A Phoenix restaurant made a New York Times' best in the country list for this unique dish

Bahar Anooshahr, Arizona Republic
·2 min read
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The writers and editors at the New York Times ate hundreds of meals in 2022 and used that edible data to curate the top 50 favorite restaurant list in September. It also spawned another list: "25 Restaurant Dishes We Couldn't Stop Thinking About This Year," which, according to senior editor, Brian Gallagher, were the dishes from restaurants that might not have made the top 50, yet "months later, your mind still glances back. I need to get back there."

Here in Phoenix, Valentine's Sonoran pretzel was just such a dish. The menu describes the baked good as a white Sonoran wheat pretzel served with guinea hen butter and Arizona honeycomb. Food writer Priya Krishna wrote that she wants readers to forget what they know about pretzels and embrace "the crisp crust and toasty, slightly tangy and nutty interior." For her, "Swiped with honey and whipped butter made from hen fat, the pretzel is the most unforgettable part of the meal."

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What makes the Sonoran pretzel so special?

Valentine made it onto Esquire's list of top restaurants in the country this year for the work of executive chef Donald Hawk, though the pretzel is the work of pastry chef Crystal Kass.

Hawk explained that preparation techniques for the Sonoran pretzel is the same as any other pretzel, except that "we use Sonoran wheat from BKW farms, make it with agave instead of honey, dip it in lye and fry it in the end."

The lye is responsible for the shiny mahogany color and the frying is what gives it the bubbly exterior and soft chewy interior. The nutty flavor that Krishna is enamored with comes from the Sonoran wheat itself.

As for the butter, it's rendered fat from guinea hen that Valentine sources from local Two Wash Ranch. The fat is whipped with butter plus salt and pepper. The honeycomb is Arizona desert blossom from McClendon Select.

All in all, the dish offers a unique taste of Arizona.

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"Myself and the whole team at Valentine were definitely surprised to be included on the NYT list of top dishes," wrote Kass in a statement to The Republic. "It's great to see the hard work my team and I do get recognized. I love our pretzel and I'm glad others love it too!"

"I cannot believe they put that on the list," Hawk said in a phone interview from New York City where he was attending the Esquire Magazine party. "I don't expect press at all, really. We are a simple restaurant. This is incredible."

Details: 4130 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix. 602-612-2961, valentinephx.com.

Reach the reporter at BAnooshahr@azcentral.com. Follow @banooshahr on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: New York Times named a dish from this Phoenix restaurant best in US