Street Art and Mexican Food at Barrio Cafe

I know, I know another food post. But, oh my gosh it was too good not to share and if you haven't guessed by now I live for a good meal. 

After spending the day finally becoming legal on the road and receiving our new Arizona driver's licenses and plates (it only took us nine months) we built up quite an appetite.

We pulled into the back of Barrio Cafe (since there is no parking on the street) and my eyes were immediately drawn to all the artwork on the buildings. I admit, I always wished I could be an artist but I can barely paint by numbers without screwing up; so there is that.

It was hard to pull myself away from all the bright colored murals but the smell of food had my stomach grumbling. 

When we walked in we were greeted and seated instantly which happens to be rare. The restaurant does not take reservations so if you happen to go for a late lunch on a Thursday you should be good. 

I could not help but notice all of the plentiful tequila options. I had to refrain myself as we had so many errands to run but I will be back for their house margarita sometime soon.

We browsed the menu and could not decide so we asked our server and he hand picked everything for us. 

To start, the Guacamole!!!! Can I just say all this freaking time spent smashing avocados for guacamole...never again!! Plus pomegranate seeds. I mean, so simple (avocados, red onion, tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, and lime juice) yet so flipping good.   

Jer got the Cochinita Pibil which is slow roasted pulled pork with sour orange and achiote rojo. So tender, so flavorful, and those pickled red onions I could package them up to go.

When I took a look at my dish I must say I was a bit skeptical of the hype. With one bite, my eyes instantly widened and all skepticism vanished. A poblano chili filled with chicken, apple, pear, and pecans with an almond cream sauce topped with slivered almonds, pomegranate seeds and cilantro. Holy sweet, spicy, and savory doing the salsa in my mouth. Jer tried a bite and was instantly jealous of my choice.  

Utterly stuffed, we packed up and headed out to enjoy a bit more artwork and finished up on our never ending errand run for the day. 
 

If you are ever in the Phoenix area and looking for great Mexican cuisine (no rice and beans) make a stop here.

Barrio Cafe 2814 N 16th St, Phoenix, AZ 85006-1205.

Quiessence at the Farm

Ah, Valentines Day, a day filled with flowers, chocolates, love, and overpriced dinners.(Am I right?)Every year we always say that we are going to stay in because it is the time where (most) restaurants do a tasting menu and over charge the shit out of it. But, whats the fun in staying home and cooking, so we continue to venture out. 

Of course, being the procrastinator that I am, most of my go to places were already booked. I found an early bird opening (5:30pm) at Quiessence at the Farm and locked it in. 

We made our way down the tree lined gravel driveway to the restaurant taking in the scenery. The restaurant is housed in an old 1928 farm house and they use most of their ingredients from their farm as well as local farms in the area for a farm to table experience.

Sedona ATV-Birthday Celebration

We headed to Sedona for what was supposed to be a surprise birthday celebration for the hubs. He found out (well, I told him because I can't keep anything to myself) two weeks prior about our off road adventure. 

We checked into Sedona ATV & Dune Buggy Rental (got sold on an upgrade) and were handed maps, GPS phone tracker (in case we got lost in the desert), the keys to our vehicle for the day and we were off for a day of exploration.    

The Canary Santa Barbara

The Canary, A Kimpton Hotel is a great option if you are looking for a place to stay within the heart of Santa Barbara. We had limited time while we were there so I wanted to be close to all the major attractions. State Street, the County Courthouse, the Mission, Sterns Wharf, shops, and restaurants are all within walking distance to the hotel which was so convenient.

New Wheels

After way too many hours behind the computer this weekend (screw you Jonas) the hubs pulled me away to enjoy a beautiful afternoon around our hood. He has been on me that we should get bikes for the longest time so we headed to Wally World (aka Walmart) and picked up a few cheap options and headed off to explore.

Snow Day

It was the perfect morning in Phoenix. The sun was shining and the weather was a comfortable 68 degrees (the first of these days in a long time). But, we got dressed in our winters best and headed two hours north to Flagstaff to play in the snow. 

The Saguaro, Palm Springs

We arrived at the Saguaro in Palm Springs late in the evening due to the insane LA traffic. Jer went to check us in and returned with a strange look on his face like "Where did you take me?" Bright colors and funky furniture makes you feel like you were in an Austin Powers movie. I appreciate bright starburst colors but Jer felt it was a bit of sensory overload.