November national food holidays & where to celebrate in Flagstaff

November is *the* month when it comes to national food holidays – as it has the biggest of them all: Thanksgiving, a day dedicated to sharing delectable foods like oven roasted turkey, homemade cranberry sauce, stuffing and pumpkin pie. What’s not to love. There are several other food holidays this month too that you can eat your way merrily through. Here’s a list of a few of them and where to celebrate in Flagstaff…
 

Nov. 6: National Nachos Day – Go deluxe on your nachos today and eat the fire roasted jalapeno and bacon nachos at Criollo (16 N. San Francisco). These bad boys have cherry wood smoked bacon, asadero and jack cheese, roasted jalapeños, black beans, and house-made salsa. 

Nov. 11: National Sundae Day – While I think Sundae Day should always be on a Sunday, it’s not. That’s okay, try Flagstaff’s new sweet spot that lets you create your own sundaes with anything you want: YogurtU (1061 S. Plaza Way – behind Panda Express). This place lets you serve yourself to however much frozen yogurt you want (try the cake batter flavor) and top it with a salad bar of ingredients from sprinkles to gummy bears and everything in between. Genius!

Nov. 14: National Pickle Day – Celebrate right with a fried pickle from none other than Café Pickles (7 N. San Francisco). Order ‘em as an app for a different but delish dish that will satisfy the taste buds.

Nov. 16: National Fast Food Day – No need to go to a national chain, pop on in to the locally owned and operated Louie’s Chicken Shack (2116 E Route 66 and the new location on Milton). These guys do a nice job on their chicken strips. They’re fresh and well-seasoned. They just opened up their second location in October, about a year and a half after opening their first location, so they must be doing something right!

Nov. 17: National Baklava Day – Eat this Mediterranean dessert made with phyllo dough, nuts, butter, sugar and a sweet syrup at Greek Islands (109 E. Phoenix Ave.). This hole in the wall serves up a nice sticky layered dessert that makes the perfect ending to your meal here.

Nov. 21: Gingerbread Day – Have none other than a gingerbread man for a treat today. Bookman’s Café (1520 S. Riordan Ranch St.) sells soft, chewy and oh so sweet gingerbread men that will delight your inner child spirit and your taste buds.

Nov. 24: Thanksgiving – If you’re looking to give mom and break and go out to eat, The Cottage Place (126 W. Cottage Ave.) does a fabulous upscale Turkey Day five course feast. Do make reservations early, as they do book up quickly. Call 928-774-8431 to reserve.

Nov. 28: National French Toast Day - Being this falls on a Monday, celebrate a day early with Sunday brunch at Josephine’s  (503 N. Humphreys St.). Order the brioche french toast topped with bananas flamed in rum brown sugar sauce topped with pecans.

(This article was originally written by Angele for Flagstaff Live!)

Where to celebrate March Food Holidays in Flagstaff

Here we are to March, as we take our trip through the year looking at national food holidays and where to celebrate them in Flagstaff. Be sure to look out for Chocolate Chip Cookie Week is the second week of the month! Every single day in March actually has some sort of food holiday, so here are just the highlights and where to hit up in town to feast those days...

March 6
National Frozen Food Day is on the calendar, so just heat up lunch in ye ol microwave… or take a different take and go for drinking something tasty and frozen like a frozen margarita at Salsa Brava (2220 East Rte. 66) or one of the delish milkshakes at Diablo Burger (120 N Leroux, on the square), as they both have something frozen in them worthy of your tasting.

March 14
It’s “Pi Day” in math geek circles (as “pi” is 3.141414) so celebrate in solidarity and eat some homemade pie goodness at Miz Zips (2924 E Route 66 ) or the Galaxy Diner (931 W Route 66). Really any reason to celebrate pie is a good one and these two spots make ones worthy of merrymaking.

March 17
Today is Corned Beef And Cabbage Day – of course, as it is St Patrick’s Day! Head to Collin’s Irish Pub (2 N. Leroux St.) downtown. They serve this classic Irish dish up every day slow cooked just how it should be. Down a pint (or two) of Guinness just to be in the spirit of the day while you’re there too.

March 18
Warm your tummy with sweet baked goodness on Oatmeal Cookie Day. Try out the ones at Macy’s Coffee House (14 S. Beaver St.). They don’t do oatmeal everyday, but when they do – mmmmm. You can, however, special order them to celebrate your love of Oatmeal Cookie Day or any other day for that matter.

March 19
Poultry Day should take you to Cottage Place (126 West Cottage Ave.) to dine on the finest birds in town. Opt for their Chinatown duck roasted in an Asian Marinade and served with a plum sauce or try the artichoke chicken for a fancy grilled take on a chicken breast entree.

March 21
National French Bread Day, so you know where to go – The Village Baker (1237 S Plaza Way), home to every type of wonderfully scrumptious bread you can think of made by hand in town.

March 23
It’s National Chip and Dip Day so head for some pita chips and hummus dip at Pita Jungle (320 S Regent St.). They have traditional hummus (made with chickpea puree, tahini sauce, fresh garlic and lemon juice), a roasted bell pepper hummus plus a cilantro jalepeno hummus that adds some extra zing.

March 28
For celebrating Something On A Stick Day, take a trip to the Greek Islands (109 East Phoenix Ave.) and welcome the traditionally delightful flavors of beef or chicken souvlaki (that’s beef or chicken on a skewer stick, if you’re not familiar).

March 31
The month ends on Tater Day. So for some of them good ol’ fried up taters, mosey on over to Satchmo’s (2320 North 4th St.) for tater tots with their secret seasonings and/or Bigfoot BBQ’s (120 N. Leroux in the Old Town Shops basement) tater salad for a lip smacking tater tribute.

Every single day of March has a food celebration. You can check out every single one of them at TheNibble.com, should you desire to do so, then think of your fav spots in town to celebrate them.

(This article was written by me originally for Flagstaff Live!)

Greek Islands restaurant in Flagstaff

Greek Islands
109 E Phoenix Ave
This homey hole in the wall with a teeny tiny patio (but hey, at least they have one) seats maybe thirty people tops but is a great escape from traditional Flagstaff. You'll find the owners working here, serving up all sorts of authentic Greek specialties. The chicken chunks are boldly marinated in a lemon herb blend that brings a mouthful of flavor in each bite. The gyros are overstuffed and the thing to get if you can’t decide. Get something, anything (like the calamari) with the housemade marinara sauce. It is fantastic - unique and surprisingly different - a flavor that hints to anise, fennel or something similar that will bring you back bite after bite. Other things to try at Greek Islands: moussaka (which is basically an eggplant and lamb casserole), spinach pie and beef or chicken souvlaki. Note, Greek Islands is cash only, but not to fear there's an ATM right inside. They’ve got their full menu on Facebook

Greek food in Flagstaff, Arizona

Greeks have a special word to describe their feelings about the importance of sharing the dining experience by eating out with others: paraia. It basically means good food, good times or as famed British writer Lawrence Durrell put it, paraia is “a transcendence of the dinner table to include conversation, the view, ambiance and the overall spirit of place.” Flagstaff’s Greek restaurants go about capturing paraia in different ways, all with some good food and a little “Opa! Opa!” for your taste buds!
Taverna Greek Grill
2420 South Woodlands Village Boulevard

Taverna's Chicken Pita

A Gorgeous lodge like setting with big wooden timbers, Taverna feels like you're eating in a fine dining establishment (that’s laid back and casual). And fine it is, with the largest variety of Greek food in town. The menu features classic Greek foods like gyros, pitas and other authentically flavored fare, some with a modern interpretation. The ingredients are all fresh. The feta is creamy and generously served, as are the other pita ingredients from gyro meat to, thick sliced chicken breast. The sauces are light and flavorful and add the perfect touch. They also have a kid-sized gyro on the kids’ menu, which is an added bonus for families! Besides the pitas, check out the Keftedes (Greek meatballs wrapped in lettuce topped with tzatziki sauce), Loukaniko (grilled sausages and peppers), Spanakopita (a pastry filled with spinach, feta, egg and herbs), Souvlaki (skewers of beef, lamb, pork, shrimp or chicken), and so much more. Desserts include baklava, phyllo pastry layers filled with nuts and drenched in honey syrup, and loukoumades, which are a scrumptious Greek version of fancy donut holes. Check out a full menu at tavernagreekgrill.com.

Greek Islands
109 E Phoenix Ave
This homey hole in the wall with a teeny tiny patio (but hey, at least they have one) seats maybe thirty people tops but is a great escape from traditional Flagstaff. You'll find the owners working here, serving up all sorts of authentic Greek specialties. The chicken chunks are boldly marinated in a lemon herb blend that brings a mouthful of flavor in each bite. The gyros are overstuffed and the thing to get if you can’t decide. Get something, anything (like the calamari) with the housemade marinara sauce. It is fantastic - unique and surprisingly different - a flavor that hints to anise, fennel or something similar that will bring you back bite after bite. Other things to try at Greek Islands: moussaka (which is basically an eggplant and lamb casserole), spinach pie and beef or chicken souvlaki. Note, Greek Islands is cash only, but not to fear there's an ATM right inside. They’ve got their full menu on Facebook

Pita Jungle
320 S Regent St
Mediterranean influences bringing together Greek, Armenian, Middle Eastern flavors with an American flare at Pita Jungle. Sure they've got your gyro and falafel pitas but they also have options you wont find other places in town like my favorite Mediterranean Roasted Chicken (Shawarma) pita with grilled marinated chicken breast, mixed greens, tomatoes, onions, pickles, garlic sauce and tahini. Or try the Hummus & Taboule (Middle Eastern wheat salad) plate or the Lentil Fetoosh Salad (a mix of lentil and rice cooked with caramelized onions, over mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, pita chips topped with a lemon vinaigrette dressing. Do add a side of those garlic new potatoes too! On the unique Greek fusion pizza front, pita jungle has pita and lavosh pizzas that bring a unique taste in their crust and toppings that include feta cheese. Try the Glazed-Chicken Lavosh Pizza with crispy wood-fired lavosh bread topped with honey-mustard glazed chicken, wood-fired onions, cheddar, feta, mozzarella and herbs. For dessert go for the baklava or rice pudding (aka Rizogalo). Check out a full menu at pitajungle.com.

Mountain Oasis
11 E Aspen Ave
The vegetarian and more mecca that is Mountain Oasis spreads its international reach of flavors to Greece. Home to many a popular Greek dish from gyros to falafel, Mountain Oasis also serves up dolmas, stuffed grape leaves with a homemade lemon tahini dressing, and a favorite Greek salad with feta, kalamata olives, Greek dressing and gyro meat. Mountain Oasis also makes their own hummus. You can get it as an app with pita bread, garnished with sprouts, cucumbers, kalamata olive and tomatoes or get it on a wrap with avocados, cucumbers, carrots, black olives and lettuce. Check out their full menu of Greek and other international delights at themenuplease.com/mountainoasis.