Eating Arizona (Triple D travels in the Grand Canyon State) Part 1

It has been a while since I "hit the road" to get to some DDD locations.  I did make a trip recently to the Baltimore area get to try 4 new places, but I really wanted to get to some places out of town.  When I travel I fly standby so travel during the summer can be difficult at best, so I decided to wait until Fall to get away.  As I was planning the trip I was looking at several places and in the end decided to try New Mexico (Albuquerque and Santa Fe) and Arizona (Flagstaff and Phoenix), between the two states there are 35 DDD locations so it was worth the try.  My plans were to fly on a Tuesday from Dulles to Albuquerque and a few days later fly to Phoenix.  The plans also included a visit with my cousin who lives in Prescott, Arizona.

The plans were coming along and at first the flights all looked pretty good, but as the day grew closer the flight started to go downhill.  The plan was to fly through Denver on the way out.  The Denver-Albuquerque was the first flight to go over and then on the day I planned to travel, I got a text stating that the Dulles-Denver flight had cancelled.  I was beginning to think that this was a trip that I shouldn't make.  I had to cancel the Albuquerque portion as all of the flights from Chicago and Denver were oversold and my time there was so short that if I didn't get there as planned I wouldn't have enough time to get to the places I wanted to try.  I looked at the Phoenix options and saw that I could get there through Chicago, so that is what I decided to do.  The flight from Dulles to Chicago went well and the connecting flight looked ok as I left Dulles but on arrival and going to the gate it had gone over!  I waited at the gate until the aircraft left, then had 5 hours to wait for the next.  This is when the worry set in.  As the hours grew closer then next flight went over, too.  I decided to go to the United Club and go online and figure out my options.  I pretty much knew that if I didn't get out of Chicago to Phoenix that day then I would be able to make it at all!  I went back to the gate and the board showed full and the agents were soliciting for volunteers to give up their seats and go on the 8p flight.  I was really in full panic mode, if I didn't get out on either this flight or the next the trip to Arizona was pretty much over as the next day was looking really bad and Chicago was still in the middle of delays due to a fire at the Chicago Air Traffic Control center.  In the end I did get on the 615p flight and after a 90 minute delay (another worry that there might be a cancellation) it was off to Phoenix!

After a restful night, I headed to Prescott to visit with my cousin Holly and her husband Brad, but before that there would be a few Triple D places to check out.  I headed north and stopped at my first place "Perk Eatery" in Scottsdale.  Perk is a small café located in a small shopping center and is open only for breakfast and lunch.

I was greeted by a very friendly wait staff and seated.  I decided to try the Breakfast Burrito stuffed with Chorizo sausage and potatoes.  It was pretty big and very tasty.

My Perk Eatery Breakfast

The Burrito stuffing!

I was able to meet the Chef and Owner as he came out to sign my book.  A real nice guy and he seemed happy that I had stopped in.  I headed out to go to my next stop which was a two hour drive north to the city of Flagstaff. 

The drive was gorgeous!  I had always thought that the famous Saguaro cactus was seen more south of Phoenix, but there is a stretch of the road where there were literally thousands of these well known symbols of Arizona.  The drive also takes you several thousand in elevation.  As you drive further north the foliage changes, as well.  Closer to Flagstaff, you see a lot of pine trees.

I arrived into Flagstaff and headed into a small strip mall and got to my next stop, "Brandy's Restaurant and Bakery".  I headed in and it was pretty busy so I got a small table next to a small tribute wall to their appearance on "Diners Drive ins and Dives"

Brandy's Restaurant and Bakery in Flagstaff, AZ

Brandy's Tribute Wall to Guy and Triple D

I decided to get something small and since they make their own bagels on site I decided to try the Onion Bagel with cream cheese.  The bagel was very good and it came with a whipped cream cheese, I enjoyed it.  I had a hard time getting someone to sign the book and finally got my server to do it, but I am always surprised when the staff doesn't really understand my intent.

My Onion Bagel at Brandy's

I headed off to a nearby spot that was featured on an early year episode of Triple D.  "Salsa Brava" is on the famous Route 66, although it is on a stretch that really doesn't have much along it.  It was pretty busy for a lunch crowd and I was seated at a table near the door.  I was brought a basket of tortilla chips, which are made in house and told that they have a salsa bar to get some of their home made salsas.  I looked over the menu and decided to get an appetizer over a full meal and chose the coconut shrimp.

Salsa Brava in Flagstaff, Arizona

My Coconut Shrimp Appetizer at Salsa Brava

The shrimp were delicious and was accompanied by a salsa topped rice side.  The salsa bar was also unique to me and although I am not a fan of spicy stuff the mild salsas were very good.  I headed out from the restaurant for a two hour drive southwest to the town of Prescott to visit with my cousin Holly, whom I hadn't seen for about 25 years.

Prescott is a very cool town, right out of the wild west!  My cousin lives in a very rural, out of the way part of the town.  I am told that a lot of wild animals are roaming around her home including the Javelina.  I guess this is normal to them but pretty foreign to me.  Holly and her husband Brad took me into the town and we walked around the Courthouse Square and their real landmark, Whiskey Row.  Although there are no Triple D joints in Prescott, there are a few places that should be considered!

Courthouse in Prescott, AZ

The Famous Whiskey Row in Prescott

We went to dinner at a great place on Whiskey Row and I had a really great steak.  Prescott is definitely worth a visit, there is a great Wild West feel to the place and it is just really cool!  For breakfast we went to a really cool place that features huge portions and great food called the Lone Spur Café.  this is a place that should be a part of Triple D, the food is great and the décor is fun and funky!

My cousin Holly, her husband Brad and I at the Lone Spur Café

After finishing breakfast I headed out of Prescott and back to Phoenix to continue my DDD travels, but I had a great, albeit too short a visit with Holly and Brad and hope to get back to see them soon but now on with the DDD visits!