Food
Casa Reynoso *revisited* Tempe AZ
BACK IN TEMPE for a couple of weeks, I got to eat my favorite kind of food every meal. Tacos, enchiladas, and burritos. Smothered in red enchilada sauce. Made it to Mill and Southern twice, home of Tempe’s Casa Reynoso, and tried a half dozen other places as well.
Nobody does authentic Mexican food as well as Casa Reynoso. Nobody. The plate comes out at about 400˚. The food stays hot enough to burn your mouth nearly to the end. The flavor is perfectly balanced. Clearly, it’s not their first rodeo. Did we mention the “balanced” part of it? The secret is . . . wait for it . . . still a secret.
I finally got a family member to go on the record and tell me why the food is so good. “Recipes handed down through the family”. . . . Humm . . . Guess the only way to get the secret is to apply as a dishwasher and keep my eyes open. With family members all pitching in to make the restaurant a success, I probably wouldn’t be admitted to the kitchen!
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop • Tempe AZ
PROWLING THE PAVEMENT, on the hunt for decent Mexican, one does not have to go far in this excellent party town. Plenty of signage to lure a cash-strapped college student. Vidi, odoratus sum venundatus. I saw the sign, smelled the food, and was sold.
Even before entering, clearly, I had found a popular hangout. Raucous laughter, a patron or two nearly in tears with hilarity, this was the party joint. Copious margaritas flowed amid plates of steaming chow. But the question, is it quantity over quality?
We went with a standard. Burrito smothered in enchilada sauce. Used to the red, it came with the green. No matter, as I picked up the tray, this was the Matterhorn of burritos. And stuffed it was. Spiced pork, slow-roasted, and shredded. Crisp veggies and a garlic-lime-mayo dressing rolled up in a fresh tortilla. Heaven! Filling! Cheap! Excellent decor! Triple thumbs and toes up!
Bánh mì • Vietnamese Hoagie
A NEW SHOP OPENED ACROSS the street. Windows boarded up, a Grand Opening sign none-the-less said, “Come on in!”. After several weeks of derelict appearance, with flashing sign still proclaiming “OPEN”, I finally relented to curiosity.
Half the shelves were empty. The floor, cracked. The prepared food selection? Sold out today, sorry. Nothing? They can still make sandwiches. Recognizing the Vietnamese Hoagie from Chinatown shops, I pointed to a #3. Spicy, please.
Even thought this was a Sunday, the baguette had just-from-the-oven crusty flakes. The green stuff, garden fresh. Meat flavorful and satisfying. Mine was pork, sliced. Along with a heaping of fresh cucumber slices, cilantro, pickled carrots, spicy chili sauce, and stuff I couldn’t identify. No use asking the owner. Her English? Practically non-existent. But her shop nails it perfectly with an authentic Vietnamese sandwich.
Be adventurous. Small shops like these are now all over America. Pictures of the sandwiches, accompanied with the name of the meat and a number, adorn their walls. Four bucks or maybe $4.50 in the bigger cities, will get you an excellent Bánh mì • Vietnamese Hoagie.
SPAM (canned meat product)
Gentlemen-rankers out on a spree, Damned from here to Eternity, God ha’ mercy on such as we, Baa! Yah! Bah! – Rudyard Kipling
The can of Spam sat awaiting release into the world of gastronomic excellence. Waiting . . . and waiting . . . awaiting the pan . . . Two years passed before the urge to buy and the urge to fry. But when finally opened, it was, as expected, factory fresh. Ready to eat cold or hot. I like mine grilled, served between white bread.
What was different? The goo that used to slide out of the can with the Spam was absent. Maybe it is a money thing? Hormel realized that goo costs money? Spam will fry up perfectly fine without the extra fat? Unknown, Houston. Do not care enough to call the manufacturer? Maybe Hormel will comment on this blog entry . . . And our interest is ???
Reading the novel From Here To Eternity, I became impressed by Sergeant Maylon Stark’s order that all men be given a hot meal upon request at any hour. This meal would be fried Spam and toasted cheese on bread with hot coffee. A meal I’ve recreated a few times; it certainly does “hit the spot”.
Tell you what. Get the book. Buy a can of Spam (low salt, maybe?). Read. Eat. Experience what James Jones was feeling when, after WW II, he penned one of his most famous works.
Firecreek Cafe • Flagstaff, AZ
WITH A FRESH FRENCH press, I sit in a long dim coffee shop. Coming and going are the ubiquitous tourists. More likely in queue, however, are one of the 22,000 students of this college town. And post students, people who stay and give the community its continuity. The true vitality of Flagstaff, shaping its future.
Bianca, 20-something manager of Firecreek Cafe, sit’s with me as I take a break from The Great American Road Trip, Part II. She grew up in Flagstaff and knows it’s heartbeat. After a stint at a Bay Area art school, studying permaculture, where best to settle? And settling she is, building an adobe house north of the peaks. Next visit, more on that!
Firecreek Cafe is Hub of the Universe of Flagstaff. Surrounded by the majestic San Francisco peaks, this eclectic hall with its exposed structural walls and open floor plan is the 1st Third Wave
coffee shop to hit town. Lighter roasts are back! But they may be better known for their cappuccino, made with organic unhomogenized Straus milk. Quality is not cheap!
Formerly the famous Alley Bar, Firecreek continues this legacy as an indefatigable hub of this active community through dance parties, costume-related theme parties, even the INNERSPACE DJ event, transforming the entire 20′ x 120′ space through decoration, lights, and music. A constant influx of forestry, English, and nursing students supplies steady support of touring musicians, art shows, and poetry slams. Locals ensure continuity between sessions. A self-perpetuating cycle. The lifeblood is, in the end, the locals.
Try the chai, Firecreek’s own blend of spices and herbs. Very popular among the artists of this art-related town!
Basic Chili (with beans) • Anywhere USA
Can’t cook? Won’t learn? Getting tired of fast food and cereal every meal? Here’s a basic everybody can eat, easy to make, freezes well, and turns a house into a home.
Using familiar staples, you can whip up a batch of fresh chili in about an hour. And leave the “beans” debate to Texans. What debate? It seems that purists refuse to recognize spiced meat, onions, and tomatoes as “chili” is one adds a single bean. Humm . . .
So have at it! Brown a pound of ground beef. Remove and saute a large chopped onion in the fat. Then dump the meat back in, add a can each of chopped tomatoes and rinsed beans, along with a packet of chili seasoning.
Don’t just mash it around. Mix it all up by lifting portions and folding into other areas. You’ll have to add a little water, maybe 2 ounces to start. It’ll take a few minutes to bring it back to a simmer, then maybe ten or fifteen more to finish it.
Grab a bowl and spoon, some dried hots, and a box of Saltines. Enjoy!
Some tips: Chop the onion while the beef is browning. While the onion is cooking, rinse and beans and wash the onion-chopping implements. While everything is cooking, finish washing up.
Missouri Hick Bar-B-Q • Cuba Missouri
TUBING IN THE MISSISSIPPI from April to October, involvement in multiple competitive sports like softball and golf, and generally running around the beautiful countryside stirs up a passionate hunger in the local populace. And every Sunday the town heads to Hick’s for the all-you-can-eat ribs. But they always leave some room for cobbler.
I missed this event by a day, but did sample the meats, smoked over wild cherry. Being a purist, I eschew sauces on my meats, and go for the true taste of the smoked product. Missouri Hick does not disappoint!
And the cobbler? That may be the hidden story of this BBQ joint. Although the recipe was sealed behind loyal lips, I’d bet there’s a little lard rolled into the biscuit that you find in your bowl under a mound of fresh fruit, itself cooked with butter and sugar. A meal itself!
Cliff Dwellers Restaurant • Lees Ferry AZ
Hard upon the Anglers Guide Fly Shop, in front of a row of neat rental bungalows, stretches a porch with an impressive view. Rows of tables await the weary, the excited, the sunburned. A small restaurant attached with a few tables inside as well, this establishment is Cliff Dwellers Restaurant.
YOU WILL NOT “STUMBLE UPON it if driving US-89 north. No, this requires an intentional detour upon US-89 Alternate, which was recently engineered by bridge construction. Such unplanned detours remind me to fuel up frequently, as this stretch of 89 Alternate boasts only one station, catering to the forgetful.
Tired, I cared not for decision-making. To my rescue came waitress-proprietor Mrs. Davis who, along with her husband, manages the entire establishment. fish tacos were recommended, ordered, and consumed. Taking into consideration Marble Canyon is the “End Of The Line” either direction you look, the grub was excellent. Even if this restaurant was in an urban center, it would still score high marks. Sure, fresh ingredients are more challenging to obtain, but the flavor, texture, presentation, and decor are top-notch.
Cliff Dwellers Restaurant, in the middle of God’s Country. Highly recommended!
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