KERIDWEN CORNELIUS 2022-08-30 11:40:52
These beloved casual eateries—from a fancy food truck to a James Beard Awardwinning hot dog joint—offer all the flavor with none of the pretense. In the U.S., it’s rare to find birria de chivo—a goat stew typically reserved for special occasions. But savvy carnivores know where to get their goat: Hola Cabrito in Phoenix. Mother-daughter duo Maria and Valerie Lopez marinate goat in adobo rub (a secret family recipe), simmer it until the meat practically swoons off the bone, and serve it as stew or broth with chickpeas. In a city famous for its Mexican food, Inca’s Peruvian Cuisine in Tucson stands out for its authentically Andean specialties. Peruvian rocoto peppers spike ceviche and seafood stew, purple corn sweetens the chicha morada drink, lúcuma fruit tarts up ice cream and pisco sours make everything go down smoothly. When now-President Joe Biden and VP Kamala Harris visited Phoenix on their campaign trail, they beelined to Barrio Café, famed for Mexican classics like cochinita pibil and chiles en nogada. This mural-tattooed eatery has become a local treasure, thanks to Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza’s support of neighborhood residents and unsung artists. Chilte owners Lawrence Smith and Aseret Arroyo bring his high-end restaurant chops and her Sinaloan roots to this Phoenix food truck, which went brick-and-mortar at downtown’s Egyptian Motor Hotel in spring 2022. Farmers market produce, sustainable seafood and freshly pressed tortillas create the flavor alchemy in their Technicolor tacos, chilaquiles, tortas and more. Plant-based Tumerico in Tucson excels at meat mimicry in its Latin-inspired dishes. Jackfruit plays the role of beef in the poblano-sauced Cuban ropa vieja plate, while mushrooms and huitlacoche fungus deepen the earthy character of the Frida Kahlo tostadas. Meanwhile, the lattes are seasoned with a supporting cast of mesquite, mole spices or mazapán (peanut candy). Family owned since 1983, Amigo Cafe in Kayenta lovingly shares Mexican American and Navajo family recipes with hungry travelers and locals on the Navajo Nation. Tackle a plate-sized Navajo taco— pillowy fry bread heaped with a hill of beans, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. Then fend off a food coma with a chile-zinged iced mocha for the road. At Hooch’s Kingman Grille in Kingman, diners come for the chicken wings, chili bread bowls and bargain surf ‘n’ turf. But they stay for the friendly service and the live music, all-day happy hour and raffles to raise funds for local charities every Sunday. Can a humble hot dog win a James Beard Award? Yes, when it’s the Sonoran dog from El Güero Canelo in Tucson. Honored with an America’s Classics Award, this tribute to culinary cross-pollination in the borderlands is a baconwrapped dog topped with beans and tomato cradled in bolillo bread and squiggled with mayo, mustard, jalapeño salsa and onions. A groovy Cajun and barbecue joint with trumpets festooning mustard-colored walls, Satchmo’s puts the soul in Flagstaff. A beer from one of Flag’s beloved breweries is a cool and crisp juxtaposition to jambalaya seasoned with housemixed Cajun spices, blackened catfish po’boys, crunchy cast-iron cornbread or pulled pork smoked over pecan and cherry wood.
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