Busy day today. I’ll be chatting at 1 pm EST, on the Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio at 2:05 pm EST, and on Outside the Lines on ESPN shortly after 3 pm.
My latest post at mental_floss covers the histories of eight classic board games, with another post on the history of Settlers of Catan coming later today. And my last two posts over on ESPN.com broke down the Joaquin Benoit signing and the Uggla trade and John Buck signing.
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I’ve mentioned Hillside Spot before, but let me recommend it again: If you live anywhere near the Ahwatukee region of Phoenix, or pass through it on I-10, you need to try this place, because the food is outstanding.
I’ve been for breakfast and lunch and can vouch for both meals. The “El Gallo” torta with eggs, chorizo, and avocado was tremendous, with the eggs cooked to order (they’re not that quick – that would be my only warning, but I will wait for food like this); bright, fresh avocado; just the right amount of mayo; and a fresh, soft, square roll from La Sonorense Tortilla Factory in downtown Phoenix. It’s a steal at $6. Their pancakes have earned some acclaim around here, for good reason – they’re eggy and buttery, like a thick, soft crepe, with one order more than my wife could finish even with some serious help from me. It looks like they rotate their coffees but try to offer something from a local roaster, such as one from Tempe’s Cartel Coffee Labs the day I was there.
I went back for lunch because I’d seen a pulled pork sandwich on their menu, with the pork first braised then finished over mesquite on their rotisserie grill. The pork was perfect, falling apart but with good browning on the outside, with a good background smoke flavor. It comes with a spicy cole slaw and, oddly enough, sliced fresh pear, which was a new combination for me but worked well, giving the sandwich a little bite and providing a small amount of natural sweetness to balance the acidity in the slaw. It comes on the same bread as the torta (telera bread), and the French fries, one of four side options, were hand-cut and just-fried.
Hillside Spot uses a lot of local vendors (including all of their eggs) and has that great funky cafe vibe I love to find in a local restaurant – like the Mission in San Diego or Blue Moon Cafe in Baltimore. Other than the Angel Sweet gelateria, I haven’t found anything as exciting as this place since we moved. It’s located on Warner and 48th, behind the McDonald’s, in the same strip mall where the Sunday farmer’s market is held.
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We found Hillside Spot because it was mentioned in Phoenix magazine as one of the best new restaurants of 2010. We also tried another one, Barrio Cantina, in Scottsdale on Cactus right by the Tatum mall. The food was good, but on the heavy side, not just in fat content (that doesn’t usually bother me) but in the chef’s hand, adding sauces and flavors that end up detracting from the dish. But the core ingredients were all very strong, particularly their meats.
They offer a strong selection of taco plates, all available with corn or flour tortillas or as a torta. I went with the torta – that’s a new dish for me since we moved out here, so I’m indulging – made with machaca short ribs, braised to the point of collapse, with a full, satisfying, beefy flavor. It comes with shredded, slightly wilted cabbage and a crema that was probably unnecessary with the fattiness of the short rib. The dish came with a scoop of a strange, earthy rice and corn mixture that was slightly overcooked but tasted good, a solid neutral note to give me a break from the strong flavors of the machaca.
My wife went with a carnitas enchilada that came in a small cast-iron skillet and was served with the tortillas open, so the sauce and cheese (browned slightly under a salamander) were directly on the meat. She enjoyed it, although the presentation within the skillet was a mess.
We tried one appetizer, the “mini chimis” – small chimichangas where the ratio from dough to meat is way too high. I peeled a few of them open and ate the carnitas and machaca inside, to reduce the doughiness and get away from the tangy crema sticking to the outside like wallpaper paste. Someone there really knows how to slow-cook meat; they just need to work on how they serve it.
Ahhh machaca. That brings back memories of living in Mexico. I’ve never heard of it served with a crema before, only a scrambled egg/onions/peppers mix instead. Absolutely delicious!
The mall Barrio Cantina is nearby is Paradise Valley Mall and is definitely not Scottsdale, it’s Phoenix. North Phoenix or Paradise Valley if you want to give it a neighborhood. I grew up right over the hill on 7th St and Thunderbird.
If you’re in the area again I recommend trying Marilyn’s First Mexican, which is across the street and has been around for at least 30 years or so. Not sure if they still serve it, but the Mexican Pizza was my favorite there.
Hands down the best Mexican food in the Phoenix area is Los Olivos in Scottsdale. My mom’s family has been going there since the 1950’s and it’s the one place I make a point to visit ever time I’m in town. It’s the most authentic Sonoran style Mexican food I’ve ever had at a restaurant. Make sure to start with a cheese crisp.
-Matt
Matt: We’ve been to Los Olivos. It was awful.
Callum: From what I’ve read, Mexican machaca is made from meat that’s been dried and somehow rehydrated, so that may be the reason for the different preparations.
The Hillside Spot has a nice local beer list going on too! It appears they are now open for dinner too…I will await your review of that too.
RE: Los Olivos
No appreciation for authentic Mexican food… Better stick with the tex-mex, East Coaster.
Since you mentioned the Scott Van Pelt hit — SVP just cannot let go of the Lincecum v. Halladay NLDS discussion, as he has been talking about it for a month. The problem is he always frames it as “Bill James says Lincecum’s performance was better.” He makes it sound, somewhat disingenously, as if Bill did some independent analysis of the two games and came down in favor of Lincecum, when in fact it was just that Lincecum’s Game Score was slightly higher.
Jeez, Matt, Keith happens to have a different opinion so he deserves to be insulted by you? What’s happened to discourse on the Internet? Why would anyone interact with readers when this is what you get?
Keith, I posted this on the tail end of your chat today, but in case you don’t get to it there: What kind of plans do you have for Thanksgiving — any special dishes? Do you go traditional or like to do things with a twist? Or are you not even a fan of turkey or this particular meal? Thanks!
I think Matt was kidding. I’ve raved about Phoenix Ranch Market and Rancho de Tia Rosa enough that I think my Mexican credentials are reasonably high.
As for T-giving, our plans are a little up in the air at the moment, but we’re pretty traditional: a hearty dressing (I don’t stuff, too dangerous), green bean casserole, one other side, homemade cranberry sauce, fresh bread, and 2-3 pies, usually pumpkin and apple. It’s a great day to celebrate American comfort food. Last year I added the mac & cheese recipe that’s on this site to the rotation, and I make it two or three times a month now because we like it so much.
@delatopia I knew Keith would know I was just giving him a hard time and not being insulting. After his comment on Los Olivos though, I’m sticking to listening to his baseball scouting and not his Mexican food scouting…
@matt: Heh, tx for setting me straight. I’ve been reading the comments on the ESPN klaw and neyer chats too much, and this is def a much more civil and welcomed vibe. Onward! Have a thankful holiday, everyone.
Matt: There’s no way what we had – at the north Scottsdale location – was authentic Mexican. It was American faux-Mex, with everything covered in heavy sauces that separated en route to the table. No comparison to, say, Tia Rosa.
Hey just reading your denver write-up on food from a while back. Thought you might be interested in Smashburger. It is a local chain (to denver) that was started with the intent to go national probably 10 or so years ago. Thinner burgers with some very solid and fresh toppings…. There are some in the Pheonix area now…..
Tried Smashburger. Totally unimpressed – greasy, salty burger, and “smashing” a burger is just stupid because it tends to make the burger tough.
Keith,
Been a while since I checked the blog, didn’t realize you were living in Phoenix now. You should try Truckin’ Good Food, a food truck my buddy operates often at Old Town Farmers Market and Ahwatukee Farmers Market on the weekends. Specializes in crepes, pomme frites, and other desserts – http://truckingoodfood.com/