Credit: Courtesy Steak 44

While the Super Bowl always brings a crowd, this year promises to be something else entirely with the big game kicking off this Sunday at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona just a few days after the Pro Bowl and the Phoenix Open Phoenix Open wrap up. Add in a prime match-up Friday night between the Suns and the Chicago Bulls, and let’s just say this is a dream sports week in the Southwest.

And those sports fans have to eat. "Scottsdale is a foodie town," says Lorenzo Alexander, a linebacker and special teams standout for the hometown Arizona Cardinals. "I was surprised by the different types of restaurants, the top chefs in the area. It's a great place to come out and try food in general. Healthy food, fast food, high end food, you get the whole spectrum."

But if there's one thing the Valley of the Sun excels in, it's steak. Possibly one of the best places to eat it in the entire Southwest, these five places stand out for their choice cuts, great drinks, and clientele that includes plenty of athletes and stars in town for the festivities. 

Steak 44^[1] 

You may know Mastro’s name from the steakhouses he and his family started in Arizona and then sold to a private equity firm which took the chain national. The Mastros launched this steakhouse–which veers from the classic style in favor of a more modern look–in April and it’s already known as one of the top destinations in the area for both meat eaters and those looking for a little more variety (corn crème brulee and crispy shrimp, for example) than what’s on the typical menu. "It’s not just your scotch-drinking, dark wood kind of crowd," says Mastro.

Located: 5101 North 44th St., Phoenix
25 miles from University of Phoenix Stadium

RELATED: The New Old Scotsdale ^[2]

City Hall 
^[3]

"My top pick is City Hall," says Lorenzo Alexander, who loves a rib-eye with a Cajun style rub and picks the Patriots as his Super Bowl winner. "It’s kind of in the middle of everything. Old Scottsdale, the W Hotel, a lot of the parties and clubs and bars are right there. When teams come to play us, they say they’re going to City Hall, so I imagine guys who are here for the game will shoot over there and there will be sightings of some guys at some point."

Located: Camelback Executive Park, 6991 East Camelback Rd., Scottsdale
27 miles from University of Phoenix Stadium

Durant’s 
^[4]

If you’re looking for a classic steakhouse vibe, Durant’s, in business for 65 years, is your place. Enter through the back door and through the kitchen to see the grillmasters in action and you’ll find yourself in a dark dining room surrounded by red leather booths. Carol McElroy’s family has been involved in Durant’s since the start, and endorses the steak scene in Arizona: "This is the southwest, so steak is very popular. It’s certainly not on the state flag with the Saguaro cactus, but it would be right up there." If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, take a crack at the restaurant’s 48-oz. porterhouse. If you can finish it off solo, you’ll get your name on the wall for eternity, along with a complimentary slice of strawberry shortcake.

Located: 2611 North Central Ave., Phoenix
17 miles from University of Phoenix Stadium

Del Frisco’s Grille

(Courtesy Del Frisco's Grille)^[5]

If you’ve ever come across a Del Frisco’s Double Eagle, perhaps in Dallas, Denver or Las Vegas, and enjoy the "I’m definitely in a steakhouse atmosphere," but are looking for something a little lighter or less time-consuming, it’s worth checking out the Del Frisco’s Grille in Phoenix. There’s plenty of meat here, no doubt -- two sizes of filet, a New York strip and a ribeye – but you also get a nice selection of flatbreads, burgers and a kale and Brussels sprout salad.

Located: 2425 E Camelback Rd., Ste 110, Phoenix
22 miles from University of Phoenix Stadium

RELATED: How to Cook a Steak to Perfection 
^[6]

Dominick’s Steakhouse^[7] 

The Cardinals players consider this one of their favorite destinations for a team meal thanks to a list that includes a great bone-in filet or the broiled veal chop. This is also part of the Mastro’s new group of restaurants, so if you find a favorite one night at Steak 44, you might see it on the menu here, too.

Located: Scottsdale Quarter, 15169 North Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale
31 miles from University of Phoenix Stadium

Get the latest in gear, style, travel & adventure news delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up now for the Men's Journal newsletter.^[8]

References

1. ^{^} Steak 44 (www.steak44.com)
2. ^{^} RELATED: The New Old Scotsdale  (www.mensjournal.com)
3. ^{^} City Hall  (www.mastrosrestaurants.com)
4. ^{^} Durant’s  (www.durantsaz.com)
5. ^{^} Del Frisco’s Grille (delfriscosgrille.com)
6. ^{^} RELATED: How to Cook a Steak to Perfection  (www.mensjournal.com)
7. ^{^} Dominick’s Steakhouse (www.dominickssteakhouse.com)
8. ^{^} Sign up now (www.mensjournal.com)

Credit: Jonathan Ferrey / Getty Images

Seattle and Boston, the home cities of our Super Bowl contenders, are two of America's finest beer towns with deep roots in craft brewing. We whittled down each city's best beers down to three crowd pleasers available regionally or nationally.

Seattle Seahawks:

Elysian Space Dust IPA
This high-powered (7.2-percent) India pale ale is packed with citrus-flavored hops from Washington's farms. Matched with a relatively lighter body for the strength, this rich IPA goes down easy and will leave plenty of room for pizza and wings. 

RELATED: The 100 Best Beers in the World^[1]

Pike Stout
Hailing from Seattle's historic Pike Place Market, this strong, English export-style stout weighs in at 7-percent ABV. Pike Brewing used traditional dark-roasted malts and English yeast, but then boosted the hops to better balance big cocoa and coffee flavors. 

RELATED: The Classic Super Bowl Party Recipes, Made Better^[2]

Redhook ESB
This longtime craft beer mainstay is a hybrid of the English extra special bitter (ESB) and American amber ale. The result is a not-so-bitter, balanced ale that pairs mild citrus hops with gentle toasted barley.

New England Patriots (Boston):

Pretty Things Jack D'or
This eccentric Boston brewery uses classic beer styles more for inspiration than guidance. Its Jack D'or is a perfect example of that, with the Pretty Things brewers creating their own take on the spicy, crisp saison ales of southern Belgium.

Trillium Fort Point Pale Ale
Possibly the best beer in Boston, or at least the most buzzed about, this pale ale features a massive hop character, but over a dry, easy-to-drink body and without the knockout bitter finish of an IPA. 

Sam Adams Noble Pils
Boston Lager is a classic, but this light-bodied pilsner is a crowd pleaser that washes down chips and salsa just as well as it appeases hop heads. The Sam Adams brewers add a blend of five classic German hops that bring bright European hop flavors with a toasty balance of barley.

Get the latest in gear, style, travel & adventure news delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up now for the Men’s Journal newsletter.^[3]

References

1. ^{^} RELATED: The 100 Best Beers in the World (www.mensjournal.com)
2. ^{^} RELATED: The Classic Super Bowl Party Recipes, Made Better (www.mensjournal.com)
3. ^{^} Sign up now (www.mensjournal.com)

While certainly associated with a standard catalog of ingredients, nachos—with all its parts thrown in one pan and then baked together—seem almost invented to be played with. Even in its most basic form (tortilla chips, cheese, black beans, salsa, guacamole, sour cream), the dish is already engineered for gustatory surprises and so, naturally, experimentation. Because no two bites will ever be the same, there aren’t actually any real rules for nacho ingredient ratios. More cheese? Why not. A bite that is largely loaded in guacamole? Go for it.  

RELATED: The 6 Best Salsas to Buy Right Now ^[1]

More and more, Americans have begun to tap into the full potential of nachos, taking this classic fare beyond its usual set of fixings. As perhaps expected, a lot of nacho innovation is concentrated in California, with Los Angeles leading the movement. There is, for instance, an LA Nacho Truck^[2] that solely sells twists on the classic nacho. Homestate^[3]—located on Hollywood Boulevard but calling itself “A Texas Kitchen”—serves a pretty simple twist on nachos called “Frito Pie In A Bag,” in which tortilla chips are replaced with the American corn chip. LA’s Tinga^[4], whose “Cochinita Pibil Nachos” includes braised pork marinated with orange and achiote, and then topped with pickled onions, habanero salsa, Monterey jack, guacamole, and queso fresco. Except for the braised pork, the rest of the ingredients are only slight spins on the usual toppings—but they make a difference. Gus's^[5] also puts pulled pig on their nachos, but takes it a step further with their homemade bean topping comprised of with bacon, black beans, pinto baked beans, beer, jalapeño, onions, bourbon, garlic, brown sugar. Other places offer a more fusion cuisine inspired spin on their nachos, such as Brooklyn’s Kimchi Grill^[6], which adds marinated Korean BBQ beef and spicy seared pork to their “BBQ Nachos,” as well as similarly Korean-inflected toppings such as fresh kimchi, green onion, and miso crema. Primo’s^[7], an unsuspecting Italian restaurant in Boone, North Carolina, serve “Italian Nachos” that have a special cheddar-alfredo sauce with spicy sausage and jalapenos, topped with black olives, tomatoes, and basil.

RELATED: Easy to Make BBQ Chicken Tacos 
^[8]

This new take on the snack might appear to class it up, but this basic fact stays the same: making the dish remains really easy. Chips covered in melted cheese and whatever other toppings you pick are a conventional staple of any Super Bowl gathering, and you can easily spice up both the dish and your party just by adding a few unexpected ingredients. And when you do that, the world is your nacho plate.

Primo's Restaurant's^[9] "Italian Nachos" 

Ingredients:

For Nachos & Cheese Sauce:

• 3 oz. Chorizo Sausage (ground)
• 1/2 bag of White Corn Chips (roughly 8 oz)
• 1 1/2 c. Alfredo Sauce
• 1/2 c. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 2 T c. Sliced Pickled Jalapenos

For Toppings:

• 1/4 c. Sliced Black Olives
• 1 Small Tomato or 1-2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
• 1 Clove of Garlic, Finely Chopped
• 1/4 tsp Dried Basil
• 1 T Olive Oil
• 2 T Shredded Parmesan

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Brown the chorizo sausage.  
3. Dice the tomatoes.  Chop the garlic.  In a medium size bowl, add the olive oil, basil, and garlic and stir to mix.  Then add the tomatoes and toss to coat with the oil mixture.  Set aside.
4. Start the cheese sauce.  Heat up the alfredo sauce in a saucepan on medium heat until it is hot enough to melt the cheese.  Add the cheese and stir over low-medium heat until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.  Add the cooked chorizo and jalapeños to the cheese sauce.  Use immediately, or keep warm over low heat.
5. When oven is heated, spread the chips out on a sheet pan.  Bake for about 2-3 minutes to bring out the flavor, usually you can tell they are ready when you begin to smell them. (Baking the chips is optional, but we think it makes the nachos better.  You can use chips straight out of the bag and they will still be great).
6. Assemble your nachos!  We do it on a pizza pan, but feel free to keep them on your sheet pan.  Pour the cheese sauce over the chips evenly.  Spoon the tomato mixture over the cheese.   Scatter the olives, then finally top with the shredded parmesan.  

Easy Brisket Nachos

You can do easy nachos by dumping some cheese, beans, and guacamole on top of some chips, or you can do easy nachos with brisket with fresh garlic and fresh pico de gallo. Sure, leftover brisket works well, but if you want to get creative ^[10]and cook it yourself, that's also highly suggested. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups mixed pinto and black beans
• Jarred or fresh jalapenos, chopped or sliced
• Canola oil for heating up the brisket
• 2 cups shredded beef brisket (plus pan drippings as needed)
• 1 can enchilada sauce (enough to moisten brisket)
• Half bag of tortilla chips (double this if you want to serve more)
• 2 cups (or more) grated Monterey Jack and yellow Wisconsin cheddar 
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Chipotle hot sauce (Cholula or Tabasco should work)
• Minced garlic
• Fresh lime
• Pico de gallo (We suggest fresh and siple, something like Emeril Lagasse's recipe^[11]) 

Beans

Heat up the beans in a pan and add in ground black pepper, chipotle hot sauce, minced garlic, and jalapenos. Add as much as you'd like, but take care not to overpower the entire dish. 

Brisket

1. Preheat the broiler.
2. In a very hot skillet, add a bit of canola oil and the brisket.
3. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes to get it a little blackened.
4. Pour the enchilada sauce over the meat. If you have them, also add a bit of the pan fat from the brisket-cooking process (or a bit of beef broth works, as does a good stout like Guinness--just enough to bring the meat to a nice moist consistency).
5. Stir to combine and remove from the heat.

To assemble:

1. In a heatproof dish, evenly layer the tortilla chips, beans, brisket, and cheese and bake them for 3 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
2. Take the plate out and let it cool off for a moment, then add the pico de gallo.
3. Squeeze lime on top and serve.

Get the latest in gear, style, travel & adventure news delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up now for the Men's Journal newsletter.^[12]

References

1. ^{^} RELATED: The 6 Best Salsas to Buy Right Now  (www.mensjournal.com)
2. ^{^} LA Nacho Truck (www.nachotruckla.com)
3. ^{^} Homestate (www.myhomestate.com)
4. ^{^} Tinga (tingalabrea.com)
5. ^{^} Gus's (www.gussbbq.com)
6. ^{^} Kimchi Grill (www.kimchitacotruck.com)
7. ^{^} Primo’s (boonepizzapasta.com)
8. ^{^} RELATED: Easy to Make BBQ Chicken Tacos  (www.mensjournal.com)
9. ^{^} Primo's Restaurant's (boonepizzapasta.com)
10. ^{^} get creative (www.mensjournal.com)
11. ^{^} Emeril Lagasse's recipe (www.foodnetwork.com)
12. ^{^} Sign up now (www.mensjournal.com)

Given the rise of new roasting techniques^[6], fussy techniques, and revival drinks, the coffee shop is  a place with often odd, shifting rules and behavior expectations. In truth, while it can all feel a bit like an artisanal spin on Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi, but these rules, or strongly suggested ordering guidelines, are not without purpose. These are the reasons why specialty coffee shops are called specialty: They know what they’re doing, even if you don’t think they do. 

It’s that mentality that has lead specialty chains like the Chicago-based  Intelligentsia^[7], which roasts it own coffee, to opt for a kind of compromise when it comes to service, often making drinks to the company’s standards and then, if the customer doesn’t like it, remaking it to his or her exact specifications. As Intelligentsia’s retail educator Marty Sweeney put it in an email: “We want all customers to feel welcomed in our coffee bars. We try to be as accommodating as we can, within reason.”  We asked Sweeney about a few of the not-so-preferred things customers requested, and he told us how Intelligentsia responds. Just a warning: If you’re looking for a “No coffee for you!” attitude, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. 

RELATED: The New Coffee Roasting Arms Race^[8] 

1. 1. Don’t Espresso to go
    First, the problem with ordering espresso or macchiatos to go: the demitasse-sized paper cups will have your espresso going cold quickly, and with the vague taste of paper to boot. Intelligentsia baristas encourage customers to have it in ceramic, often while holding a demitasse in demonstration. “One of the worst feelings is having a barista size you up, decide you probably don't know what you want, and say, ‘Our macchiatos are this size,’’ Sweeney says.  
2. Don’t Dictate Temperature 
   “Intelligentsia baristas are very precise with their milk-temperatures, we like to shoot for around 140 degrees for lattes, as that tends to be where our drinks taste the sweetest,” Sweeney says. Sometimes, on a day that might feature something like a Polar Vortex, customers will want a latte with boiling milk, which doesn’t really work because milk tends to cook and curdle. Your best bet is to ask the barista to preheat the cup with hot water before making your drink in it, because even nice the guy baristas at Intelligentsia will only make your drink “slightly hotter.” 
3. Skip the “Foam"
    You may have noticed that “foam” is absent in the world of specialty coffee, mostly because of the fact that it doesn’t integrate well with espresso and creates drinks more about dichotomy than homogeny. (This was, coincidentally, part of the impetus for the creation of the flat white^[9]) Sweeney says they’ll aerate the milk and scoop foam onto drinks for customers if they demand it, but adds, in a rare bit of candor, “It’s not a drink many of our baristas would order.” 
4. …As Well as the Iced cappuccinos
   Also absent at most specialty shops are iced cappuccinos, or anything that involves icing hot drinks. Sweeney has an easy out with this one, and that’s that health code is very tricky when it comes to this kind of thing. Also, it’s not suggested because icing hot drinks, no matter the ratio of liquid to ice, will make for a watered down beverage. 
5. 5. Keep It Under 12 oz. 
    If you go to a shop that has a 12 oz latte as the large size, it’s generally pretty unwise — if not impossible — to try to order a 16 oz drink, and it’s generally safe to just stick to what the shop offers on its menu. “We let them know that our 12 oz drinks and our 16 oz drinks have the same amount of espresso, the bigger drink just has more milk. As a result, the 16 oz can taste a little weak.” Sweeney says. 
6. ”Iced" espressos Don’t Come With Ice
    Iced espresso is generally going to be pulled onto a small amount of cold water and served to stay in a small cup. The cold water is to prevent an espresso from being shocked into bitterness by ice, and the small cup to stay is to prevent a customer from adding enough milk to give themselves an iced latte for the price of an espresso, which a lot of people see as frugal or clever, but what is really, in a small way, cheating a coffee shop.

   If there’s one thing we’ve all learned in the past ten years of the coffee explosion, it’s that the drink is versatile, and people like to exploit that versatility. But specialty shops aren’t here to showcase how coffee tastes with caramel and froth^[10], and their offerings are what they are for a reason: to highlight the coffee. A lot of shops aren’t as friendly as Intelligentsia, but that’s because they’re a nationwide chain and supplier. At any rate, here’s a tip: Kindly explain to your barista exactly what it is that you want. And then, let them take that information and make your drink. It’ll be good, even if he’s grumpy.

Get the latest in gear, style, travel & adventure news delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up now for the Men's Journal newsletter.^[11]

References

1. ^{^} Food & Drink (www.mensjournal.com)
2. ^{^} Close (www.mensjournal.com)
3. ^{^} Share on Facebook (www.facebook.com)
4. ^{^} Email (www.mensjournal.com)
5. ^{^} Print (www.mensjournal.com)
6. ^{^} Given the rise of new roasting techniques (www.mensjournal.com)
7. ^{^} Intelligentsia (www.intelligentsiacoffee.com)
8. ^{^} RELATED: The New Coffee Roasting Arms Race (www.mensjournal.com)
9. ^{^} flat white (www.mensjournal.com)
10. ^{^} caramel and froth (www.starbucks.com)
11. ^{^} Sign up now (www.mensjournal.com)

Credit: Emilie Duchesne / Getty Images

We love our beef. Sizzling steaks and juicy burgers are a staple of the American diet, with the average man devouring 6.9 ounces each day. But it's a tough time for the beef industry as people turn their backs on the industrial meat complex, with its heavy-handed hormone and antibiotic treatments — not to mention the crowded feedlots. And with beef prices 15 percent higher than they were last year (and rising thanks to the drought out west), carnivores are left looking for an alternative. They may find it in another hulking ruminant: bison.

Bison meat is high in protein, low in fat, and stocked on many store shelves. Even though demand currently outpaces supply, things might soon change as more ranchers enter the market and expand their herds. Yes, bison meat costs more than beef (average wholesale price is about 1.5 times more expensive), but as beef prices creep higher, bison looks like a better and better option. It’s illegal to use growth hormones on bison, and they’re grass fed. And because they’re adapted to life on the prairie, raising them is environmentally friendlier, too.

RELATED: 8 Alternative Burgers to Grill This Weekend
^[1]

If you’ve never bought bison meat before, start with the National Bison Association’s^[2] Bison Finder app. Using your current location, it tells you the ranches, restaurants, and retailers nearby that sell bison meat, which now include stores like Whole Foods and Costco. It also links you to websites that explain bison meat’s merits, offer recipes, and refer you to books on the topic.

Bison cuts generally reflect what you get from cattle (think sirloin, rib, flank, and brisket). You can substitute bison for anything that calls for beef. “It’s a very versatile meat,” says Dave Carter, the director of the National Bison Association.

Many first-time bison chefs start with ground meat, which you can use in bison chili, burgers, or meat sauce. The National Bison Association also has a number of recipes^[3] on its website. If you're willing to go straight for the steaks, cook them on the grill until they're medium rare. (It will take less time than beef because it’s leaner.) If you're using a thermometer, wait until the steaks reach 145 degrees Fahrenheit so they don't get too tough, advises Carter. Enjoy it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.

References

1. ^{^} RELATED: 8 Alternative Burgers to Grill This Weekend (www.mensjournal.com)
2. ^{^} National Bison Association’s (www.bisoncentral.com)
3. ^{^} number of recipes (www.bisoncentral.com)