and a warm, vanilla flavor, and won its anejo tequila gold medal honors at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. But the most important things to remember: Though it’s available in 19 states now, this is Las Vegas tequila, hence the Area 51-influenced branding, and it tastes better than you think tequila should. BR
Sweet memories
Rocket Fizz
9410 W. Sahara Ave., 889-4292, rocketfizzvegas.com Sugar and nostalgia are the fuel blend here. If you ever long to spoil yourself (and your teeth) absolutely rotten, you can’t miss with this boutique soda-pop shop and candy-store franchise, with a location now in Summerlin. And if you’re a parent, there’s no way your little monsters will resist the gauntlet of Salt Lake City-made Taffy Town gourmet taffy in bins lining a wall of the store, with more than 40 flavors — buttered popcorn, caramel cheesecake, fresh apricot, to Popped Gourmet Popcorn: Fluffy, crunchy and flavorful
name a few. The sodas are equally encyclopedic in terms of taste, ranging from the refreshing (apple pie, peaches & cream) to the downright bizarre (bacon, buffalo wing, PB&J). You’ll also find yesteryear sweets (Mallo Cup), quirky treats (gummy rat) and, for the conservatively sweet-toothed, everyday delights. Reinforcing the shop’s throwback charm are faux vintage tin signs featuring pop-culture icons like the Jack Kirby-rendered Fantastic Four and cola-glugging femme fatales from the ’40s. JK
Corn gets crazy
Popped Gourmet Popcorn
9480 S. Eastern Ave. #110, 998-9234, poppedcornshop.com Like toast, popcorn — practically lacking in any distinct flavor itself — serves as the perfect vehicle for toppings. While salt and butter are a damn fine baseline, cheddar cheese, cara-
Prepare for takeoff: A sweet display at Rocket Fizz
mel, or the wonderful combination of those two commonly referred to as Chicago are both tasty and readily available at Popped, a Henderson gourmet popcorn store. Then they see your Chicago and raise you with flavors such as Buffalo Hot, Dilly Pickle, Salt & Vinegar and even S’mores. While they no longer offer Blue Cheese (Blue Cheese and Buffalo Hot were transcendent!) you can get Buffalo Hot and Ranch for your very own taste of the 716. Interested in New Mexico? The 505 is the house-prepared combo of caramel and Hatch chiles. Best of all is Dirty Vegas, representing
the 702 with a combination of all the flavors Popped offers. And then there are the “special” flavors in constant rotation. Oishi Nori and Ling Hing Mui were recent Asian-inspired flavors. What’s next? You’ll have to check it out yourself. But can I suggest Pepperoni Pizza? JB
Asian persuasion
Greenland Market
6850 W. Spring Mountain Road, 459-7878 Our ever-blossoming Chinatown has always been fortified by treasure-laden ethnic food markets, but the arrival of Greenland Supermarket in the Korea Town Plaza (owned by the Lee’s Liquors family) added new dimensions. Huge, bright, fast and squeaky
clean, Greenland is a model of convenience, packed with massive produce and fresh seafood sections, a full service butcher department, a bakery, and rows and rows of noodles. All the Hawaiian, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese specialty products you could possibly explore create a colorful wonderland of grocery shopping. There’s even a prepared foods display near the meats, a mini-mall of kimchi and fish cakes. Extra bonus: Greenland’s got a wild, vibrant food court, a place where even the hardiest Chinatown culinary adventurer will experience new levels of authentic eats. BR
Europe in your mouth
Ron’s Market
6085 S. Fort Apache Road, 431-6444 The unassuming Ron’s Market, located in a southwestern strip mall, offers every Eastern European edible you could think of. Their
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