Category: Arizona

2026 James beard Foundation: "Best Chef - Southwest" SemifinalistArizonaDiners Drive-Ins and DivesMexicanTacosUnited States

Tacos Chiwas – Phoenix, Arizona

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

The city of Phoenix has a population of approximately 1.66 million residents, making it the fifth most populous city in the United States.  As anchor for the broader Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler-Scottsdale-Tempe, etc., etc.  metropolitan area, more than 4.8 million people call the Valley Of The Sun home.  So no, it’s not glutted with designer taco shops competing with modest mom-and-pop taco joints.  As in Austin, Texas, there can’t be nearly enough taco shops to appease denizens and visitors who believe tacos should be on the USDA food pyramid–maybe at the top right above pizza and burgers. At the risk of delving (or devolving) into a potential political miasma, one term I’ve not heard used about tacos is “cultural appropriation,” the adoption of elements from a minority or marginalized culture by members of a dominant culture, often in exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical ways. Online and print critics bandy about such terms as “gringo tacos” as freely as they ascribe “authenticity” to tacos proffered by scions of Montezuma. It dawned on me when researching Tacos Chiwas just how often the term “authentic” or some derivative thereof was used. Obviously, Tacos Chiwas is several somebodies exemplar of the real thing. Tacos Chiwas was launched in…

ArizonaDog FriendlyRating: OutstandingSandwichUnited States

PANE BIANCO – Phoenix, Arizona

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

When she lived in Tucson, Arizona Republic dining critic Andi Berlin would drive nearly two hours  to Phoenix to enjoy foods that can’t be found anywhere else in Arizona.  One of her five favorites held such sway over her that she actually moved to the Valley of the Sun so that she could enjoy it more often.  Now that’s a gastronome after my own heart!  Among the cinquefoil restaurants was Pane Bianco, whose sandwiches Andi says “are so perfect that they’ve achieved cult status.”  Perfect sandwiches!  Hmm, that’s a good reason to relocate and maybe the reason the Phoenix real estate market is among the nation’s top 10 hottest markets. During dozens of trips to Phoenix over my eighteen-year tenure at Intel, I would have described Phoenix as a culinary wasteland.  That’s based largely on well-intentioned colleagues taking me to their favorite restaurants–usually chains that hadn’t yet made their way to the Land of Enchantment or worse, Arizona-style Mexican restaurants.  There were exceptions, of course, but those were few and far in between and in every case, those few were restaurants I discovered myself, usually on my way to the airport.  To abet my culinary explorations, I would actually schedule a late flight…

ArizonaMexicanSteakTacosUnited States

Huarachis Taqueria – Phoenix, Arizona

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

There are a number of restaurants across the globe for which reservations are notoriously difficult to get. Securing a table at The Lost Kitchen in Freedom, Maine, for example, is widely considered the hardest reservation in the world. Instead of going online or calling, hopefuls must mail a physical postcard to the restaurant just to enter a lottery. From a mountain of mail, only a lucky few are drawn for a chance to dine at the 40-seat restaurant.  Then there’s Rao’s in New York City, an old-school Italian spot where tables are privately “owned” by regulars and newcomers can only dine through personal invitations.   For sheer exclusivity, you can’t beat (or get reservations to) Kawamura in Tokyo, Japan. This exclusive, seven-seat Ginza steakhouse is effectively booked entirely by regulars who reserve their next meal before leaving, making it virtually inaccessible to outsiders In comparison, you might find it easier to make reservations for Bacanora which in 2026 is consistently ranked as the single hardest restaurant reservation to secure in Phoenix. Secure your spot by booking on the OpenTable Bacanora Page. Tables are extremely difficult to get.  They are released on the 1st of each month at 9AM for the entire…

ArizonaBarbecueRating: GoodUnited States

Honey Bear’s Barbecue – Phoenix, Arizona

Gil Garduno2:40 PM

Depending on the type of egg, the minimum temperature for frying an egg has been measured to be 144-158F.  That’s only a few degrees from the ideal “low and slow” temperature of smoking meats–225°F to 250°F. On scorching summer days in Phoenix, television news shows perennially traumatize visitors and tourists by frying an egg on the city’s sidewalks. It would really traumatize viewers if a pitmaster was shown manipulating the low-and-slow smoke emanating from post oak embers on a sidewalk to barbecue a brisket. In the first decade of the new millennium, frequent business trips brought me to the Valley of The Sun.  At that time, there was a serious dearth of good barbecue restaurants in the Albuquerque metropolitan area.  Among the very few was The Smokehouse Barbecue Restaurant where me and my Intel friends and colleagues practically lived.  Incomparable pitmaster Gary West kept us very well fed (particularly on Wednesdays when the amazing smoked burger was featured fare).  The Smokehouse was like an oasis in a culinary desert.  Business trips to the Phoenix area gave us an opportunity to explore smoked meats and discover very good barbecue away from the Land of Enchantment. Among our very favorite was Honey…

ArizonaAsianDiners Drive-Ins and DivesThaiUnited States

The Wild Thaiger – Phoenix, Arizona

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

Wild Thaiger, burning bright In the Phoenix desert night, What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fiery beef Panang curry? I’m no William Blake, but my inaugural visit to Wild Thaiger in Phoenix, Arizona inspired me to wax poetic.  It would be peurile of me to pen an unctuous description of Chef-Owner Olashawn Hasadinratana-Weaver (Ola for short) that might have included the terms “cougar” or “tigress.”   Chef Ola is a serious, self-taught chef who learned the art of cooking from her family’s rich Thai culinary traditions and honed her skills hands-on in the restaurant industry.  To view her as something other than that is to diminish her talents.  She may be a vibrant, energetic and very attractive celebrity chef, but there’s so much more to her than that. The culinary world witnessed Chef Ola’s culinary talents as well as her vivaciousness during a 2014 visit by gliteratti Guy Fieri and the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” crew. His initial visit was featured in the season 22 episode “Globe Tasting” which originally aired in 2015. During this visit, he highlighted such signature dishes as pork and crab dumplings known as “Dragon Eggz” and the Mu Yang marinated pork skewers.…

ArizonaRating: N/R (Not Rated)SeafoodSushiUnited States

Bluewater Grill – Phoenix, Arizona

Gil Garduno12:24 AM

Rodney Dangerfield, the legendary king of “no respect” comedy, had some hilarious and classic one-liners about seafood and fish.  For example, he lamented that “Some seafood restaurants lack originality and have the same signs. These signs often say, ‘The fish you eat today slept last night in some bay.’ When ordering fish, the only concern is how it is prepared. Where the fish slept or who it slept with makes no difference. A fish might taste better if it was morally bad.” Long-suffering readers have endured ad-nauseum missives about me having grown up in land-locked New Mexico before advances in transportation and refrigeration made fresh seafood available to the masses.  We didn’t even have Rodney Dangerfield’s “morally bad” fish.  For me and my siblings, “seafood” was Mrs. Paul’s fish sticks and Gorton’s breaded shrimp.  Sure, my dad and Grandpa Max introduced me and my brothers to Northern New Mexican rivers teeming with German brown trout, cutthroat trout and rainbow trout, but that hardly qualifies as “seafood.”  Worse, the one of us who caught the least amount of fish had to clean everyone else’s fish.  Almost invariably that was me. Obviously, the Duke City and landlocked New Mexico are at a disadvantage…

ArizonaBurgersRating: N/R (Not Rated)United States

Original Hamburger Works – Phoenix, Arizona

Gil Garduno9:31 AM

“When in Phoenix, do as Phoenicians do.”  If that means staying in air conditioned confines during the summer, we’re doing it.  If that means sticking with local culinary fare, not so much.  Blame that on “Only in Arizona,” a travel and lifestyle publication from the good folks who bring us “Only In Your State.”  A recent edition of Only in Arizona celebrated a “Phoenix Burger Joint” that “Has Cooked Over Real Mesquite for 40 Years.”  As if mesquite grilled burgers aren’t enticing enough, the article boldly declared “The green chile cheeseburger, with jalapeño cheese and a grilled green chile on top, is the one that converts first-timers into regulars.   Hmm, a green chile cheeseburger in Arizona that might actually be pretty good; it just hasn’t been my experience. Admittedly, I’ve only had fewer than a handful of green chile cheeseburgers in the Grand Canyon State.  Any memorability they have can be attributed to how mediocre (or worse) they’ve been.  Arizona would never be able to entice savvy staycators and Hatch familiar visitors to the “Arizona Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail.”  That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try.  They might first want to spend some time on New Mexico’s trail to see how…

ArizonaPizzaRating: N/R (Not Rated)United States

Bill’s Pizza – Prescott, Arizona

Gil Garduno12:02 AM

According to the city’s Chamber of Commerce, “Prescott, Arizona is a highly popular and nationally recognized retirement destination. Known as “Everybody’s Hometown,” it appeals to active adults and seniors looking for natural beauty, a relaxed lifestyle, and a strong sense of community.”  Prescott isn’t only popular among retirement-age personnel.  Many of my former colleagues at Intel Corporation in Chandler and Ocotillo (Phoenix suburbs) bought second homes in the Prescott area, not necessarily for retirement but to have an relatively nearby escape destination that is somewhat cooler than The Valley of the Sun’s triple-digit summer temperatures. Prescott was founded in 1864 to serve as the original capital of the newly established Arizona Territory. Today, it offers a unique blend of historic charm and modern convenience. While it is famous for its preserved 19th-century architecture, Western heritage, and walkable downtown—like the historic Whiskey Row and Courthouse Square—it serves as a thoroughly modern regional hub for central Arizona. Prescott is also known as “Arizona’s Christmas City.” The town, particularly the historic downtown and Courthouse Plaza, comes alive with over a million LED lights, a large gingerbread village, and a month-long celebration featuring parades, live music, and a unique New Year’s Eve event. The…

ArizonaCoffeeRating: OutstandingUnited States

Late For The Train – Flagstaff, Arizona

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

“The powers of a man’s mind are directly proportioned to the quantity of coffee he drinks.” ~Sir James Mackintosh Dr. Steve Spence, my friend and former colleague at the University of New Mexico, probably drank more coffee than anyone I’ve ever known.  Walk by his office at any time of day and you’ll hear the melodic, soothing sounds of his electric coffee grinder pulverizing roasted coffee beans into freshly ground coffee ready to be enjoyed.   He grinds fresh before every brew and believes pre-ground (bagged) coffee is an instrument of torture.   Unlike the rest of us who drink barrelfuls of coffee, he does not show or seem to feel outward worry, anger, or excitement. His calm, almost Vulcan-like demeanor exemplifies a composed, steady, and tranquil outward appearance, even in high-pressure or unusual situations.  His calmness belies the stereotypical high-strung, high-stress stereotype associated with javaphile junkies. Admittedly I’m is a relative neophyte to the lure of the coffee sirens (and I’m not nearly as sedate as Dr. Spence). Only in the past fifteen years or so have I rekindled my appreciation and love for the nuanced depth of flavors conferred by this stimulating and satisfying elixir. Few things in life have…

ArizonaRating: ExcellentSouthwesternUnited States

The Turquoise Room – Winslow, Arizona

Gil Garduno4:39 AM

The concept of “fast food” had a far different connotation during the Southwest’s Frontier days than it does today. This is especially true if one traveled via railroad through hundreds of miles of desolate, open country. In the more densely populated and genteel east there were often several cities between most destinations. This allowed for frequent rest and refreshment stops. Passengers rode in relative comfort in Pullman cars with dining cars. In the wide open west, only twenty minutes were allowed during each of the infrequent stops. Further, the food was as miserable as the travel conditions. According to Keith L. Bryant’s History of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, “meat was greasy and usually fried, beans were canned, bacon rancid and coffee was fresh once a week.” No doubt it was gastronomic distress that prompted the following ditty documented on the book Hear the Lonesome Whistle Blow by Dee Brown: “The tea tasted as though it was made from the leaves of sagebrush. The biscuit was made without soda, but with plenty of alkali, harmonizing with the great quantity of alkali dust we had already swallowed.” One man, an English emigrant named Fred Harvey was determined to change…

ArizonaDog FriendlyHot DogsMexicanRating: ExcellentSandwichUnited States

El Guero Canelo – Tucson, Arizona

Gil Garduno8:48 PM

If asked to participate in a word association exercise, any well-traveled foodie undergoing psychoanalysis would find it easy to name the first food that comes to mind when a city is mentioned: Philadelphia – the Philly cheesesteak sandwich; Boston – baked beans; Chicago – Italian beef sandwiches; San Francisco – sourdough bread; Milwaukee – butter burgers; San Antonio, New Mexico – green chile cheeseburgers.  You get the point.  Some foodies might not know that Philadelphia is the birthplace of liberty, but they know about Geno’s and Pat’s King of Steaks and their decades-long battle for Philly cheesesteak supremacy. You might find it strange that seemingly pedestrian foods would be the defining cuisine of burgeoning cosmopolitan cities, historically significant metropolises and tiny hamlets in the desert, but it’s not solely foodies who associate foods with places. Anthropologist Maribel Alvarez of the University of Arizona says the “quintessential food of Tucson” is the Sonoran hot dog, explaining that instead of taking guests to high-end restaurants, locals will bring their out-of-towners to one of the city’s purveyors of Sonoran hot dogs. Hot dogs, like baseball and barbecue, aren’t exclusively the domain of Americans any more.  In fact, they never were. Before you call…