What To Eat in Arizona
Long before Arizona became a state, Tucson was a capital of Sonoran-style Mexican fare. That tradition continues, from street food (try the crazy Sonoran hot dog!) to traditional green corn tamales and artisan tacos to chefs’ high-end interpretations (at Café Poca Cosa). South of Tucson along the border are culinary gems that reflect not only Mexico but also the quirky, colorful personality of settlers who came to find their fortune or get away from the rest of the world. Phoenix is a newer city and its eateries tend to be more stylish (although here, too, the Mexican food can be extraordinary); and to the north, around old Route 66, is a legacy of diners, cafes, and casual restaurants where travelers are made to feel at home.
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Tucson's favorite street food is a dizzying package. An all-beef frank, wrapped in bacon and grilled, gets garnished with pinto beans, chopped tomatoes, onions, mustard, hot jalapeno sauce, and a squiggle of mayonnaise, then planted in a big soft bun and sided by a mercilessly hot roasted pepper.
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Fresh corn on the cob is essential for green corn tamales because when the kernels are scraped off, enough juice comes with them to make a moist, full-flavored tamale filling. Roasted chilies are laced into it (often with cheese), and the combo is tightly rolled inside a green (not dried) corn husk that is steamed until the taste of earth and fire within are exuberantly married.
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In the rest of America, pico de gallo – "nip of the rooster" – refers to the sort of chunky salsa cruda that ignites tacos and is such a good dip for chips. In the city of South Tucson it has another meaning altogether. In this case, the nip of the rooster is a gorgeous bouquet of giant chunks of watermelon, coconut, pineapple, mango, and jicama that get spritzed with lime juice and liberally sprinkled with a red-hot chili-powder mix. The spice delivers a lip-tingling punch and does wonders to elicit all the sweetness from the fruit it seasons. It adds up to a heady culinary collusion that marshals taste buds to attention.
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Teresa’s Mosaic Cafe
While enjoying Teresa's scrumptious Mexican breakfasts (some of Tucson, Arizona's best) you can watch tortillas being hand-formed and griddle-cooked.
Los Jarritos
Los Jarritos is a 12th Avenue cafe where Tucsonians come to eat and chat and enjoy traditional Sonoran fare from green corn tamales to hangover-cure menudo.
La Fiesta Cafe
A top Mexican restaurant in the border town of Douglas, Arizona, La Fiesta Cafe is a friendly, family-run operation with especially good enchiladas.
BK Carne Asada & Hot Dogs
BK Carne Asada is a Tucson, Arizona, restaurant specializing in the baroque and delicious bacon-wrapped Sonoran hot dog, one of the best in the city.
Joe & Aggie’s Cafe
In Holbrook, Arizona, Joe & Aggie's serves a uniquely Southwestern mix of Mexican & American fare. It's a taste of vintage Route 66.
Sugar Bowl
With its pink-upholstered booths, Scottsdale, Arizona's Sugar Bowl is a best-of-the-best ice cream parlor, serving magnificent sodas, sundaes and malts.
High Desert Market and Cafe
Whatever your culinary needs in Bisbee, the High Desert Market will fill them. It's a restaurant, coffee-smoothie bar, grocery store, and wine & beer shop.
Indian Gardens Oak Creek Market
Modern food in a vintage Arizona waystation makes Indian Gardens a best bet for healthful meals, fresh-pressed cider, lattes, and great sourdough bread.
Old Bisbee Roasters
Seth Appell, coffee master at Old Bisbee, roasts some of the best in the West. It's mail-order, but complementary espresso is available.
