Category: United States

BurgersRating: N/R (Not Rated)TexasUnited States

JewBoy Burgers – Austin, Texas

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

With hordes of eager eaters forming lines around select restaurants–if not the block–you’d think those diners were gum-snapping Swifties clamoring to enter the venue of a Taylor Swift concert  That’s the case not only in barbecue joints anointed with Michelin star and James Beard Foundation honors, not to mention restaurants featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.  Queues for ‘cue, lines for lasagna, cavalcades for calamari…that’s pretty much the way it is at all the time in Austin.  It is a foodie city after my own heart.  I loathe lines so much, I’d rather arrive half an hour early than to stand in a line for more than ten minutes. Alas, on a day in which drizzle spritzed city streets, I arrived at Jewboy Burgers fifteen minutes after it opened.  Forget what you hear about Austinites being fair weather diners.  They were there in droves with a lengthy line literally out the door.  That’s where I stood (in misty rain) for twenty minutes before making my way inside.  There was a long line inside the restaurant, too.  Sullen diners also waited for a table to come available, the more intrepid among them taking their burger bounty outdoors.  A fellow queruer related…

2022 James Beard Foundation Award for "Emerging Chef"MexicanMichelin: Bib GourmandRating: N/R (Not Rated)Restaurants Which Have Earned Michelin HonorsTacosTexasUnited States

Nixta Taqueria – Austin, Texas

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

Man cannot live on barbecue alone–not even in Austin, Texas where the world’s very best barbecue is to be found.  To limit one’s self to barbecue–as transformative as it may be–is to deprive yourself of some of the best Mexican food and best fried chicken in the known world.  Though the primary purpose of my week-long visit to the City of the Violet Crown was to visit Michelin starred barbecue restaurants, to have done so have been “going deep,”  exploring just one segment of the Central Texas culinary Utopia.  “Going wide” meant exploring options beyond barbecue–options such as some of the aforementioned Mexican food joints for which Austin is renowned. At the very top of my list was Nixta Taqueria which was ranked tenth among the 50 best tacos in Texas.  That compilation was put together by Texas Monthly’s “Taco Editor” Jose Ralat who “traversed the state from the Rio Grande Valley to the Panhandle to find the most superb tacos and taquerias.”  Along the way, he discovered that “More than ever, chefs, cooks, and taqueros—often Mexican immigrants or first-generation Mexican Americans—are crafting nostalgic dishes from their blended cultures and incorporating native Texan ingredients.”  He calls the movement “New Tejano.”…

2025 James Beard Foundation "Best Chef - Texas" SemifinalistBarbecueJames Beard Foundation (JBF) Award Nominees & WinnersMichelin: One StarRating: N/R (Not Rated)Restaurants Which Have Earned Michelin HonorsTexasUnited States

LeRoy And Lewis Barbecue – Austin, Texas

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

What can you say about a wife who practically pushes her husband out the door so he can gallavant through the Lone Star State in pursuit of barbecue?  That’s precisely what my Kim did.  She didn’t do so out of malice or because she’s tired of me.  Far from it.  We’ve been together for four decades.  There’s no one whose company I enjoy more and it’s mutual.  Throughout my Air Force career, we were stationed far away from family and had only ourselves to rely on.  We’ve grown together both figuratively and literally (mostly me).  While I would love for my Kim to be by my side every moment of every day, she knows I sometimes need to explore culinary horizons by myself, advance scouting for when I can take her with me. Mysandrists might decry the Austin weather as divine retribution for me traveling without my bride and our debonair dachsund, The Dude.  An uncommon cold spell has limited my outdoor activity to getting in the car and driving to one of the anointed restaurants on my list.  On February 8, the high temperature in Austin was 88.  Since my arrival, the high temperature has been in the low…

BarbecueMichelin: One StarRestaurants Which Have Earned Michelin HonorsTexasUnited States

InterStellar BBQ – Austin, Texas

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

With more than 2,500 purveyors of bodacious barbecue in the Lone Star State, Texas Monthly Magazine has increased the likelihood of smoked meat aficionados locating and enjoying the very best.  That’s largely because of Daniel Vaughn, the magazine’s “Barbecue Editor.”  Vaughn has traveled the world sampling smoked meats at over 1,800 barbecue joints, most of which are in Texas.  Texans making pilgrimages in pursuit of barbecue carry with them Vaughn’s tome The Prophets of Smoked Meat: A Journey Through Texas Barbecue.  They also take along Texas Monthly’s “The 50 Best Texas Barbecue Joints.” Vaughn’s Texas Monthly compilation, last published in 2021, will be updated in 2025.  These are the barbecue bibles to which believers are called. There’s only two jobs I’ve ever coveted and both are under the employ of Texas Monthly.  One is Daniel Vaughn’s aforementioned “Barbecue Editor” position.  The other is “Taco Editor,” a position held by Jose Ralat.  In a state covering 268,596 square miles, the chances of meeting either one of them aren’t very high.  Much less likely is the opportunity to dine in close proximity to one of these culinary giants.  It was sheer serendipity that the man, the myth, the legend himself, Daniel Vaughn would…

ArizonaBurgersUnited States

Culver’s – Payson, Arizona

Gil Garduno7:08 PM

In the summer of 2022, two of my sisters spent a nearly three weeks in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. They visited the breathtaking snow-capped mountains of the Alps and took Europe’s highest cable car to the top of the Matterhorn.  They walked in picturesque villages reminiscent of your favorite fairy-tale as well as medieval towns resplendent with covered bridges, waterfront promenades, historic buildings replete with frescoes painted by the masters, and sun-drenched plazas with bubbling fountains.  Naturally, my questions about their vacation were centered on cuisine.  Dolores, one of my sisters, recalled most fondly the bread and butter served with every meal on their excursion.  She’s a Garduño after my own heart. During our years in Europe, my Kim and I were surprised at the ubiquity of butter on sandwiches.  It didn’t matter what other ingredients were used in the construction of a sandwich; each slice of bread was buttered lavishly.  Our favorite was a buttered floury bap with Branston pickle and Cheddar cheese.  We also grew to love butter sandwiches with bacon.  Frankly, a butter sandwich with extra butter was also quite good. As common as butter was in England (where we lived), the French slathered it on even more generously.…

ArizonaFilipinoRating: OutstandingUnited States

TAMBAYAN FILIPINO FOOD – Phoenix, Arizona

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

When my Kim required physical therapy after a brief hospitalization, extraordinary physical therapist Lana Ramos was dispatched to our home where she worked with my Kim for several weeks.  Lana was wonderful–a superb and patient coach for my injured bride and a knowledgeable and patient source of knowledge for me.  Having been around many Air Force colleagues married to Filipino women, I developed a fondness for both the culture and cuisine of the Philippines.  Lana reignited that fondness by answering my questions and clarifying a few misconceptions I had.  When my Kim successfully completed her physical therapy, Lana prepared lumpia for us.  It had been a long time since we’d had lumpia. Lana told us that she and several compatriots journey to the Phoenix area periodically to get their fix of Filipino cuisine which–until September, 2024 could not be found at an Albuquerque eatery.  Then came Cindy Recile, an effusive and radiant personality who named her take-out establishment “Barkada’s ABQ” for the Filipino word for “friends” or “group of friends.”   Barkada’s is not a sit-down restaurant in which you can linger to enjoy fabulous flavors.  Instead, you’ve got to use social media to order food which you can pick up…

AmericanArizonaDog FriendlyRating: ExcellentUnited States

Culinary Dropout – Scottsdale, Arizona

Gil Garduno12:04 AM

With a name like Culinary Dropout, you might expect an edgy and provocative venue, something hip and trendy where all the beautiful blonde  women of Scottsdale come to mix with bad boys.  That expectation might be reenforced by Old Town Scottsdale website which describes Culinary Dropout:  “From the chefs on the line with silver-studded ears and Mohawk hairdo, to the inked-up, decked-out bar staff mixologists shaking and stirring some of the most creative cocktails, we’re all dropouts here.”  Instead, we found a rather innocuous vibe, akin to maybe Chili’s on a slightly rowdy day. Most of the diners were coupled, some ferrying toddlers carrying the gene code that will propagate beautiful blondes.  Others strode in with pampered pooches in strollers that cost more than our car.  Live music was smooth and mellow, the antithesis of raucous rock we had expected. Heck, many people who might use that mild oath were among the crowd. Located in the pricey real estate section of Scottsdale’s Old Town (Waterfront), Culinary Dropout may defy any impression you may have based on its name alone.  You might find, as we did, it’s family friendly, grandma approved.  Now that I’ve ruined its reputation, let me tell you what…

AmericanArizonaBreakfastDog FriendlyFarm to TableUnited States

The Farm at South Mountain – Phoenix, Arizona

Gil Garduno12:05 AM

There are two indulgences we miss when we visit Tempe: New Mexico’s incomparable cuisine and the coffee we wake up to every morning.  My sister Anita assures us there are now several restaurants in the Valley of the Sun which serve New Mexican cuisine that is more than passable though we have yet to visit any of them.  While our landlords graciously provide a coffee pot, we don’t ever seem to remember to pack our beloved Douwe Egberts coffee from the Netherlands.  Okay, maybe that’s just an excuse to visit Black Rock Coffee in Tempe which serves a very good Mexican mocha. Aside from the coffee, what we enjoy most about Black Rock is being able to sit out on the patio–even in January–to enjoy that coffee.  It was during one such visit to Black Rock that we met Pastor Shelly Smith who leads the Full Gospel Deliverance Tabernacle.   Pastor Smith is a bear of a man with a heart of gold.  His ministry’s mission is to “reach those that need help“–not only spiritually, but in helping them meet basic needs.  We’ve enjoyed coffee time with the great Pastor several times, usually at about 9:30AM.  By that time he’s…

ArizonaDog FriendlyItalianRating: ExcellentUnited States

Italian Daughter – Scottsdale, Arizona

Gil Garduno12:03 AM

“I am my father’s daughter, the Italian daughter” proclaims restaurateur Melissa Maggiore-Meyer on the Italian Daughter’s website.  As the daughter of famed Phoenix chef and restaurant impressario Tomaso Maggiore, it seems almost predestined that she would follow in her father’s Sasquatch-like footsteps.  At an early age, Melissa’s father taught her the beauty and joy a great meal can bring to one’s life.  She cherishes the memories of gathering around the table with family and friends, sharing stories, laughter, wine, and of course, a great dish of pasta.  Her love for the cuisine of her Italian heritage was cemented by extensive travel to Italy with her father. Melissa’s passion  for food, wine, and hospitality supplanted her pursuit of a Journalism  degree from Arizona State University.  She relocated to San Diego where she launched a number of Italian restaurants throughout southern California.  One of those restaurants–Tommy V’s Urban Kitchen in Carlsbad, California–was the subject of Food Network primetime series, Family Style.  In 2018 Melissa and her husband Kevin returned to Scottsdale to be closer to family. In April 2021 Melissa opened The Italian Daughter to pay homage to her late father and continue the legacy he left behind. Chef Tomaso Maggiore was…

ArizonaMexicanRating: N/R (Not Rated)United States

Chilte – Phoenix, Arizona

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

“Me Vale Madre.”  If you grew up speaking Spanish–or maybe just being around Spanish-speaking people–you probably know it’s a derrogatory term.  Essentially, even though the phrase inludes the Spanish term “madre” which means “mother,”  it’s telling someone you don’t give a fu…fudge.  “Me Vale Madre” is Chilte’s mantra.  It’s the restaurant staff basically saying “we don’t care that we don’t meet your conceptions of what Mexican food should be.  We’re going to do it our way.”  How can you not love that?  I asked our server to explain to my Kim what that mantra means and he gave us a polite, G-rated version that was as far from the truth as a political promise. Chilte’s website makes no bones about what it is and aspires to be: “Me vale is our mantra.  Representing unapologetic authenticity to ourselves and our mission.  Join us as we strive to inspire a new culture in the culinary industry by sourcing locally, cooking from the hert, mentoring one another and building a community through food.”  The website also waxes nostalgic about Chilte’s humble beginnings: “Two kids, a grill and a tortilla press walk into a farmers market….Chilte!  Starting in a  10X10 pop-up tent, we have…

ArizonaDonutsRating: N/R (Not Rated)United States

Randy’s Donuts – Phoenix, Arizona

Gil Garduno12:02 AM

There’s a scene in Iron Man 2 where billionaire playboy Tony Stark decided to treat a hangover with coffee and a box of donuts from Randy’s Donuts in Inglewood, California.  Instead of enjoying his bounty inside the restaurant like most of us earth-bound “hundredaires,”  he flew up onto the gigantic 32’6″ donut atop the building and ate his donuts there.  My first visage of Randy’s Donuts came from a more altitudinous vantage point than Stark’s.  I first espied the iconic donut on approach to the Los Angeles International Airport.  Had a parachute been available, I might have been tempted to drop down for a donut or ten. My first actual taste of donuts from Randy’s was courtesy of the generosity of my dear friend Bruce “Sr Plata” Silver who grew up not far from the fabled donut shop.  On one of his visits home, he brought back a half dozen donuts for me.  In my 39 years of devouring dozens of donuts, I’ve never had donuts that good.  Randy’s has been making believers of superheroes and ordinary Joes like me since 1953.  That’s seventy plus years of people and palate pleasing.  Iron Man 2 is far from being the only…