Long before Arizona became a state, Tucson was a capital of Sonoran-style Mexican fare. That tradition continues, from street food from the crazy Sonoran hot dog to traditional green corn tamales and artisan tacos to chefs’ high-end interpretations of Mexican dishes. 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 to get away from the rest of the world.
Phoenix is a newer city and its eateries tend to be more stylish (although here, too, traditional 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.
WITH THE EXCEPTION of the hot dog bun, there has never been an edible invention as useful as the ice cream cone. Eat it all and leave nothing behind...
In 1901, there were fewer than 7,000 cars on America’s roads. Just 40 years later, Duncan Hines’s guidebook Adventures in Good Eating was pinpointing hundreds of gems worthy of a detour....
Many years ago we came across an amazing hostelry south of Bisbee, Arizona, called Shady Dell, a cluster of eight mid century trailers, each meticulously restored and available as...
There used to be a roadside tourist attraction out West that had a sign warning visitors, “Prepare to Be Amazed.” That’s what we’d say to anyone coming to eat...
Route 66 never had an official name like the Ozark Trail or the Merritt Parkway. Mapped out in 1926 as a federal highway that would run diagonally, rather than...
The two-lane highway south of Bisbee, Arizona, cuts through reefs of hard copper rock and then curves around a traffic circle. If instead of pressing south toward Mexico you...
Originally Published 1997 Gourmet Magazine After a good day of boldly eating where no food writers have eaten before—truck stops, diners, smoke shacks, even the occasional scurrilous road-house that anchors...
Situated in an unprepossessing slab sided hotel called the Park Inn International in Tucson, Arizona, Café Poca Cosa is the finest Mexican restaurant in town and one of the...
Drive, hike and eat the best food in Sedona, AZ The drive through Sedona's Red Rock country is one of awesome scenery and good food served with old-fashioned western hospitality. ...
ul { display: block; list-style-type: decimal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; padding-left: 40px;} Road trip: Scottsdale to Bisbee, Arizona This Arizona...
What a yummy trip it is to eat one's way from Chicago to L.A. along old Route 66! This tour of 21 excellent stops along the way includes some...
While magnificent scenery along Route 66 in Arizona and California is abundant, good meals can be scarce. But it isn't necessary to take a major detour down to Sedona...
Scenic Driving and Good Eating Rising an average of an inch every 60 to 80 years, the beautiful Red Rock formations that we see today were formed several million years...
Arizona Road Trip! This three day Roadfood Adventure from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon, through the small town of Sedona. With a population of only 10,397 Sedona has three fantastic...
As breathtaking as a western sunset is, western breakfast can be every bit as beautiful. Sunrise never tasted better than it does at any one of these dozen breakfast...
Taco Take Over When we started hunting Roadfood many years ago, good tacos were hard to find anywhere other than the southwest borderlands and southern California. Today, great tacos are...
Grilled Cheese From pressed-flat, wafer-thin, white-bread-and-Velveeta cooked on a lunch-counter flattop to effulgent bouquets of imported cheese melted between halves of an artisan bun, the best grilled cheese sandwiches have...
Good Eats of South Tucson, a World Apart The city of Tucson completely surrounds the city of South Tucson. But legally and culturally – and edibly – South Tucson stands...
Hangover BeGone Other than drinking more or not drinking at all, the way to banish hangovers is to spoon up some menudo. Made from tripe with a large charge of...
Airport Food Food in airports is better than it used to be, but when we arrive by plane, we can't get out of the terminal fast enough. By rental car,...
Unique Regional Dishes After 40 years and 5 million miles spent on the road looking for America's best regional food, we've assembled a list of the quintessential, must-eat food in...
Restaurant El Charro, which dates back to the 1920s, says the Topopo Salad was invented by founder Monica Flinn, who was so impressed when she saw the Mexican volcano...
Among the countless Mexican restaurants in Tucson, these five give the best feel for the amazing range of styles and specialties, from the outlandish Sonoran hot dogs at El...
One morning at the turn of the last century, Lemuel Benedict shuffled into New York's Waldorf Hotel looking for a dish to cure his hangover. He asked for poached...
Donut devotion as fervid as the commitment devotees have for barbecue. Everybody has a favorite kind. From robust cake sinkers to featherweight glazed, styles vary dramatically. In our experience,...
To quench ferocious thirst (non-alcoholically), few beverages are as welcome as horchata. A rice milk that varies from saki-thin to milk shake-thick, served on ice and dusted with cinnamon,...
Of the hundred five-star barbecue parlors around the U.S.A. this dozen is the crème de la crème. .
We Americans love our hamburgers, at home and on the road. From mischievous fried sliders to majestic beef pillows oozing juice over coals, burgers are a birthright coast to...
Huevos Rancheros, which means ranch-style eggs, once was an exotic dish that U.S. travelers found only in the southern border-state cafes. With the burgeoning popularity of Mexican food --...
Grits can be a watery white side dish to fill out a plate of eggs, or they can be the creamiest, earthiest, most delicious corn cereal imaginable. The addition...
Granola first was invented in the 1860s (not the 1960s) and eaten by health nuts of the day. It was a severe dish made from nothing but double-baked sheets...
Sopaipillas are are made from dough that is rolled out very thin, cut into small sections, then tossed into boiling oil, preferably lard. The lard makes the pieces of...
There's no point getting into a flame war over which American hot dog is best. It's impossible, because the nation's hot dogs are so diverse. However, we will go...
Fried chicken is popular all across America and so different everywhere that it is not possible to say what city, state, or region does it best. While the process...
The Phoenix restaurant scene is white hot. New, creative, cutting-edge, top-dollar restaurants open all the time. What about those of us who prefer less pretentious eats and casual meals?...
It is good to wake up early in Sedona, Arizona, for that is when the sun's first rays make the monumental rock formations around the city glow magic red....
At their best, made from roasted chilies that still have muscular vegetable walls, stuffed with cream-rich molten cheese and haloed in a coat of featherweight batter fried to a...
There are so many good places to eat in Tucson, it can be tough to leave; but if you head southwest, through Sierra Vista and on to Douglas, there...
Green corn tamales, so named because they are wrapped in fresh green husks rather than dry, beige ones, used to be seasonal, available only at the end of summer...
The Sonoran hot dog, most flamboyant of America's wieners, starts as a simple beef frank. The cook wraps it in bacon and grills it in a trough alongside other...
