RelicRoad Brewing ~ Winslow, Arizona

First visit: Feb 2021

All was good on the family front, so we left Prescott Valley and began our two day journey back home to Colorado Springs. The shorter route, though not necessarily the fastest, is along a few state highways to the south, rather than through Flagstaff. Arizona is an incredibly diverse state from a landscape perspective, and this drive will illustrate that perfectly. From the moderate temperature canyons of Prescott, to snow covered / large pine tree forests, and then onto the desert landscape of northeast Arizona, this is a drive well worth taking for tourists. Our plan was to enjoy lunch in Winslow, and when I saw they possess a brewpub, it seemed too good to be true.

Winslow itself is one of many towns clinging to their Route 66 nostalgic past. Today it's conveniently located on I-40, which the Mother Road parallels for the towns along its route. There's a state prison nearby which no doubt has kept the town breathing financially. The downtown points to an Old West history, and has a few places keeping it alive. Within this setting is where you'll find RelicRoad.

Walking in, it's a large venue and perfectly restored to remind you of the days of yore. With flat screen TV's of course... We were seated promptly and I anxiously looked for their crafted beers. Ooops. Apparently they're still in the planning stages of that, as the pandemic slowed their ability to secure a local location to brew beer. Sounds like something that will be complete by the end of the year. But they do offer the second best thing, and that's brews from various parts of Arizona (and a few others). I found one I hadn't tried and that's cataloged in the Bier Reise. We then ordered our meal.

Mrs. RJG went for a custom made old fashioned cheeseburger, and I couldn't resist the Canyon Diablo Burger which comes with green chiles and Sriracha slaw. Well done, per Mrs. RJG's very specific instructions. And we both very wisely went for the Relic Chips. 

Once the meal arrived, it's clear the chef must have some sort of culinary training. The burgers were giant, and the meat was expertly seasoned and yes, cooked to order. The green chiles were moderately hot, and the slaw was a new treat for me - something like a Sriracha mayonnaise mixed with shredded cabbage. A high quality pickle spear is always welcome as well. But the real winner here, at least as far as uniqueness goes, are the Relic Chips. Don't miss an opportunity to get these. We've never seen this before, but essentially it's a spiraled potato on a skewer and further crisped to chips. Absolutely delicious. 

So if you find yourself journeying across I-40 on the long road to and from California or other points unknown, be sure to circle Winslow around meal time.

2/20/21 (new entry)

Jen's 7th Ave. Cafe ~ Prescott Valley, Arizona

First visit: Feb 2021

In a repeat of Monday and Wednesday, after dropping Mrs. RJG at her sister's house, I headed off to breakfast. My schedule was a little tighter, so I took a chance that Jen's would be the place to walk in, eat, and walk out. It was a little closer to our hotel and I had some meetings coming up shortly.

Parking lot was pretty full and there were groups waiting outside. Which is a good sign regarding the popularity (not to mention it's high ranking on social media sites). I took a chance, parked, walked in - and counter seating was available! Woo-hoo. Coffee poured immediately upon sitting (good quality too), flavored creamers provided, menu in front, and I have 35 minutes to burn. Perfect.

I settled on the Green Chile Omelet, which is blended with thick cuts of bacon, sliced green chiles (mild), and was buried in white cheese. With hash browns and an English Muffin, already buttered. Everything was cooked to perfection. Here, check it out for yourself (photo on the right). It tasted as good as it looks. I couldn't eat it all, even though we'd already run 3 miles in the morning. We're not used to eating like this anymore! lol. Paid up at the register and was back to the hotel with 5 minutes to spare.

Not that everything has to be a comparison, but for breakfast, I liked Jen's better than Jamie's, though both come recommended. 

2/19/21 (new entry)

Mi Tierra Mexicana ~ Prescott Valley, Arizona

First visit: Feb 2021

On the west side of Prescott Valley, in the Home Depot shopping center, sits an unassuming Mexican restaurant. Once inside, though, it feels definitely on the high end side of Mexican cuisine. Full bar and spacious seating makes for a comfortable night out even during a pandemic. We were seated right away to a booth and off we go. Service was great throughout the night.

We each settled on a glass of the house chardonnay (even though Mexican drafts were half off). They brought our chips (tri-colored), salsa, and also volunteered they offer a hotter one, which we leapt at. The standard chunky table sauce had very strong flavor, and was of mild to medium heat. Very good. The hotter one was of a greenish yellow color, filled with chiles, and indeed was very hot. Excellent flavor. Neither sauce had a traditional taste, which is a plus. True homemade recipe. In addition they brought out a soft bean dip with cheese and finely grated chorizo blended in. It too was superb. Off to a great start.

For cena, I had the Pollo Asado. Not too long after a sizzling plate (just the way we like it) of refried beans, Spanish rice, and one huge butterflied chicken breast (doused in a red sauce) was delivered with a steak knife to ensure bite sized portions could be had. And it was as delicious as it sounds. It's a lot of food, though if you just had the chicken and rice, it wouldn't have felt as heavy. The beans were great though! Good value considering the portion. Mrs. RJG settled on Combo #1 with a green corn tamale and black whole beans. She's something of a tamale aficionado and was still talking how great it was the next morning. She enjoyed the overall meal as much as I did.

Clearly a good place to dine if a resident of the area and looking for more than tacos y enchiladas. As of this writing, we did not find it listed in either Yelp or TripAdvisor. An oversite for certain.

2/18/21 (new entry)

El Asadero PV ~ Prescott Valley, Arizona

First visit: Feb 2021

Almost a repeat of Monday's routine, I dropped off Mrs. RJG and looked for a local breakfast. This time settling on a more traditional Mexican restaurant. I was craving some Huevos Rancheros, and it's on their menu, so let's give them a whirl. Knowing where to park is probably the best tip I can provide here - but basically you turn east on Florentine and the parking lot will be on your left. The restaurant is in an old house and is very quaint, with hard woods and soothing lighting from the sun. A perfect place for a quiet breakfast. After a nice pour of coffee (stronger than Jamie's), I ordered exactly as planned - with an additional salsa. A few minutes later, the beautiful meal arrived (see photo). The eggs were cooked per order (over easy), the corn tortillas were light, and the hash browns were excellent. The beans were of a perfect texture but I felt they lacked flavor. Needed something. The key though is the ranchera sauce itself, which was excellent, loaded with peppers, tomatoes, and onions, with a slight kick. They have 3 salsas, so I chose their hot one (of course I did...) which is a darker red. Definitely packs some heat and chile flavor. Would love to layer that onto some tacos. I was too early for lunch, but next time I will do just that. 

Great little place worth checking out, especially for locals.

2/17/21 (new entry)

Papa's Italian Restaurant ~ Prescott, Arizona

Latest visit: Feb 2021

First visit: Sep 1997

Now here's a trip down memory lane. Mrs. RJG and I had been married less than 6 months when we embarked on our very first road trip from Denver. Neither of us had ever been to Prescott, and so after a day in Phoenix, we spent the night here. This was long before any of our extensive family moved to the area. Our dinner choice that night was Papa's - at that time they were located on a rural two lane country road. We were late, so it was dark when we arrived. It was a quaint little restaurant as I recalled. I did validate on this visit that my memory did not deceive me, and that it was indeed the same place. Today they are a fixture in downtown Prescott. It's a very popular venue, and when we arrived it looked like we had no chance for a table. Reservations only it seemed. But fortune favors the bold, and our timing was perfect. We got, as the hostess informed us, "the best table in the restaurant", and we were seated immediately. What a break! The table was private, tucked away in a corner near the bar

We started with a bottle of the house cabernet, which is Woodbridge, and was fairly priced - not something you see too much anymore unfortunately. Two small sliced loaves of heavily seasoned bread showed up with a creamy butter. Excellent. We each ordered our meal and both of us got the house salad. The salad comes with cold and crisp green lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, black olives, and garbanzo beans. Best of all is the balsamic vinaigrette, an excellent homemade blend. We also asked for parm cheese, and out came a bowl of freshly grated real parmesan cheese. As for the main course Mrs. RJG had spaghetti and Italian sausage, while I went for the staple chicken parm. No one will complain about the portion sizes! The real (full) spaghetti was perfectly cooked al dente. The sausage is of the spicy variety which is to both of our likings. Not sure if they make their own or it's from a local vendor. The chicken was seasoned heavily the way I like it. However they didn't crisp it enough, and so it was a bit chewy. Not sure if that's their recipe or they just didn't bake it enough on this visit. Their red sauce is of the thick and chunky variety, and is a bit sour. We would have preferred it to be more smooth and perhaps a bit sweeter or spicier. Personal preferences to be sure. Service was impeccable, and we haven't seen a restaurant this busy since the pandemic started. Hints of better times ahead. We hope.

Never thought we'd ever have a chance to go back here - but 24 years later, we made it. We had a great time too.

9/2/97; 2/16/21 (new entry)

Riliberto's Fresh Mexican ~ regional chain : Prescott Valley, Arizona

First visit: Feb 2021 (Prescott Valley, Arizona)

Locations: As I write this, Riliberto's has 12 locations in Arizona, 1 in Las Vegas, and one in.... India (?!) OK then.

The next best thing to seeking out local establishments would be regional chains. The more local, the better. When I saw Riliberto's from the highway (which is very close to Thai Cafe and Jamie's Waffles), it looked like the classic regional chain. Not pro enough for the national chains, but just a little more gritty and unpolished. The way we like it here at the RJG! To be honest, these "fresh" Mexican joints are hit and miss. Sometimes they're just fast food places who don't take the time to do things right. The workers are in it for the paycheck, and management is nowhere to be found. For all I know, that's the case here, but if so, they are lucky to have on staff some great workers!

Stepping inside, the seating was comfortable for indoor dining. Order up at the counter, and they'll provide everything you need (no salsa bar because of the pandemic, for example). But what to get? My staple of a smothered something or other wasn't offered. It's more taqueria styled, but for gringos as well. How about I stick to something basic? Like a beef taco, cheese enchilada, rice, and beans. Can't get more traditional Ameri-Mex than that. 

Right away, I had a smile on my face, as I dug into the refried beans. They were of a super hot temperature. How I tire of cold or lukewarm refried beans. That's just gross honestly. But not here at Riliberto's. Sizzling hot. Reminded me of Abuelo's actually (reported somewhere in this blog), which was one of their strengths. Excellent flavor too. They may be too "refry-ey" for me, but OK, don't expect perfection RJG. The rice is of the standard Mexican fare, but also cooked properly (no hard kernels or mush here). The enchilada has a nice flavorful red sauce that I enjoyed. I ordered cheese mainly to taste the sauce. Yellow cheese is yellow cheese, not much you can do with that. But the best was the beef taco. Shredded beef, cooked to almost burnt-ends style, with a super flavor. Mrs. RJG would love this! And the taco shell is clearly homemade and was delightfully crispy. I tried the standard tomatillo green and the hotter red sauce. Both were fine, but didn't create separation from their peers. The taco and the beans were the winner today. Will have to try more from their rather extensive menu.

I like it.

Managed to finally get off my lazy butt and take some photos this time. Not sure why that proves to be challenging for me.

2/16/21 (new entry)

Prescott Valley, AZ

Thai Cafe ~ Prescott Valley, Arizona

First visit: Feb 2021

Those who know the RJG, will know that Mrs. RJG isn't going to travel very long without a visit to a Thai restaurant. I'm more than a willing participant, but honestly, Colorado Springs hasn't really come through for the cuisine. So I've sort of lost interest in recent times. While I was at Jamie's Waffles for breakfast, I noticed Thai Cafe right next door. OK, that's dinner! And sure enough, it came to pass.

If you're like me, I'd prefer to have white wine (or any alcoholic beverage) with my Thai food. A quick menu check looked like I was out of luck. Fine, I'm getting used to water more and more with my dinners. Or maybe even a Thai Iced Coffee which I do enjoy. Ah-ha! Look at that, they do have wine and beer. They just don't mention it on their website. Alrighty then... a large pour ("sloppy pour" our friend Joe Benny in Baltimore would call it) hit the spot and set the mood correctly. Oh look, we're in a Thai Restaurant (weee). That's more like it. First of all, this is a nice place. A large 2 room restaurant - so plenty of room to sit even during a pandemic. And perfectly lit to set the tone of a classy restaurant, not some convenience store outlet like so many Asian restaurants can be like.

We started with one of our staple appetizers - fried shrimp. Well look at this - 5 very large breaded fried shrimp. This is even more Southern cooking than usual. Any chef in Mississippi would be proud to serve this at his restaurant. Super hot - and delicious. But the main course was still yet to be delivered. How many times did the Mrs. and I enjoy everything until the dinners were served?

We each ordered Thai Basil with chicken. But it might as well be two entirely different dishes the way we get them. Mrs. RJG orders it straight from the menu - and with that comes large pieces of white meat chicken, extra vegetables, and she usually sticks to medium heat. First question I usually ask - especially if I see they have Larb Salad - can I have it with ground chicken? He said yes, and then I proceeded to remove the green beans and ask for a fried egg on top. Excitedly he says "you want it Thai style then?" Amen brother. Goes without saying - Thai Hot too.

I'm already thrilled, knowing that the server is experienced with real Thai food. Now comes the moment - is it the real deal? YES YES YES! I haven't had great Thai food like this since we left DFW in early 2018. Three full years of mediocre Thai (though the place we tried in Laramie was nice). You never know where you might find great food. One doesn't think of Prescott Valley as a place you might get great Thai food, but here we are. Everything was perfect, from the rice, to the fried egg, to the ground chicken, to the healthy portion of basil mixed in. Also plenty of onions and bell peppers to add that special flavor. But best of all was the sauce. I've only had it this way in one other place that I can recall - it was Sukhothai in Arlington, Texas - which was our favorite Thai restaurant before the advent of the RJG and the subsequent move of Sea Siam from So Cal to Northeast Tarrant in 2007. Thai Cafe calls it a black bean sauce. Huh. Don't think I've ever seen that before, but this is it. Super dark, flavorful - and combined with the Thai Hot heat level - this sent my taste buds into a swoon.

Great Thai food - oh how I've missed you. If you're in Prescott Valley, and you like Thai food, this is a must stop.

2/15/21 (new entry)

Jamie's Waffle Express ~ Prescott Valley, Arizona

First visit: Feb 2021

One of the things that we tend to take for granted living in Colorado - or traveling to New Mexico for that matter - is that breakfast houses that serve burritos most assuredly have a green (or red) chile to bury it in. Hopefully a spicy variety at that. So after dropping off Mrs. RJG to take care of her official Mom, I looked for a breakfast house nearby. And up came Jamie's. Yep, they have burritos. And off I went.

Tucked into a strip mall, Jamie's is a classic old fashioned diner. They have spaced out tables due to the pandemic, but I was able to secure one, so we're ready to go. I asked if they can smother the burrito. They countered with "you mean the chili we serve - or maybe a salsa?". Uhhh - no. Haha, shows you what I know. Arizona might be in the southwest, but I might as well have been in Texas.

No problem at all - I was hungry after a run, and ready for an old fashioned breakfast. Hey - if you're at a waffle place, why not get waffles? So I went for their Waffle Special which also included (per my choice) a ham steak and a fried egg. I chose good old fashioned maple syrup and had coffee. The latter was kind of weak to be honest, but admittedly I love strong coffee. And they have the flavored creamers that I prefer. For a classic American breakfast, they did everything right and the flavors were excellent. No complaints at all.

The restaurant is reasonably spacious so getting a table during the pandemic will be hit and miss. I had no problem on a Monday mid-morning, but there was a small line outside when I left. Also of note is they do not take credit cards - just checks and cash. These days I usually carry cash since I do a lot of thrifting and garage saling, but that wasn't always the case. So be prepared. 

They have one other location in Prescott known as Waffles N' More.

2/15/21 (new entry)

Lonesome Valley Brewing ~ Prescott Valley, Arizona

First visit: Feb 2021

The original plan upon arrival to Prescott Valley was to go - here - to Lonesome Valley Brewing, as a brewpub sounded perfect. Right before we went, I looked at Google Maps and it appeared to be a brewery with just sandwiches and the like. Shoot, I was even thinking it might even be a food truck on the premises. That's not what we wanted! So after a failed attempt to go somewhere else (too crowded and long of a wait), we ended up here anyway. What a huge loss it would have been had we not stopped in. It absolutely is a brewpub, and it's unfortunate the internet doesn't demonstrate that properly.

We were also fortunate to get in, this being a Saturday night with limited seating - and it was way too cold for outdoor dining (it was about to snow - and was when we left). No problem, as we sat at one of the square tables in the middle. The Bier Reise catalogs (see headline above) what we drank that night, and like most modern breweries, they do a great job at crafting their beers. But this blog is about dining, and Lonesome Valley does a fine job here as well. Like most modern venues, Lonesome Valley focuses on organic and/or high end locally grown products. We started with chips and salsa, which also comes with a hot (temperature) beer cheese dip. Chips were appropriately crispy and not stale. The salsa was very chunky, but possessed an excellent flavor with a mild kick. The beer cheese was the highlight of the appetizer. Creamy, tasty, and yes, salty I suppose. Excellent. Mrs. RJG was dying for a hamburger but didn't want a giant one to herself, so we split it. We had a smoked gouda burger. We asked for it "without pink" and, well, we did get some pink which is not to Mrs. RJG's liking. Despite this, she did love the taste of the hamburger and the fixins' were great, especially the pickle. It would be a lot to devour on my own, so I was grateful for the partnership on this one. The meal also comes with excellent fries. Because they knew we were going to split it, they cut it and provided us two dishes with half a hamburger each and fries. Seems we may have gotten more fries than usual. It was very nice of them to do this, as we didn't request it. Excellent service throughout - as evidenced by this one kind gesture. I think we might go back one more time on this visit. Excellent little brewpub.

2/13/21 (new entry)

Pecos Trail Cafe ~ Santa Fe, New Mexico

First visit: Feb 2021

We first tried to go to our favorite Santa Fe restaurant, that of La Choza (see labels for our review). We kind of knew it was a futile effort. The governor had just lifted the restaurant lockdowns. Which meant only 25% capacity. And it was on a Friday late afternoon (a little before 5). Let's see - super popular restaurant, just opened after a few months of being closed, on a Friday night. Yep - 2 hour wait. Probably more, but that's what they told us. Next.

We didn't really have a backup plan as it seemed all of our favorites were either closed for renovations, not willing to open yet, served only breakfast and lunch, or were maybe closed for good. However I did research other New Mexican restaurants prior to leaving Colorado. And I did recall someone - who, I don't know - mentioning we should try this place on the outskirts of town. I figured it might be our best bet, without knowing its popularity either. We raced over. Almost no one there. That can be a good thing or a bad thing, but we were hungry, so let's give it a shot.

First of all, it's a spacious place, just the kind of restaurant that is more welcoming in this environment. I saw a bar when we came in, so things were looking up. Friendly service followed. "Do you guys serve alcohol?" we asked. Not yet, was the response. Not sure if that meant they used to and will again, or they just applied for a license. OK fine, water it is. We ordered chips and salsa to get rolling. Not bad at all, good crispy corn chips and a very chunky salsa with a lot of flavor and a decent amount of spice. We would have preferred the sauce to be a bit more pureed, and hotter (always hotter it seems), but definitely worth the expense. We then proceeded to order our test dishes, though in this case, it was the same thing. Smothered chicken enchiladas with rice and beans. Christmas of course. The chicken was excellent, pollo asado style, and the corn tortillas were light and easy to digest. The sliced green chiles sauce proved to be the hotter and more flavorful of the two. The red, not so much. Similar to our Little Anita's recent venture, I tackled these in the wrong order. The rice and beans were very good, though not exceptional. They left the sopapillas at the same time as delivering the order, so they weren't hot by the time we got to them (they may have not been at the beginning either, we just waited to eat them as dessert). Kraft packaged honey was the condiment. Light and fluffy - well done for sure.

So where do we stand here? We liked it. A good reliable option for any lengthy stay in Santa Fe. For quick visits, there are just too many others ahead in the line. If there's a favorite dish we should be trying instead, please do feel free to opine.

We do want to say Thank You to Pecos Trail Cafe for being the first restaurant in New Mexico to allow the RJG back. And it was a pleasurable experience with excellent service. I'm sure we'll be coming back at some point.

2/12/21 (new entry)