EDITOR'S LETTER

It's hard to know what Al was thinking. Maybe he wasn't thinking at all. How else do you explain the menu at his turn-of-the-century diner? Instead of a cup of joe, the menu cover at Coffee Al's showed a Native American woman breast-feeding a baby, and the caption above them read: "Hot Meals at All Hours." You'd never get away with that today, but in the early 1900s, a half-naked Native American seemed like a perfectly natural way to sell soup, sandwiches and spareribs.

The menu notwithstanding, Al's was a popular hangout, especially among the local cattle barons. For better or worse, the place is long gone, and today, in a refreshing twist of irony, just a few miles from where Al proclaimed his narrowmindedness, local Native Americans are making a culinary statement of their own.

From marinated duck breast with Turkish dates to mesquite-grilled venison chops with locally harvested squash, Kai, the Mobil Five-Star Award restaurant on the Gila River Indian Reservation, offers some of the most innovative food in Arizona. According to Nikki Buchanan, the state's most-respected food critic, it's one of the best restaurants anywhere. As she writes in this month's cover story, "Stunning sunset views and striking art are the backdrop for chef de cuisine Jack Strong's astonishing food, a seamless melding of classical technique with indigenous ingredients, many of them grown on the surrounding reservation." Mmmm.

In all, Nikki will tell you about 25 of the best restaurants in Arizona. This is our second-annual "Best Restaurants" issue, and like last year, the places on the list are there for various reasons: charming décor, delicious food, friendly service, gorgeous views or a great counter there's nothing better than sitting at a counter with someone special. Of course, not every restaurant excels in every category, but they're all worth a visit, including Libby's El Rey Café in Globe (they pour real butter over their corn chips) and Valerie's Sugar Brook Bakery in Lake Havasu City, which features freshbaked breads, house-made jams and syrups, and an incredible selection of sweets. If you're heading out on Lake Havasu, it's a great place to stock up on sandwiches.

I have no idea what Larry Cheek packed for his recent trip on Lake Mohave, but as he writes in Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily ..., he had plenty of room for sandwiches. "A touring kayak will swallow a week's worth of camping gear and real food no need to endure a backpacker's skinflint rations on an expedition like this." As good as the provisions might have been, Larry wasn't on the lake to eat; he was there for two days of quiet contemplation. In his words, "We were trying to merge in spirit with the desert air and water, to be a seamless part of nature." Imagine Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, with Larry as Marlin Perkins and photographer Kerrick James in the role of Jim. "We're now going to send Kerrick, accompanied by only a camera, into that menacing nest of great blue herons."

In fact, they did see blue herons and plenty of Mother Nature. Unfortunately, they also encountered pods of Hobie Cats and Mercury outboards. Although the interlopers didn't ruin the trip, they did play a role in the outcome. And that's how it is with any adventure in Arizona; you never know how things will play out, whether you're a writer on assignment or a painter on a mission.

Lillian Wilhelm Smith was among the latter. In addition to her spectacular paintings of the Arizona landscape, she was the only woman to ever illustrate one of Zane Grey's novels. It's a powerful claim to fame, but more importantly, Smith was one of a small group of female artists who journeyed to Arizona from New York and other cities during the first part of the 20th century. Armed with only their paints, palettes and plenty of spunk, these women were intrepid pioneers. As Amy Abrams writes in Brushes With Greatness, they were "undaunted by Arizona's harsh climate and reputation for outlaws and Indians."

Although nearly a dozen women settlers ultimately joined the club and helped shape Arizona's early cultural landscape, our story focuses on four of the most prominent. The common denominator is that each of them left behind an impressive legacy. As you'll see, it's better to be remembered for the cover of a Zane Grey novel than a menu at Coffee Al's.

If you like what you see in this magazine every month, check out Arizona Highways Television, an Emmy Award-winning program hosted by former news anchor Robin Sewell. Now in its fifth season, the show does with audio and video what we do with ink and paper it showcases the people, places and things of the Grand Canyon State, from the spectacular landscapes and colorful history to the fascinating culture and endless adventure. And that's just the beginning. "For me, the show is about more than just the destinations," Robin says. "It's about the people behind the scenes. It's their stories that make the destinations so interesting." Indeed, there's a reason this show wins so many awards it's second-to-none, and we're proud to have our name on it. Take a look. For broadcast times, visit our Web site, arizonahighways.com, and click the Arizona Highways Television link on our home page.