Fancy, Fattening…Phoenix

Phoenix is gorgeous. Between the mountains that surround the city, the perpetual sun and infinite, cartoon-like cacti, it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. And, news to me, they even have palm trees! How fancy!

Alas, it is not the kind of place where you can really cover much ground without a car. I learned that the hard way my first day there, when after walking for an hour straight, I was still nowhere near one of the restaurants I wanted to check out. However, after one of many expensive cab rides, I found myself at The Fry Bread House. Intrigued by a recommendation that I stumbled upon online, I just had to try this place, which specializes in fried dough, but not the powdered sugar, county fair variety most of us are used to indulging in.

What arrived at my table was essentially a giant taco whose tortilla had been replaced by savory fried dough, and it tasted exactly how you’d imagine it would – like standard taco filling (nothing to write home about) kicked up a notch by a blanket of fried goodness. Was it tasty? Yes. Am I glad I tried it just for the sheer novelty? You bet! Would I return again if I ever find myself back in Phoenix? Probably not, unless I had a car, time to kill and Jenny Craig on speed dial.

Another culinary find I had to try was Pizzeria Bianco. Having recently read in Rachael Ray magazine that it had the best pizza in the country, it would have been irresponsible not to wait in line to taste this much sought-after gem. The joint does not even open until 5pm, but when I arrived a little after 3pm, there was already a handful of people in line. Word to the wise – if you try this, find a spot in the shade, make sure you’re stocked with water and bring a good book.

So, was Pizzeria Bianco the best pizza in the country? Not in my book, but the toppings were unique and of very high quality. Deciding to go with the salami and olive selection, the pizza overall did not disappoint, but the crust was lackluster. Burnt on the top and soggy in the middle, it didn’t necessarily ruin the pizza, but did make me wonder how it got such high marks from Rachael Ray and friends. In my opinion, you can’t have a stellar pizza without AMAZING crust. I’m glad I tried it, though, because the curiosity would have killed me. Despite the crust conundrum, I would definitely return here – and yes, even wait two hours in line again – to try some of the other creative topping combinations (especially the one that includes pistachios).

Besides eating, I did also manage to get outside of the downtown area to view some of the natural beauty Phoenix has to offer. While the city boasts many options for hiking, I felt weird about trudging around in the wilderness by myself, so I did the next best thing – hit up The Desert Botanical Garden. Lucky for me, the gardens were sprawled out enough that I did feel like I was hiking most of the time. Surrounded by all those crazy cacti, flowers, hummingbirds, lizards and several other unidentified desert dwellers, what can I say, the place was beautiful. Having never been to the desert (except for Vegas, which clearly doesn’t count), the gardens almost felt surreal. The gift shop, too, was an oasis of temptation – little cacti in fancy pots, local art work, prickly pear candy, jalapeno popcorn and cook books galore – all of which I proudly resisted since I am trying to save money these days.

Overall, despite being in town for a conference and staying in the middle of downtown without a vehicle, I was able to squeeze in enough Phoenix to feel like I’ve actually been there. While I probably won’t be planning my honeymoon there or anything, I’d definitely be happy to return again if duty called.

Phoenix 411:

Phoenix is VERY hot. This was only April, people, and I felt pretty scorched walking around out there. A hat, sunglasses and lots of water are essential. I’d throw in some chapstick too for good measure.

Lots of places in Phoenix (including Pizzeria Bianco) are closed on Mondays.

The locals do not seem used to tourists here (at least not right in the city), so I would not trust their advice. When I asked someone on the street where I could get a cab, he said I’d have to call one. However, I soon saw about ten drive by. When I called my hotel before the trip to ask what was around there, I was told that there were many attractions within walking distance (not so), including The Desert Botanical Garden. Ummm, that was actually a 15-minute, $20 cab ride away. One other example – when I asked a woman working at The Fry Bread House about the shopping on 7^th Avenue right next to the restaurant, she said I should definitely check it out. Too bad it was Monday and ALL of the shops were closed.