peppers, Roma tomatoes, and onions all cost less than $1 per pound — meaning you can whip up that mango salsa for practically nothing. El Rancho’s locations make fresh salsas, guacamole, and tortillas from scratch every day. And if the shoppers are pressed for time and late for their own fiesta, no worries: The deli and bakery have freshly made items ready to serve. In addition, the supermarket carries a wide selection of cold domestic and imported brews to tame the spicy salsa. ¡Buen provecho! Best Place to Buy a Virgin of Guadalupe AUTOM 5210 South 31st Place 800-521-2914 autom.com Keep your eyes peeled, and you’ll see the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe all over metro Phoenix — in art galleries and on murals, painted on lowriders and hanging, in jewelry form, around the necks of believers. If you want your own version, check out Autom, a Catholic supply store in southwest Phoenix. Autom does most of its business online, but you can visit the store to see the goods in person. The image of the Virgin is available in the form of statues, charms, wall art, rosaries, tote bags, and more. And while you’re there, you can check out the wide selection of Bibles, home decor, holiday items, and gifts, all of which can help add a bit of the sacred into your everyday life. Best Mexican Goods MEXICAN ARTS IMPORTS 340 North 24th Street 602-275-9552 mexicanartsimports.com We often go out carrying an exquisite hand-tooled leather purse. The warm brown leather has a rose design, and the petals and stem are dyed with red-pink and green hues. It never fails to garner compliments, and when admirers ask where we got it, we tell them that we found it at Mexican Arts Imports. The family- owned business has been open for 60 years, and they source the goods from artists in six Mexican states. And the goods are great. Besides clothing and accessories, you can find housewares, wall art, outdoor decor, all types of stuff with Frida Kahlo’s face on it, papel picado in various sizes, and Día de los Muertos decorations. They’ve upgraded their website, but you should definitely visit the deceptively large Phoenix storefront in person, and make sure you leave plenty of time to explore everything Mexican Arts Imports has to offer. 184 BEST OF PHOENIX 2022 | WWW.BESTOFPHOENIX202W.C0M | SEPTEMBER 29, 2022