Three Women Spend 3 Days in Bisbee Part 2

Eat'n & Drink'n

Visiting a new place gives me the opportunity to try new things. Among my favorites are new foods and drinks. If you enjoy this too, than Bisbee is the place for you. There are no chain restaurants in town. No Applebee's, McDonald's or Starbucks, just plenty of great, local drinking and dining spots.

Our first stop was Mexican food at Santiago's, and the 40-minute wait was worth it. It's a small and very colorful restaurant with a menu that ventures beyond the traditional tacos and enchiladas. The citrus marinated pork tacos, which Jenni and I ordered, were among the best I'd ever eaten. Janelle's fish tacos were delish too. In addition to the traditional accompaniments of rice and refried beans, we were given a choice of black beans and roasted corn. Two healthier alternatives I was happy to have. While a Mexican beer would have been my normal choice of beverage, I ordered a local brew: Dave's IPA. It's produced by the Electric Brewing Co. and was surprisingly good.

If you're looking for a good burger in Bisbee, go to the Bisbee Grill. It's not fast-food, judging from another 40-minute wait, but a casual restaurant with an array of traditional American menu items ranging from sandwiches to steak, as well as seafood and pasta. Burgers are among my guilty pleasures, so how could I resist one smothered in melted blue cheese and sauteed red onions -- plus it came with beer-battered fries. All I can say is YUM! Well you can't have a burger without a beer so I ordered the local lager, Dave's Electric, which was the perfect paring for my mid-day meal.

There are a number of bars in Bisbee. Some, like the Stock Exchange and St. Elmo's, looked a little rough so we didn't venture inside. To be frank, we were a bit worried that one of us might get their ass kicked by a biker's babe for checking out her old man's tattoos. But one bar we couldn't pass up was the Copper Queen Saloon. Set inside the Copper Queen Hotel, this small bar was filled with tourists and locals. There was no room on the patio, so we bellied-up to the bar and ordered three drinks, which came to a grand total of $12. No big city prices here. But like many of the bars and restaurants in Bisbee, you may have to wait to be served.

Coffee is a big part of the Bisbee culture -- big enough for two coffee rosters. There is the Bisbee Coffee Company, which has a large Starbucks-like cafe in town where you can sit, sip your latte and do some people watching. And there are plenty of interesting people to watch in Old Bisbee. Your other source for caffeine is the Old Bisbee Roasters, which does not have a fancy coffee shop. If it does, we couldn't find it. What they do have is a solitary Barista stationed in a Main Street alleyway. This may sound a bit seedy, but it's all quite legit. Both roasters have fabulous coffee. However when it came time to buy some beans, I chose the Old Bisbee Roasters. Their Batista, like a good sommelier with his wine, matched his coffee beans to my taste.

If you are looking for dining that's a bit more upscale, try Cafe Roka. It's claim to fame is that it's the only restaurant in rural Arizona to have received the coveted three-diamond designation from the AAA 2002 Guidebook, but it didn't get high marks from us. Now the food is delicious, but the service we received was less than inviting. First we were scolded by the hostess for being 15 minutes late for our reservation. This seemed unnecessary. It was 8:30 p.m. and well past the dinnertime rush, plus there were plenty of empty tables and only one other couple waiting to be seated. So we were escorted to a table at the back of the second floor, which was certainly not the most desirable seat in the house. The ambiance was not inviting and the staff wasn't as friendly as other places we had visited that weekend. As for the food, which I will say again was very good, it was not exactly as the menu had described. I ordered duck with a side of root vegetables. I did identify a few small cubes of sweet potato among the medley on my plate, which also came with corn and edemame. When where corn and edemame classified as root vegetables? On the upside, Cafe Roka does have a nice wine list and includes a few Arizona vineyards. I always like to try Arizona wines when ever they are available.

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, which is why I saved the best for last -- The Bisbee Breakfast Club. This restaurant is actually in Lowell, which is a mile outside of Old Bisbee, on a street where more buildings are shuttered than open. But once you're inside you'll find a bright and cheery restaurant with a 50's-style lunch counter. Our waiter was interesting too, resembling a well-tanned Sean Connery with a long ponytail and tattoos around his bulging biceps. He suggested we each try something different, which we did -- a Crab Omelet, Scrambled Eggs with Andouille Sausage and the traditional Biscuits, Eggs and Gravy. And the Biscuits at the Bisbee Breakfast Club are to die for. Big, flaky and fabulous. The Bisbee Breakfast Club is a great way to start your day.

"Where's a good restaurant," is the first question I ask when I go to a new town. So when the locals told me that any Bisbee restaurant would be a good choice, I didn't believe them. But now I do. Bisbee is a great place with a lot of flavor.
Next Post: Never a Dull Moment

Three Women Spend 3 Days in Bisbee Part 1

"What's at the top of your list?" It's a question people keep asking me. I can't really say, because the list is not ranked in any particular order. But if it were, Bisbee would be near the top as one of my favorite trips.

Bisbee is an interesting mix. A combination of the old west and new age, where you'll find artists, hippies, bikers and cowboys all side-by-side. The common denominator is their desire to escape the "City." But can you really blame them? On more than one occasion, when asked where I was from, was told, "I used to live in Phoenix," in a tone implying that they were much happier living in Bisbee.

Joining me on the trip to Bisbee were my cousin Jenni and her daughter Janelle, who were the perfect traveling companions.

There is Room at the Inn

There are no chain hotels in Old Bisbee, so if you're traveling there on a busy weekend -- and, yes, Bisbee does have busy weekends -- you'd better plan ahead. And you better have good Internet search skills too. What you'll find tucked among the shops, saloons and local residences are a number B&B's and small inns, with a limited supply of rooms.

We, or rather Janelle, found a charming suite at The Carolina, a small property consisting of three refurbished miner's apartments perched on "B" hill above Brewery Avenue. The red-brick building dates back to 1905, but inside it has all the conveniences of modern day living.

At the front of the building was a long porch, where we could sit and look out over the town, as well as count the Harley's outside of St. Elmo's bar. But in the back was the best feature of all. A hidden garden. Apparently few residences in Bisbee have backyards, or much of a yard at all, so this was a real treat. The perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine in the early evening or perhaps a 12-pack and some pot late at night. Not us -- someone else, as we guessed by all the empty beer cans and the strange little "pipe" they left behind.

But what can I say, it's Bisbee. And other than some noise, no harm was done. In fact, it only added to my fascination with Bisbee.

Next Post: Eat'n & Drink'n