Oasis from p 32 buses. Each bus makes three or four stops per day several times a week, usually stay- ing for an hour at each stop. Farm Express determines a community’s need by know- ing its city, and not by consulting studies or collected data about who might be hungry. “We’re thinking about distance and weather and the age of the people in a neighborhood,” Guidas says. “We’re think- ing about transportation options. If you’re elderly and live a half-mile from a grocery store and it’s August in Phoenix, you don’t want to carry bags of groceries home. A bus ride with a week’s worth of groceries isn’t much better.” Farm Express gets the word out with some social media posting and a little word-of-mouth. “But mostly with consis- tency,” Guidas says. “If you know we’re coming to your library or your community center every other Thursday at 9 a.m., you’ll be there.” She points out that large grocery chains typically open stores in higher-income ar- eas, leaving low-income communities to make do with unhealthy choices. “Our competition is fast-food places where you can feed your family from the 99-cent menu,” Guidas says of the produce her organization offers. “It’s often per- ceived to be more expensive to buy healthy food, and in some cases it actually is more expensive.” Farm Express wants to undo that think- ing with messaging about better food ac- cess, how to find senior shuttle services that travel to grocers and farmers markets, and with incentives like its Double Up Food Bucks program, which allows low- and no- income customers who purchase with food stamps to buy twice as much food. Although there’s no national organiza- tion overseeing the burgeoning food desert movement, Guidas belongs to an informal mobile market coalition. “We decided we were tired of solving these problems on our own,” she says. “We try to convene once a year to share best practices but mostly to say, ‘Hey, you’re not alone in this crazy work.’” Even without national oversight, Gui- das sees a momentum in repairing food deserts. She thinks city planners are slowly becoming aware that certain populations are left out when communities are being planned. “Lower income neighborhoods histori- cally have fewer grocery stores,” she ex- plains, “but in recent years the movement has succeeded in getting planners to ask how they can change that for a community. We’re seeing more corner markets and farmers markets, more policy changes and advocacy help, too. That’s shaping a food system that hasn’t existed before.” Saluga doesn’t know about policy changes or city planning. She knows, just lately, about zucchini. “Next time I’m going to look for some beets,” she says of an up- coming visit to Farm Express. “I remember I used to really like those when I was a kid.” | DINING GUIDE | t Café DOWNTOWN/ROOSEVELT Asadero Norte De Sonora: Whether entering from the small parking lot or the surrounding neighborhood, you’ll smell the kitchen — grilled meat, aromatic onions, some array of spices — before you even reach the doorway to Asadero Norte De Sonora. Asadero may be one of the coziest Mexican restaurants in the Valley. The dining room is homey and brightly lit, with picnic-style benches and tile-top tables. A TV is going, and a server is rushing around trays of water, tall glasses of horchata, Mexican Cokes, and complimentary chips and salsa. It can feel like a casual waiting room — with patrons chewing while checking their phones or eyeing a soap opera — or an ideal date or family dinner spot. But above all, it’s the food that draws in all who sit here or glide in for to-go orders. Recommended dishes listed on the laminated menu (always backdropped by a photo of Havasupai Falls) include the barbacoa burrito, baked costilla, and lengua stuffed into tacos, tortas, and/or burros. The best part? Most meals won’t run beyond $10 — unless you blow some change at the toy-vending quarter machines. 122 N. 16th St.; 602-253- 4010; facebook.com/AsaderoNorteDeSonora. ($) Cibo Urban Pizzeria: For a desert town, Phoenix has a surpris- ingly large number of Italian restaurants. Cibo Urban Pizzeria (it’s pronounced CHEE-boh) is one of the best. The downtown restaurant serves fare like signature wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas, salads, saltimbocca bread, and fresh limoncello made from a family recipe by Chef Guido Saccone. But aside from the house-made pasta, killer burrata, and wine list, Cibo also boasts some next-level atmosphere. The lush garden patio is one of the finest in Phoenix — between the lights and the gentle chatter, it literally twinkles — and the 1913 bungalow, with its exposed brick, creaky hardwood floors, and soft glow from the windows, doesn’t hurt the vibe, either. 603 N. Fifth Ave.; 602-441-2697; cibophoenix.com. ($$$) Cocina 10: You may not know this downtown restaurant by name, but if you’re into music, you’ve likely eaten here. Cocina 10 is the kitchen at Crescent Ballroom, which brings in a power-lunch and music-fan crowd expecting something a notch or two above bar food. Owner Charlie Levy is also behind Valley Bar and The Van Buren, but he says of anything he’s ever done, he’s most proud of the food at Crescent. The menu was crafted by Pizzeria Bianco’s Chris Bianco, as well as Doug Robson of Otro Café and Gallo Blanco. The concept was meant to appeal, in part, to bands rolling in off Interstate 10. Maybe they’re performing at the Crescent, or maybe they’re just stopping in for a bite before getting back on the road to L.A. or Tucson. Either way, they’ve got options like Sonoran dogs, tacos, nachos, and burritos wrapped in foil and marked with their own special stickers bearing images like Mr. Bean and Morrissey. Hopefully, there’s a show that night on the Crescent main stage, but even if not, the lounge, patio, and balcony are always open, free, and serving food till midnight. 308 N. Second Ave.; 602-716-2222; crescentphx.com/ cocina-10-kitchen. ($$) The Farish House: Opened in spring 2019 on the offshores of Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix, Farish House is a self-proclaimed neighborhood bistro, ideal for a date night or a quiet family dinner. Seated inside this 1899 brick home, you often feel as though you’re dining behind the velvet ropes of a historic museum. Farish is operated by a husband- and-wife team, one of which is Lori Hassler, the former chef and owner of Radda Caffe-Bar in Scottsdale. The signature craft cocktails (we like the Farish Cup and the Cuba Libre) each have their own story explained on the menu. Recom- mended entrees include the pork loin roulade with bacon Brussels sprouts, and Le Mac — perhaps the finest bowl of gourmet mac and cheese in town. If the burrata cheese ball is on special, order it. 816 N. Third St.; 602-281-6659; farishhouse.com. ($$$) The Larder + the Delta: Chef Stephen Jones named his counter at DeSoto Central Market the Larder + the Delta, and when DeSoto tanked, Jones reopened his operation in the scenic surroundings of Portland Parkway Park. The 2018-estab- lished Larder is housed in a sleeker, modern space with an efficient little patio and a wraparound bar, and it showcases both local Arizona produce and Jones’ talent for elevated Southern fare. Entrees include pork ribs, butcher’s steak, chicken fried chicken, and ocean trout. But smaller plates are the main draw here, and they’re often quite surprising. The cauliflower is made with Cutino’s Hot Sauce; the hop- pin’ John comes with Carolina Gold rice and Sea Island red peas; the crispy pig ears are heavily dusted with Cheetos. For an extremely memorable order, go with the >> p 37 35 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES JUNE 24TH – JUNE 30TH, 2021
