They publish several genres, from creative nonfiction to opinion pieces, and anyone can submit work for consideration. The grass- roots publication signals the need for ongo- ing dialogue and activism in the face of social injustices. Most importantly, it balances the value of finding and sharing one’s voice with the importance of seeking out and listening to divergent voices in the community. David Bessent Exhibit Gallery 119 After emerging artists Zachary Walter and David Bessent were murdered in October 2018, the community found creative ways to honor their memory, from a sidewalk chalk mural to a formal gallery exhibition. Gallery 119 opened a solo exhibition called “A Cele- bration of the Life and Work of David Bes- sent” on September 20. Before his death, Bessent spent a year creating a significant body of work that included more than two dozen large-scale abstract paintings. The exhibit included those paintings, as well as hundreds of sketches, small paintings, and writings Bessent kept in various notebooks and journals. For those who gathered that night, it was both a profound tribute and a beautiful way of channeling collective grief. Dutchman Tempe Center for the Arts Coupled with the rapid-fire flash of images The 10 Best things We Ate in 2019 BY CHRIS MALLOY W ith December sliding away, a great year of eating is closing. This year, I was lucky to eat hun- dreds of meals (for work!) in the urban and rural reaches of the state, including at an Oak Flats campground, down on the Gila River Indian Reservation, and all over the Valley from El Mirage to Queen Creek. Out of the many plates I had, here are the 10 that still, as of today, haunt me the most. Grilled Oysters Chula Seafood Uptown 100 East Camelback Road, #172 602-354-3599 chulaseafood.com Oysters have an alchemy unique in the world of eating. Cooked, that alchemy nar- rows. Even so, the delicate marine notes of cooked oysters slide into harmony in Chula Seafood Uptown’s version, grilled and placed over char-ticked Noble bread rounds. That bread is crisp. The cooked oysters still jiggle. The meaty-but-delicate bivalves get finished with a bourbon-chi- potle butter carrying a milk-rich comfort and warming heat. It’s hard to feel any- thing but sunshine slurping Kyle Kent’s oysters. It’s hard to imagine cooked oysters getting much better. Jackie Mercandetti Photo Grilled oysters at Chula Seafood Uptown. Za’atar and Haloumi Manakeesh Shamy Market & Bakery 1110 West Southern Avenue, #8, Mesa 480-207-1805 facebook.com/shamymarket This hidden Mesa bakery, operated by the Alimams, a family of Syrian refugees, peals bready wonders from a gas oven in the back of a strip-mall room that is mostly market. They are pita and Middle Eastern pizza, and if you order right, they will in- clude manakeesh: folder-thick, yeast-risen flatbreads with puffy rims. At Shamy Mar- ket & Bakery, you can order them round and flat, almost like pizza, or shaped in toasty canoes. Za’atar is finely rained on top. Haloumi is milky and saline. It’s one of the Valley’s great unsung breads. Oxtail “Italian Beef” Hush Public House 14202 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale 480-758-5172 hushpublichouse.com Dom Ruggiero’s riff on the Chicago-style Italian beef sandwich at Hush capturing the violence of racism past and present, the set pieces referencing lynch- ing created a visceral context for Dutch- man, which imagines a black man’s chilling encounter with a white woman on a New York City subway. Nuanced performances heightened the impact of playwright LeRoi Jones’ (a.k.a. Amiri Baraka) work, which explores the suppressed rage of blacks against the dominant white culture. With this production, director Ralph Remington put racism front and center, challenging the community to create dialogues about its present-day manifestations. Cascade Scottsdale Waterfront People crowded around a central point on the Marshall Way Bridge during Canal Convergence on Saturday, November 16, in anticipation of a dance performance geared for audience members of all ages. Cascade playfully explored the importance of water. Nicole Olson choreographed the piece, then joined five additional dancers in giving it life along the Arizona Canal. With a glowing backdrop channeling crisp blue water, and clear umbrellas that re- flected the surrounding lights, they filled the space with energy and movement. The performance made for a magical evening under the stars, shared by community members connected by their love for art. RIMS & TIRE PACKAGES START AT: 17” $749 18” $849 20” $1099 22” $1199 >> p 14 24” $1599 26” $1979 28” $2899 TIRE PRICES 13” $49.00 14” $49.00 15” $50.00 16” $56.00 17” $58.00 18” $62.00 20” $65.00 22” $90.00 START AT: 24” $125.00 26” $144.00 28” $265.00 13 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES DEC. 26TH, 2019–JAN. 1ST, 2020
