La Vida

Filmmaker Mary Mazzio's Underwater Dreams is timely because it deals with immigration reform. And the movie, which played for a week this summer on various cable networks before opening nationwide in theaters, is pleasant for locals to watch because it's set here in Phoenix, specifically at Carl Hayden High School.

Mazzio's movie makes points about class distinction, underdogs making good, and the raw deal we give to "illegals." It's a sweet story about how a group of Carl Hayden students, all of them children of undocumented immigrants, entered a sophisticated underwater robotics competition sponsored by NASA in 2004 — and won. Competing against colleges, including engineering leader MIT, the four high-schoolers took top honors with a robot made from PVC pipe and duct tape. The victory changed the boys' ideas of who gets to succeed in life and how, and they returned to Phoenix empowered and determined to prevail. Later, the students' victory led to their involvement in immigration reform activism and passage of the DREAM Act. Bravo.

For years, Tacos Atoyac was the bar against which we judged all other street-style Mexican eats. The no-frills restaurant served everything we could have asked for from a taco: affordability, simplicity, and lots of flavor. That's why we were devastated to hear the restaurant had closed suddenly and indefinitely in March. Taco enthusiasts wondered whether we'd ever find an acceptable replacement for the restaurant's near-perfect beer-battered fish taco. Thankfully, the drought didn't last long. In May, we were thrilled to hear that co-owner Pablo Lopez had reincarnated the beloved spot under a new name, Restaurant Atoyac Estilo Oaxaca — same location, same menu. If we close our eyes while biting into one of the carne asada burros, it's almost as if nothing changed.

If you've never dined on the patio at Los Sombreros, then you've been missing out on one of the more romantic dining spots in town — not that the inside of the converted brick house that this restaurant calls home is a bad option. No matter where you sit at this dining spot, you're sure to have a memorable meal. Chef-owner Azucena Tovar uses her impeccable talent to craft modern Mexican cuisine that blends traditional flavors with her own personal style, traveling to Mexico City every year for inspiration. Some of her standout dishes include mole poblano, huitlacoche quesadillas, and hibiscus enchiladas — in short, not the kind of fare you'll find at just any ol' Mexican joint.

It may be small, but what this Mesa restaurant lacks in size is more than made up for in soul. The family-run restaurant came into being after months of hard work from Marco, Jinette, and Edmundo Meraz, who renovated the mid-century building themselves and even inherited some of the cacti out front from family and friends. The menu includes a wide selection of wheat flour empanadas, which range in flavors from traditional to the more unexpected. On the savory side, don't miss the Boricua, which combines rice, pigeon peas, and ham hock cooked in sofrito sauce. And for a standout sweet, try the fig cheese and caramel, which contains local figs, mozzarella, and South American-style dulce de leche. The rest of República Empanada's entrées are worth a try, too, particularly the arroz con pollo, seasoned with capers, olives, peas, celery, cilantro, onions, and red bell peppers. Don't forget, you can also wash down your meal with one of the many craft beers available by the bottle.

When you know that Phoenix Burrito House comes courtesy of the De la Cruz family — they're the folks behind Zócalo Mexican Grille and El Sol Mexican Cafe & Bakery in Chandler, Mangos Mexican Cafe and Bakery in Mesa, and Méjico in Central Phoenix — then it should come as no surprise that Phoenix Burrito House is such a solid new spot. The restaurant took over the former home of The Fry Bread House, adding a little south-of-the-border charm to the Melrose District. We love the restaurant's tortillas, which are soft, chewy, and offer just the right amount of stretch. They're particularly enjoyable when wrapped around ingredients such as pork in green chile sauce and Phoenix Burrito House's spicy shrimp.

If you're at Los Olivos only for the chips and salsa and a margarita, you will not be disappointed. This restaurant delivers from that first perfectly crisp, salty chip. But we dare you to stop at just chips — soon you'll be ordering a cheese crisp, maybe some corn sopas from the friendly staff, and from there it's just a hop and a skip down the menu to a giant selection of every classic Mexican dish imaginable: chimichangas, fajitas, enchiladas. There's nothing nouveau about this place. It's a collection of Sonoran classics made for decades and served in a crazy series of connecting cavernous rooms. Our favorite spot is the underwater-esque lounge. As long as Los Olivos keeps the chips coming and the tequila flowing, we're good.

Spicy chorizo, scrambled egg, soft, diced potatoes, and melted cheddar cheese all wrapped in a warm tortilla. Yep, most can agree that nothing gets better than biting into a homestyle breakfast burrito after a long day or night. El Norteño, the quintessential hole-in-the-wall restaurant in downtown Phoenix, on Seventh Avenue and Roosevelt, meets your need for comfort food in a tortilla. Heck, if the urge is there, add beans or maybe even sour cream to the already perfect burrito. If chorizo isn't quite your thing, opt for a burrito filled with ham or bacon instead. The joint is cash only, so come prepared.

There's a reason this little restaurant boasts snaking lines of hungry patrons during the daily lunch rush. It's because smart diners know this lunch-only downtown Phoenix eatery serves seriously satisfying Mexican fare that's always worth the wait. The green chile burrito is one of our favorite dishes, with tender beef smothered in spicy green chile sauce. Big eaters also can opt to have their burrito come chimichanga-style and covered in a layer of cheese and sauce. Just don't count on making it back to the office after eating such a serious gut bomb.

From the outside, this Mexican restaurant looks like nothing much, but don't let the cheesy signage and gaudy paint job fool you. Taco Mich is our go-to spot for tacos, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights. When we need late-night weekend eats, we head here for the best $1 al pastor tacos. Here's how it works: You place your order inside at the counter and the cashier gives you a pink ticket. You take the ticket outside to the grill, where you trade it in for a plate of fresh tacos al pastor. The meat is crispy, flavorful, and studded with pieces of fat. Sprinkle onions and cilantro as you wish to kick things up a notch and be sure to get a few cups of the smoky red salsa offered on the side. It starts out with a nice spice, but builds up to a solid burn as you go.

Enchiladas are not uncommon. Mexican or not, almost everyone knows how to put together the easy dish. So how is it possible for a restaurant to differentiate itself from the competition? For one thing, the use of housemade tortillas. Menuderia Guanajuato lines up six fresh enchiladas rolled with chicken and topped with your choice of red or green sauce, fresh sour cream, and cotija cheese. Most other restaurants forget about the chicken inside, not giving much thought to whether it's moist or flavorful, but not Menuderia Guanajuato. Special care is given to each element wrapped in and topped on those enchiladas. The cotija cheese, sour cream, and even the lettuce (usually just a space filler) all play a role in the six enchiladas hogging all the room on your plate.

Unwrapping a moist, steaming tamale is reminiscent of ripping into a gift as a kid. The excitement that comes from the anticipation of finding out what's inside only intensifies once expectation and reality meet. Tearing into a plump green chicken and cheese tamale from La Tolteca brings excitement that doesn't have to wait until the holiday season. The moist masa engulfs melted Monterrey Jack cheese and sliced green chile accompanied by moist chicken. For those who are more enticed by those things that are sweet, order one of Tolteca's strawberry or pineapple tamales . . . or both. Don't stop with those, they also make red beef and carnitas tamales, all for only $1.99 apiece.

Gallo Blanco, located in the Clarendon Hotel, isn't the hole-in-the-wall kind of Mexican restaurant you usually look to for simple south-of-the-border cuisine. But that's part of the charm of chef Doug Robson's menu — the restaurant's tacos, enchiladas, and tortas compete with some of the best. And when it comes to the Nacho Torta in particular, we're confident in saying it's the best Mexican sandwich in town. The hearty entrée is served on a fluffy telera sourced from La Sonorense bakery and comes loaded with excellent rib eye, the restaurant's addictingly good charred tomato salsa, fresh avocado, and not one, but two over-easy eggs. For smaller appetites, half tortas are available, though we usually go for a whole and save the other half for later.

Every region of this great country has its own way of serving the all-American hot dog. In Arizona and throughout the Southwest, we live and die by Sonoran hot dogs. When guests come into town boasting about the merits of a hog dog "dragged through the garden," we take them directly to Nogales Hot Dog, on the southwest corner of Indian School Road and 20th Street. Open only during the evenings, the hot dog spot — okay, it's really a makeshift stand with a tent and a few picnic tables — serves a prime example of our regional dog. Each wiener comes topped with pinto beans, tomatoes, onions, and a mayo spread. You also can hit the condiment table to add salsas, cheese, and other toppings as you see fit.

For those who find it hard to swallow menudo, pozole is the route to take. Thick chunks of tender, flavorful pork, along with hominy float together in the bowls of fresh pozole at Los Taquitos. The aroma of the steaming soup fills the nostrils, making it hard to resist. Pozole is not found in many restaurants, nor is it readily available any time of the day. It's also not an easy soup to construct, so when we find someone who can put together pozole without skimping on any of the flavors and charging only $6 a bowl, we hold on to them.

No one likes being told that they can order menudo only on weekends. There are times when the day's events call for a soothing bowl of deep red or bright white menudo filled with fresh tripe and soft hominy. Rosita's Place knows about those days and caters to us the way we remember our grandmothers doing when we were young. The time spent on each batch of menudo is evident with the bold flavors that swirl in our mouth. Go ahead, squeeze a lemon wedge in it or toss some onion and cilantro — maybe even oregano — on top, but we guarantee that all you'll need are fresh tortillas to dip in the rich broth.

To call Mariscos Altata loud doesn't do justice to the level of noise you're likely to encounter while dining at the West Phoenix restaurant. But if you're really looking to have top-quality Mexican seafood, then the impressive din will be worth enduring. The restaurant serves a large menu of dishes featuring shrimp, oysters, squid, scallops, and more. Your meal will always begin with chips, salsa, and a complimentary cup of briny seafood and vegetable soup that will likely leave you wanting more. One of the better entrée options is the shrimp cucaracha. Served with a side of red hot dipping sauce, it's a dish of grilled head-on prawns that arrive at your table looking like a plate of spindly insects.

Much of the draw of this 16th Street spot is the whole grilled chickens, which will set you back less than $10 but easily can satisfy a whole family. And they're really good. But it's not the chicken that keeps us coming back. It's the carne asada. Whether we're taking out or dining in, we almost always get an order of Asadero's street-style tacos, which come in a variety of types, including lengua and al pastor. They're all solid options, but the carne asada is the best. The restaurant does an excellent job of producing flavorful, moist grilled steak, and we've yet to find a better option in town. You also can get your carne in burrito form, though we think the tacos allow you to better appreciate the meat inside.

Walk past the display of balloons, down the aisles of hot sauce, chips, and beans. It's then you'll know you've made it to the meat section of El Rancho Market. Every part of the chicken is available — all you have to decide is whether or not you want it marinated. It's beef you want? Take your pick among center shank, short ribs, and liver, and if you're really feeling it, grab some tongue. If making pozole has been on your list of things to do, El Rancho sells the right pork meat for your endeavor. And don't worry, El Rancho's seafood section goes well beyond shrimp and stuffed salmon. Whole octopus, blue crab, and catfish nuggets are a few of the more exciting choices.

From the giant pots to the corn husks and masa you'll need to make tamales, Ranch Market has you covered. The produce aisle offers a bounty of produce both familiar and exotic. And you can get fresh juices, baked goods, rotisserie chicken, and just about anything you can think of, including hard-to-find Mexican spices and cerveza to wash them down with.

There's a reason La Purisima has taken the crown as the best panadería. It's not stuck in a vortex of only spitting out multi-colored conchas, which, let's face it, aren't that great to begin with. No, La Purisima gives customers every reason to drool over the pastries inside the cases. If you've got to cure a molasses craving, you've stepped into the right building. Not only are the pastries sweet, but so are the workers, who know you'll need extra time to decide on the options. Just don't hold up the line by getting entranced by the machine in the back sending out the fresh tortillas.

Don't even bother trying to convince us that there's a place in town making better tortillas than Carolina's. This restaurant has been doing them perfectly for as long as we can remember. There are lots of Mexican restaurants in town and many of them make good tortillas, but none achieves the level of fame that has come to this Phoenix institution. Carolina's tortillas are made in-house and arrive fresh off the grill nice and hot. We'll never be able to understand how Carolina's manages to make them paper-thin and yet able to stretch around more burrito contents than we ever thought possible. It's a good thing, too, because without such a strong tortilla base, there's no way you'd be able to enjoy Carolina's food without spilling green chile sauce and grease all over your shirt.

We've said it once and we'll say it again: Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza's guacamole is the best in town. True, there's something to be said about a simple, well-executed bowl of creamy guacamole, but we can't help dreaming about the heartier, fancier version found at the chef's famous Barrio Cafe. Her guacamole features fresh avocados, tomato, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, and pomegranate seeds to make for a dip that's anything but boring. The balance between tart and sweet makes it addicting. Yes, the fanfare of the tableside show comes with a larger-than-average price, but we promise you won't regret the extra dollars once you try it.

In Spanish, its name means "goat sucker," which is meant not as a pejorative but rather a description of the dietary habits of the chupacabra, a mythical creature who's occasionally seen stalking the desert. The name comes from the animal's penchant for killing and drinking the blood of small animals, especially goats.

In terms of legendary creatures, the chupacabra is relatively young. Early sightings occurred in Puerto Rico in 1995, and domestic visits from the little monster also have been reported. The goat-sucker also must be a shape-shifter, because descriptions of it vary. In Russia, it's the size of a bear, with spines from its head to its tail; in Maine, it's more dog-like, with long, sharp teeth and bald, pink skin. And there have been plenty of sightings near metro Phoenix. Always, the chupacabra has a sour disposition and a thing for eating other animals.

Biologists and wildlife management officials consider the chupacabra a contemporary legend and usually explain it away as a rabid dog. A five-year study by scientist Benjamin Radford failed to prove either the animal's existence or the reports that it drains its victims of their blood. Radford concluded that reports of chupacabra — at least in the United States — are in fact dogs and coyotes with mange, which causes their fur to fall out and their skin to bunch up and thicken.

Otherworldly creatures? Mangy dogs? No matter — the chupacabra has gone small-screen, and that makes it real. CNN's Ed Lavandera has discussed the chupacabra on air, describing it as the "Bigfoot of Latino culture." Better yet: The goat-sucker has had a featured role in something called Scooby-Doo! and the Monster of Mexico.

Making good salsa is not easy. Finding the balance of chiles, garlic, and salt while still imparting a memorable flavor is sometimes best left to those who have been doing it for years. The folks at Carniceria Los Piños put out a refrigerator full of three different kinds of salsas and a spicy guacamole every day. Choose from two red salsas — the classic, which leaves a welcomed burning sensation causing you to reach for more, and the totalmente salsa, with its roasted pepper taste. The salsa verde is an all-time favorite, made with fresh tomatillos and excellent on just about anything it touches.

Elote (simply put, corn) has gained favor in respected restaurants, making its way onto menus for about $5. So, sure, you could say it's trendy. But head down to South Phoenix and there lies the mecca of Mexican street foods, with prices equivalent to the streets. Instead of serving corn on the cob, Fruitlicious slices off the corn from the cob and puts it in a cup with a dollop of mayo, lime juice, cotija, and chili powder. It's a mess-free way to indulge in the hot and creamy goodness of an all-time favorite without having to fork out unnecessary money that very well could be spent on the other enticing snacks Fruitlicious creates.

There are people who believe that Ernesto Arturo Miranda was murdered in a setup by angry cops out for retribution, because he's the reason they have to read you your Miranda rights every time they bust you. Still others think Miranda's death in a knife fight in a seedy Phoenix bar was a grisly fait accompli.

Born in Mesa in 1941, Miranda was trouble from the word "go." His first criminal conviction came in the eighth grade. By the following year, he'd been booked on burglary charges and sent to reform school. Later, after his release, Miranda served time in Los Angeles for various petty crimes and was extradited to Arizona once he was free.

On March 13, 1963, Miranda was hauled into a Phoenix station house on rape and kidnapping charges, having been positively identified by victim Lois Ann Jameson. After two hours of investigation, during which time he was never informed of his rights, Miranda confessed to the crimes.

Sentenced to 20 to 30 years on both charges, Miranda appealed to the Arizona Supreme Court in June 1965. The American Civil Liberties Union and attorneys from the law firm Lewis and Roca represented Miranda, arguing that his Fifth Amendment rights — to remain silent and not to incriminate himself — had been violated.

He won the appeal but lost a retrial and, based on evidence against him, went to prison anyway. Still, his victory was the mandatory reading of rights ("You have the right to remain silent. If you give up the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law . . .") by every arresting police officer in the country.

Paroled in 1972, the ex-con made his living selling autographed Miranda warning cards for $1.50 and got busted a bunch more times. After being released from what would be his last prison sentence, Miranda was killed in that knife fight. His murderer has never been positively identified. The lead suspect, a Mexican national named Eseziquiel Moreno, supposedly headed back to Tijuana and escaped prosecution.

According to legend, Miranda's pockets were stuffed with autographed Miranda Rights cards on the night he died.

Most are not comforted when spotting cactus (nopales) on a menu, but Comedor Guadalajara got smart and put it into a classic: the quesadilla. Packed with cheddar cheese, chunks of grilled chicken, red and green bell peppers, and cactus, the dish is an easy way for cactus newbies and experts alike to enjoy the desert plant. The semi-acidic taste of the cactus complements the bitter taste of the green bell pepper. After indulging in cactus for the first time, you'll quickly realize that eating native Arizona vegetation never tasted so good.

Your taste buds don't care who invented the chimichanga, but how true is the story about it being accidentally created right here in Arizona?

One story goes that the famous Mexican entrée was invented by Woody Johnson, founder of Macayo's Mexican Kitchen. Woody always swore that the chimi belonged to him, that he crafted the very first one known to man in 1946, when he put a burrito into a deep-fat fryer at Woody's El Nido, the diner that later became Macayo's in 1952. His fried burritos became so popular, Woody claimed, that people lined up outside his new restaurant for what he called chimichangas.

But Monica Flin, owner of Tucson's El Charro restaurant, always claimed that it was she who named and invented the chimichanga, after accidently dropping a burro into a fryer in the early 1920s. She reportedly yelled the nonsense word "chimichanga!" following her mistake and, if you believe this tale, a Mexican-American menu item was born.

Then there's the version of the story that gives the dish back to its people: Chivichangas, small, deep-fried burritos, have long been a staple of Sinaloan cuisine. It's thought that the Sinaloans brought chimis with them through Nogales into Arizona in the late 19th century.

Quite honestly, we don't care who invented it. As long as it's deep-fried, filled with chili con carne, and covered in sour cream and guacamole, we'll believe whatever you tell us about the chimichanga.

Don't be deceived: That glass filled with what looks like pink lemonade is not pink lemonade. It's prickly pear lemonade, made with the beautifully bright purple fruit that grows every summer on prickly pear cactus (a.k.a. nopales). The flavor is a cross between watermelon and bubblegum, but without the tart aftertaste. We can't quite put our finger on it, but one thing that is certain is the prickly pear lemonade is the grown-up sister to your average glass of lemonade. What could be more relaxing than sipping on the fresh concoction under the shade of trees with wind blowing through the cafe?

The only thing worse than stale pan dulce is filtered aguas frescas that have been sitting all day. So how come huge vats with various flavors of aguas frescas don't fill the counter space of Gorditas El Tio accompanied by dried-out fruit art in front indicating the flavor? Because all aguas frescas are made to order without the unnecessary frill. You can even look in the kitchen and watch the cooks toss all the fresh fruit into the blender and whip it up. Down a fresh glass of horchata or a creamy, fruity mix of mango to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Raspados used to be known as street food, sold on carts in Phoenix neighborhoods. The jingle of a bell or the honk of a horn used to be the indication that refreshment was on its way. Now shops are popping up all through the Valley, filling our cups and stomachs with shaved ice and fresh fruit topped with sweet cream. This modest West Valley raspado shop the turns out Mexican snow cones with flavors like eggnog, tamarind, strawberry, and mango, all piled high atop the rim of the cups to resemble a mountain swirled with fresh fruit.

The paletas at Realeza Michoacana are so fresh that the fibers found in mangos are ever-present in the mango and chile paleta, as are the strawberry seeds adding texture to the strawberry paleta. Sure, there are other places that mix fancy ingredients into their paletas, but you can't beat old-school Mexican popsicles. The fruit and chocolate bars are made fresh in-house, with a selection so wide that it will take a while for you to decide which one you really want. Choose from flavors such as strawberry (with or without cream), cantaloupe, tamarind, pineapple, and chocolate. Don't be shy if your placed order is a little longer than intended.

If you think Mexican candy begins and ends with Pelon, the push-up tamarind-style candy, you've got it all wrong. Take a stroll through the aisles at Dulceria Pico Rico for a few lessons in Mexican candy. The store is filled from top to bottom with selections such as De la Rosa, the creamy peanut rounds that melt in your mouth, or the small baggies of Pico, filled with a mixture of chili powder and sugar that will take your taste buds on a ride. Other favorites include the selection of mango, corn, or watermelon lollipops covered with chili. And when you're paying for your haul, don't forget to pick up a tamarind-covered candy apple.

We've all seen the Mickey Mouse piñata with the odd-shaped head and the princess piñatas with their eyes crossed. It's the only thing left on your list for an upcoming party, and it's obvious. But the piñata game has been taken to another level for several years by Arizona Piñatas. There's no store to browse, just a website and Facebook page with photos of its past creations. Pigs, Scions, Harley-Davidsons, SpongeBob SquarePants, and even holiday piñatas are in its catalog. The store's tagline is "Your imagination our creations." So if you can think of it, it'll deliver.

Feeling a little under the weather with sinus pressure? Got an embarrassing itch that just won't go away? How are your pH levels measuring? Is that migraine interfering with your day-to-day life? Well, that's where Yerberia San Francisco comes in. The glass cases are filled with remedies, medicines, and ointments meant to heal the body in quick and effective ways — and without side effects. YSF has teas and capsules to detoxify the body. One wall is adorned with herbs packaged in plastic bags so you can mix and match to make teas for your specific needs. Almost all the labels are in Spanish, since many of the medicines are native to Mexico, but the staff will break down the medicines for you to ensure those pesky ailments don't ruin your day.

Drive too fast and you'll miss this quaint corner shop. It's not huge like a department store, but the quality inside will take your breath away (or that might be the thick scent of real wood). Rustic armoires with turquoise finishes, high-back chairs, and a dining set made with thick wood take up most of the room inside. Aztec-inspired furniture also is for sale, like a textured table with a quintessentially Mexican design. Bright, gaudy crosses (some adorned with large rosaries) line one side of the store along with landscape portraits and modern Chicano paintings. The deeper you delve into the small shop, the more reasons you'll come up with to redecorate your home.

Whether you're taking someone from out of town or you're playing tourist yourself, Mexican Import is the place to stock up on Mexican tchotchkes. Colorful sombreros and cotton dresses with embroidery hang from the ceiling in the colorful shop. Browse and sort through jewelry and woven wallets from Guatemala or admire the artwork of crosses on the wall. Single tiles with bright designs are on sale for $1.99 apiece. Get ahead on Christmas decorations with one of the many Hispanic-style manger scenes. Maybe you're looking for a saint or two to outfit your yard. Well, take your pick.

Flowing skirts, cotton tops, purses, hats, belts, and jewelry all fit into this small, eclectic boutique. But the true gems are the Day of the Dead trinkets and paintings. High on a shelf, low in a case, or up on a wall is where you can find sugar skulls, Day of the Dead figurines both small and large, and portraits of the dearly departed. What we really love, though, are the hand-painted wine glasses, shot glasses, and coffee mugs decorated in Day of the Dead artwork. Purple Lizard even has votive candleholders and handcrafted shadow boxes with sugar skull figurines inside. There's a Day of the Dead treasure on every rack and shelf in the boutique.

The only complaint we have about the Spanish-language bookstore that opened this spring on Roosevelt Row is that it was not permanent. But that's a big part of the charm of Pablo Helguera's "Librería Donceles," a traveling exhibit that incorporated more than 12,000 used books and a lot of elbow grease to create a temporary bookstore with departments ranging from history to science to children's books. The (mostly vintage) books were amazing to comb through, even for those of us not well-versed in Spanish. And on top of that, the artist created an environment evocative of your favorite bookstore: homey and cozy, with art on the walls, rugs on the floor, salons, and even impromptu guitar sing-alongs. Most important, the show made a vital observation: that metro Phoenix doesn't actually have a permanent Spanish-language bookstore. Next up, life needs to imitate art.

While each floor at the Monarch Theatre comes alive with hip-hop and Latin music on Friday nights, the real fun happens in the upstairs lounge. Every week, a pair of 13-person Mexican banda ensembles, each equipped with brass section, multiple percussionists, and a singer, stage a battle of sorts in front of a packed dance floor. Banda La Alterada and Banda La Maciza each takes a turn performing a variety of ranchera and corrido songs. It's often a lively affair filled with fiery trumpet solos, audience members hopping onstage to sing along with their favorites, and DJ Fantastico spinning merengue and bachata before and after the performances. So who's the winner? Why, everyone in the house.

El Capri is a bit removed from the nightclubs of downtown Phoenix's Latin circuit, both in its location and its selection of music. You don't hear much in the way of Pitbull, Romeo Santos, Marc Anthony, and other overplayed artists in either of the two dance halls inside this long-running Central Phoenix discoteca. The emphasis at El Capri is on dancing to regional styles of traditional Mexican music, including sinaloense, duranguense, tejano, and grupero, as well as popular norteño and ranchera. All of it comes courtesy of DJs and such live bands as Patrulla 81, Conjunto Primavera, and La Maquinaria Norteña, which get novios y novias stepping lively across the dance floor. Gringos and monolinguists be warned, however; pretty much everything's en español here, including most of the clientele, but if you're fluent in body language and eye contact, you might be lucky enough to land a dance.

La Santisima isn't just about giant, delicious tacos or a salsa bar with more varieties than you can dream of; it's also about the tequila and the aguas frescas. If you're having trouble deciding on which of the two should accompany your spicy meal, why not marry the two into a tamarind margarita? The boozy concoction blends tart, tangy, and pulpy housemade tamarindo aguas and Casadores tequila for a $9 drink you'll be hooked on after your first sip. Just don't get too hooked, because the drink is made only on weekends. You'll just have to wait until then to get your fix. Sorry.

Readers Choice: Z'Tejas