182 Best of phoenix 2023 | WWW.bestofphoenix2023.c0m | septemBer 28, 2023 once housed the original Contigo Peru, and he’s brought his wild, eclectic Peruvian ceviche with him. No shade thrown at the scads of excellent ceviches around town, but there’s an extra little thrill to citrus- cured seafood when it’s piled with slivered onions, slabs of sweet potato, crunchy cancha and boiled corn kernels the size of marbles. Of course, all the whiz-bang in the world doesn’t mean a thing if the flavor isn’t there, but Graham’s ceviches are perfectly balanced. His signature ceviche, the Orgía de Mariscos (it means exactly what you think it means), adds a healthy dose of pisco to a tart and explosive mix of finfish, bivalves and shellfish perked up with Peruvian rocoto chile. Best Mexican Bakery LA PURISIMA BAKERY 2318 E. Indian School Road 602-957-2771 4533 W. Glendale Ave., Glendale 623-842-1400 purisimabakery.com The family-owned bakery has been making breads, burritos, cakes and pastries for 40 years at locations in Glendale and Phoenix. The bakery case is a delight for the senses, with twisted, glazed and sprinkled sweets. Behind the counter is an array of conchas, the light-as-air Mexican sweet breads that are painted with crunchy, colorful flavored sugars. Beyond cranking out primo pastries, we appreciate the bakery’s Phoenix Suns pride. When our NBA team again found itself in the playoffs this year, we stocked up on purple and orange conchas for our watch parties and could rock some hand-drawn swag, like a “Vamos Suns” T-shirt featuring Go the Gorilla riding next to a concha in a convertible. The Suns may not have taken the champi- onship, but those conchas, and the swag from La Purisima and artist Jon Garza, helped soften the blow. Best Horchata EMILIO’S TACOS & HOTDOGS 13803 N. 19th Ave. 602-810-1468 facebook.com/EmiliosPhx Horchata isn’t generally hot pink, but at Emilio’s Tacos & Hotdogs, the strawberry- packed version is worth straying from the original. The classic rice, vanilla, milk and cinnamon mixture is blended with fresh strawberries and ice for a treat that lands somewhere between a smoothie and a dessert. A swirl of red strawberry syrup solidifies the argument for the latter. Grab this pink drink on the run by passing through Emilio’s drive-thru or head inside the tiny, colorful joint and pair this treat with some tacos, carne asada fries or one of the top Sonoran hot dogs in town. Best Aguas Frescas TORTAS MANANTIAL 5950 W. McDowell Road, #101 623-873-0664 5185 W. Baseline Road, #102, Laveen Village 602-633-3039 And other Valley locations tortasmanantial.com We came late to the aguas frescas party. But now that we’re here, we’re all in. The blend of water and fresh fruit juices is delicious and blessedly cooling during our many months of blistering heat. Our preferred source for ice-cold refreshment is one of Tortas Manantial’s four Valley locations. If mainstream flavors are more your speed, options like strawberry, watermelon or pineapple (our personal favorite) are the way to go. But you’ll be rewarded with a surprising and tasty flavor experience if you branch out to choices like soursop, guava or cucumber lemon. We’re certain that after you’ve tried a few drinks from Tortas Manantial, you’ll join us at the aguas frescas party. Best Churros DULCE CHURRO CAFE 1674 N. Higley Road, #107, Gilbert 480-981-3628 1050 W. Chandler Blvd., #4, Chandler 480-900-7038 dulcechurrocafe.com In our opinion, churros are like pizza: Even the mediocre examples can still be enjoyable. But if a bottom-of-the-barrel churro is a $5 Hot-and-Ready from Little Caesars, the churros at Dulce Churro Cafe are a wood-fired pie with fresh mozzarella and hand-torn basil made by a master pizzaiolo. Your order at the two Dulce Churro Cafe locations starts with a piping hot churro that’s perfectly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. You can get it in a loop shape, in one long cylinder or in little bites. From there, get as crazy as you want. Strawberry glaze. Served with vanilla soft serve ice cream. Topped with sprinkles. Accompanied by a mango- or cheesecake-flavored dip. Whatever you choose to do to jazz up your churro, it’ll be a winning combination. Best Neveria ALEBRIJE NEVERIA 10171 N. 19th Ave., #7 602-577-0036 alebrijephx.com Alebrije Neveria poses the question, why isn’t cereal always used as an ice cream topping? At this North Phoenix dessert shop, the Cereal Bowl comes with vanilla or strawberry ice cream swirled with a choice of cereals, topped with even more Fruity Pebbles, Cookie Crisp or Frosted
