174 B EST G UACA M O L E Call Her Martina 7135 E. Camelback Road #165, Scottsdale 480-687-8592 callhermartina.com There are plenty of restaurants around Phoenix that dress up their guacamole. Some top the creamy dip with pieces of mango; others add a sprinkle of cheese or sweet corn kernels. But at Call Her Martina, guac goes gourmet with the addition of crispy bites of charred ribeye. These salty, savory morsels are delicious on their own, as is the pome- granate-topped smashed avocado. But get a bite of both, and your mind may be blown. The hot steak contrasts against the cool guac for a mixture of temperatures and textures that leaves you coming back for more. This dish is a good one to share at the start of your meal, but be warned: It may leave you fighting for the last bite. 22222 B EST P OZO L E Alebrijes Cafe & Grill 4900 N. Litchfield Road, Building B, Litchfield Park 623-526-1881 alebrijescafegrillaz.com Venture to Litchfield Park for a colorful and fun restaurant serving the best pozole in town. Alebrijes Cafe & Grill is the perfect place to enjoy a laid-back brunch. The place is popular, so waiting for a table and then for your food to arrive can take some time. Thankfully, the cocktails and coffees are delicious and will hold you over just fine. The menu is packed with options — many of which are drenched in rich red or black mole — but the pozole stands out. A large clay bowl is filled to the brim with savory broth packed with hominy kernels and tender pork. Fresh radishes, onions and a squeeze of lime brighten up each bite, and you’ll be sure to drink every last drop. 22222 B E ST M E X I CA N S U S H I El Tataki Sushi Fusion 1410 E. Southern Ave., Tempe 480-912-3009 And other Valley locations eltatakisushi.com Mexican sushi, that Japanese favorite filtered through the kitchens and sensibili- ties of our neighbors to the south, is a culi- nary train we think far more people should be riding on. When we want to bring our sushi-loving friends into the Mexican sushi fold, we take them to El Tataki Sushi Fusion. The local chain offers a huge selection of traditional and Mexican rolls along with sashimi, appetizers and Asian fare such as fried rice and teriyaki chicken. We tend to stick to the Mexican roll side of the menu when we visit; we love the El Japan Roll, a concoction of bacon, avocado, shrimp, cream cheese and cucumber, topped with crab, eel sauce, green onions and sesame seed. And the quintessential Mexican sushi roll, the deep-fried Cielo Mar y Tierra Roll — shrimp tempura, chicken, beef, avocado, cucumber, cream cheese, orange and eel sauce — is the best version we’ve ever had. Add in El Tata- ki’s swanky interior, and you’ve got a unique, upscale dining experience. B E ST M A R I S C O S Mariscos Playa Hermosa 1605 E. Garfield St. 602-462-1563 mariscosplayahermosa.com If you think you can’t get great seafood in the Southwest, then you clearly don’t know about Mariscos Playa Hermosa. Since 2002, Jose and Maria Maldonado have used the restaurant to bring the beaches of Mexico directly to central Phoenix. The restaurant has certainly nailed the vibes — there’s a mariachi band weekly as well as general easygoing beach decor and whatnot — but most certainly the appeal is in the absolutely stacked seafood menu. Mexican seafood is all about taking great fish, oysters, crabs and the like, and preparing them with spices and fresh veggies to bring out the nuance and soul of these continually underrated cuts. And if that isn’t enough, the restaurant has enough cocktails to get a shark woozy. But MPH isn’t just a place to “play tourist” — it’s very much inserted a vital bit of culture into our own hometown. The end result is a lush melding that’s made MPH a proper institu- tion and evidence of the truly engaging and adventurous local food scene.
