fresh Granny Smiths and a cinnamon glaze. If you want to keep it extra classic with some savoriness, go for the ham and eggs with hickory-smoked ham and two eggs, plus three buttermilk pancakes. Best Trendy Diner WELCOME DINER 929 East Pierce Street 602-495-1111 welcomediner.net Imagine that a classic diner met a hipster foodie and had a baby. That’s Welcome Diner at Ninth and Pierce streets in the Garfield neighborhood. A pink and blue neon sign greets you on your way in, giving way to a disco ball above the host stand and blue booths with wooden tables in between them. (The patio is also nice when the weather isn’t hot enough to cook an egg on the pavement.) Breakfast is served all day here, even on Fridays and Saturdays when the diner is open until midnight. Try various combinations of chicken and fresh biscuits, including the Koko with beefsteak tomatoes, arugula, and chipotle ranch. Sandwiches and burgers are also available; go for the peanut butter bacon burger if you’re especially hungry. It’s packed high with a Niman Ranch patty, cheddar cheese, garlic aioli, peanut butter, pickles, and applewood smoked bacon on a Noble Bread bun. Coffee is on the menu, but so are cocktails such as the Industry Sour with Frenet Branca, green chartreuse, and lime, and the Welcome Mule with vodka, lemon, and ginger beer. Best Soul Food MRS. WHITE’S GOLDEN RULE CAFE 808 East Jefferson Street 602-262-9256 Calling a restaurant an “institution” is a bold statement. But there’s really no other word for Mrs. White’s Golden Rule Cafe, the downtown Phoenix eatery that’s been serving incredible soul food since 1964. Generations of Phoenicians have dug into Elizabeth White’s original recipes. The venerated fried chicken is perfectly seasoned and crispy, and the pork chops are tender and juicy. We could write odes to the ooey-gooey mac and cheese, and Mrs. White’s is pretty much the only place where we order a glass of Kool-Aid to accompany our meal. We’ve lost count of how many times we’ve tucked into a meal in the bustling dining room, thanking our lucky stars that we’ve got restaurants like this in Phoenix. Actually, we’ve got one more word for Mrs. White’s Golden Rule Cafe: treasure. Best Cajun Food FLAVORS OF LOUISIANA 197 13025 West Rancho Santa Fe Boulevard, Avondale 623-935-2357 315 West Elliot Road, #108, Tempe 480-590-5634 flavorsoflouisianacajun.com Some of the best food we’ve ever tasted came from the kitchen of a New Orleans restaurant. When we want that experience here in the desert, we head to Flavors of Louisiana, where the authentic Cajun food is served with a side of uncommonly friendly service. The catfish is the best we’ve had in Arizona, or you can sample more of what the eatery has to offer with the Cajun Trio, a huge meal of jambalaya, crawfish pie, and gumbo. Everything is so delicious at Flavors of Louisiana that we nearly always leave stuffed, which means that we take a piece of peach cobbler or some beignets to go. Later, when we’ve got room for dessert, they’re a sweet reminder of our excellent meal. Best British Pub CROWN PUBLIC HOUSE 333 East Jefferson Street 602-368-4344 crownpublichouse.com Depending on when you enter Crown Public House, you may find yourself surrounded by a gregarious pack of Liverpool football fans. The bar is home to the official local supporters’ group of Liverpool, which is how you know it’s a legit British pub. You don’t even need to show up with anyone — just sit down, order a pint of Guinness or perhaps one of the many local beers Crown offers, and you’ll immediately start making friends. Chat with the regulars while enjoying some pub food; we like the poutine and the spicy bourbon barbecue wings. The convivial atmosphere keeps us coming back to Crown, and we’re sure you’ll find it just as welcoming as we do. Just don’t wear blue on game day. SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 | WWW.BESTOFPHOENIX2022.C0M | BEST OF PHOENIX 2022
