Best Local Act to Stave Off the Aging Process Carvin Jones.
Vegetables are everywhere, tofu shows up here and there, and brown rice with lentils (a fully balanced meal in itself) comes with almost every dish. Not to mention scads of diet-busting restaurants and fast-food joints serving up nutritional no-no's guaranteed to steer you off course.īut thanks to the good - and good-for-you - eats at the Green Leaf Cafe, you may finally make it to the finish line in fine fettle.Īn international food bazaar of body-beneficial provender, the cafe serves up healthful dishes accented by the cuisines of Persia, the Mediterranean, Italy, America and Mexico, as well as Cajun and the Orient. The road to health - like that to hell - is paved with good intentions. It's a tradition that Reata Pass continues today - but out-of-towners will have to take your word for it that the place was once surrounded by virgin desert, not acres of look-alike custom homes. No longer located out in the boondocks, the onetime desert hideaway helped introduce several generations of tourists to Arizona hospitality. The landmark's since been featured in a number of movies (including Bob Hope's Cancel My Reservation) and old-timers still talk about the special chair former owners had to construct for "Tom Ton," a 500-pound regular. Originally a stagecoach stop on the way to Fort McDowell and Prescott, it maintains portions of the old 1880s stage road. The 14-ounce New York steak hits the spot just fine, although ravenous urban cowboys might opt for Reata Pass' signature two-pound T-bone.įor Wild West buffs, Reata Pass' history is almost as delicious as its grub. In true saddle-tramp style, there's nothing fancy to speak of here, just an honest, mesquite-grilled slab of juicy, marbled-for-flavor beef. This funky cowpoke cantina has been slinging steaks since the 1950s, dished up chuck-wagon style with all the fixin's - tossed salad, baked potato, beans and squishy rolls.