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In Burgers They Trust
That’s the motto at Beaver Street Brewery in Flag-staff, where the Hanseth family gives customers what they want: big burgers and homemade beer.
By Kelly Kramer
Winnie Hanseth doesn’t mince words when it comes to burgers. In fact, she sees things as being pretty much cut-and-dried. “Our Lumberjack burger is just a really big burger,” Hanseth says. “And people like big burgers.”
Hanseth, who owns Flagstaff’s famed Beaver Street Brewery with her husband, Evan, and her parents, adds that a sense of family makes the brewery stand out from its counterparts.
“Our menu sells really well across the board, but that’s not the only thing that makes a difference here,” she says. “We work with our employees weekly and try to empower them. They have a special sense of ownership and pride in the restaurant.”
That’s how it was with the former tenants of the building. When Merle Sauer and Henry Hutchinson opened the Complete Food Market on the corner of Beaver Street and Phoenix Avenue in 1938, they learned each customer’s name. As the market evolved into the Food Town Super Market in 1947 and eventually became one of the three largest groceries in Flagstaff during the 1960s, the down-home attitude continued.
“This is just a great location,” says Hanseth, who converted the grocery into the brewery in 1994. “It always has been.”
Today, the majority of the restaurant’s summer visitors are out-of-towners who come for wood-fired pizzas, the Lumberjack and Beaver Street burgers, and meatloaf sandwiches, while winter visitors include Flagstaff locals who clamor for homemade chili and the “soup of the moment.”
Of course, a brewery wouldn’t be a brewery without beer, and that’s what Beaver Street does best. With four regular potions on draft and a slew of seasonal offerings, Beaver Street’s brewer works right behind the bar, conjuring up ales, stouts and lagers that are known for their intense colors and flavors. Try the Rail Head Red. A local favorite, it’s brewed from a combination of crystal and caramel malts and aptly named for the restaurant’s location — just one block north of Flagstaff’s train station. Another good option is the Hefe Weizen, which won a gold medal at last year’s Great American Beer Festival. Creamy, malty and slightly sweet, this superb wheat beer is the perfect way to wash down a Lumberjack.
Beaver Street Brewery is located at 11 S. Beaver Street in Flagstaff. Information: 928-779-0079 or www.beaverstreetbrewery.com
Brix, Flagstaff
Northern Arizona is a mecca for family farms and ranches. And so, Northern Arizona restaurants are turning to those farms and ranches to add the freshest produce, poultry and beef to their menus. Brix, located in the historic Carriage House in Flagstaff, is no exception. With a dinner menu that features such selections as braised Fox Fire Farm lamb shank, grilled Cedar River Farms rib-eye, a variety of artisan cheeses and a wine list that rivals any big-city eatery, Brix is to Flagstaff what a place like Lon’s is to Paradise Valley: the go-to spot for a delicious meal in an intimate, relaxing setting.
Brix is located at 413 N. San Francisco Street, Flagstaff. Information: 928--213-1021 or www.brixflagstaff.com.
Josephine’s, Flagstaff
Ensconced in a Craftsman bungalow built in 1911, this Modern American bistro is charming and homey, boasting two cozy fireplaces, a relaxing garden and a wide porch for outdoor dining. Chef Tony Cosentino and his sister, Jill (who named the restaurant for their late mother), change their globe-hopping menu to reflect the seasons. Selections might include a fried green tomato and turkey sandwich, baklava-baked Brie with peach-fig chutney or cider-brined pork loin with poblano-cheddar polenta. The wine list has received an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator, while the restaurant has earned three diamonds from AAA. Josephine would surely be proud.
Josephine’s is located at 503 N. Humphreys Street, Flagstaff. Information: 928-779-3400 or www.josephinesrestaurant.com.
The Turquoise Room at La Posada, Winslow
The Turquoise Room at La Posada Hotel and Gardens has its origins in a railroad car. In 1935, Mary Jane Colter designed the private dining car for the Super Chief, a train that ran from Chicago to L.A. She dubbed the dining car The Turquoise Room, and the modern version of the restaurant, opened in 2000, replicated many of the original accents — green brocade booths and leather-and-wood chairs, to name a few. Just as elegant is The Turquoise Room’s menu. It features a variety of entrees that incorporate fresh ingredients flown in from as far away as Ninilchik, Alaska, as well as plenty of homegrown items, among them piki bread made by local Hopi women.
The Turquoise Room at La Posada is located at 303 E. Second Street, Winslow. Information: 928-289-2888 or www.theturquoiseroom.net.
Red Raven
Fine dining isn’t running rampant in Williams, but a popular new place on Route 66 is a step in the right direction.
By Robert Stieve
Broiled salmon filet basted with basil-butter and served with cranberry-pine-nut couscous … that’s the kind of thing you expect to find in Phoenix or Scottsdale, not in Williams, Arizona. Not only that, the unexpected entrée is served on a white tablecloth — or beige, as it were.
All of this is surprising because Williams, historically, has been a meat-and-potatoes kind of town. Period. Places like Sue-B’s Steakhouse, Rod’s Steak House and Wild West Junction are the norm. The Red Raven Restaurant, with its gourmet menu and notable wine list, is a considerable change of pace. In this case, change is good.
Co-owned by the husband-wife team of David and Rozan Haines, the Red Raven has been im-pressing desperate locals and flavor-starved tourists since it opened in June 2006. There are three reasons for that: ambience, service and food.
In addition to the salmon filet, the alluring menu includes Tempura Style Shrimp and Red Raven Pasta (chicken breast, sweet red peppers and oven-roasted tomatoes tossed with penne pasta and topped with Parmesan cheese). And for traveling carnivores, there’s a long list of steaks, including a rib-eye that was recently dubbed “one of the best” by a rib-eye aficionado.
“I have a passion for cooking and wanted to create a restaurant that I’d like to go to,” says David Haines, the head chef. “Not just for food, but for the whole experience.” Part of that experience is the place itself. Long and narrow — about 25 feet by 80 feet — the Red Raven is cozy and inviting.
When you pass through the front door (painted red), you’ll see a brick wall at one end, a high ceiling (also painted red) and green wainscoting all around. There are 10 booths, eight tables, retro artwork on the walls and an abundance of charm, all of which is orchestrated by Rozan, who will take your order and make you feel at home. Like the food and the ambience, the service at Red Raven is spectacular, which isn’t always the case in Phoenix and Scottsdale.
The Red Raven is located at 135 W. Route 66 in Williams. Information: 928-635-4980.
Twisters 50’s Soda Fountain, Williams
Located on the Mother Road, this spotlessly clean, sweetly nostalgic time warp — a black and white-floored soda fountain, furnished with shiny red booths and lots of Coca-Cola memorabilia — is a yummy blast from the past for Boomers. But you don’t have to be old enough to remember Chubby Checker to appreciate the excellent burgers, fries, onion rings, malts, shakes, ice cream sodas and banana splits served here. The adjacent Route 66-inspired gift shop is a kick, too.
Twisters is located at 417 E. Route 66, Williams. Information: 928-635-0266 or www.route66place.com.
El Tovar Dining Room, South Rim, Grand Canyon
Built from native stone and Oregon pine, El Tovar Dining Room at the El Tovar Hotel on the Grand Canyon’s South Rim is one of the state’s most famously historic restaurants. Although the dress code is casual, dining at El Tovar is often a more elegant experience than dining at a five-star eatery, primarily because several tables look directly out across the Canyon itself. That might explain why reservations are recommended as much as six months in advance. Well, that and a menu including dishes like wild Alaska salmon tostadas, natural lamb chops with roasted portobello demi-glace, and mesquite-smoked natural pork chops with Pinot Noir glaze.
El Tovar is located at the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Information: 928-638-2631, ext. 6432 or www.grandcanyonlodges.com.
Remote Possibilities
Although it’s located in the middle of nowhere, the food at Cliff Dwellers Restaurant is out of this world.
By Colleen Miniuk-Sperry
Situated along a quiet stretch of State Route 89A beneath the rugged Vermilion Cliffs of Northern Arizona, the Cliff Dwellers Restaurant is 50 miles away from any semblance of a town. Despite its wildly remote location, “The Cliff is a Venus flytrap,” says chef Marnie Bellows. “People stop in to have an iced tea, and end up staying here for two days.”
The Cliff Dwellers Lodge has been luring unsuspecting patrons since 1920, when homesteaders Bill and Blanche Russell established a small trading post for intrepid westbound travelers looking to fuel up for the long haul across the Arizona Strip. The current owners, the spirited husband-wife team of Terry and Wendy Gunn, have transformed this remote retreat into a premier destination for world-class fly-fishing and other outdoor activities that cultivate the hearty appetites of their guests.
The Cliff satisfies hungry travelers and outdoors enthusiasts with a pleasantly unexpected upscale menu, presented by Chef Bellows. Lured to the Cliff from Salt Lake City in 1994, Bellows’ passion for taking care of visitors by serving food with style and pizzazz quickly earned her the nickname, “Love Chef.” “The food is personal,” she says with a friendly smile.
Made from scratch, using only fresh ingredients, Bellows creates edible works of art through dishes like luscious Sesame Crusted Seared Ahi Tuna, savory New Zealand Rack of Lamb and crisp High Mesa Salad — all meals you’d expect in Scottsdale or Phoenix, not on the desolate Colorado Plateau. Sure, you can still order a beefy burger with all the fixings, but Bellows’ daily specials, such as Shrimp Tempura with Wasabi Ponzu and Maple Glazed Bacon-Wrapped Pork Chops, will certainly tempt even the most discriminating taste buds.
Although the flavors are complex and worldly, the Cliff’s ambience remains simple and laid-back. Even after an exciting day of fly-fishing, hiking or sightseeing, you’re encouraged to come as you are for your feast. No fancy clothes, white tablecloths or servers in pressed uniforms here.
Whether you’re passing by on your way to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon or spending time near Marble Canyon, the Cliff will draw you in. The Love Chef knows: “Once someone stops here, they always come back. There’s nowhere like it in the world.”
Cliff Dwellers Restaurant is located along State Route 89A in Marble Canyon, 9 miles west of Navajo Bridge. Information: 800-962-9755 or www.cliffdwellerslodge.com.
The Dam Bar & Grille, Page
If a trip to Glen Canyon Dam is on your to-do list, prepare with a visit to the Dam Bar & Grille in Page. Here, a 30-foot etched-glass wall and a scaled-down version of the dam will wet your whistle until you can witness the real thing. So, too, will the Grille’s selection of pastas, salads, sandwiches and steaks. The menu features standard bar fare as well as items for more sophisticated palates. Try the surf ’n’ turf, a combination of bacon-wrapped filet mignon and snow crab legs, or the slow-roasted half-chicken in balsamic glaze.
The Dam Bar and Grille is located at 644 N. Navajo Street, Page. Information: 928-645-2161 or www.damplaza.com/dambar.html.
Fiesta Mexicana Family, Page
Customers who visit this pretty, papaya-colored restaurant cluttered with crafts from Mexico often want to buy what they see, but the only items for sale are the terrific margaritas (watch out for The Baby-Maker) and generously portioned, made-from-scratch Mexican specialties. The Flaming Fiesta Combo — a sizzling Tex-Mex assemblage of carne asada, pollo asada and shrimp, brought to the table in flames — is a showstopper, but don’t miss more authentic selections such as steak Tampiqueña (topped with grilled shrimp, onions, peppers and cheese) or mojarra rellena (tilapia smothered in seafood sauce).
Fiesta Mexicana is located at125 S. Lake Powell Boulevard, Page. Information: 928-645-4082.
LODGING
There are plenty of reasons to visit Flagstaff this time of year. One of the best is the annual pinecone drop at the Weatherford.
By Robert Stieve
Ringing in the New Year means more than confetti, conga lines and cosmopolitans at the Hotel Weatherford in Flagstaff. All three are available, of course, but the main attraction is a massive pinecone, which drops from the sky at midnight on New Year’s Eve, closing the book on another year and kicking off the anniversary of the historic hotel.
By Arizona standards, this place is old — the doors were opened to the public on January 1, 1900. The man who made it happen was John W. Weatherford, who also built one of the first roads to the top of the San Francisco Peaks. After rolling into town in the late 1800s, Weatherford took a look around and looked away. There weren’t any options for a decent night’s sleep. So, he started work on what he hoped would become a “civilized oasis in the Wild West.” Mission accomplished.
According to an early review in The Coconino Sun, Flagstaff’s local paper at the time, the Weatherford was “first class in every aspect.” No doubt, that’s why guys like William Randolph Hearst, Teddy Roosevelt and Nicholas Kramer have called it a night at the hotel. The list of notables is long, but they weren’t all there for short visits.
Zane Grey, for example, spent several months at the hotel writing Call of the Canyon. It’s a great book. What’s more, his detailed descriptions of the interior of the hotel led modern-day renovators to some original fireplaces that had beencovered with plaster and hidden in the walls.
Another long-term resident was landscape artist Thomas Moran, who spent many nights at the hotel in the early 1900s. He was there working on his watercolors of Western landscapes. His artwork put food on his table, but it also helped persuade Congress to preserve the Grand Canyon as a national park. Good work, Tom.
A lot of good things have come out of the Weatherford, but like many old hotels in this country, it wasn’t always a hotel. Over the years, the building has housed Flagstaff’s first telephone exchange company, a number of restaurants, a theater, a radio station and a billiard hall. It’s also survived fire and a planned demolition. Today, it’s one of the few places where you can spend a night in downtown Flagstaff, and it’s definitely worth a visit, especially if you can make time for a few beers on the second-floor balcony, which wraps around two sides of the building and overlooks Leroux Street.
The rooms are nice, too, in a historic kind of way. They’re small, and the bathrooms are even smaller, but they’re clean, the hot water is hot, and the cold water is cold. Quaint and cozy, that’s what to expect when you lock your door.
The lobby, with its winding staircase and wooden phone booth, is along the same lines. When you walk in, you’ll get an instant sense of stepping back in time. As you’ll see, there’s no mistaking the Weatherford for a Four Seasons, and on New Year’s Eve, there’s no mistaking Flagstaff for Times Square, but those are selling points.
Indeed, there are plenty of reasons to visit Flagstaff this time of year — the snowboarding, the skiing — but on December 31, the main event is the great pinecone drop.
For more information, call 928-779-1919 or visit www.weatherfordhotel.com.
Mary Jane’s Masterpiece
When Mary Jane Colter’s La Posada opened in 1930, it was a manor in the middle of nowhere. Today, it’s a stunning tribute to romance, history and the Harvey Girls.
By Bruce Itule
Coffee’s on at 6 a.m. at La Posada in Winslow, the Spanish hacienda/hotel created by Southwestern architect Mary Jane Colter, who a century ago designed buildings along the Santa Fe Railway for the Fred Harvey Co.
Often called Colter’s masterpiece, La Posada was in full bloom from its opening in 1930 to the ’50s, when Route 66, on its north side, and the Santa Fe Railway, on its south, brought travelers to Winslow.
On this morning, only a few overnighters have been lured by the coffee’s aroma. Outside, birds have started their concert. South of the hotel, Interstate 40 — which morphed Winslow from gettin’ your kicks to out in the sticks — is beginning to hum.
Slowly, people walk out of La Posada’s main entrance, which faces the railroad tracks. A New Yorker in a yellow T-shirt with “I sunk your battleship” silk-screened onto it greets a grounds-keeper and says, “I like to see the trains.”
He and the others are not disappointed. Just before 6:30 a.m., a freighting monster ushered by an orange and yellow BNSF locomotive arrives. Next up is the eastbound Amtrak Superliner, which is on its way to Chicago but rests in front of La Posada long enough for two passengers to get off and eight to get on.
Trains no longer linger in Winslow, but plenty of the giants rumble past La Posada and delight railroad watchers. The westbound Amtrak will stop this evening.
When there’s a lull, it’s easy to sit back in one of the grand public spaces and recall The Harvey Girls, the 1946 movie starring Judy Garland as Susan Bradley, who on a train trip west meets and then joins a crew of young women headed for jobs at a remote stop to provide good cooking for railway travelers.
La Posada was once a romantic Spanish manor with 70 guestrooms, but it never prospered and eventually closed to the public in 1957. In the 1960s, the building was gutted and served as Santa Fe Railway offices for three decades.
Allan Affeldt and his artist wife, Tina Mion, whose bold work is displayed throughout the hotel, purchased the 20-acre property in 1997, and with a competent staff are slowly bringing it back to life.
Thirty-seven rooms have been restored and more will be finished soon. Rates range from $99 for a standard to $149 for a suite. Hacienda furnishings are scattered throughout, and the guestrooms are named for celebrities who once stayed here.
The Turquoise Room restaurant, adjoining the hotel, still offers terrific food for travelers, but it’s served by men and women. Like passenger trains, the Harvey Girls have moved on.
La Posada is located at 303 E. Second Street in Winslow. Information: 928-289-4366 or www.laposada.org.
