188 LA VIDA SEPTEMBER 25, 2025 | WWW.BESTOFPHOENIX2025.C0M | BEST OF PHOENIX 2025 based drink you’ll find at restaurants across the Valley. This variation includes cubes of freshly diced apples. As the fruit mixes with the cinnamon, the resulting drink tastes of apple pie. It’s cold and refreshing, and also nostalgic and satisfying, all in one sip. Pair your horchata with carne asada tacos topped with nopales or tender fried shrimp with mango slaw. Familiar favorites with a unique twist is the name of the game at this modern, casual taqueria, and while we’re fans of everything we’ve tried, the standout horchata leaves us dreaming of our next visit. e e e B E S T A G U A S F R E S C A S ALEBRIJE NEVERIA 10171 N. 19TH AVE., #7 602-577-0036 ALEBRIJEPHX.COM An agua fresca on a hot Phoenix summer day is a sublime thing. Fresh and cold and sweet, the blend of fruit and water always hits the spot. West-side snack shop Alebrije Neveria specializes in tasty little treats such as sweet and spicy raspados, a long list of milkshakes and a wholly satisfying cup of esquites. But we most often stop in for the aguas frescas. The jamaica (hibiscus) is subtly sweet, or if you want something a little more fruit- forward, the sandia (watermelon) is our favorite. No matter what you choose, it’s made fresh to order and served with a smile. e e e B E S T C H I L E F E S T I VA L ARIZONA CHILE FESTIVAL 16461 S. 48TH ST. 480-999-2466 GREENCHILELOVE.COM Every September, when the rest of Phoenix is counting the days until patio season, the Arizona Chile Festival drops a blistering reason to embrace the heat. This is the only fest where you’ll see literal tons of New Mexican Hatch green chiles tumbling in massive roasters, filling the air with that smoky, spicy perfume that signals fall in the Southwest. Spearheaded by Dave Castaneda, the owner and chef behind the chile-forward Ahwatukee food truck turned restaurant Green Chile Love, the festival is part farmers market, part block party, part culinary gauntlet. And your mission? Take down a Hatch-smothered green chile burger before your taste buds wave the white flag. Beyond the spice and spectacle, the festival’s heart runs hotter than the chiles, funneling proceeds toward Hope for the Homeless, a faith-based Arizona charity organization that provides necessities, counseling and resources to people experiencing homeless- ness in Phoenix. e e e B E S T M E X I C A N B A K E R Y LA PURISIMA 4533 W. GLENDALE AVE., GLENDALE 623-842-1400 AND OTHER VALLEY LOCATIONS PURISIMABAKERY.COM A Valley mainstay for more than 40 years, La Purisima combines the best of Mexican baking: improbably low prices, a commit- ment to caloric abundance, and range. Their full menu includes more than 100 different pastries, none of which will cost you more than $5. For just a couple of bucks, you can get a flaky, jammy flauta or an empanada stuffed with pineapple or rice pudding. For $3, pick up a stuffed churro with a sugary marrow of vanilla or strawberry filling. A buck and a quarter is all you need to get a laurel, essentially a frilly doughnut made of flaky pastry that with each bite shatters like your childhood dreams. If you want to get spendy, drop a fiver on a miloja, a stack of pastry mortared together with caramel, topped with whipped cream and glazed fruits. Not feeling the sweets? La Purisima side-hustles in savory. The shop makes its own tortillas, slings burritos and tamales, and two days a week will serve you a bowl of house-made menudo. e e e B E S T C A R N I C E R I A LA CALIDAD CARNICERIA 4344 W. INDIAN SCHOOL ROAD 602-715-2567 INSTAGRAM.COM/LACALIDADMEATMARKET La Calidad Meat Market is Phoenix’s go-to carniceria for top-tier meats and true Latino flavor. This family-owned gem blends old- school tradition with high-end quality, offering hand-selected cuts from Mexico,
