At 5 PM September 14, 2010, Safford, AZ trailhead for the Arizona Salsa Trail, celebrates SalsaFest.

We’ve been through Safford, doing part of the Salsa Trail, a few years back. It was an eye opener for the destination, a throwback to another time. The restaurants, housed as they are in some interesting old buildings, are the draw that might get me to go back. And the food was all right, if you like a more traditional (almost historic) version of Mexican in the place we tried. A return trip might uncover another gem.

I wish I could give the food from our choice (thankfully which I have forgotten by name but still remember by geography and can avoid) higher praise but we are a little spoiled by some of the great Mexican Chefs cooking in Phoenix and LA, in the style of Mexico City with fresher ingredients and more improvization. We like Barrio Cafe, in Phoenix, Freida’s in Beverly Hills, Elote Cafe in Sedona, and Richardson’s in Phoenix. And of course there are the road houses, taco joints and burrito havens like The Owl Bar in Socorro, New Mexico, King Taco in LA, Cafe Rio (a small chain), H&H Car Wash in El Paso and one of my favorites for red or green chili, B&E Burrrito in Hatch, New Mexico.

Now I’m thinking Mexican and that the SalsaFest might just get us burning a tank of gas this year, if nothing else to get that much closer to Hatch, NM. If you are in the Sonoran Desert this week, you might want to check it out too.

P Chef