Written by Gail G. Collins
It’s no secret anymore. Flagstaff’s culinary scene is now the envy of much of Arizona. For a mountain town that still does not top 100,000 people, this place has dozens of independent restaurants achieving a high level of dining in their respective categories. After a few years of basking in the recent lineup of hotspots, we thought we would pause to reflect on a handful of signature dishes by our new dining places and expanded or reinvented eateries with a look across the foodie spectrum.
Craving Crepes at Streetside Saigon
In a nod to the French, the classic banh xeo, a crepe, is revamped with shrimp and shitake, that’s a hit at Streetside Saigon. The rice flour crisp is vivid with turmeric, filled with bean sprouts plus chive and served with a field of lettuce and traditional herbs. Tear off some crepe, tuck it into a lettuce leaf with mint and cilantro, roll it and soak up the lively dip—light, crunchy, healthy and flavorful. Not up for the crepe? Try the banh mi, a Vietnamese sandwich, which boasts French influence in multiple ways. Streetside slathers their softer-than-baguette bun with pate and hose mayo, piles on tender pork meatballs and a layer of livered carrot, daikon and cucumber for a tongue-teasing combination of tastes and textures. streetsidesaigon.com
March/April 2016
As children, many of us toted a lunch box that held the vital means for lasting an entire school day: the sandwich. Mom understood our favorites and how the right ratio of mayo to mustard mattered. Later, in midnight raids of the fridge, we mastered the exotic use of leftovers, and on the day after Thanksgiving, we constructed the best sandwich of the year. Slow-roasted meat and gourmet relish buttressed by homemade bread embodies the art of the sandwich.
In a complicated, crowded world, it is easy to see why KISS—or Keep It Simple Sweetheart—is an ascending principle and a darn good way to start off the New Year. After seasonal trimmings, January offers the opportunity to strip away the unnecessary. Many people de-clutter or simplify aspects of their lives. Whether it is cleaning out closets or losing weight, the idea of getting back to basics or KISS, is attractive indeed.
Growing up, one of my fondest holiday memories is storming through our front door after school, ripping off snowy clothes and pounding up the stairs to help my mother bake cookies. She was serene in her element, rolling out spicy creations, like zimtsterne or cinnamon stars, reminiscent of her native Black Forest home. Rounds of baking produced myriad treats, which Mom plattered, festooned with ribbons and presented as gifts. 
Latin American cuisine—it transcends national borders, yet finds its personality regionally. From South American countries like Argentina, Peru and Chile, north to Mexico, plus the Caribbean countries of Cuba and Puerto Rico, Latin food is more about cooking style and native crops than nationalities. Climate, altitude and history shaped the recipes. This means dishes evolve as one travels from the seashore to inland areas and the mountains. Maize, peppers, beans, ancient grains and Spanish-influenced rice mix with beef, chicken and pork as well as seafood in coastal locales.
Regulars who travel Interstate 40 through Williams might have noticed that the highway sign for the decades-long mainstay of Denny’s on the west side of town is no longer there. As it turns out, the chain eatery had transformed into Kicks on Route 66, with such an abundance of fresh, inviting fare as to make it a dining destination. That is the secret ingredient independent restaurants can offer—choice. Often, local sourcing, scratch cooking or seasonal menus can offer customers an adventurous culinary reason to return. 
In the streets of Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City, one can eat a nourishing meal from a cart at any time of the day or night. And often the meal on offer remains consistent despite the hour. Vietnamese food is full of garden goodies, meat or seafood, bone broth and rice in one form or another. It’s not complex, but the joy is in its simple, recognizable, and raw components. Pho, a noodle soup with unlimited add-ins, and banh mi, a tender, tasty sandwich, are the trendier trademarks, yet there is larger menu to explore among this healthy cuisine. 
