Saturday, December 12, 2009

Another Reason to Love Cave Creek- It's Easy To Do


Here is another installment in an occasional series extolling the virtues of our little town Cave Creek. Our many and varied eateries have long made Cave Creek both a destination for tourists, and a haven for snow birders who return each winter. Recently, a new establishment has opened, garnering instant acclaim due to the hard work of its owner. Take a bow, Bryan's Black Mountain Barbecue.

We recently had the pleasure of taking lunch there with some out of town guests. I sampled the pulled pork sandwich, which was delicious and moist. My friend partook of the two meat combo, while the ladies each took a half slab of pork ribs. All were impressed with the preparation and taste. The ribs were smoky and tender and came out piping hot. My wife also had the baked potato salad, which to clarify, is a potato salad in which the spuds themselves are baked, so it is not a hot dish, it has amazing texture and spicing, in a word- Yum. Also, recommended is "our famous olive coleslaw". We had tried it with some friends at the recent "Taste of Cave Creek" festival. To admit, we had taken one bite and not really liked it. Boy, were we wrong! The second bite somehow drags you in and you quickly realize how scrumptious it is.

Located at 6130 East Cave Creek Road in Las Tiendas, they are closed on Sunday and Monday. And remember, it is freshly prepared so it will take a few minutes to arrive cos it ain't fast food, it's real food.

You're Welcome!

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Cave Creek Gets A Boost From Walmart

The town of Cave Creek was recently involved in a minor kerfuffle regarding the re-zoning of a parcel of land on which Walmart were proposing to build a new store.

The town folk were overwhelmingly in favor of such a development, indeed the last council elections were a virtual referendum on the issue, with those for it being voted in, and those against being shown the door. In fact, four incumbents were defeated by four newcomers. Pretty decisive.

Naturally, this did not discourage the usual crew from central casting, including many non-residents, in mounting their knee-jerk reaction campaign to defeat the great Satan--- Walmart.

They succeeded in having the issue placed on the ballot in a special election and were resoundingly defeated, as expected. They did succeed in delaying the start of the project, therefore denying the town much needed revenue for another eleven months. Thankfully, cooler heads have prevailed and the tax revenue will prevent the need for a property tax, something for which we should all be grateful. Not only will the revenue derive from an estimated catchment area of 30,000 people from surrounding communities, thereby spreading the "load" but Walmart will also bring around 300 much needed new jobs to the area.

All in all, a good thing for our little town.

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Another Good Reason To Make Cave Creek Your Home

Cave Creek, which I am proud to call home, is a great little western town with an eclectic mix of art stores, restaurants and bars, plus antiques and collectibles sprinkled throughout the town core. Add in the awesome Spur Cross Conservation Area with its many and varied hiking trails, and Cave Creek makes a great destination for a visitor on a day out. It also makes for a great place to live.
Many creekers are over-achievers and the latest incarnation of that trait is the monthly (first Saturday) "Thieves Market" situated for the most part in the parking lot behind Big Earl's Greasy Eats. It is an open-air market that brings together a mixture of both local merchants displaying their wares, plus vendors who come up for the day. All manner of arts, crafts, metal-works, vinyl records, clothing (both new and antique), BBQ equipment, jewelry, massage, bric-a-brac, concrete statues, antiques and Americana is on display. Grab a cup of coffee and stroll around. This week I even saw a WWII Japanese rifle. There is truly something for everyone. Come up for the shopping, then stay for lunch at one of our many great eating establishments. You could stay on site and enjoy one of Big Earl's legendary burgers. Or you could cross the street and eat at the newly-opened, and extremely popular, Bryan's Black Mountain Barbeque. (I'll be writing more about that eatery next time).

See you at the next Thieves Market on January 2nd, 2010, it is a blast. And maybe you'll fall in love with Cave Creek just like I did.
(Photo courtesy of Sonoran News)