October 21. Lunch At Salsa Brava In Flagstaff, Arizona.

We're driving into Flagstaff, Arizona for a night.

Where to eat? We consult the Garmin and the AAA TourGuide to Arizona and both turn us towards Salsa Brava. WHOOT! Hip-check! And HIGH FIVE!!

I'm still continuing my love affair with Mexican food so Salsa Brava seemed like the perfect place.

Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, I walk into a Guy Fierri one.

Upon entering, we are immediately greeted (grated?) by the smug smile of a douche - Guy Fierri, douchily and pretentiously over-enunciated as fee-YEH-tee. Guido's been hanging with Giada too much. Apparently, he'd visited here on one of his Diners/Drive Ins/And Dives shows. In spite of this fact, I didn't let this deter me. With head held high, I entered the restaurant. I'm glad I did.

Salsa Brava Facts: Your food is always made to order. We never start without YOU! We have a scratch kitchen! All of our handmade salsas are made fresh, right here, every day! Our rice is made three times daily and our hand mashed beans are made twice daily! (Exclamation points theirs not mine.) Our chicken and pork are all natural, antibiotic and hormone free. Our choice top sirloin is hand trimmed daily. We hand cut 800 pounds of fresh tomatoes every week. Our cheese is from Wisconsin, always aged ... it costs more but you're worth it! We use only 100% cholesterol free Canola oil. No lard. No MSG. Ever. FREE WI-FI. Enjoy your favorite margarita and get connected.

In the center back there is a Salsa Bar, which I helped myself to. Numerous times. Here it is, blurred.

There's a tomatilla salsa, a Pico de Gallo, a Pineapple Habanero Salsa, and a hot fire roasted tomato chipotle salsa with smoked jalapenos and caramelized onions. I couldn't pick a favorite and had to go back several times for samples.

Here's my terrific Baja Taco with lightly fried fish and coleslaw.

Mr. Hawthorne got a Carnita with some of the best shredded pork I've eaten. I'm thinking about taking a pork loin when I get home, marinating it with some hot peppers among other ingredients overnight, then popping it into my slo-kukker, adding some other seasonings and making this.

If you're ever around Flagstaff, do yourself a favor and go to Salsa Brava. This was an excellent meal. And I bought their cookbook, so expect me to be whuppin' up a mess o' Mexican when I get home.

As I'm taking pictures of the framed poster of Guido, Mr. Hawthorne is reading it, "Scratch made and off da hook." Mr. Hawthorne: "What the hell does that mean?" Oh Guy, because it can't be said often enough, "Bite me!"