Tucked between a broken-down, red cocktail parlor and a small, dirty employment agency on Seventh Avenue in Phoenix, there sits a little place I'd like to call heaven.
Instead of Saint Peter, there is a man selling turquoise jewelry; instead of the Pearly Gates, there is a sign that shines "open" in marvelous neon letters.
Inside emanates a scent so heavenly, it could only mean one thing: Indian fry bread.
Welcome to the Fry Bread House (4140 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix), a Tohono O'odham-run restaurant that serves - you guessed it - all sorts of Indian fry bread.
Indian fry bread is a traditional Native American cuisine made up of, well, fried bread. The bread is rolled flat and fried, then topped with anything from beans to honey. I always thought Indian fry bread was a treat only available at the Arizona State Fair, so you can imagine my excitement when I discovered the Fry Bread House one afternoon.
The quaint building near one of Phoenix's historic districts looks like it was once a duplex. But a walk through the front door reveals a simple, fast food-looking restaurant where the booths are plastic and the carbs are plentiful.
Menu items include Indian fry bread (of course) with a variety of toppings, tacos, and, much to my surprise, vegetarian tacos.
The bread itself is fried to perfection - a golden crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. While all the fry bread on the menu looked and smelled absolutely amazing, it was the dessert that I couldn't keep my hands off of.
For a sweet (and oh-so-unhealthy) treat, try the fry bread with honey and powdered sugar. The crisp dryness of the bread topped with the sweet, sticky honey will make you close your eyes while you eat to savor each bite.
Another great aspect of the Fry Bread House is that almost every menu item costs less than $5, so you can fill up on delicious fry bread with beans and have fry bread with honey for dessert, all for less than $10.
It's a cheap, delicious and extremely unhealthy treat that even healthy eaters should forsake their diets to try.
Reach the reporter at: tara.brite@asu.edu.
