▼ Café Mormon Trail to Hidden Valley Loop Breakfast: Early Bird Vegan 1712 East Broadway Road Lunch: The Farm Kitchen at The Farm at South Mountain 6106 South 32nd Street Start at the Mormon Trailhead off 24th Street, and the lollipop loop will take you past petroglyphs, epic views, and fun rock formations, including a naturally formed tunnel. Continue the healthy vibe at Early Bird Vegan, an order-at-the-counter spot that serves up superfood smoothies, vegan pastries, and the famous Dr. J, a breakfast sammie with tofu egg, sausage patty, cheez sauce, avocado, organic arugula, tomato, and owner Krystal Harris’s Southwest aioli, made with soy-free mayo, parsley, dill, and paprika. Speaking of famous sandwiches, The Farm Kitchen’s pecan chicken salad sandwich, with roasted chicken, celery, golden raisins, toasted pecans, pesto mayo, tomato, and baby arugula on a baguette, delivers a tasty post- hike bite in a picturesque setting. Hangry Trails Where to eat near Phoenix’s best hiking spots. BY ALLISON YOUNG L et’s face it: Hiking can make you hungry, even hangry. The first thing you want after a good hike is good food — and fast. But figuring out where to eat when you come off the trails can be exhausting in itself, so we did the legwork for you, scouting out the best places near some of Phoenix’s most popular and picturesque hikes. From hearty breakfast joints to healthy vegan cafes, here’s where to refuel after hitting your favorite Phoenix hiking trail. Gateway Loop Trail Breakfast: The Breakfast Joynt 10101 East Bell Road, Scottsdale Lunch: Buddha’s Ritual 16580 North 92nd Street, Scottsdale It doesn’t get much more scenic than Gateway in the McDowell Mountains, a 4.5-mile loop that winds past saguaros and stellar views. Follow up your hike with a hearty morning meal at The Breakfast Joynt, a light and lively spot with Bennies galore, stuffed breakfast burritos, and both build-your-own omelets and quinoa bowls. If an early-bird cocktail in a stylish setting is more your thang, Buddha’s Ritual is a mecca of photogenic food Allison Young — think eye-catching croissant waffles, kimchi mac and cheese, tuna tower ceviche, pretty poke bowls, and prickly pear-spiked cocktails, all in an Instagrammable setting that turns even more scenic on the weekends. Blue Wash Trail to Camp Creek Falls Breakfast: Wagon Wheel Restaurant 36457 North Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek Lunch: Big Earl’s Greasy Eats 6135 East Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek It’s impossible not to feel like you’re on vacation in Cave Creek, a scenic place north The tempura Crispy Bites at Buddha’s Ritual are served with sweet chili ranch. of Phoenix with the feel of a road-trip stop. If you finish up your hike early enough, breakfast at Wagon Wheel is a must, an old- fashioned breakfast joint with cheap eats and darn good food (the raisin-cinnamon French toast is a fave). Or stop by Big Earl’s Greasy Eats, a timeless counter-service stop in a former gas station that delivers on its name. Refuel with a 1/3-pound Angus beef burger (you can’t go wrong with The Big Earl), seasoned fries, and a milkshake, the perfect combo to replace all those calories you just burned. Telegraph Pass Trail Breakfast: Biscuits Restaurant 1241 East Chandler Boulevard Lunch: Pomegranate Cafe 4025 East Chandler Boulevard The south side of South Mountain may have fewer rock formations, but it also has fewer people, which makes trail running a breeze. For a biscuits-and-gravy kind of breakfast, the family-owned Biscuits Restaurant has a farmhouse feel and a menu to match. May we suggest the South Mountain Scramble, biscuits Benedict, or the corned beef hash and eggs? For healthier fare, Pomegranate’s menu of vibrant vegan and vegetarian dishes won’t erase your hike. The raw tacos with purple cabbage, walnut chorizo, and pico and the gluten-free mac and cheese with habanero Buffalo cauliflower or barbecue jackfruit are favorites. Chase your lunch with a refreshing hibiscus cooler. Double Butte Loop at Papago Park Breakfast: Ranch House Grille 5618 East Thomas Road Lunch: El Original Tacos Jalisco 3060 North 68th Street, Scottsdale Meet Early Bird Vegan’s famous Dr. J. Allison Young Papago’s red-rock formations are other- worldly. Double Butte’s 2.3-mile loop takes you around the beautiful buttes, but you’ll have to go to the east side of Galvin Parkway for a photo op in the iconic Hole in the Rock. Hiking appetites are no match for Ranch House Grille’s oversized plates, where chicken fried steak, hash browns, French toast, and huevos rancheros are bigger than big. For some of the best carne asada tacos in town, head to Tacos Jalisco, a mom-and-pop shop where everything’s fresh, from the homemade tortillas to the standout red salsa. Cool down with a fresh- fruit raspado from Raspa2 Jalisco next door. >> p 31 27 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES MARCH 31ST– APRIL 6TH, 2022
