April 2008
The “corn squeezings” are long gone. In the days of Prohibition, though, a barrel of the local moonshine could always be found at Jake Renfro’s cabin in Pinetop. Whether you needed to thaw out or get comfortably numb, that’s where you went. The cabin is still the place to go, but the menu has changed. After Prohibition, Jake went legit and opened Jake Renfro’s Famous Log Cabin Café. That’s when the corn squeezings disappeared. In 1938, he sold the place to Charlie Clark, who opened a steakhouse that remains a must on any road trip to the White Mountains. Snowboarders in the winter, hikers in the summer, fishermen, birdwatchers, moms and dads with rugrats in the backseat … everybody, at one time or another, finds his way to Charlie Clark’s. And why not? The steaks are hot, the beer is cold and the atmosphere is exactly what you’d hope to find in this neck of the woods — the stone fireplace, log walls and knotty-pine patio will make you think of the Ponderosa, with pool tables and Amstel Light mixed in. There’s no “Hoss Ate Here” plaque, but you’ll channel his spirit, especially when you bite into one of Charlie’s bacon-wrapped filets. In this month’s cover story, we’ll tell you how to get to Charlie Clark’s, along with 24 other restaurants around the state. If you’re a longtime reader of Arizona Highways, you know this subject is new territory for us. As a travel magazine, though, it makes sense. Think about it. When you’re at the Canyon, you eat at El Tovar. Everybody knows that. But where do you go when you’re touring the rest of the state? It’s not always obvious, but you have to eat, and that’s where our roundup comes in. The 25 restaurants on our list are among the state’s best, for various reasons. As Kelly Kramer writes in Forks on the Road, “When measuring the quality of a restaurant, there are three key elements to consider: food, service and ambience. The best restaurants get high marks on all three.” Of course, not every place on our list hits the trifecta, but several of them do, including the Velvet Elvis in Patagonia (great pizza, but no peanut butter and bacon sandwiches), Mattina’s (yes, you can get butter-drenched escargots in Kingman) and Feast, which has been a favorite in Tucson for a long time. When you’re in the Old Pueblo, drop by. The food is spectacular, the atmosphere is casual, and there aren’t any poltergeists, which isn’t always the case in Tucson. Just ask Moses Thompson. You don’t know Moses, but if you did, you’d sympathize. Turns out, the Craftsman bungalow he bought in a historic neighborhood in Tucson was built above an abandoned cemetery — the coffins were exposed when a sinkhole showed up in his front yard. “There was a split in the earth and I feared a broken pipe,” Moses recalls. “I dug down until I hit a board. I reached in and found three diamond-shaped copper ornaments, and then I pulled out finger bones.” Creepy. Although the headstones in the Old Court Street Cemetery were relocated in the early 1900s to make way for new homes, as many as 6,000 bodies are still buried there. It’s bizarre, to say the least, but it’s not the first abandoned cemetery in Tucson. It’s the third. The first was within the walls of the original Presidio, and the second, the National Cemetery downtown, still holds 1,300 bodies, which will be moved to make room for the new Pima County Courthouse. In Left Behind, Jana Bommersbach shares the details of this intriguing story. A few pages later, in Artwork in Progress, Kathy Montgomery shares another story of intrigue. Hers, however, won’t give you the willies. In fact, it’s more of a love story, about two artists who lived a dream life in Cornville, on the banks of Oak Creek. The story began about 30 years ago, when Leda and Michael Kahn started work on Eliphante, their evolving monument to the world of art. Sadly, Michael passed away recently, but Leda plans to keep their home open to anyone with an appreciation for their art, which is anything but mainstream. As Kathy writes: “Gifts of stained glass and fabric became windows and wall coverings. Chipped pottery, beads and tapestries encrust the walls like jewels. The Kahns even embedded the truck they rode in on.” There are paintings and sculptures, too. And other oddities. As you’ll see, there’s a little bit of everything at Eliphante, except maybe corn squeezings. Still, Eliphante is a must on any road trip to Central Arizona. It’s the Charlie Clark’s of Cornville. — Robert Stieve |
