Eliana's

If you're tired of the usual Mexican chain restaurant fare, try Eliana's.

Oh. My. God.

Eliana's is a family-owned restaurant featuring food from El Salvador. Our server was the owner, father of the namesake Eliana, and an amazing salesman. (Be prepared for the upsell on drinks, appetizers, desserts - and do what he says. He knows what he's talking about.)

We started with pupusas, grilled masa (corn) patties stuffed with cheese, grilled bell peppers, and optional pork. It's a little oily but absolutely delicious. I could easily have a few of those as a meal and leave very satisfied. We also tried platanos con fritos, fried plantains served with refried beans and sour cream. The combination of the slightly sweet platanos with refried beans and sour cream is different, but surprisingly good.

The special of the night was rice cooked with chicken, shrimp, peas and carrots (possibly called arroz de valencia, my meat-taster can't remember). They also had a fish dish that brings the fish out whole, something my friend who spent a semester in Mexico was brave enough to try. At a table of 16 attendees, every single person was happy with their meal. Impressive.

We were all so full of pupusas, platanos and entrees that we skipped dessert entirely. Kind of disappointing - I was looking forward to the sweet platanos fried and served with ice cream, or to try the flan and see if it was different from the Mexican version I'm used to. But I'll do that the next time - this is definitely a place we'll be going back to.

Find it! - Eliana's, 1627 N. 24th St., Phoenix; north of McDowell on 24th St. (602) 225-2925.

McAlpine's Soda Fountain

First off, McAlpine's has a big orange sign outside that's kind of hard to miss. (Other than the Suns, I don't know who uses that much orange.) It says "coffee shop" then has antique furniture on the walk in front, just off 7th Street. Walk inside, and you're in an old-style soda fountain that's been in the same spot since the 1920's.

When you walk in, you feel like you're in the 1920's. Jukebox, soda fountain, old Coca-Cola ads adorning the walls. The menu has a story about the restaurant on the inside cover, including the rumor about Wayne Newton getting his start there and stories about other famous Phoenicians who ate there - almost an "I knew them when..." story. For the restaurant. That's longevity.

The back flap of the menu has old-time drinks too - malts, phosphates, egg cremes. It also includes their dessert menu, which features Thrifty ice cream. Does anyone else remember the Thrifty ice cream carts inside Osco's? When I was a kid, it was a big deal to get a scoop. So now, I'm a sucker for any place that serves Thrifty ice cream. The Thrifty ice cream arrives as malts, banana splits, floats, sundaes, or in a simple cone. I'm happy.

The menu is fairly standard fare - burgers, hot dogs, egg salad sandwiches, that sort of thing. Couple exceptions: tonight, their daily special was a pulled pork sandwich, which my friend said was good; also, they don't have french fries. Their potato salad - which normally, I'm not a fan of - is delicious. It's made fresh with red potatoes, and definitely taste like it's cooked in small batches, not the bland version you get at grocery store delis. But for me, the culinary draw is the Thrifty ice cream.

To add to the old-time feel, McAlpine's also plays host to an antique store. Like most antique stores, it's got an eclectic mix of old furniture, scary-old Coca Cola in bottles, and assorted Budweiser collector beer steins from the '80s. Fun to look at, but probably not a place serious treasure hunters would go antiquing. (Is that how you spell it?)

Find it! - 2303 N. 7th St., Phoenix, (602) 262-5545, open 11am-7pm Sunday-Thursday, open 11am-8pm Friday and Saturday.