Food ReviewsOur Food Critic Raves: Casa de Julia is a Downtown Destination
Nikki BuchananMay 1, 2025
Perfect pork belly and awesome aguachile elevate this debut Downtown eatery from a Filiberto’s scioness.
Food ReviewsDining Review: Elvira’s Brings its Legendary Mexican Food to DC Ranch
Nikki BuchananMay 1, 2025
Hold onto your molinos, mole fans – this Scottsdale sister location of the beloved Mod-Mex restaurant in Tubac is bringing the goods.
Much of what we love about the Valley are those pieces of it we can sip, nibble or otherwise devour, from fusion Indian cuisine to primo falafel to cloudy IPAs. Salut!
RestaurantsNewcomers’ Dining Guide: Winning West Valley Mexican Restaurants
Editorial StaffNovember 8, 2022
Satiate your appetite for south-of-the-border sustenance at one of these authentic Mexican eateries.
Satiate your appetite for south-of-the-border sustenance at one of these authentic Mexican eateries.
Desert Digest4 Local Spots to Order Tamales
Marilyn HawkesDecember 22, 2020
It’s tamale time! Made from masa filled with a variety of shredded meats, cheeses, vegetables and chiles, tamales are wrapped in corn husks and then steamed. The savory packets originated in Mesoamerica (central Mexico through northern Costa Rica) and have been made and eaten for thousands of years. Tamales are more abundant around Christmas because they’re part of the celebration of Las Posadas, the commemoration of Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of shelter. You can make your own, but the Valley is home to many...
As I took a bite of Chef Jeff Smedstad’s "pay de queso" (Mexican cheesecake), my mind took me back to my childhood’s kitchen. I pictured my mom baking pays for the holidays and a younger me eager to eat. This is the real deal I told Smedstad. The chef and owner of the reknowned Elote Cafe in Sedona says he was influenced by a trip to Veracruz where he learned about the craft of homemade Mexican cheesecake sort of a lighter, less sweet, less dense version of our beloved New York cheesecake. He put a spin on the traditional Mexican dessert with goat cheese from Fossil Creek Goat Farm in Strawberry, Arizona, near Payson. The result is absolutely exquisite.