BEST RESTAURANTS 2011

BEST RESTAURANTS

In places like Phoenix and Tucson, it's pretty easy to find a good restaurant. But where do you go when you're in Wikieup or Snowflake or Camp Verde? You could pack a lunch or eat fast food, but there are so many other options, including the 25 locally owned eateries in our fourth-annual “best restaurants” issue. There are plenty of others, of course, but this should fill you up for a while.

Casa Antigua Camp Verde

Locals love this colorful momand-pop for lots of reasons, but the fresh-tasting, home-style Mexican food is chief among them. Owners José and Flor Rivas cater to their small community by sticking to basics, such as carne asada and Bajastyle fish tacos, steak ranchero and shrimp enchiladas, all handled so expertly you'd never know the couple's roots lead back to Guatemala, not Mexico. Of course, it doesn't hurt that José, who runs the front of the house while Flor cooks, treats everyone like family or that the margaritas go down so smoothly.up, so head for the patio when you crave some peace and quiet.

522 W. Finnie Flat Road, 928-567-6300

Casa Vicente Tucson

There's never a dull moment at this family owned Spanish restaurant, where Spanish winetastings, Spanish guitarists or stomping flamenco dancers are scheduled nearly every night of the week. Although lunch fare is limited to tapas samplers and bocadillos (French bread sandwiches filled with, say, Spanish chorizo and olives), the evening tapas and dinner menus extend beyond familiar classics such as tortilla Española, gazpacho and paella. Sangria, Spanish sherry and Cava (Spanish sparkling wine) keep the natives stirred

Celebrations of Generations Snowflake

What began as a lacy, ultrafeminine tearoom has morphed into a nostalgic, shabby-chicmeets-farmhouse café, offering fancy breakfasts, salads, sandwiches, homemade soups and desserts to hungry folks of either gender. High tea requires 24 hours' notice, but daily-changing quiches and scones (both restaurant signatures) are available all the time and are so popular that a sign reading "Everybody must get sconed" seems to be accurate. Once a month, the restaurant hosts a Celebrations of Generations dinner, celebrating the food, dress and music of a designated decade.

432 S. Main Street, 928-457-0198, www.celebrationsofgenerations.com

Crema Coffee and Creamery Cottonwood

It's hard to say what Crema cultists like best about this charming, clean-lined cafe in Old Town, but it probably starts with the letter "c." Some would vote for the excellent coffee, others for the dreamy chocolate chip-walnut cookies, still others for the chicken-walnut salad or the house-made waffle cones. The "creamery" in the operation's name refers to the small-batch, artisan gelato, made with local ingredients, the flavors rotated seasonally and according to whim. What would you say about chocolate milk, caramelized pear or butter salt caramel gelato? "Criminal" (another c-word) comes to mind.

917 N. Main Street, 928-649-5785, www.cremacoffeeandcreamery.com

"Food is our common ground, a universal experience." -JAMES BEARD

Criollo Latin Kitchen Flagstaff

Paul and Laura Moir - the talented couple behind the brilliant Brix - have opened one of Flagstaff's loveliest and best new restaurants, a woodfloored, art-filled space devoted to all things Latin American. Executive chef David Smith likes to shake things up on his lunch, brunch and dinner menus, offering classic ceviche, ropa vieja and huevos Motuleño alongside his own creative riffs such as quinoa fritters, pork belly tacos and wild mushroom burritos. Meanwhile, bar wizard Anthony Alvarez complements the food with Latin American wines, local microbrews and premium tequilas, mescals, rums and ports. The bar, by the way, is made of wood that was salvaged from the devastating Rodeo-Chediski Fire of 2002.

16 N. San Francisco Street, 928-7740541, www.criollolatinkitchen.com

Darbi's Café Lakeside

Better rise and shine to hit this family friendly, three-squares spot before the crowds show up. Otherwise you'll be staring hungrily (and maybe drooling slightly) as belly-filling portions of eggs Benedict, biscuits and gravy, and the epic pancake sandwich are delivered to the early birds who got there ahead of you. Originally a breakfastand-lunch operation, Darbi's has become so popular it's now open for dinner Wednesdays through Sundays, offering up thick-as-a-brick homemade meatloaf, chicken and dumplings, and a rockin' Fridaynight fish fry.

235 E. White Mountain Boulevard, 928367-6556

Dinner Bell Café Prescott

Open for breakfast and lunch only, this friendly, funky diner never actually rings the dinner bell, but locals and tourists arrive in droves for breakfast, consistently raving about specialty coffee drinks, buckwheat waffles with mango and walnuts, dreamy homemade cinnamon rolls and chicken-fried steak. Choose between two ambience options: a classic, well-worn diner overlooking the street, or an airy, arty café and patio overlooking the creek (dubbed Creekside). Either way, you can expect the same great food and the same policy: cash only, no plastic accepted.

321 W. Gurley Street, 928-445-9888

El Charro Café Tucson

Established in 1922, the original Court Avenue location is said to be the oldest Mexican restaurant in continuous operation by the same family in the Criollo Latin Kitchen is one of Flagstaff's best new restaurants, offering many creative selections such as Arizona Legacy Beef Ribeye (opposite page). Tucson's El Charro Café (above and right) has kept satisfied diners coming back since 1922.

the menu has been expanded to include gluten-free dishes and vaguely Southwestern specialties (think grilled chicken with mango-balsamic dressing, dried cranberry and pepitas), but stick to tradition and try the signature carne seca: marinated and shredded beef, airdried on the restaurant's roof. Caramelized and wispy, it's meaty cotton candy.

311 N. Court Avenue, 520-622-1922, www.elcharrocafe.com

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Flavors of Louisiana Avondale

Decorated with Mardi Gras beads and color photos of the Big Easy, this tidy quick-serve, housed at the lone end of a giant strip mall, doesn't conjure our Hollywood-fed notion of Cajun Country. But with the help of her grown daughters, owner Jennifer Goff, a Cajun born and bred, surely does capture its flavors, offering up the rich gumbos, jambalaya and boudin balls that are Cajun standbys. Her crunchy fried oyster po'boy and Dunkin' Cat-fish, fried crisp and smothered in crawfish étouffée, are well worth the schlep to Avondale for her scrumptious answer to the question, "How's bayou?"

13025 W. Rancho Santa Fe Boulevard, Suite B103, 623-935-2357

Fork in the Road American Bistro Sedona

The word "bistro" has become meaningless through overuse, but Fork in the Road perfectly illustrates what such a place ought to be, matching its contemporary good looks to an appealing menu that displays panache while dispensing comfort. Here, you'll find an Irish onion soup, laced with Guinness and cheddar, as well as prawn pakoras, duck cassoulet and spicy shrimp remoulade served with fried green tomatoes. If you've been looking for a Sedona restaurant that combines white-tablecloth elegance with melting-pot accessibility, put a fork in it.

7000 State Route 179, Suite C106, 928274-8066, www.forkintheroadbistro.com

Fratelli Pizza Flagstaff

Voted "Best of Flagstaff" by the Arizona Daily Sun seven years in a row, these two easy-on-thewallet pizza joints bake their praiseworthy pies in stone deck ovens, which requires the kind of skill you'll never find at a corporate pizza place. Better still, the Fratelli fellows sell their pizza by the monstrous slice, offer loads of meal deals to cash-strapped NAU Lumberjacks and make deliveries (sometimes by bicycle) to downtown bars. You can imagine the kind of goodwill that creates. Eat in at the East Side location; take out from the store downtown.

119 W. Phoenix Street, 928-774-9200; 2120 N. Fourth Street, 928-714-9700; www.fratellipizza.net

The German Café Sierra Vista

How appropriate that the owner of this small, cozy Gasthaus is originally from Essen a German city and the German word for "eat." Deutschophiles admit they can't get enough of the schnitzel, smoked pork chop, potato dumplings, potato pancakes, red cabbage, sauerkraut and warm potato salad, all so authentically prepared that a little piece of der vaterland seems to have been plunked down in Sierra Vista. Start with a good German beer; end with German coffee and apfelkuchen. Einfach himmlisch!

1805 Paseo San Luis, 520-456-1705

Irene's Real Mexican Food Globe

Now that so-called "Mexican street food" has been co-opted and hyped to the hilt by number-crunchers in business suits, an old-school place like 31-year-old Irene's seems especially sweet. You won't find much in the way of sizzling décor herejust comfy booths; a straightforward selection of tacos, enchiladas, chimis and burros (don't miss the signature Gollo, made with green chile and whole beans); and house-made salsa that's positively addictive.

1601 E. Ash Street, 928-425-7904

Leff-T's Steak House & Grill Dewey

Ditherer alert: If you're one of those people who approaches every meal as if it might be your last, you're in for a melt-down at Leff-T's, a rustic, Western-themed hangout with a novella-length menu. Will it be creamy chicken and wild rice soup, mesquite-smoked ribs or chicken, walleye, freshly ground burgers (fixed a halfdozen different ways), liver and onions, a chicken-fried steak, fettuccine Alfredo, a turkey relleno sandwich (a Southwestern take on the Monte Cristo) or just a big juicy ribeye? Relax. This is probably not your last supper ... or lunch. Visit on your birthday and a hot fudge sundae brownie is complimentary.

150 S. State Route 69, 928-632-1388, www.steaksaz.com

Liberty Market Gilbert

Homeboy Joe Johnston has the restaurant world sewn up in Gilbert, offering his hordes of hungry disciples three great dining venues: Joe's Real Bar-becue, Joe's Farm Grill and, most recently, Liberty Market. Housed in what was once Gilbert's only grocery store (circa 1935), the baby of the bunch is Joe's most winsome resto to date, serving up breakfast, wood-fired pizzas, freshly tossed salads, inspired sandwiches, made-from-scratch sweets, wine, craft beer, and terrific coffee and espresso, the latter whipped up in a vintage machine from Italy. Locals drop in for free Wi-Fi and neighborly gabbing, proving that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

230 N. Gilbert Road, 480-892-1900, www.libertymarket.com

Lo-Lo's Chicken & Waffles Phoenix/Scottsdale

Clearly, Larry “Lo-Lo” White inherited the fried-chicken gene. As the grandson of Mrs. White, owner of Mrs. White's Golden Rule Café (the center of Phoenix's soul food universe), he learned all there is to know about catfish, cornbread and collard greens (and, of course, that gloriously crunchy fried chicken) at his grandmother's knee. Lo-Lo began making late-night chicken and waffles at Mrs. White's in the '90s, a venture so successful that in 2002, he bought his own restaurant, which is ensconced in a cramped and quirky South Phoenix house. He's been cranking out epically good food ever since, opening a second location in Scottsdale nearly two years ago. The math is simple: chicken + waffles = Lo-Lo.

10 W. Yuma Street, Phoenix, 602340-1304; 2765 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480-945-1920; www.lolos chickenandwaffles.com

Luchia's Restaurant & Gifts Wikieup

Loads of road-weary travelers blow right through Wikieup (population 300 plus change) on their way to Vegas, and that's a shame. What they miss is Luchia's, a restaurant/ gift shop combo that smacks of kitsch but actually brims with timeless Southwestern charm, thanks in large part to the patio out back. Furnished with hand-tooled leather tables and chairs (made in Mexico and called Equipale), the place is a soothing desert sanctuary replete with flowers, cactuses, a koi pond and roaming pea-cocks. It's a great place to relax over reasonably priced break-fasts, burgers and Mexican food, saving room (if you're smart) for homemade black walnut cream pie.

15797 S. Highway 93, 928-765-2229

Matt's Big Breakfast Phoenix

Now that Guy Fieri has fea-tured this tiny downtown breakfast-and-lunch spot on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, it's more crowded than ever. Get there at the crack of dawn particularly on weekend morn-ings — or expect to wait in line for like-Mom's-only-better omelets, pancakes, rosemary-

"The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook."

Rod's Steak House Williams

The iconic neon sign and steer-shaped menu have been integral parts of the Rod's experience since Rodney and Helen Graves opened this Historic Route 66 fixture back in 1946. Nearly 40 years later, Graves sold the place to longtime employee Lawrence Sanchez, who'd been everything from busboy and dishwasher to head chef and manager in his 25-year tenure there. When Sanchez and his wife, Stella, took over, they had the good sense to stick with a winning formula, offering the same dandy steaks, prime rib, beef liver and fried chicken that have kept locals and Grand Canyon tourists well-fed for more than 50 years. 301 E. Route 66, 928-635-2671, www. rods-steakhouse.com

Rooster's Café & Coffee Prescott

With its wraparound porch, cheery yellow walls and brightred accents, this immaculately kept café, housed in a historic cottage, is the sort of place morning lovers tend to crow about as much for its eyeopening cappuccino and al fresco dining as for its fullblown breakfasts. If you've polished off house-made corned beef hash or the best biscuits and gravy in Prescott, you may not have room for applecream cheese bars, cranberry scones or chocolate-almond cake (made by the restaurant's pastry chef or the Italian proprietress herself), but you'd be a cluck to miss them. So come back for lunch, a bowl of fireroasted red-pepper-and-tomato soup and then the goodies. 333 S. Montezuma Street, 928-778-1440

Screaming Banshee Pizza Bisbee

Screaming for ice cream is so last millennium. These days, Bisbee locals and visitors clamor for thin-crust, wood-fired pizza, dished up by the passionate proprietors at Screaming Banshee. Housed in a converted gas station, this funky, color-drenched parlor oozes indie cool, thanks to local art, found art, local organic ingredients, local brews, fruity Sangria and back-ground music that's eclectic to say the least. Never mind that cheese, bread and anti-pasto plates are both generous enough and good enough to make a light meal. No one for-goes the pizza. 200 Tombstone Canyon Road, 520-432-1300, www.screamingbansheepizza.com

Simon's Hot Dogs Sedona

Hot dogs are the next big thing, a trend wiener-wizard Felipe Roldan sniffed out months ago. From his tiny stand inside Oak Creek Brewery Co., he turns out a handful of oddball but effective combos that go spectacularly well with OCB's craft beer. Simon's tucks all-beef dogs (brats and veggie versions are also available) inside freshly baked buns, then loads them up with ingredients such as pineapple, crushed potato chips and mozzarella (named the Colombian) or grilled onion, wasabi mayo and toasted sushi nori (dubbed Tokyo Madness). All of them seem to taste even better on the shady patio.

2050 Yavapai Drive, 928-496-0266, www.simon-hot-dogs.com

Tavolino Ristorante Tucson

When it moved to roomier digs last spring, this neighborhood trattoria took on a more elegant vibe, boasting dark wood floors, high-backed booths, a private dining room and a chef's table near the kitchen. Lucky for Tavolino's legions of fans, chef-owner Massimo Tenino offers the same salumi, wood-fired pizzas, house-made pastas, Tuscan-style rotisseried meats and boutique wines that made a bigger location necessary in the first place. You get a bang for your buck here, espe-cially at lunch, when inspired $7 paninis blow similarly priced fast-food options right out of the water.

2890 E. Skyline Drive, 520-531-1913, www.tavolinoristorante.com For the past three years, we've been telling you about some of our favorite restaurants around the state. Now, in our fourth-annual "best restaurants" issue, we offer 25 more. Because our mission is to spotlight as many great places as possible, we don't repeat restaurants from year to year. To learn more about some of our other favorite restaurants in Arizona, scan this QR code with your smart phone or visit www.arizonahighways.com/travel/dining.asp.