Lauren Cusimano Chew from p 28 sandwich to the double-patty burger sandwich with cheese, and s’mores. Peshlakai previously told Phoenix New Times that she wants her new restaurant to be a place to share stories, culture, and family recipes with customers, so they’ll feel like they’re eating at home or at a best friend’s house. We can certainly envision that. Indian Village 6746 East Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek In business since 1972, Indian Village restaurant in Cave Creek doubles as an eclectic general store and souvenir shop. There’s Mexican food on the menu, but everyone raves about the frybread. With a crispy exterior and pillowy center, it’s a must-try. Get it with honey and powdered sugar or with Indian Village’s famous red chili, made with homemade red sauce and pulled beef. Customers also love the Navajo taco, with the same red chili and other toppings. In the mood for something a Pho from p 27 There’s no spicy Instagram account or even a dedicated website ( just Yelp), so the eclectic clientele — a colorful mix of singles, doubles, couples, families, and groups — is worth noting. How did they all find this place? Most got here the old- fashioned way: word of mouth. I recently took my young teenagers to the family-friendly restaurant, where they used chopsticks for the first time. My 13-year-old son had the mì xào giòn dac biet, with its coiled, crispy, golden nest of noodles serving as a cloudlike bed for a glistening array of stir-fried veggies and a combo of beef, shrimp and chicken. It’s all bathed in a bewitching, slightly sweet brown sauce that has the umami of oyster sauce and jolty zing of soy, yet, like most things at Pho Noodles, is a creation all its own. My other son ate a meaty chicken wing 30 with his hands, the crackling edge apparent even under the glassy sauce, a spicy varnish that definitely comes with some heat. The visible chili pepper seeds and deep burnt-orange color, not to mention the “spicy” menu designation, are Indian Village is home to souvenirs and some of the best frybread in town. little different? Try a hot dog wrapped in frybread — plain, with cheese, or with chili and cheese. The Stand 4020 North Alma School Road, Scottsdale It’s all about the food at The Stand. There’s no flashy restaurant, just an open-air kitchen built from arrowroot and cactus ribs located on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Reservation. There are stumps for seats if you decide to stick around to eat, but we won’t judge if you scarf your meal down in the car on the way home. The frybread is puffy and chewy, shaped from dough using vegetable shortening, then fried, rising on a long fork. Order the signature red chili or one just doused in honey. There’s also the Indian taco with toppings, a customer favorite. Other vendors sometimes stop by, like the Indigenous-owned DankDrank- Lemonade. Just come prepared: The Stand is cash-only. red-hot herrings. They’re the kind of wings that invite messiness; in other words, his kind of wings. Chicken Kid went into carnivore mode, and when he came up for air, his hands were covered in the evidence, digits so drenched in saucy goodness, the table napkins barely made a dent. He left to wash his hands, then returned, only to make the trip three more times. This was the first time I’d taken my kids to Pho Noodles. No one knew my name or order by heart, yet I walked in feeling the kind of comfort usually reserved for long- familiar places, like my childhood home or my grandmother’s house. Blame it on the pho. Ah, the comforting magic of soup. Pho Noodles 3417 North Seventh Avenue 602-254-6374 Hours: 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Monday to Sunday Spring rolls with shrimp $4.50 Vietnamese egg rolls with pork and vegetables $4.50 Spicy chicken wings $9.75 Rice noodle soup with tofu and vegetables $9.75 Rice noodle soup with rare steak $9.50 Crispy fried egg noodles with chicken, shrimp, and beef $11.75 FEB 3RD– FEB 9TH, 2022 PHOENIX NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | NEWS | OPINION | FEEDBACK | CONTENTS | phoenixnewtimes.com
