Monday, June 20, 2016
The Downtown Food Truck Rally is Tuesday, June 21 from 10:30 am to 1:30 p.m at Joel D. Valdez Main Library, 101 N. Stone Ave.
Tucson's best food trucks will be lined up tomorrow along Pennington Street in front of the library.
Don't worry if you're going to be out of the office or out of town, the City of Tucson and food truck Meatball Madness (who partnered to bring you the delicious array culinary options) will also be hosting a Food Truck Rally on Tuesday, June 28 as well.
If the food trucks don't quite fill you up and you're in the mood for some non-locals eats, head on over to Chili's, 5975 W. Arizona Pavilions Drive for their Give Back Day for Orlando, where 10 percent of your check will go towards the OneOrlando fund if you mention the flyer to them.
For more information on the rally of food trucks click here, and for more details on how to eat and donate to Orlando victims and their families click here.
Tags: Food , rally , Food trucks , Orlando , downtown Tucson , delicious
It's more than 100 degrees outside, making it officially too hot to turn on the oven—but you can still have pizza at home.
Grandma Tony's Pizza & Wings new Oro Valley location (13005 N. Oracle Road) has gifted us a few certificates for carry out pizzas. Want one? Enter here:
Looking out on the Tucson streets, it may feel a bit like the city has become a dead zone. While pedestrians have taken shelter from the heat inside, now is actually a very interesting time in the region agriculturally, as some of the most unique native plants are now ready to harvest. Pre-monsoon harvests include the bahidaj (or saguaro fruit) that is pivotal in the Tohono O’odham new year season and can be harvested and made into syrup, candy or a wine-like fermented ceremonial drink. Unless you have a saguaro in your yard, though, you’ll want to be sure you’re allowed to harvest the fruit, as many saguaros, including those in the eponymous national park, are protected.
That doesn’t mean you’ll be out of the desert harvest all together, though. Just look around at all of the mesquite pods ready for the picking. If you missed last week’s Desert Harvesters guided tours of foragable pods and beans growing on trees around town, you can still learn plenty at the 14th annual Mesquite Milling and Wild Foods and Drink Fiesta. There, the local nonprofit will be set up at Mercado San Agustin (100 S. Ave. del Convento) during the Santa Cruz River Farmers Market. From 4 until 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 23, on-site mesquite pod milling will transform all of your plucked pods into sweet, nutty flour for $3 per gallon of whole pods milled with a $10 minimum.
This special event, which goes to benefit Desert Harvesters in their mission to promote native foods and water security in the region, will also feature mesquite pod tasting, aflatoxin testing (to ensure the flour you’ve milled is safe), craft beer made with wild ingredients from Iron Johns and mesquite and chiltepin flavored cold brew from Exo Roast Co. A variety of other native and wild foods products will be for sale, such as date vinegar, cholla buds, desert lavender tea, carob powder and chiltepines. The Pima County Public Library’s seed library will be there to offer up instruction on hands-on bean tree propagation with a giveaway of food-producing native trees, as well.
More information on harvesting and milling mesquite, as well as this event, can be found on the Desert Harvesters website.
Tags: desert harvesters , mesquite , pod , milling , mercado san agustin , farmers market , wild food , harvesting , native
Thursday, June 16, 2016
There’s nothing in the world quite like freshly baked bread. Even just saying those three words has an instantly comforting effect. Whether you’re new to the bread baking world or looking to add some new tricks into your repertoire, you can dive into the world of sourdough bread making through a workshop presented by the Food Conspiracy Co-Op.
Led by Dan Dorsey, the event will show the ancient technique employed to make a sourdough starter for bread, rather that using store-bought yeast. The resulting bread offers more complex flavors, is more nutritious and keeps longer than bread baked with the packaged stuff.
The sourdough starter workshop begins at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 18. The class is $8 and pre-registration is recommended, as the class size is very limited. You can sign up and find out more by visiting the co-op’s event page.
Tags: cooking class , sourdough bread , starter , baking , tucson , dan dorsey , food conspiracy co-op
Whether it's upscale tacos with unexpected ingredients or a good ol' fashioned red chile burro done right, Tucson certainly has some fantastic Mexican eats. To showcase a little of everything the Old Pueblo has to offer, SAACA is back to present another year of the Tucson 23: Mexican Food Festival.
Celebrating the 23 miles of mariscos, raspados, chiles rellenos and more that make up the Tucson and South Tucson, the event seeks to serve up all of the sweet, spicy, savory and satisfying dishes and drinks that make the region so special. Participants for the 2016 festival include 23 different restaurants in town including:
Blanco Tacos & Tequila
Boca Tacos y Tequila
Calle Tepa
Crossroads Cafe
Dish for Dosha
El Charro Cafe
El Cisne
Gringo Grill + Cantina
La Estrella Bakery
La Indita
La Fresita
La Parilla Suiza
Leo's Mexican Food
Marisco's Chihuahua
Molina's Midway Restaurant
Pasco Kitchen & Lounge
Penca
Rigos Restaurant
Reforma Cocina y Cantina
Seis Kitchen and Catering
Taco Giro
Sonoran Sno Cones
Tequila Factory at the Casino del Sol Resort
Drinks will be provided by Dos Equis, Bohemia and more with entertainment slotted from Mariachi Mexteca and Ballet Folklorico La Paloma.
The Tucson 23 will take over the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort and Spa (3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd.) on Saturday, June 18. The event begins at 6 p.m. with special events like cooking classes, tequila infusion demonstrations and a celebrity chef dinner happening throughout the weekend. Tickets for the Tucson 23 are $45 and can be found online in advance, along with more information on the full weekend of scheduled events, on the event's website.
Tags: tucson 23 , mexican , festival , jw marriott , saaca , events , dining
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
There’s nothing quite like BBQing in the summer, but this Saturday, June 4 is no backyard hangout. This Saturday is serious. Hotel Congress' Smokin’ Showdown will pit nine local pitmasters against each other to vie for the title of Tucson’s top barbecue.
Now in its second year, the event will feature Chillin ‘n’ Grillin, The Cup Café, Brother John’s, Brushfire BBQ, Red Desert BBQ, Acacia and more, adding two more competing slots than the inaugural event. Proceeds will go to benefit Steele Children’s Research Center.
Smokin' Showdown kicks off at 6 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m. Tickets are available for $35 in advance or $40 the day of the event, which includes two ounces of barbecue from each vendor, two sides and one draft pint from Catalina Brewing Co. Guests are also invited to vote for their favorite 'cue in the People's Choice awards for the event.
You can snatch your spot at the Smokin' Showdown and find more information on the event by visiting the Hotel Congress website.
Tags: smokin showdown , bbq , competition , events , tucson , chillin n grillin , acacia , hotel congress , cup cafe , maynards , brushfire , catalina brewing co
Thursday, May 26, 2016
For the 2016 line-up, Downtown will offer up tastes of Parma, Italy (May 24-July 11); Rasht, Iran (July 11-August 22); Phuket, Thailand (August 23-October 3) and Ensenada, Mexico (October 4-November 14). All four cities were added to the list of recognized cities in 2015, as well as Tucson; Bergen, Norway; Belém, Brazil; Gaziantep, Turkey and Burgos and Dénia in Spain.
The first stop in Parma serves three appetizers, three entrées and two desserts that highlight the food of the region and, of course, Parmigiano Reggiano. Some of the highlights include grilled focaccia with prosciutto di Parma, an octopus terrine with olives and capers, lasagna bolonese and porchetta with creamy polenta. Dishes can be ordered a la carte ($8-$23) or as a three-course menu for $38 plus tax and gratuity. While $38 is a pretty smokin’ deal for a full meal, regardless, the unique opportunity to sample some of the cuisine from other UNESCO-recognized food cities, all while staying right here in Tucson, is one you’ll want to snatch up.
For more information on Downtown Kitchen + Cocktails and the current Around the Globe series, visit the restaurant's website. You can also make reservations by calling 623-7700.
Tags: downtown kitchen , around the globe , dining events , parma , italian , unesco , city of gastronomy , janos wilder , jerry alday
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Look, we all love brunch and many in town look to one restaurant to satisfy all their boozy breakfast needs. So many, in fact, that getting a table at the well-loved Prep & Pastry on the weekends can sometimes be a challenge. For those looking to get a taste of P&P without the wait, get your ticket now to the restaurant’s special collaboration with Tucson Hop Shop (3230 N. Dodge Blvd.).
On Saturday, May 28 at 10 a.m., Prep & Pastry will be offering a five-course brunch at the beer bar and bottle shop, highlighting the beers of New Belgium Brewery. Dishes to be served include housemade cheddar-herb biscuits with duck fat and sausage gravy, a summery spinach salad with avocado and strawberry and maple bacon dossant (donut + croissant) bites. Local singer-songwriter Karima Walker will perform during the event. Guests will also have the chance to win Prep & Pastry gift certificates, New Belgium growlers and more.
The beer-paired brunch is limited to just 50 people with complementary and complimentary coffee provided by Presta Coffee Roasters. You can get a ticket, which are $45 per person, through the Tucson Hop Shop website.
Tags: tucson hop shop , brunch , dining events , tucson , prep & pastry , new belgium brewery , beer
Thursday, May 19, 2016
By now, you’re likely feeling that summer heat hit pretty hard. You might not be able to actually get out of town, but you can certainly mimic some seaside eats on Sunday, May 22. Peruvian food truck Don Pedro’s (4101 S. 12th Ave.) will be hosting a Día de Mariscos from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., serving up some tasty seafood with South American flare.
Featuring dishes previously known and loved at the truck’s now-defunct brick-and-mortar, Don Pedro’s will offer chaufa de mariscos (a rice-based seafood dish), jalea (fried mixed seafood, typically paired with yucca), sudado de pescado (fish-centric stew) and the restaurant’s signature Peruvian ceviche.
For more information on Don Pedro’s menu, schedule and more, visit the food truck's website.
Tags: don pedro's , tucson , food truck , peruvian , seafood , event , dia de mariscos
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
You’ve watched your favorite barista in town pour works of caffeine-laced art into a demitasse morning after morning and surely you’ve thought the act could be turned into competition. Well, latte art is just a small part of how baristas from Tucson and Phoenix will vie for Barista Olympics titles at the second-ever event hosted by Presta Coffee Roasters (2502 N. First Ave.).
Though the first event, which marked Presta’s opening one year ago, was primarily just a latte art competition, this year the Olympics will include palate taste tests, a coffee sack race, an espresso puck toss, a pour over challenge (without the aid of timers or scales) and more. Prizes for participating baristas are provided by Hario, La Marzocco, Chemex, Bodhi Leaf, Roast Magazine and more.
For those looking at coffee as a spectator sport, you can get your hands on some of those artfully-poured lattes, as well as eats from Planet of the Crepes and beer and wine at the competition on Friday, May 20. Festivities kick off at 5 p.m.
Tags: presta , coffee , roaster , tucson , anniversary , barista olympics , latte art , third wave
