Arizona 2008 Official State Visitor's Guide - (Page 34) No Calorie Left Behind I enlisted the aid of my friend Alison, a fellow writer who, like me, perks up upon hearing the words “road-trip” and “food” mentioned in the same sentence. Here’s my detailed account of our high-calorie, full-flavored jaunt across Arizona, from Bisbee’s rugged copper country to Flagstaff’s pinescented woodlands. afTernoon coffee break: Bentley’s, in Tucson For our first meal, the afternoon coffee break, I’d selected a place I’ve long been fond of, Bentley’s House of Coffee & Tea, in part because I love the food and java here, but also because I’m impressed with any independent coffeehouse that’s managed to outpace the ubiquitous chains both in quality and popularity. Inside this cozy, vaguely folk-artthemed café just north of the University of Arizona campus, Alison and I sit down with Joanne Schneider, who opened the place in 1984, long before such establishments had come into vogue. In fact, Schneider knew next to nothing about running a java joint. “Honestly, I hadn’t even tasted a cappuccino before we opened,” she recalls. I quench my thirst with an iced chai, and Alison sips a lemon cooler (fresh lemonade with seltzer). A mix of academics, artsy types, professionals and seniors nosh, gab and enjoy the free Wi-Fi while dining on a wide range of delicious foods, most of them made in house. Selections include tabouli salad and hummus, spinach pie and red bean-and-rice burritos. On some nights, Bentley’s has open-mic events and poetry slams, helping further the café’s role as a true community gathering spot. Schneider convinces us to try Bentley’s signature treat, the iced mocha. “We sell the mocha flavoring by the gallon,” she boasts. “There’s a special ingredient we put in it.” “Oh, what’s that?” I ask. “Not telling. Y ou’ll have to kill me to get the recipe,” she says. We watch a fresh-faced coffee barista pulsing our iced mocha in a blender and, intrigued by the mystery, Alison gently interrogates him. He refuses to spill the beans, so to speak. We sip our luscious, mildly sweet concoction and ponder the secret additive. Almond flavoring? Raw eggs? Butter? Tarragon? Realizing we’ve drifted off into the realm of culinary absurdity, we give up, stop annoying the staff with our guesses and quietly savor our delicious elixir. breakfaST: The Bisbee Breakfast Club, in Bisbee We head southeast through the alluringly stark Sonoran Desert to the funky mining town of Bisbee, where we bunk for the night. The next morning, we rise early and drive to nearby Lowell, which is perched precipitously above the famed Lavender Pit copper mine. Here we saunter into an ancient, former Rexall drugstore with high, pressed-tin ceilings, now home to the Bisbee Breakfast Club. We’re greeted by resolutely cheerful Heather Grimm, who runs the restaurant with her husband, Pat, the Local Brew What goes better with Arizona’s sometimes spicy, always mouthwatering home-style cooking? Increasingly, as several noteworthy microbreweries around the state have gained recognition in recent years, the answer has become local beer. Just in the relatively small collegiate city of Flagstaff, you’ll find a critically acclaimed microbrewery, Mogollon Brewing Company, along with a pair of well-regarded brewpubs, Beaver Street Brewery and Flagstaff Brewing. (For the uninitiated, a brewpub is essentially a microbrewery that sells most of its beer at an on-site restaurant, while a microbrewery is any relatively specialized, small-production brewery that sells most of its beer offsite.) Other AZ microbreweries of note include Oak Creek Brewery and Grill in Sedona, which turns out an award-winning Hefeweizen, and Four Peaks Brewing Company in Tempe, whose English bitter-style 8th Street Ale earns raves from ale aficionados. As for enticing brewpubs, you’ll find several in metro Phoenix and Tucson, as well as terrific venues in even some of the state’s smaller towns. Check out Electric Brewing Company the next time you’re in Bisbee, or the festive Prescott Brewing Company during your next adventure in charming Prescott. In Arizona, you’re never far from a tap! Beaver Street Bar, Flagstaff ©FCVB 34 • A r i z o n A o f f i c i A l S tAt e V i S i t o r ’ S G u i d e
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