Where to celebrate June food holidays in Flagstaff, AZ

June is the time for fun in the sun… and apparently a sweet tooth. This month is filled with celebrations of sugary tweets from National Candy Month to 25 days of the month that celebrate everything from hazelnut cake and rocky road ice cream to gingerbread and peanut butter cookies. And yet, there’s still room for other food celebrations. Here’s a look at a few of the 45 food holidays celebrated in June and where to sing their praises in Flagstaff…

June 3: National Egg Day

National Egg Day calls for a trip to La Bellavia (18 S. Beaver). This breakfast joint serves up egg-cellent trout and eggs, steak and eggs, egg burritos, eggs benedict, omelets, chorizo scramble, quiche, fiesta eggs, Italian eggs, vegetable garden eggs and Eggs Bellavia.

June 4: National Cheese Day

New Jersey Pizza (2224 E Cedar Ave) is the place to head for National Cheese Day. They make their very own fresh pulled mozzarella, which you can buy at their eatery or at the Flagstaff Farmer’s Market on Sundays (which starts soon). It also tastes heavenly melted on their ever so delish pizzas.

June 5: National Gingerbread Day

Celebrate this day of sweet delight with dessert at Beaver Street Brewery (11 S Beaver). Their Apple Ginger Stout Cake is made with apples, spices and their R&R Oatmeal Stout and comes topped with caramel sauce and whipped cream. It is a creative twist on traditional gingerbread and one of THE very best desserts made in Flagstaff.

June 10: National Black Cow (aka root beer float) Day

For all things diner-ific, including Black Cows, the Galaxy Diner (931 W Route 66) is a must stop. This retro diner takes you back in time with their ice cream sodas, malts and milkshakes.

June 17: Eat All Your Veggies Day

You won’t have any trouble celebrating this day of good for you goodness at the 1899 Grill (307 W. Dupont Ave, across from the High Country Conference Center and Drury Inn and Suites). Start your dinner off with a bowl of the pepper and gouda soup followed by the spaghetti squash that’s sautéed in olive oil and garlic and tossed with fresh pomodoro sauce and basil.

June 18: International Picnic Day

Grab hot dogs - go for the Chicago-style Easy Dog classic- from Primo’s (113 S San Francisco), burgers from Mama Burger (12 E. Route 66) or sandwiches –try The New Yorker or The Paisan- from Stage Left Sub Shop (on Beaver St between Aspen and Route 66) and head up to the Snowbowl for the perfect summer picnic spot.

June 22: National Onion Rings Day

Drive a few miles south of town for some of the best onion rings you’ve ever had the pleasure of devouring at Mountainaire Tavern (110 Mountainaire Rd). This dive does it right with homemade beer battered rings. You can also get beer battered fried mushrooms, zucchini, cauliflower or broccoli. All served with ranch. Now you can tell mom you're eating your veggies every day! (So maybe come here on June 17^th too!)

For a full list of the 45 June food holidays, go to TheNibble.com. 

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

Where to find good burgers in Flagstaff

A hamburger by definition is a patty of meat sandwiched between two halves of a bun usually with some toppings. But as every burger gourmand knows, this ever popular American classic (that came to us from German immigrants and their love of Hamburg Steak) is really much more complex than it sounds. The quality of the meat, how it’s seasoned and cooked, along with the types of bread and toppings used makes all the difference (and it never hurts to serve it up with a side of good of fries). Here’s a look at the burger hot spots of Flagstaff…

Tinderbox
34 S San Francisco
Talk about your gourmet burger, this is the place on Fridays when Tinderbox serves up their burger blueplate lunch special. The Big Time Cheeseburger is made from ground sirloin and striploin steak dressed with their house "secret sauce," TBox Signature Steak Sauce, cheese and chopped greens. If you ever see the “Rancher’s Burger” (photo above) come back to the specials of the day menu – get it! That one has lamb, venison and Kobe beef ground up together in an extra juicy melt in your mouth special. When part of the blue plate lunch special, the burgers come with a drink, a side salad and potato salad plus awesome fresh, hot donut holes for dessert, all for $10. Quite a deal!


Diablo Burger
120 N. Leroux St
Diablo Burger has ten different burger options on the menu plus an infinite number of combos you can make up to order. All of their burgers are medium-rare char-broiled out of open range-raised, antibiotic-free and growth- hormone free beef from the Diablo Trust ranches of Arizona. They’re served up on a unique DB branded buns (aka a toasted english muffins). Topping options all have fun names like the Wrigley Field with homemade sauerkraut, bacon, swiss cheese and a spicy honey mustard or The Cheech with their house made Holy Guacamole, pepper jack cheese, and jalapenos. Added bonus: the burgers here come served with a side of some of the best fries in town.


Beaver Street Brewery
11 S Beaver St
Beaver Street is known for their beer and burgers. Of special note – the Beaver Street Burger. This bad boy is a half pound of ground angus beef with garlic, fresh basil and sun dried tomatoes mixed in then grilled up and topped with havarti cheese and basil pesto mayo plus lettuce, tomato and red onions all served on a nice fresh bun. My husband has a hard time not ordering this baby every time we go. No kidding. I think maybe once or twice has he departed from this favorite. Worth a try even if you’re dedicated to another standard on their menu.

Josephine’s
503 N Humphreys St
Josephine’s has good food, always with a flare of some sort. Their burgers are no exception. They use freshly ground 80/20 chuck, then you can dress it a variety of ways. The one to try here that is among the best in town: The Flagstaff Burger with roasted poblano peppers, red bell peppers, caramelized onions, smoked gouda cheese, applewood smoked bacon and ancho mayo on a toasted Kaiser roll. Josephine’s owner Chef Tony says his fav is the Tillamook Cheddar with a yellow mustard mayonnaise sauce, shredded iceburg, sharp cheddar cheese and caramelized onions.


Criollo
16 N San Francisco
At lunchtime, Criollo features an Arizona-raised criollo beef burger topped with pickled red onion, watercress and their secret zinger chipotle aioli sauce that makes it mmm mmm good. It’s really the only non-Latin inspired thing on their menu but it’s worth veering out of their norm and sinking your teeth into. The Criollo Burger comes with a side of fries. It goes nicely with one of their tasty margaritas too.

Mama Burger
12 E. Route 66
Mama's burgers are simple but quite tasty. They have an old fashioned flare with downhome goodness reminiscent of what I imagine burgers from the glory days of Route 66 (on which they reside) must have been like. The toppings aren't deluxe by any means (though the house made thousand island dressing is a nice touch) but they get the job done. Mama Burger is easy on the wallet too. You can get a single (with no cheese) for just $3.

Bun Huggers
901 S. Milton Rd
A Flagstaff classic, Bun Huggers has been serving charbroiled burgers (aka “hugs”) cooked up on their big mesquite charcoal fired grill for years upon years. Order up a little (about ¼ pound), regular (1/3 pound) or big (1/2 pound) hug or seven different styles of hugs from a Hula Hug (a burger topped with ham, swiss cheese and pineapple) to a Philly Hug (a burger topped with grilled bell peppers, onions, garlic and swiss cheese). Then add what you like at their topping bar.


It’s About Coffee: The Factory Restaurant and Coffee House
2620 N Steves Blvd.
It’s not really all about the coffee at this small eastside joint. They might just surprise you with their popular burgers for lunch or dinner. They have two types: a 1/3 pound American Kobe Beef Burger or a ½ pound Balsamic Infused Angus Cheeseburger. Both have their charms. Whichever you decide, get the combo with the hand-cut red potato fries to make it a feast.

Ode to the french fries of Flagstaff

Oh the glory to the mouth when you take a bite of a good french fry. Crispy exterior with the perfect amount of salt, seasoning and slight oiliness. Then your teeth enter the smooshy, light fluffiness that is the potato’s core. That’s a hard to beat sensation.
Fries have been pleasing American taste buds since the 1800s, though they didn’t take off until after World War I. (The horror that we waited so long to appreciate this beloved side.)
There are plenty of spots in northern Arizona to find fantastic frittes. Here’s a look…


Diablo Burger
120 N. Leroux St (Downtown off the main square with alley entrance behind Pesto Brothers)
At the DB they’re committed to quality and the fries are no exception. The “Frites,” as they call them here, are double cooked in peanut oil Belgium-style and tossed with fresh rosemary. They smell as delightful as they taste! A true piece of poetry for the watering mouths of hungry fry appreciators. These fries also come with a special homemade dipping sauces. I like the ranch. Other choices include Hatch Chile Mayo, spicy honey mustard and pesto.

Oregano’s Pizza Bistro
605 W Riordan Rd
I often get a basket of Oreganos waffle-cut fries as an appetizer because they are irresistible. They’re lightly salted plus seasoned and crispy without being overly cooked. These bad boys are light and fluffy deep-fried goodness.

Bigfoot BBQ
120 N. Leroux St
Bigfoot has some of the best sides in town hands down. Their garlic romano fries are tasty without being overpowering. So you can easily munch and still give your sweetie a big old smooch after lunch. These fries in particular compliment Bigfoot’s tangy barbecue sauce. As good as those are, the sweet taters are my fav here. They are cooked up with a crispy, lightly salted outside and warm sweet soft inside.

Ski Lift Lodge Restaurant
6355 N Highway 180 (at the base of Snowbowl Road)
The Ski Lift Lodge Restaurant may be more known for its fab chicken wings and relaxing patio, but the fries are a must order. They’re airy on the inside and crunchy on the outside with a touch of salt. I like to order these with wings and dip them in the wing sauce and ranch dressing.

Mama Burger
112 E. Route 66
Mama’s fries are made fresh throughout the day. These old fashioned goodies are thin and cooked just right. Nothing fancy but quality. You can jazz them up by ordering cajun-style (at no extra cost).

Sidebar: Mexi Fries
Stop the presses – a not to be missed spot for some fry goodness is Sedona’s Javelina Cantina. Yes. That’s right. Normally just on the menu to please picky kids, the fries at this Mexican joint rock.
Speaking of a taco and fry combination. Check out the California tacos and burritos at Flagstaff’s Tacos Locos. This taco has fries inside it, along with carne asada, guacamole, and lettuce.



(This article was originally written by me for Flagstaff Live in May 2010)

Mama Burger

Mama Burger

By Angele Sionna

• 112 E. Route 66 (in the former downtown Fratelli's location, next to AZ Music Pro)


• (no website, but you can find their full menu at the bottom of this review!)


• Note: Mama Burger has limited hours, only open Monday thru Saturday from 10:30 am - 2:30 pm.

The Food (taste/flavor/quality of food & drinks)
>>>>= a favorite, can count on it being good every time

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)
***** = superb -lots of quality/taste for what you pay

If you're looking for a good burger at a decent price, then you're going to want to try the new Mama Burger downtown Flagstaff. This is literally a hole in the wall with only a few stools at a bar shoved up against a little window. (So I opted to eat my feast in my car.)

Mama's has a basic menu: burgers and fries (plus soft serve ice cream and shakes). If this isn't what you're looking for, then at least you don't need to ponder whether or not to go. If you *are* in the burger mood, it's perfect and probably the best priced local combo you're going to find in downtown Flagstaff. You can get a double cheeseburger with all the fixings, fries and a fountain drink soda (with free refills) for just $7.95. That beats Beaver Street's $10+ burgers with fries but no soda, but then there's really no service or atmosphere so to speak at Mama Burger. And if you're just looking for a burger, you can get the Mama Burger (with no cheese) for just $3. That's a bargain (and probably as close to In-N-Out Burger as you're going to find in town).

Mama's burgers are simple but quite tasty. They kind of have an old fashioned flare. The toppings aren't deluxe by any means (they use plain old iceberg lettuce, for example) but they get the job done. We really enjoyed our meal and left feeling satisfied.

The fries are handcut and thin and quite good as well. Again, nothing fancy but quality. You can jazz them up by ordering cajun-style (at no extra cost). But I liked the plain ones more, quite frankly. I wouldn't order a side of fries by themselves though, as they're quite pricey for the little bag you get at $3. (I think french fry prices in Flagstaff need a reality check for sure. And not just at Mama Burger.)

The shakes are good though priced on the high side at $3.75. I ordered their strawberry. It's made with soft-serve ice cream and fresh strawberries and topped with whip cream. But I would skip their plain soft serve ice cream cone at a ridiculous $3.

The folks work hard and fast and are friendly at Mama's- but do check your order. My burger came without onions, though I ordered it "mama's way" with all the fixings they have, and we were missing one of our fries, which they quickly corrected, of course, but still. I like to trust that I'm getting what I ordered without having to check. They were super-packed when I stopped by this week for lunch though, so I'm going to cut them a little slack on that.

All in all, Mama Burger is a contender for best burger in Flagstaff. It wins the prize on burger value for sure. And while this is not a place to take the fam for lunch, it would be a great spot to pick up and bring home or over to the park for a tasty treat. We'll definitely be stopping by Mama Burger again!

Mama Burger's Menu

MamaBurger……………………………………$3.00
with cheese……………………………$3.30
DoubleMama……………………………….. $4.00
with cheese……………………………$4.60
Mama’s way: lettuce, tomato, onion, sauce, mustard
Or the highway: choose from any of the above
Hand cut Fries: we cook em’ in pure peanut oil!…….$3.00
Cajun or Regular
Shakes…………………………………………………………. $3.75
Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry
add Oreos for 50 cents
Cones……………………………………………………. $3.00
Chocolate, Vanilla, Twist
Dipped in Chocolate……………….. $3.50
Sundaes……………………………………………………………… $4.25
Hot fudge or Strawberry
with or without peanuts
Sodas……………………………………………………………………………. $1.81
Mama’s shoe throwin’ Combos
number 1: MamaBurger, Fries, and a soda…………………………. $6.95
number 2: DoubleMama, Fries, and a soda………………………… $7.95
Free cheese on Combos. Sub a shake for $1.75