Good Egg Award: Best gyro

Best gyro: Haji Baba

Haji Baba, which I affectionately refer to as “Haji’s,” is nothing fancy.

Really.

The restaurant shares a building with a middle eastern market. Upon walking in, one of the waitstaff will waive you in the direction of one of their woodgrain formica tables. Order middle eastern faves such as falafel, shawarma and hummus. But the reason I continue to drive the 20 minutes it takes from my home in Phoenix to Tempe: the Gyro Plate ($6.99).

This giant combination plate includes a pile of gyros meat covered in yogurt sauce, fluffy rice, a simple salad and a piece of pita bread. I  like to liberally shake sumac, a purple powder available at the table, over my dish. The taste is subtle, but it looks pretty. A more zippy addition, Sriracha.

Tip: The plates are enormous. Consider sharing.

1513 E. Apache Boulevard
Tempe, AZ
(480) 894-1905

Good Egg Award: Best hangover meal

Best hangover meal: Torta Del Rey + Aqua Fresca @ Los Reyes de la Torta

The morning following a night of excessive drinking, there are probably a few thoughts going through your head:
Did I really need that last drink?
Am I going to barf?
Why didn’t I drink more water and take an Advil last night?
I need something greasy.

That something greasy could be — no SHOULD be — a Del Rey Torta ($7.99) from Los Reyes del Torta. Imagine a sandwich bun filled with 6 or 7 different types of meat (including chorizo and mini hot-dogs), eggs, avocado, cheese and jalapenos. Visions of a heart attack will completely replace any thoughts of a hangover.

To complement this meat explosion, order an Aqua Fresca ($3.25. I like lime), a frosty fruit drink that tastes like a fruity cool breeze in a glass.

Tip: If hung over, don’t make the mistake of ordering the healthy-sounding Vampiro. While a medley of blended veggies might sound like a good idea, “it’s about as refreshing as the contents of a garbage disposal, ” noted one friend as he ogled the Aqua Fresca.

Los Reyes de la Torta
9230 N. 7th St.
Phoenix, AZ

Good Egg Award: Best Japanese Market

Best Japanese Market: Fujiya Market

Sure Ranch and Lee Lee’s are amazing Asian Food markets. There’s no disputing that.

But your best bet for a Japanese convenience store experience, try Fujiya Market.

Find boxed curries, candy and a fish cakes in all shapes and sizes. A limited selection of produce (daikon radishes and other strange-looking roots), and usually an assortment of bento boxes and donburi bowls (rice bowl). On the occasional Saturday, they’ll make takoyaki (octopus balls) fresh in store.

For all those Japanophiles, there are Japanese TV shows and videos for rent to brush up on language skills.

Fujiya Market
1335 W University Dr.
Tempe, AZ 85281

Good Egg Award: Best brow-tamer

Best brow-tamer: Koltton Fox @ Stephen Paul Salon

I like Koltton Fox, brow shaper extraordinaire, and not just because he tamed my rough eyebrows.

I visited Fox at his studio in the Stephen Paul Salon in downtown Scottsdale. As I situated myself on his plush table, sounds of ocean waves crashed in the background. “When did you last pluck? When were you last waxed?” he asked as he sized them up.

“It’s been awhile,” I said, an understatement.

With that, he started applying wax.

I jumped right in asking him how he got into the brow biz. Fox is a pretty strapping, young-ish dude. I might be guilty of stereotyping, but he’s not really the kind of guy I’d take for a talented aesthetician.

“I started out in aviation — and did some stupid things as a kid — and couldn’t go back.”

Okay…there’s some unexpected candor.

As he considers my brow follicles, I pepper him with more questions about his work. Fox is also a facialist, and has his own product line of face and body products coming out soon.

He volunteers at the Children’s hospital, where he noticed that many patients have skin problems — to the point of not wanting to be touched. This spurred him to add Nicitinic Acid, a B vitamin, to his body products, making them good for extremely sensitive skin.

He has an interest in Chinese herbology, which explains the addition of Fo Ti, a common herb used in Chinese healing, to his body products.

The body line will be mostly vegan.

I’m liking him more and more.

He continues painstakingly plucking, intermittantly asking if I’m okay. (I was. I didn’t feel a thing).

When he’s done with the shaping, he offers some suggestions about putting my best brows forward: Maybe a little powder here and here will fill out the sparse spots.

So I won’t look like you took a face-first trip across a long carpet, he pats a little SPF concealer over the area to tone the redness down.

He’d like to see me with slightly thinner brows…but will wait until he’s seen how they grow — until he knows them better.

He will get to know them better.

Koltton Fox at Stephen Paul Salon
7045 E. 3rd Ave.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(480) 603-1002

Good egg award: Best meal under $5

Best meal under $5: BBQ Pork Sandwich and Chrysanthamum Tea with Boba @ Lee’s Sandwiches

I’ll gladly drive the 25 minutes to Chandler to get a Lee’s Sandwich. Delicious French bread baked in-house plus the combination of tangy pickled veggies, fresh cilantro, spicy jalepenos and sweet barbecued meat equals enjoyable sandwich.

Cool down the heat with some iced tea, made even better with some chewy gelatin balls. “Drinks aren’t supposed to be chewed!” says my sister of all boba teas. If that echos your sentiments, then you can get the tea sans balls…but I think they’re amazing.

According to Lee’s Website, the sandwich is only 340 calories — not a bad tally for something that feels nothing like a healthy lunch…and rings in for under $3.

Suggestion: As a sauce-y girl and like to put a touch of mayo on my sandwich for a little more
moisture — but it does add a few more calories and fat grams.

Lee’s Sandwiches
1901 W Warner Rd
Chandler, AZ 85224
(480) 855-1778
Open Daily 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Good egg award: Best cold-weather meal

Best cold-weather meal: Udon Suki @ Cherry Blossom Noodle Cafe

In my opinion, Cherry Blossom is the best place in town for home-style Japanese food. It’s not a sushi bar. It has the food you actually eat if you’re in Japan: Rice bowls, noodle dishes and hot pots, to name a few.

Mmmm, hot pot.

Udon Suki, $11.60,  is a giant hot pot filled with delicious broth, udon noodles, beef, tofu, cabbage, and a raw egg — which cooks in the hot soup. This dish only available in the winter months, a testament to it’s warm-you-from-the-inside power.

Suggestion: Ask for an extra bowl, or a side of rice to cool the first few bites or you’ll be picking a layer of skin of the inside of your mouth.

Cherry Blossom Noodle Cafe
914 East Camelback Road
Phoenix, AZ 85014
(602) 248-9090

Good egg award: Best nail spot

Best nail spot: Elle’s Nails
I’ve paid a lot for a manicure and pedicure, but even the swankier spots don’t compare to my nearby fave,  Elle’s Nails.

“They really pay attention to you,” says my sister after a holiday trip for pretty fingers and toes.

Indeed they do. They don’t skimp on the rubs, sometimes going on for like 10-15 minutes, they do a bang-up job with polish, and for $12 for a manicure and $20 for a pedicure, you don’t feel guilty about routine maintenance.

Another bonus, walk-ins are welcome.

Suggestion: Spend the extra $5 for the sugar scrub. It will leave your feet softer and guarantee an extra few minutes of massage.

Elle’s Nails
7808 N. 12th St.
Phoenix, AZ 85020
(602) 678-1405