Tacos Locos

By Angele Sionna

2 S. Beaver St. Suite 170 (on the Phoenix Ave. side of the building)
Menu at : tacoslocos.com

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

The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
xxxx= comfortable

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

Value (what you get for your money)
**** = worth it - you won’t be disappointed with what you get for your money

Looking for a place to kick back on your lunch break or grab some good Mexican grub in between classes or errands? Tacos Locos is a good bet.

They have a simple but unique menu with decent prices and a different style than everyone else in town. Tacos Locos is on the a side entrance of the same building that houses Altitudes Bar and Grill, just south of the railroad tracks downtown.

Everything about this place screams laid back and it’s fabulous. Relaxing yet energetic music plays while you browse the menu at the counter and place your order. Items range from beef or fish tacos ($2.39 each) to rolled potato tacos ($2.19 for 3). There are several vegetarian options – mostly consisting of guacamole or potato based dishes. They also have a serve yourself soda fountain (drinks cost $1.79), beers on tap, and traditional Mexican beverages ($1.99), including Horchata (a cinnamon flavored rice milk), Tamarindo (made from tamarind fruit, a sweet yet distinctively sour fruit), and Jaicama (hibiscus flower tea).

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="368" caption="Rolled potato tacos"][/caption]

After ordering you seat yourself in the small but roomy feeling loft style restaurant, complete with high ceilings, exposed ducts, painted concrete floors and even a stone wall. There are naturally stained pine wood panels and soothing orange painted stucco walls. On display all around – local art, which adds to the hip feel inside. There is also a simple but fun patio with metal tables and rainbow colored umbrellas.

Moms take note – even though Tacos Locos caters to the student and lunch break crowd, they have a high chair for the little ones and menu items fit for kids like a large cheese quesadilla for $2.99, enough for two kids to share (although they have no kids menu per se).

This was my first visit to this casual restaurant, which only opened about four months ago. Their sign says café and market, but there is no market yet, though I’m told to look for it this spring. The market will feature their special homemade salsas, which include a salsa verde, traditional salsa and a spicy “chile de arbol” sauce.

Low prices and high quality best describes the food at Tacos Locos. Everything was fresh, not greasy. Food tastes like its made by someone who cares about each customer. On this visit, we tried several items.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="368" caption="California taco & fish taco"][/caption]

First up, my favorite of all that I tried: the fish taco ($2.39). Served with fried fish and cabbage, I recommend adding some of the homemade salsa verde. It is the perfect compliment to this taco with its sour and tart flavor. In fact, I’d add the salsa verde to anything and everything here because it is really good.

One of the weirder menu items (but I’m told very popular with the student crowd) are the California tacos ($2.69) and burritos ($5.39), consisting of carne asada, guacamole, lettuce and french fries. Yes, that’s right, I said french fries.

From the vegetarian menu, I tried the 3 rolled potato tacos ($2.19). These are essentially taquitos with mashed potato-like filling, topped with an almost non-existant amount of guacamole, lettuce and cheese. Good when dipped or smothered in the salsa verde or other salsa. Otherwise, they’re a little bland. But once that salsa is on there I really like them and for $2.19 for three I would definitely get them again.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="258" caption="Veggie quesadilla"][/caption]

I ordered the veggie quesadilla ($2.99) for my daughters to split. It was a giant burrito sized flour tortilla (by Tortilla Lady, the menu proclaims) filled with cheese, onions and red and green peppers. Not what I think of when I think veggie really (I was imagining corn and zucchini). My girls didn’t like the veggies on there, but once I took them off they gobbled it up. I tried it too and I thought it was decent but not impressive enough to order for myself. If quesadillas are what you want, I’d hop on over across the street to Beaver Street Brewery and order their chicken quesadillas instead, though Beaver Street’s are no where near the bargain price of $2.99. But then Tacos Locos doesn’t serve them with sour crème or guacamole.

You can add rice or beans for $1.19 each to your order, but we did not. We also didn’t try their chips and salsa because unlike most other Mexican restaurants, it is not included. The basket of chips and salsa will set you back and extra $4.39.

A good idea on your first visit to Tacos Locos is to opt for one of their combos, like the taco and salad ($5.89) or two tacos ($5.89).

Tacos Locos is particularly great for lunch breaks because they have free high speed internet so you can easily take a working lunch. They have happy hour and serve up several flavors of margaritas, pina coladas, on tap beers and bottled beers. There are no waitresses but the guy at the counter is about the friendliest you’ll come across. He’s happy to explain every item on the menu with a smile. Food is served up fast and hot in plastic baskets, which you’re asked to kindly put up yourself as you toss your trash or recycle your bottles.

Tacos Locos is going to become a part of my regular dining rotation. I left there full, satisfied and relaxed. I recommend it for tourists and locals alike.

The Pizza Guy

[caption id="attachment_147" align="alignright" width="300" caption="The Pizza Guy's cheese & mushroom medium pizza"][/caption]

By Angele Sionna

1417 S Palza Way (In the Safeway shopping center)

Carry out or delivery – no sit down dining 928-556-0200 (Delivery only on West side of town)
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)
** = okay - overpriced for quality/taste

The Pizza Guy is one of those hit or miss kind of places. I’ve ordered from them several times when I wanted pizza delivered.

There’s nothing fancy about their food. The sauce is on the spicy side, so it’s not really a hit with the kiddos. They’re generous with their added toppings, but not so much with the cheese.

Today I ordered their lunch special - medium one-topping pizza with a soda for $8.99. When I asked about a delivery charge, they said they do not charge a delivery fee, but when the delivery guy showed up, the receipt showed an added buck for delivery. My total ended up being $10.92 plus tip. Overpriced for what you get. The Pizza Guy used to have much more reasonable prices and free delivery.

It took about an hour to get the pizza and when it showed up it was closer to cold than to hot. Disappointing. The driver had called up wondering where my house was, although I had ordered from there before without incident.

The pizza cheese was getting congealed, It was not fresh or stringy. The sauce was good, but too spicy for my daughter’s likes, so I had to make her something else to eat.

The Pizza Guy also serves wings.
All in all, The Pizza Guy was so disappointing this time that it will be my last time to order. There are plenty of better pizza joints in town and now that Fratelli downtown is delivering again, there’s no reason to order from this place. You can get a better pizza for a better price elsewhere.

*TIP: If you do order from The Pizza Guy, be sure to ask for their specials. You don't need a coupon but they won't necessarily tell you about them either.

Fratelli Pizza

By Angele Sionna

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="180" caption="119 W. Phoenix Ave., Flagstaff, AZ"][/caption]

119 W. Phoenix Ave., Flagstaff
Menu at: fratellipizza.net

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

The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
xxxx = comfortable

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

When I walked into Fratelli Pizza, I was feeling brave and a little nervous. It was the first time I’d ventured to any restaurant by myself with my two year old and 8 month old daughters. I couldn’t have picked a better spot. The staff went out of their way to help me and the food was served hot and fast.

I strolled up to the counter holding my eldest’s hand and pushing my youngest in a stroller. We ordered one of their fantastic combos – plenty of food for us to share. For six bucks (including tax) we got an over-sized slice of cheese pizza, a fresh salad with ranch dressing, and a drink. You can also get two slices and a drink for the same price. Either combo can be upgraded to add one of the six beers they have on tap instead of a soda for $1.50 more.

After we ordered - we pulled up into a booth at Fratelli's location south of the tracks downtown. The five tables and four booths look like they could have been installed yesterday. The walls have a relaxing Italian garden wall theme painted on them. Two flat-screen TVs are mounted on either side of the restaurant. I’ve yet to be in here without some sort of sports on both of the TVs. The volume is always muted and instead they play upbeat music at a good level. Enough to entertain you if you’re there by yourself, yet quiet enough to have a good conversation with your fellow diners.

The waitress brought over our slice and salad as I filled up our glass at the beverage station. A nice kid-friendly feature here: along with the all you can drink refills, Fratelli has orange and lemon slices for your beer or iced tea. My daughter loves to snack on a few of the orange slices as her appetizer every time we’re here.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Fratelli's side salad"][/caption]

I sat back down and we started munching down. The salad was not your typical quickie pizza joint salad. It was a fresh, crisp mix of spring greens topped with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, shredded carrots, and croutons. Served with ranch dressing on the side.
I couldn’t take more than two bites of it, though, before I turned my attention to the pizza.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Fratelli's cheese pizza slice"][/caption]

It was the size of two normal slices. The cheese was super-gooey with just the right amount of sauce. The dough is home made and hand tossed then baked in a stone deck oven. Perfect if you like New York-style thin crust, which I do. My daughter likes to add a little Parmesan on her part of the pizza. Luckily, Fratelli has that plus red peppers, Tabasco sauce, and garlic salt at the table to add on as you wish. Another kid-friendly feature at Fratelli, everything is served on non-breakable dishes – plastic salad plates and metal pans for the pizza.

Also great and a unique spin on pizza - Fratelli's pesto pizza. Even if you're not a huge pesto fan you should try this. The pesto is blended right into the gooey cheese. It tastes so fresh and smells so good. Most days the pesto pizza is one of the options on the daily slice deal too!



Fratelli has more than slices on the menu, though it doesn’t go all crazy like some places with too many choices. Just the right amount of options to satisfy their base crowd: college students from Northern Arizona University, which is just down the street.

Everything I’ve had before here has been good. If you’re not in the mood for pizza, I’d recommend the Giant Calzone ($8.50). I like the Veggie. My husband likes the Your Creation, which gives you the option of adding four toppings of your choice to the mozzarella. Note: if you like sauce on the inside, ask for it. Otherwise it’s just served on the side.

Fratelli Pizza has been voted the best of Flagstaff for the last six of the last seven years. I too think it is on of the best pizza parlor in town. Though the pizza at New Jersey Pizza Company is fantastic and arguably a little better, the atmosphere and service at Fratelli is superior.

Whether you’re looking for a great pizza and beer joint or a night out with the family, avoid the chains and head to this small pizzeria. You’ll have a great time with its welcoming atmosphere and leave with a great taste in your mouth and a satisfied stomach.

Note: The slice special lasts all day, but in general I've found getting slices at lunch and a full pizza at dinner is the way to go for optimum freshness!

More Fratelli photos HERE

A Must Visit for the Best Produce & More - Flagstaff Community Market

By Angele Sionna


If you happen to be in Flagstaff any Sunday morning thru mid-October, take the time to explore the farmer’s market south of the tracks downtown near Beaver and Phoenix.

My family and I have gone several times this summer and are delighted with all of the vendors. There is all kinds of locally grown produce from tomatoes to onions, herbs, and more. Plus specialty foods and flowers.

My two year old really likes picking up a honey stick from Cowboy Honey for a quarter. Of course the breads from Village Baker are fantastic.

You can grab lunch while you're there from Molly's Tamales, a Phoenix-based vendor. They make fresh tamales to enjoy there ($2.50 each, $3.50 each for Salmon) or buy the frozen ones to eat at home later ($13.50/6). They have vegetarian and meat tamales. I've stopped a few times and can recommend the bean and cheese, the zucchini and mushroom, and the salmon tamales. Next time, I hope to get there early enough to try Molly's fruit tamales. She says she's the only one who makes them and they sound fantastic.

The most interesting flavor combinations of the whole event came from Terra Verde Farms artisan foods. I really like their Lavender Pepper rub, Strawberry Lavender Preserves, Blood Orange Marmalade and the Spicy O’s. They have a web market (in case you don’t get a chance to try them in person) at terraverdefarms.com.

The Flagstaff Community Market has some strict rules on who can sell at the market. Every vendor has to make the products they're selling. No resell is allowed. Plus they don't allow outsourced processed foods. That means patrons can count on original and great products grown in our area... which is good for the environment too.

The Flagstaff Community Market runs Sundays thru October 12 from 8am to noon. For a map click HERE. For more info, go to their website: flagstaffmarket.com.

Monsoon on the Rim

By Angele Sionna

6 East Aspen Ave, Flagstaff, AZ (downtown)
(no menu online)

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Monsoon's Mandarin Orange Chicken"][/caption]

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)
xxxx= comfortable

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

Value (what you get for your money)
** = okay - overpriced for quality/taste

Asian fusion is how Monsoon on the Rim downtown Flagstaff describes itself. Japanese, Thai, and Chinese are all represented on the menu. It had been a while since I’d been to Monsoon, but I decided to go there earlier this week because I got a great coupon in the mail for a free dinner with purchase of another dinner and two beverages. That’s like a personal invitation to me. Plus, the coupon stated across the top: “Under new ownership! Completely Redecorated!” So we went. I couldn’t really remember why we stopped going there. We used to go weekly when we first moved to town.

When we walked in the door, I didn’t notice any of the “completely redecorated” portions of the restaurant. It looked pretty much the same, minus a new paint job and some light fixtures. Monsoon always had a nice feel to it with large windows around two sides of the restaurant looking out onto one of downtown’s busiest streets.

We opted to sit out on the patio because it was a nice night. The patio is very casual. People seem to linger here longer than inside the restaurant, busy people watching as they eat their meals.

When the waitress brought the menu, it looked pretty much as I remembered it, except for one little detail I’m sure the owners were hoping customers would forget – the prices. There are two menus now with different prices. The dinner menu tacks an extra $2 to each entrée. But you don’t get any extra food or better service or even different plates. It’s all the same, it just costs more – maybe to pay for the new paint job inside? I would have preferred the old look with the cheaper prices.

When I took the first bite into my dinner, I remembered why we used to come here. The Mandarin Chicken ($9.99) is great. It’s breaded and fried into crispy strips and coated with a sweet orange sauce with water chestnuts, carrots and celery mixed in and is served with white rice.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="320" caption="Monsoon's Chow Mein"][/caption]

A few minutes later when it was all gone, I remembered why we stopped going to Monsoon: the portions are small (though cleverly and deceptively spread out thinly across oval plates) and the prices are high for what you’re getting. (That, and our favorite waitress Marla stopped working here and relocated over to Beaver Street Brewery, where we see her often.)
They even cut back on the amount of white rice that is served with the meal. You used to get a big bowl of white rice for the table to share, but this time we got a tiny bowl. Not really enough to compliment the dish, even though it is on the skimpy serving side as well.
We also ordered the Chicken Chow Mein ($9.99). It has a gingery kick, but is short on vegetables. I’m not sure why it’s called chow mein when it is served with lo mein noodles, but they taste good. (Read the difference between lo mein & chow mein HERE) Though again, a small portion is served and no rice comes with it.
If you want friend rice, that’ll be an extra $9.99, as it is served as an entrée. The old menu, which I happen to have a copy of and am looking at as I type this, had fried rice for just $5. You can order any entrée for the price listed on the menu with beef, chicken or tofu. If you want to upgrade that to shrimp, calamari, or scallops, Monsoon adds on an extra $3.
The food tasted exactly as I remembered it, which is a good thing, as flavor is not something lacking at Monsoon. Other items we’ve ordered and enjoyed in the past include the Spicy Calamari ($9.99) (which used to be on the appetizer menu for $6), Mongolian Beef ($9.99), and the Szechuan Broccoli Beef ($9.99). There are also vegetarian options, which I’ve tried in the past, including Steamed Broccoli ($7.99) which is stir-fried with water chestnuts and carrots and Szechuan Green Beans ($7.99), stir fried with onions and peppers for a little spiciness.

The appetizer menu includes: Edamame ($4), Spring Rolls (2/$4), Chicken Lettuce Wraps ($8) (again, these used to be much cheaper at $4.50), and more. Deserts look interesting, though I’ve never tried them, with such choices as Chocolate Seduction with raspberry sauce ($4), Banana Spring Rolls ($7) and Plum Ice Cream ($4).

Despite good tasting food, when you consider the jacked up prices for food, sodas that cost $2 (and we had to ask every time for a refill), and service that was lacking (our waitress did not seem like she wanted to be there), Monsoon isn’t the kind of spot I’m going to be heading back to any time soon. If I’m going to over pay for food, I at least expect good service. *TIP: If you go, look for the “Money in the Mail” coupons beforehand. You can save quite a bit. I wouldn’t recommend going for dinner with out one.

For more photos of Monsoon on the Rim, click HERE.