I grew up in Phoenix and consider it my hometown. Technically, I lived in Tempe, AZ, but most people don't know the specific cities even though it is the home of Arizona State University. March is an excellent time to visit the desert for baseball Spring Training, but this year my Giants decided to open the regular season against the Arizona Diamondbacks. It was also an excellent opportunity to see some friends and their newest babies!
OK, so I like the food too. Literally, my first stop after a 12 hour drive to Phoenix was the Fry Bread House. This is one of the very few places that nails a true Native American fry bread. Warm, light, chewy, and stuffed with red chile beef. The thing was making my eyes water, but loving every minute. Most people enjoy their fry bread sweet - which is an equally excellent experience! - but I do love a good savory fry bread stuffed with southwestern goodness.
My apartment for the week was near North Mountain in Phoenix. I grew up near South Mountain. Those city founders were pretty clever. It should be noted that Phoenix has many mountains and is not nearly as flat as most people imagine. A hike up the mountain was a perfect way to start the week, even if the sun was still hiding out of sight. Nevertheless, the sights were impressive as the desert spring was in full bloom.
These ribs are from Bobby Q in Phoenix. This is a legit BBQ joint with some seriously smoky meat. They serve brisket egg rolls, fall apart cornbread, and super cheesy mac and cheese. The baby back ribs were just amazing. Sweet, smoky goodness falling apart with all the fight long cooked away. I recommend this to all my Arizona followers and anyone who makes the journey. Very respectable and comparable to some of my other famous joints. After lunch was the Phoenix Art Museum which had a Hollywood Costume exhibit which was impressive, but no photos.
After a day with friends and some wine tasting, it was finally time for some real hockey. Yes, I am one of the rare San Francisco Giants / Phoenix Coyotes fans. All 6 of us have regular support group meetings and are doing OK. It was fun, but I got sick. Really sick. Norovirus sick.
It is not fun to get sick during your vacation.
After nearly two days of attempted rest and no desire for any food, I did will myself to the Giants game. I am glad I got to spend some time with a good friend and see my Giants play in stellar form. They even brought in Buster Posey from the bench just for me! And hit some home runs just to make me feel better! Anyway, not bad for $40 tickets though; those seats would have run at least $120 in SF. Plus $12 for valet parking at the side entrance! Who needs an 18 inch $25 mega corn dog anyway?
Please enjoy the limited number of additional pictures, and also make sure to wash your hands!
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