Palatiano's Family Restaurant, Benson, Arizona

We were on a mission. The whole family went out to the Wilcox Dry Lake in Arizona to scatter some of my dad's ashes. Why there? Why that middle of nowhere, big, dry mud flat that stretches mile after bleak mile? Because he loved it, loved to photograph it, loved the "reticulated" mud as he called it. We climbed up to the train track that runs through the vast expanse, and after a train rumbled by, we took a moment, offered him to the earth and sky in English and Cherokee (thank you, Susan!), and threw his remains to the whistling wind.

On our way back to Tucson, hunger decreed that we stop for lunch. My mom suggested a place in this little cow-town called Benson, though she could neither remember the name of it nor its exact location - just that it was "Italian sounding." No problem - there's only one main street in Benson. We were about two blocks along that thoroughfare, when we saw a sign for Palatianos Family Restaurant, Italian, Greek and American Food. That had to be it.

You never know what you're going to find in an "international" diner in the wilds of southeastern Arizona. But what we did find was a modest little place that accommodated all fourteen of us without question. Our  smiling, good-humored young waitress patiently took our orders, adhering to all requirements of food allergies and separate checks, and in less than ten minutes served us our chicken fried steak, green chile cheeseburgers, etc., in huge portions. Everything was exceptional, and what we found lacking, like mustard or an extra pickle, the waitress retrieved in a blink.

We didn't try the Greek or Italian specialties, 'cause when you're in a place that isn't exactly known for its ethnic food, it may be best to steer clear. But based on the bite I had of my niece's plain linguini with meatballs, you probably wouldn't be sorry if you did. And just as you'd expect in the middle of nowhere, the prices were cheap!

New York City diners, you've got nothing on Palatianos! (except maybe location). I'm sure dad would be tickled to echo that sentiment.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!
520-586-3523
601 West 4th Street
Benson, AZ
www.palatianosrestaurant.com/

Bisbee, Arizona

Yep the entire town. For anyone who's touristed around Arizona you know that there are a couple of things you can count on all over the state, especially in towns like Sedona (a well known "arts" community). The first thing is that everything is somehow related to cowboys, or to be more accurate the media myths of cowboys. You know, god-like men of honor in white hats protecting the local village from black hatted villains? And secondly trinkets... from  gee-gaws that resemble saguaro cacti to over-the-top turquoise or lapis jewelery and, of course, bronze sculptures of - you know it - cowboys.

And then there are other towns, like Bisbee, where the focus is not on what they can sell you, but rather how to make your visit there memorable. The place is not fancy. In fact it's just a little run down. There are certainly a few places that would perhaps be better located in Sedona, but overall, this is a community that has been locked in time. The time that it is locked into is one of a less consumer oriented point of view. There is a ride you can take but it is not a roller coaster nor is it on a scenic railroad. Rather, it is down the mine shaft. This was a mining town that ran out of copper, but the area was so beautiful that folks decided to stay around. Those early settlers built their homes on either side of this tiny valley, and that's exactly what you encounter today. There is clearly a historic oversight committee that makes sure that even if McDonald's wanted to open shop (I can't imagine why they'd want to since there aren't enough people around to attract them, but you never know) they would be met with solid resistance to all that such a mega-corp represents. The 16 or so restaurants that are there have for the most part been around for a while, and the food they serve actually has some character that has nothing to do with extracting the tourist from every dollar they have, and everything to do with the simple pride of a community that has the integrity to care about itself.

Evaluation: Very sincere



Bisbee Chamber of Commerce

El Minuto Cafe

When we go to Tucson, we always go to El Minuto (along with Bookman's) mostly because of the drop dead fantastic Carne Seca Chimichanga, which, by the way, I notice is now listed as Shredded Beef on the menu. No matter what you call it, this the very best of the best. Certainly there are other restaurants in Tucson that are worth going to but this is one of my favorites. The owners and wait-staff are all business but friendly. The service is quick. My father-in-law is fond of the tacos, but clearly he has no idea of what's really good (in spite of the fact of his being a life long resident of Tucson...some people...). Anyway, this little place is located in an older section of the city that's really maintained the feeling of what Tucson must have been like in the early days before the influx of corporations imitating home town America. The people of the neighborhood have every right to be proud of what they have created and El Minuto is the perfect accent for authenticity. It was first opened in 1939 and I would bet that what it was then is pretty much what it is now.

Evaluation: Pretty sincere



elminutocafe.com
354 S. Main Tucson, Arizona
(520) 882-4145 
11am-10pm MON-THU 
11am-11pm FRIDAY/SATURDAY

Spider Rock Campground - Canyon de Chelly, AZ

 The thing about a place like this is it's almost sincere by definition. On the other hand there are some things that make the experience of being in a place that is simply jaw-droppingly beautiful and wondrous even more compelling. A few years back we packed up the car, brought along a small tent and went out to rough it for a few days in the wilds of Arizona. We arrived at Spider Rock Campground near Canyon de Chelly, (pronounced "shay") spent a while talking with the very pleasant Navajo man who ran the place, set up the tent, and headed out to view the rock. Nothing I could ever say about that monolith could possibly prepare anyone for actually being on the edge of the canyon looking for themselves. You just have to go. That's it. What could make that experience better? The human touch. When we returned to our campsite a few hours later it was dusk. We discovered that the man running the campground had heaped a generous supply of firewood right next to our tent. It was a simple thing, but the cost of the wood back in "civilization" would have been more than cost of staying on those grounds ($10.00). It was welcoming, generous and really beyond anything we might have expected. He called it a blessing. He told us, "the fire is life." That night we slept like babies warm from the fire, blessed by the wood, and bathed in starlight. A blessing indeed.

(By the way, Canyon de Chelly is much more than Spider Rock. A fantastic hike into the canyon to the river at it's base provides some of the most spectacular scenery you will ever see, including the ancient cliff-dwellings that exist in niche of a sheer rock face, hundreds of feet high.)

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

  

Spider Rock Campground

Bookman's Used Bookstore - Tucson, AZ

Okay, this is a local Tucson chain and we've made it an absolute must destination whenever we hit this Arizona town. But why? - you might ask, since living in  New York offers such places as the Strand which is of course a really great source of used books. The reason can be summed up this way: A couple of Christmas' ago we were spending a couple of weeks in the desert, and went into Bookman's to pick up a bit of reading material. It was my first time in the store and I was wowed by the extensive Science Fiction section with such great prices. Anyway, we gathered up our choices and got in line for the checkout. Our total purchases came to somewhere around $30.00 and Georgina handed over our debit card. Well, something strange was happening with our bank and for some unknown reason the card was declined! Suddenly we were in Tucson and had no access to our money! You know that sinking feeling? Yeah, that's the one... All our cash and credit cards were back at the house. There was panic in the air. But get this: without hesitation the clerk made a simple decision on the spot... he said "don't worry about it." He placed all our things in a bag and said, " Merry Christmas." There was no charge! He absolutely would not hear of our returning with the money. Unbelievable! Now when we go to Tucson we always make it a point to visit  this great store that breathes and even defines - sincerity.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

  

6230 E. Speedway Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85712
 http://www.bookmans.com/our-stores/tucson-speedway