobuta Pork Xiao Long Bao: These are the soup dumplings that put Din Tai Fung on the culinary map, and they require an intricate eating process, which includes dunking them in a special sauce and poking them to release the broth (don't worry, there are signs to guide you). They're saucy, flavorful, 100% worth trying, but weren't our favorite thing on the menu.
• Shrimp & Kurobuta pork spicy wontons: Sorry soup dumplings, these stole the show for both of us. The chewy-but-not-too-chewy wontons are doused in a "house spicy sauce" that brings sweet heat and richness.
• Chicken dumplings: These were good, made great by dipping them in the leftover sauce from the spicy wontons.

Pro tip: The crowds are starting to die down, at least if you pop in for an early lunch.

• There wasn't even a line when we arrived at 10:45am on Friday (activity picked up shortly thereafter).

Plan your trip

Can't get into Din Tai Fung? Or maybe you're getting impatient with the wait for a reservation?

• Fortunately, there are plenty of other options for dumplings in the Valley.

🥟 Happy Bao's: The signature dumplings filled with pork, chives, eggs and shrimp are the go-to dish at this popular Mesa restaurant, the Phoenix New Times wrote in a 2024 Best of Phoenix review.

• Mekong Plaza

🥟 Lovebite Dumplings: This Roosevelt Row spot is simple and delicious — a "lovebox meal" gets you dumplings on a bed of yakisoba noodles, pink rice or greens, topped with yuzu soy, sriracha, Kewpie or shuug sauces.

• Roosevelt Row

🥟 Collagen Dumpling Dynasty: This recent addition to the Valley's dumpling scene touts its proficiency with the collagen, or soup, dumpling, using an "exclusive, proprietary formula."

• 16th Street north of Colter Street

🗣️ You tell us: Who has the best dumplings in the Valley?

• Respond to this email, and we may include your answer in a future edition.

🍲 St. Herman's Table, an Orthodox Christian group, is suing Phoenix over its recent ordinance restricting food distribution and medical care to homeless people in city parks. (AZcentral)

🛒 Trader Joe's is opening a location at Arcadia Crossing at 44th Street and Thomas Road. (Phoenix Business Journal)

🍳 Fà-me Café is relocating from its longtime location on Central Avenue to the Biltmore area. (WhatNow Phoenix)

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Welcome to another edition of "Where in the Valley?"

How it works: We show you something cool. You tell us where it is.

• The first reader who names the spot gets a shoutout in the newsletter.

You tell us: Where in the Valley can you find this bird?

Catch up quick: Congratulations to Ken Strobeck, the first reader (of many!) to give us the correct location for last week's "Where in the Valley?" photo.

• The white canopies are at SkySong, the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center.