The local lineup of foreign fare has expanded with the arrival of Tempe’s Cornish Pasty Company in our very own Commercial Center. For the uninitiated, a pasty—pronounced like “nasty,” not “tasty,” though the latter is much more apropos—is a baked pastry stuffed with any multitude of fillings. Think of it as an English calzone.
If the Cornish menu is any indication, you can stuff a pasty with damn near anything. There are 37 variations here, ranging from the traditional—the hearty Oggie ($8.50) has steak, potatoes, onion and rutabaga with a side of red wine gravy—to the pop culture-inspired. The Royale with Cheese ($9) is essentially a cheeseburger in pastry, and it’s good. My personal favorite is the Carne Adovada ($9.50), combining New Mexican red pork stew with rice, Hatch chilies and cheddar cheese. It’s even better than it sounds.
While it may be difficult, do try to save room for dessert. The hauntingly good banoffee pie ($6) combines bananas and house-made caramel in a graham cracker crisp. Between this and an outrageous sticky toffee pudding ($6.50), it’s obvious the Brits have this dessert thing down pat.
Cornish Pasty Company 953 E. Sahara Ave., 862-4538. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-midnight; Sunday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.