Radar from p 27 Jalapeno Bucks 3434 North Val Vista Drive, Mesa What would you expect to find in a Mesa orange grove? The answer for one particu- lar orange grove, if you have been to Jala- peno Bucks, is very good barbecue. The Burdens incorporate Arizona elements into their smoked meat tradition, such as tortillas, burritos, and salsa. The meats served plain-old-tray-style are solid, in- cluding a melting brisket and a top-notch pulled pork, smoked for a whole 24 hours. The brisket is even better as burnt ends, meaning the charred, fat-gushing ends and bits lopped off when slicing neat lengths of meat. And yet, there is another gear: bris- ket might be best here in sandwich form. Like to live dangerously? Try the brisket, peanut butter, and jelly. Balkan Bakery 1107 East Bell Road, #16 In our desert land of panaderias, drive-wor- thy French viennoiserie (if you know where to look), and quality artisan bread, North Phoenix’s Balkan Bakery ranks among our very best. Yes, there are dark rye breads, braided circular djevrek, and cevapis. But this peaceful morning destination for baked goods, helmed by the Osmic family, peaks with its bourek. Boureks at Balkan Bakery are a kind of circular stuffed bread made up of a single handmade phyllo dough tube coiled in on itself in one delicious spiral, like a tightly wrapped hose. Pealed freshly of the oven lightly brown and soft-yet-flaky, these boureks are filled with cheese and spinach or meat. Bites bring a sym- phony of textures and hearty flavors. One bourek is substantial enough to be a meal. This is homestyle per- fection, just what you want in a bakery. La Bamba Mexican Restaurant Grill 12102 West Thunder- bird Road, El Mirage We’ve covered Edson Garcia’s way-out-west gem, and yet it remains underrated. La Bamba belongs in the top tier of greater Phoenix ta- querias, full stop. Beyond the quality of ta- cos, there is a magic here. It’s some combination of the hidden menu items, in- sane horchata, friendly banter from Edson as he works the plancha, the comforting vibe of the restaurant, the tide of regulars, and the creative culinary decisions. Garcia, for instance, stripes certain tacos with three kinds of salsa, each a different color. For his al pastor, very possibly the best in town, he uses pork belly that marinated in house-made pineapple vinegar. La Bamba A tower of bourek from Balkan Bakery. is in the top tier, yes, but also in its own league. The Stand 4020 North Alma School Road, Scottsdale A meal at The Stand is an experience com- pletely opposite the plasticity, marketing oversaturation, and Instagram vapidness that have become exhausting hallmarks of dining today. Made of cactus ribs built on earth of the Salt River Pima Maricopa In- dian Community, this roadside stand exists Chris Malloy in a more honest universe. Run by the Washingtons, The Stand doles plain, sweet, and savory frybread, some served with a rich dark red chili. You order. You watch the frybread made: dough molded and bathed in oil, then forked out soft and brown and lacy. Eat it standing right there in the desert, surrounded by furrowed green crop fields. Sit on a stump. Look at the sky, the familiar parched mountains ringing around. Eating doesn’t get much better. 29 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES DEC 9TH– DEC 15TH, 2021
