Where to celebrate September food holidays in Flagstaff

Mmm mmm mmm. September is National Breakfast Month. Plus it includes an homage to bacon (with International Bacon Day falling on September 3rd), a whole week for waffles (the second week of the month), a month of celebrating biscuits plus another (September 26^th) and it wouldn’t be complete without a day dedicated to coffee, the breakfast beverage of choice (September 29^th). Flagstaff has so many good spots for celebrating breakfast (La Bellavia, Brandy’s, Martanne’s, Mike and Rhonda’s all pop to mind instantly). Here’s a look at more food holidays this month and where to celebrate them in Flagstaff…

September 5: Cheese Pizza Day

New Jersey Pizza Company (2224 East Cedar Ave.), despite the incredibly long wait that seems to come with ordering from them, has the most delectable cheese pizza with house-made, hand pulled mozzarella. I often ignore the wait because it is just so mouthwatering! For a different take on this classic – try Pizza Furiosa’s (2500 S Woodlands Village Blvd) cheese pizza which includes mozzarella, asiago and parmesean cheeses. Delish and different!

September 10: TV Dinner Day

Who says a TV dinner needs to be frozen and subpar? Not me! Make it much better with a delivery from Hot Wok Express. (1000 N Humphreys St -928-226-1007). The Chicken Lo Mein, Orange Chicken, Moo Goo Gai Pan and Broccoli Beef are can’t fail options. Order up and plop down on the couch with some college games on the tube – and you’re good to go!

September 13: National Peanut Day

Thai peanut sauce lovers go crazy… celebrate national peanut day with your favorite peanutty dish. My choice – Chicken Pad Thai level three with a side salad at lunch at Dara Thai  (14 S San Francisco) for just $6.95. Hard to beat all around!

September 15: National Linguine Day

Go for Cottage Place’s (126 W. Cottage) “Twilight Menu” for some ultimate linguini. They’re serving up a smoked salmon linguini and a beef stroganoff over linguini –on this special menu, served between 5pm and 6pm.

September 16: National Guacamole Day

Who says you have to go Mexican for delish guacamole. I love Oregano’s (605 W Riordan Rd) Guaca Tony. It’s an Italian take on this classic mushy green dish made with basil, roasted garlic and avocado. It’s served in a heaping mound on their pizza crust 'chips.' It’s a meal or an app and it’s G-O-O-D!

September 18: National Cheeseburger Day

No question I my mind – make the trip to Diablo Burger (120 N Leroux), the joint that made me a true lover of burgers. Order up a Marilyn (aka cheeseburger) with one of the many cheeses on hand – from Pepper Jack to Swiss.

September 28: Drink Beer Day

Only one day dedicated to beer (what a shame) and it’s on a Wednesday. But go on a pub crawl anyway (with a designated driver in tow, of course) from the Flagstaff Brewing Co. (16 E. Rte. 66) to Beaver Street Brewery (11 S Beaver St) and on over to The Lumberyard (5 S San Francisco). All make delish house-crafted brewskis to enjoy all day long.

Check out even more food holidays in September at TheNibble.com.

*This story was originally written for Flagstaff Live, also by me!*

Where to get the best Chinese food in Flagstaff

The Year of the Rabbit begins on Thursday, February 3. Celebrate Chinese New Year with foods considered to be lucky or that symbolize a prosperous new year, Chinese-style. Among the dishes to be on the look out for that are said to bring you luck:

Peking duck and chicken– Symbolizes family unity, togetherness and fidelity.
Noodles – Representing a long life, noodles should be eaten whole. So don’t cut those babies. Just slurp them in whole.
Spring rolls – These symbolize wealth. Why you ask – because their shape is similar to gold bars. At least that’s why they say.
Veggies and fruits – You should eat more of these anyway and they’re considered lucky. Particularly of interest for those seeking fortune – lettuce wraps, tangerines and oranges. Eat up.

Now that you know what you should consider ordering for extra good fortune, here’s a look at some of the places to go in northern Arizona for some of the best Chinese food around.

Golden Dragon
2730 East Lakin Dr (at Steves Blvd), Flagstaff
928-527-0111
Flagstaff’s most upscale Chinese option, the Golden Dragon has recently been remodeled and revamped with a new owner (who used to own Hot Wok Express) and slightly new name. (It was Golden Dragon Bowl). Golden Dragon is a great place to get those lucky noodles! They have two delicious menus. One with classic American Chinese favorites. The other, which they call their “authentic Chinese Cuisine” menu, has more unique offerings. Among the dishes to try here: Hot Chili Oil beef, chicken or pork; beef Chow Fun; Steamed Veggie Dumplings; Szechuan Shrimp; Singapore Curry Noodles; and the House Special Pan-Fried Noodles. But then everything sweet and sour here is sure to please the taste buds too.

Hunan West
1302 Plaza Way, Flagstaff
928-779-2229
A little family-run joint tucked between Planned Parenthood and a dollar store, Hunan West has a friendly staff and some of the best Chinese food in town. The Orange Peel Chicken (which gets in several lucky categories at once) is delicately fried and served in just the right amount of orange sauce. Nothing you’ll find anywhere else in town is quite like this one. Other things to try: Chun Pai Beef, Cashew Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Spicy Broccoli and War Won Ton Soup.

Hot Wok Express
1000 N Humphreys St, Flagstaff (at the far west end of the shopping center)
928-226-1007
A fast food version of Chinese, Hot Wok serves up a quality product even though their eat-in ambience leaves something to be desired. But don’t let that stop you. The food is made fresh and quite tasty. Though the fried stuff can tend to be more greasy than desired there. The Chicken Lo Mein, Moo Goo Gai Pan and Broccoli Beef are can’t fail options. For ultimate convenience, call ahead and swing by the drive up window. Perfect for snowy days! Even if you don’t have a menu in front of you, the folks here will help you find what you want.

Szechuan Chinese Restaurant
1350 W Highway 89A, Ste 21, Sedona
Menu online: szechuansedona.net
Head down to Sedona’s Szechuan if you’re looking for the fancier side of Chinese dining in Northern Arizona. Szechuan is an ornate restaurant with a full menu for every desire. Everything on the menu is well prepared and full of flavor with a presentation and service of equal quality. I particularly recommend the Garlic Green Beans, Orange Chicken, Chicken with Broccoli and Yuan-Yang Flavors.



(This article first ran in Flagstaff Live, also written by me!)

Where to find good lunch specials in Flagstaff

Flagstaff lunch specials
By Angele Sionna

Back to school time is here. Time for meeting and greeting new classmates and colleagues… or getting to know the ones you have even better. A perfect way to do so is a nice lunch out on the town. So here's a few places with good grub and lunch specials to maximize your hard earned cash and enjoy friends and food.

El Charro
409 S San Francisco St
About as close to campus as you can get (about 2 short blocks north of the Wall Aquatic Center) is this little family run Mexican dive. It has been a part of Flag for decades. For $7.50 here you get a soda or iced tea, 2 choices of items from the a la carte menu (like a cheese enchilada and a guac tostada - my favs), rice, beans, and a sopapilla or tortilla. The service here is always friendly and attentive to boot.

Fratelli Pizza
119 West Phoenix
A great spot to relax and enjoy a friend or two or five is Fratelli. Fratelli's atmosphere prompts conversation and the staff always has a smile. The lunch special here is hard to beat and served up quick. For six bucks you get a soda, a slice and a side salad or a soda and two slices (I like to get a pesto slice and salad with ranch). You can upgrade to a beer instead of a soda for $1.65 more – tax included!

Hot Wok Express
1000 N Humphreys St (at the far west end of the shopping center)
For about $6, Hot Wok Express- just north of downtown and just south of the hospital- has a lunch special to satisfy and it’s even better if you’re in a hurry. You can call ahead and pick it up at their drive thru window. A total bonus! My favs here are the Moo Goo Gui Pan, Orange Chicken, and Chicken Lo Mein. Along with the entrée you also get soup, fried or steamed rice, an egg roll and crab puffs included in that lunch special price.

Swaddee Thai
115 E. Aspen Ave.
A little bit of paradise tucked inside an unassuming building downtown is how Swaddee Thai feels when you walk in. The lunch specials here are about $8 and include a salad, egg roll, steamed rice (except noodle dishes) and your choice of a chicken, beef, pork, or tofu entrée. Those include red, green, or yellow curry, pad thai and others. And you pick your level of spiciness to suit your palate. Go to swaddeethai.com to check out all the options.

Sakura
1175 West Route 66 (inside the Radisson Woodlands Hotel)
When you think lunch specials you may not think of Sakura, a place known more for date night or a special celebration, but their teppanyaki lunch specials are quite a good deal, considering. For $9 to $12 bucks for the single item entrees you get a mini-feast – consisting of your meat or noodle selection (I rec opting for the grilled hibachi chicken or steak), soup, steamed rice and hibachi veggies plus a little fire show and get to watch the chef make lunch right in front of you... And boy is it yummy! Now don't go there looking for a quick bite, as I’ve found it takes at least an hour - depending on the crowd and number of chefs working that day. You can check out their full lunch menu at sakuraflagstaffsushi.com.

Hot Wok Express

By Angele Sionna

1000 N. Humphreys St. #243
Fort Valley Shopping Center, Flagstaff
(no menu online)

The Food (taste/flavor/quality of food & drinks)
>> = mixed bag, can be good but can be bad, can’t count on it

The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
x= if the food's good enough, still worth going, otherwise forget it

Price (what to generally expect to pay per person per entree)
$= under $10

Value (what you get for your money)
Lunch *** = fair -you get what you pay for, not in a bad way
Dinner ** = okay - overpriced for quality/taste

Flagstaff is known for its beautiful mountains, gorgeous hikes, and wonderful weather; not it’s Chinese food. There’s a reason for that. Ask any local and they’ll tell you, Flag is not the place to find great, or even consistently good, Chinese. If you surveyed ten Flag residents about where they go for Chinese, their answers would most likely differ. In fact, I’ve had long discussions at dinner parties on this very topic. The one thing we all agreed on, Flagstaff could use a standout Chinese restaurant.

But as things go, sometimes you just want Chinese food. Kung Fu Panda put my family in the mood for it this weekend. Those noodle bowls Poe the panda makes were calling our name. So we headed to Hot Wok Express. This little restaurant is tucked away in the far left corner of the Fort Valley Shopping Center. It’s kind of hard to find if you aren’t looking carefully. Hot Wok is popular with people who work at or visit the hospital, which is right around the corner.

There’s nothing fancy about Hot Wok Express. The tables, chairs, and booths are all made of plastic. The interior looks a lot like most fast food spots, except for the oversized Chinese fans scattered around the walls. The fluorescent lighting doesn’t help the atmosphere either. It feels sterile and generic. This isn’t the type of place you’d go for a romantic or nice dinner. In fact, I would skip the sit down meal here all together. Instead use the drive-thru window. It’s particularly a good idea if you want to grab food on the go with the kids in the car without the hassle of unloading them. Another good option, Hot Wok delivers in a limited area for an extra charge.

We arrived hungry and craving Chinese food at 2:30pm. At most restaurants that would mean we would’ve been out of luck for getting in on lunch specials, but not at Hot Wok. They have lunch specials seven days a week from 11am to 4pm. For about five bucks, the specials are a bargain. In addition to a wide array of entrees, you also get an egg roll, crab puff, cup of soup, and steamed or fried rice. You can sub lo mein for the rice for an extra $1.50. Hot Wok is essentially a fast food joint; except here food is made when you order it and you get more variety.

On this visit we got Chicken Lo Mein with steamed rice, Kung Pao Beef with fried rice, and Orange Chicken with fried rice to split between three adults and one child. Plenty of food to go around. None of us got the soup because we don’t like hot and sour soup or egg drop soup, which were the choices today.

The Chicken Lo Mein has a distinct soy sauce and garlic flavor but is not spicy. The noodles aren’t as plump as I’ve had at other Chinese restaurants. Veggies aren’t plentiful in this dish, neither is the chicken. The Kung Pao Beef has water chestnuts, peanuts, and a sweet and spicy brown sauce. This dish has a ginger bite with lots of beef and water chestnuts. The Orange Chicken is fried with a crispy outside and chewy inside. It is surprisingly spicy. You take a bite and first notice the sweet and by the time you’re done chewing –bam- you’re hit with the spice.

As for the sides, the white rice isn’t moist and sticky like I’ve come to expect at a Chinese restaurant, which is a shame. I really enjoy sticky rice, as does my daughter. The fried rice was also dry and didn’t have much flavor. In fact, it hardly resembles fried rice at all except for the egg bits. But on the upside, their egg rolls are yummy, not too greasy, and filled with cabbage and carrots, no pork.

All in all, the three dishes and sides we had were average. On other visits to Hot Wok I’ve had better. I recommend ordering Moo Goo Gai Pan, Broccoli Chicken, or Cashew Chicken, all I have enjoyed more than today’s choices. While Hot Wok is nowhere near the best Chinese I’ve had, compared to other Chinese in town, Hot Wok gets my vote because it is quick and cheap.