| CHOW BELLA | t Café Off to the Raíces Mis Raíces Café, a new family-run coffee shop, opens on Grand Avenue. BY MIKE MADRIAGA C lara Sánchez named her soon-to-open coffee shop Mis Raíces Café after her “roots,” and the name comes with a double shot of meaning. “I’m originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco,” she says. “I’m from a little town where all the people are kind and know each other. I treat the customers as if you’re having guests coming to your house, making them feel welcome. That’s what I’m bringing over here to Phoenix.” The barista’s new coffee spot is nestled between Earth Plant Based Cuisine, El Charro Hipster Bar and Cafe, and Testal Mexican Kitchen on Grand Avenue. The quaint 900-square-foot cafe is adorned with handpainted dolls and vases from Mexico. The walls are a mixture of brick and Talavera tile wallpaper. On a recent visit, she made four ice-cold drinks. All were rich in flavor and quenching in the Phoenix heat. The first two were iced coffee bever- ages topped with whipped cream and delectable drizzles. “That’s mazapan, it’s Mexican candy, Mis Raíces Café owner Clara Sánchez. Mike Madriaga and it’s very fragile,” she says. “You get the little crumbles of the peanuts. The other drink is a dulce de leche, it’s called cajeta in Spanish, and it’s more on the sweeter side.” Cajeta has a more liquid consistency and a lighter shade of brown than caramel. “It’s typical in Mexico,” Sánchez says. “You can use it for dipping your churro and putting it on pancakes.” Speaking of sweets, they have inspired most of the menu. “We’re gonna be changing the menu every week, so it’s going to be pretty much pastries, desserts, and cookies,” she says. “This week, we’ll have cinnamon buns, confetti scones, churro cheesecakes, choc- olate chip, and coconut cookies.” She’s also making treats for patrons who are vegan or on a low-carb diet. Back in Guadalajara — about 300 miles west of Mexico City and 1,200 miles south of Phoenix — she helped her parents run a tortilleria. Sánchez relocated to the United States when she was 18 years old, and she now lives in Goodyear with her family and two children. But she holds close every- thing her parents taught her. “I learned from my parents how to treat customers and how you manage a business,” she says. “Please try this; it’s a mango smoothie. In Spanish, we call it a licuado de fruta. For now, we are going to keep it simple, but, in the future, we are thinking of adding Chamoy drizzle and Tajin, and we can make a mangonada.” Chamoy is a red-colored syrup that’s sweet and sour and spicy and salty, all at the same time. Tajin is a sea >> p 31 27 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES JULY 28TH–AUG 3RD, 2022
