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| A few of the best in food |
| LATINO BAKERY A former town manager of Guadalupe used to tell the tale of meeting with a top government official in Washington, D.C. The first words out of the distinguished agency head’s mouth were, “Is the pan dulce still as good as I remember it at Flores Bakery?” This Guadalupe bakery, 8402 S. Avenida Del Yaqui, anchors the heart of this Yaqui/Mexican American town’s main drag. It’s one of the most authentic Mexican panaderías in the Valley. Display cases offer fresh, colorful turnovers, breads, cakes, and donuts. The venerable bakery was named after its former owner, native-born Victor Flores, a senior executive with Salt River Project and former head of the Arizona-Mexico Commission. As with most Mexican bakeries, the shop also offers sundries like spices, menudo (on weekends), carnitas and other deli meats, and salsas. Honorable mentions: El Sonorense, El Fenix. |
| BEST GROCERY There are markets, supermarkets, and then there is Ranch Market at 16th Street and Roosevelt in Phoenix. Unique in its presentation, overwhelming in its capacity, Ranch Market is the place to find everything to cook with. For everything from fresh salsa to quinceañera dolls, this is the place to be. No words will truly prepare you for the sheer size of this place. Yet it is full of shoppers who seem unfazed. Entering the market, one is confronted with skyscraper shelves and a packed in-store food grill. Try a stroll through the meat deli – it is the most fun place to see endless racks of fresh cuts. |
| BEST CARIBBEAN Cocono’s Mexican Island Kitchen 8280 W. Union Hills, Glendale The sea and beach window views may be faux, but those of us who have seen plenty of real Mexican Margaritavilles can recommend Cocono’s as being Caribbean aut`enico. Legendary chef Moises Treves is the skilled captain of this ship. Inhale the aroma of steamed filets as it wafts from the house Caribbean Stuffed Fish (shrimp, crab, poblanos, tomatoes, onions, cheese and white wine). The presentation is coastal picturesque atop its green casing of banana leaves. Rise on the chilled tide of specialty Margaritas. Or douse the fire of poblano-seasoned shrimp appetizers with a Corona. For dessert, dive into a plate of choco-flan (a treat for addicts of both sweets). Chase it all with a Calypso Coffee laced with rum and Kahlua. Even pirates couldn’t make this port for the palate in Glendale more Caribbean. |
| BEST LATINO COFFEEHOUSE Inza Coffee at 8658 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale (Pima Crossing Shopping Center) When Colombian owners Linda Gomez and her cousin Gerardo Villarraga opened Inza Coffee a year ago, they built the concept around the pan Latin American lifestyle. It’s paid off big-time, especially for Scottsdale Hispanics who have made this a social gathering place as well as favorite spot to sip, nosh and enjoy Latino art and culture. Pick from coffees grown in Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica and Guatemala. Order Espresso Cortadito Cubano (espresso laced with brown sugar and cinnamon), or a tasty trademarked Inza Frio (chilled coffee frappe-style) and add a dash of dulce de leche flavoring. Or sip imported sodas from Colombia. There are Argentine tango classes every Sunday afternoon, salsa classes, or samba and bossa nova music performed by Cleo and Marco every second Friday of the month. |
| BEST TORTILLAS It is unlikely you’d stumble across a place like Carolina’s, which is tucked away in a south Phoenix neighborhood at 12th Street and Mohave. If you’re lucky enough to know someone to show you in, however, you are in for a treat. Yes, the floors are bare concrete, the ductwork looks like it may fall down on someone waiting in line and the atmosphere leaves a little to be desired. All of that fades away the moment you bite into a delicious burrito, because Carolina’s handmade tortillas are phenomenal and famous! Don’t forget to buy a bag of fresh, hot tortillas. |
| BEST TORTAS We tire so easily of eating burgers for lunch. Our antennae de alegria shot up when we stopped to eat at Tortas El Güero, 2518 N. 16th St., Phoenix. Here, the bilingual counter help is friendly and cheerful, and the sandwiches are substantial for low-dough (most tortas run about five bucks). Sure, you can wolf down burritos, tacos and quesadillas, but the clean, retro-style shop offers more than 25 different torta fillings: steak, shredded beef, ham, tongue, breaded fish, cheese or chicken chipotle, to name a few. Most everyone washes their tortas down with soda, but for the adventurous there are jugos de zanahoria, manzana, apio, and betabel (carrot, apple, celery and beet juices). |
| BEST DATE PLACE Deseo, 6902 E. Greenway Parkway, is as romantica as it gets: soft music and lighting, striking art, a view of the greenway – and plate upon plate of sensual food and drink. The mojitos are made here at the muddle bar, where fresh fruit, ice and alcohol are squashed together. Chef Roberto Madrid’s array of ceviches and seafood dishes are complex, sophisticated combinations of flavors to elicit soft moans. Deseo (Spanish for “desire”) is a place that fills a need you didn’t know you had when you sat down. Other faves: Coyoacán Steakhouse, Tradiciones, the patios at either Los Sombreros or El Zócalo. |
BEST LUNCH But a fair newcomer has stolen our hearts: Tradiciones, 1602 E. Roosevelt St., where you can order the parrillada mixto (mixed grill, about $20) for two -- and feed four hungry people. Fire-roasted chicken, shrimp and carne asada arrive along with sides of frijoles de olla (beans), rice, guacamole and handmade tortillas. ¡Delicioso! |
BEST TAMALES Local entrants offer a taste of their wares for a nominal fee (a percentage of the money goes to charity). It’s a day for elastic waistbands: the variety of fillings runs the gamut, from chile rojo (red chile) and chile verde (green) to sweet (pumpkin, pineapple and sometimes chocolate). |
| POLITICO HANGOUT El Portal, 117 W. Grant St., beats out other politico meal troughs because of its versatility. Owned by Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox (D-District 5) and her husband, former state Legislator Earl Wilcox, this Mexican food eatery is where county officials, Phoenix councilmembers, and state lawmakers hear the latest political gossip over lunch. It’s also a favored spot for press conferences, and a Latino community meeting place. The Wilcoxes bought the restaurant from the Zapein family, who had owned it for 50 years. Re-opened in 2000, the restaurant has played a role in local political history. Here, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Lieberman announced he was ending his run. The Wilson 4 students held a celebration here when a federal judge threw out their deportation case. Honorable mentions: Oaxaca, Durant’s, La Canasta. |
| BEST SALVADORAN One rainy afternoon, we ducked into Eliana’s, 1627 N. 24th St., where we literally slid into a cozy booth for a quiet lunch. “Bring on the food,” we cried. We were not disappointed, although we had to order several items to fill up: fried plaintains with sour cream and beans (these aren’t your usual frijoles de olla, but rather a thinner, pureed version), four pupusas (grilled cakes of masa with fillings like chicken, vegetables, etc.), and tall glasses of homemade horchata. Fortified, we ran through the rain, vowing to return on a sunnier day. |
| BEST FAST-FOOD FUSION Nothin’ wrong with mixing things up, as long as the end result is tasty, we say. Chino Bandido Takee-Outee is a great example of two cuisines (Chinese and Mexican) that have collided, to the delight of diners. The original location on 19th Avenue, just north of Greenway, has spawned a store in Chandler. At Chino Bandido, you can order egg foo yung with a side of Cuban-style black beans and a killer veggie quesadilla for an opener. Heaven, we believe, has a cafeteria just like this. Rice bowls form the basis, and if you want to try out the ordering system (trust us, this helps), visit www.chinobandido.com. Did we mention free fresh-baked snickerdoodles for dessert? |
Though the Valley may not, as some local food critics have written, be prominent on the national restaurant scene, there is something to be said for our Latino mom-and-pop restaurants. And as we’ve mushroomed into a mega-metropolis, dining out has become part of our routine. In a recent survey, conducted by ADVO, Hispanic Americans spent 20 percent more per week dining out at casual/family, fast-food and pizza restaurants than the general market. Interestingly, the bigger Phoenix has become, the more we long for the homemade dishes of our tias and abuelas.
Admittedly, we are not New York City or San Francisco in terms of culinary clout. But industry surveys have shown that well-made, familiar fare is seen as valuable by Latino families. So what if our palates are not tuned to nouvelle cuisine or trendy, big city plates? Feed us comida autentica, and we’ll be back time and again.
FOUNDATION OF A MENU
Latinos have had a big hand in setting the Southwestern table.
When Mexican immigrants settled in the Southwest, they brought cooking essentials with them, thereby establishing a new culinary frontier – although it was seen as unsophisticated by the rest of America. Nevertheless, it had sticking power, as cooking methods and indigenous dishes were passed from one generation to the next, ensuring a legacy that began centuries before.
¡Arriba! Fast forward to 1950s Arizona: Post-WWII wives were busy learning recipes from the backs of cake-mix boxes and backyard barbecues became the trend in suburbia. For Latinos just back from WWII, settling down and becoming a success meant buying a new home outside one’s original barrio. This resulted in the dissemination of family recipes, spreading Sonoran dishes into the kitchens of predominantly White homes.
For the next 40 years, Sonoran cuisine would continue to win converts to its indigenous approach. Making salsa and tamales, eating tortillas and cooking frijoles would become as commonplace in Arizona kitchens as having a backyard pool. Mexican food was here to stay.
During those decades, small restaurants were opened to meet a growing demand for home-cooked Mexican food. Most of these restaurants relied on family recipes, dishes handed down through generations of cooks. The authenticity of the food built reputations and respect. Rosa Carbajal opened the old El Molino in south Phoenix while the Herrera family opened Carolina’s on 12th Street and Mohave. Over in Scottsdale, the Corral family built Los Olivos. In Tempe, ASU students and faculty flocked to Restaurant Mexico. Meanwhile, Guedo’s Taco Stand fed the denizens in Chandler, Garcia’s Las Avenidas (still the original) wowed diners in west Phoenix, and Lulu’s Taco Shop was serving up meals in Gilbert.
Obviously, a multitude of Sonoran food eateries Arizona have popped up since those early days. That’s just the region we’re in, and most diners are happy with that geographic lot in life.
SO MANY DISHES, SO LITTLE TIME
So, setting a table for newcomers to the Valley seems like a no-brainer – just pick any great border food restaurant and dig in….but, which to choose?
Many of our local favorites, born as mom-and-pop businesses, produce mouth-watering entrees. As an appetizer, let’s start with examples in central Phoenix.
Rito’s, an unassuming neighborhood restaurant, sits quietly across from a local school off Roosevelt, disguised as a brick house. Unless you have had someone show you where it is, you may never know its location. Patrons stand in line patiently to order (cash only), conjure more patience to wait for their lunches, then thread their way among professional business types sitting at patio tables. Most are munching on huge burritos filled with shredded meat. These are not those faux fajitas from the Taco Hell drive-through: it takes two hands to eat a Rito’s burrito. The chile gravy alone is worth breaking down civil conventions such as napkins to lick one’s fingers.
Next, there’s Sylvia’s La Canasta, with two locations (3824 W. Indian School and 5502 N. 7th Ave.). Sylvia’s offers wonderful green tamales, which we recommend served enchilada style. Crispy homemade tortilla chips are straight from Sylvia’s factory. The best is the Sunday morning Mother’s Day Brunch, when they pull out all the presentation stops.
Such family-founded restaurants are located throughout the Valley. To the west of Central Avenue, there is Pepe’s Taco Villa, Don Rafa’s, and Raul and Theresa’s.
At Pepe’s Taco Villa, 2108 W. Camelback, expect to taste home-style classics, as well as regional specialties like mole and chicharrones. And there’s no way the place will break your wallet, either.
El Portal, 117 W. Grant, owned by Earl and Rosemary Wilcox of local political fame, brings in the Legislators and city officials who chow down on its chiles rellenos and tacos filled with carne asada.
There are other hidden, out-of-the-way spots, such as Don Rafa’s, 1467 N. Dysart Road in Avondale, a strip mall taqueria whose diners gorge themselves on tacos made with from-scratch corn tortillas.
Raul and Theresa’s, founded in 1968 by the Chayrez family, has operated in the same location for a little more than 38 years. Local residents use the place as a neighborhood gathering spot, sort of like the Cheers of Goodyear.
Mom-and-pop places have introduced us to other Latin cuisines. We now can eat pupusas and fried plaintains from El Salvador at Eliana’s, 1627 N. 24th St. For a more European spin there are gambas con pancetta (grilled shrimp wrapped in bacon) served with aioli or the pata de puerco asado (roasted pork leg marinated in sour orange sauce) served at the Spanish Pepín, 7363 E. Scottsdale Mall, Scottsdale. Don’t forget the top-notch Ecuadoran banana leaf-wrapped tamales at Mi Cocina, Mi Pais, 4221 W. Bell Road. Or Cuban frituras de frijoles negros (black bean fritters) or Puerto Rican mofongo (plaintains with pork cracklings) at Havana Café (4225 E. Camelback, 4232 E. Chandler Blvd., or in Scottsdale, 6245 E. Bell Road).
Sí, so many examples of home-style, authentic food makes hard to think about venturing too far from our families’ plates. With such culinary comfort, it will take awhile for Hispanics to step beyond the Latino table. Perhaps all we need to do is invite everyone else to sit down.
