We’re going to be 100% honest with you. Not only do we devote our Sundays to The Wire without question or pause, but this particular Sunday, our boyfriend will be visiting us and he is neither from Boston or New York nor interested in sports. We will not be watching the Super Bowl, although we will, of course, be rooting for the Pats in our heart. If you’re less of a fairweather football fan than we are, we imagine you’ll be watching the game and we’ll have plenty more to say about that later this week. If, however, you’re truly devoted, perhaps you’ll be making your way to Phoenix this week. We did a little research and found a few restaurants you might want to check out when you’re down there.
•Arizona has superb Mexican food and few places do it better than Barrio Cafe. Word on the street is that the desserts are second to none, as is the twelve-hour roasted pork.
•Despite a facade that looks like a rejected spot for an Olive Garden and a name that sounds like it should be followed by the words “Family Fare”, Binkley’s is apparently the Phoenix area’s premiere stop for fine dining. The restaurant has been compared to Thomas Keller’s legendary French Laundry in Napa, but with a six-course tasting for a relatively meager $77, Binkley’s will run you a whole lot less.
•When in Phoenix, do as the Phonecians do and head to Four Peaks Brewery for one of their many excellent beers and maybe a soft pretzel. Mmmm, soft pretzels.
•If you’re looking for a light lunch, you could do much worse than Lisa G Cafe and Wine Bar, where the sandwiches are delicious, the wine list is ample and, according to one local blog, the desserts are “oh-my-god-I’m-going-to-wet-my-pants good.”
•Confession time: before we started researching this post, Pizzeria Bianco was the only restaurant we had heard of in Phoenix. Allegedly, the pizza is some of the nation’s very very very best. Rumor has it that you should go as early as possible to minimize the wait. If you go to Phoenix and don’t eat here, we will be mad at you.
•It’s pretty hard to find New Mexican fare in the Northeast, so take advantage of your time in Phoenix and try some. Rumor has it that Richardson’s Cuisine of New Mexico is your best bet. It sounds like you should not, under any circumstances, miss the margaritas.
[Photo: Jon Sullivan]
