Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Learn the ancient art of seed saving from the folks in town who do it best when Native Seeds/SEARCH offers up a workshop on the basics of seed saving. Focusing on beginning techniques to show how to preserve seedlines from your own garden, this free event is a great place to start learning about how to make your little home farms more sustainable season after season.
You can join in by going to the Martha Cooper Branch Library (1377 N. Catalina Ave.) on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 10 a.m.
Tags: seed , saving , gardening , farming , tucson , workshop , native seeds/search
Monday, January 18, 2016
It seems like the barbecue scene in Tucson is starting to take off. With the opening of the high-concept bourbon, beer and BBQ joint, Brother John's, in the old Wildcat House space just before the New Year, the Old Pueblo got a taste of serveral different 'cue-ing regions in the U.S. Around that same time, Pasco Kitchen owner Ramiro Scavo threw his hat into the BBQ ring by opening up Red's Smokehouse and Taproom (943 E. University Blvd., #125) across from his other UA-area restaurant.
However, with his smoked brisket ($9.50 for 5 ounces) and chicken ($7 for half), pulled pork ($7 for 5 ounces), baby back ribs ($9 for half) and more, Scavo isn't looking to offer a taste of some place else. Instead, Red's is successfully serving up something oft-talked-about in the local culinary scene: a taste of Tucson barbecue.
With meat at the forefront and a Myron Mixon smoker prominently displayed in the exhibition-style kitchen, Red's uses wet rubs, spice blends, peppers, slow roasting, smoking, citrus brining and more to accomplish flavorful, moist and tender cuts that don't need the assistance of sauce. With a moderate dose of underlying heat, the barbecue is spicy enough to satisfy Sonoran palates, without dominating the flavors of either the meat or the cook on the meat.
Tags: red's smokehouse , taproom , tucson , barbecue , bbq , craft beer , ramiro scavo , pasco , brisket , Image
Thursday, January 14, 2016
On Saturday, Jan. 16, the brewery will be marking the occasion with three of their most popular seasonal or collaborative brews. At noon, the event will kick off with the tapping of the Conspiracy Pale Ale—a collaborative beer brewed in conjunction with Food Conspiracy Food Co-op. Then, at 3 p.m., a seasonal apricot sour will be available. Finally, an Ermanos-Borderlands collab called Gose is the New Black will be on draft at 7 p.m.
This Saturday's event will also feature live music from 5 until 7 p.m. and eats from The Blacktop Grill food truck, with festivities lasting until 10 p.m. It’s free to attend, which means you’ll have plenty to spend on all those limited-release craft brews.
Tags: borderlands , brewery , tucson , arizona , citrana , craft beer
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Excess citrus got you down? This weekend, you can pick all that extra fruit off your productive trees and donate it to folks who need it when the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona hosts another Super Citrus Saturday event. As part of the food bank’s 2015 gleaning initiatives alone, over 88,000 pounds of fresh fruit were donated from January through March to help those in the community who struggle with food security.
You can donate all of your excess citrus to the Community of Food Bank of Southern Arizona on Saturday, Jan. 16 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. The push for fresh fruit donations will take place at two Tucson-area locations: Rillito Nursery & Garden Center (6303 N. La Cholla Blvd.) and Wells Fargo Bank (4669 E. Broadway Blvd.).
The organization will also be accepting donations throughout the season at any time, at any of the three Community Food Bank locations in Tucson, Marana and Green Valley. For more information, visit the food bank's website or call 449-8340.
Tags: citrus , extra , tucson , community food bank , southern arizona , food justice , donate , oranges , grapefruit
Monday, January 11, 2016
With waffle-wrapped waffle dogs, chicken and waffles, a bacon cheeseburger betwixt two waffles and chocolate-and-sprinkles smothered waffles, Wafflelicious aims to celebrate the sweet and savory capabilities of waffles. Prices run from $7 to $10.
Wafflelicious will make its Tucson debut on Friday, Jan. 15 when the truck posts up outside of Arizona Beer House (150 S. Kolb Road). The truck will be serving from 5 until 9 p.m. After that, you can stay up to date with the truck's whereabouts by following it on Facebook.
Tags: wafflelicious , waffle , food truck , tucson , new , arizona beer house
Thursday, January 7, 2016
In this week's Chow feature, chef Erika Bostick of The Coronet talked about some of her favorite uses for the veggies in season now. From harmonious salads to clever starchy substitutes, Bostick crafts vegetable-centric dishes that highlight the labors of local farmers right. After taking over operations at Agustin Kitchen, she sought to add color to the restaurant's menu with, of course, more veggies.
One way Bostick preserves local flavor for future use is in her giardiniera. The traditional Italian condiment is a staple, and anyone who's been to Chicago knows that it can really liven up a sandwich. Bostick says her giardiniera is the best in town, recommending that it be put on grilled bratwurst, added to an antipasto tray (as it is at The Coronet) or even put in a grilled cheese for "a weird yet delicious addition."
Here's how it's done:
Giardiniera
(Yield: 1/2 gallon)
Vegetable mix:
2 red sweet peppers, cut into 1/2” pieces
5 celery ribs, sliced 1/2”
5 carrots, sliced 1/2”
1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1/2 cup salt
Dressing:
1/2 cup evaporated cane sugar
2 cloves garlic, slivered
4 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
3 cup white vinegar
3 cup light olive oil
In a large bowl, mix the vegetables and salt until well combined. Transfer to bowl and cover with cool water. Cover with lid or dish towel and allow the mixture to sit, unrefrigerated, for 8 to 12 hours.
Next Day:
Drain the vegetables and rinse thoroughly. Pack the vegetables into glass jars with lids. In a bowl whisk remaining ingredients. Pour dressing onto vegetables. Screw lids onto jars and gently shake to coat all vegetables with dressing. Refrigerate and it's ready to serve in 48 hours.
Tags: erika bostick , the coronet , winter , vegetables , giardiniera , recipe , tucson , agustin kitchen , pickle , italian , Image
Monday, January 4, 2016
Taking over wine bar Unplugged's former location, Batch celebrated its grand opening the weekend of Friday, Jan. 1 with donuts and whiskey at 118 E. Congress St.
The rotating daily selection features about ten different donut varieties, several topped with popular kid cereals like Cocoa Puffs and Fruity Pebbles. Filled donuts are $3.50 and hole donuts are $2.50. As far as whiskey, the first menu features more than 40 different varieties, including three Jacks, two Jims, two Johnnies and a handful of craft distilled, small batch options.
Batch is also serving a modest selection of draft beer to pair with your donuts. However, if you decide you're looking for more than just donuts to eat, the small counter service restaurant offers build-your-own grilled cheeses ($5) with bread options like a glazed donut or ciabatta and cheese choices such as sharp cheddar, swiss or havarti, which can be embellished further with jalapeño, bacon, tomato, prosciutto and more. Batch has a daily cheese plate ($12), a daily bruschetta ($5), a mixed green salad ($6.50) and deviled eggs ($7) as well.
For more information on Batch's offerings, visit the restaurant and bar's website.
Before that, though, check out some pictures of Batch's offerings because it's Monday and we all had a long weekend:
Tags: batch , donut , whiskey , tucson , congress , unplugged , kade mislinski , bar , cafe , new , opening , Image , Slideshow
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
The James Beard award winning chef and owner of Downtown Kitchen + Cocktails, Janos Wilder, is cooking up something a little different for his newest venture. Rather than opening another restaurant space, Wilder is focusing his efforts on a multi-purpose event space that will host everything from Sunday dim sum brunches to wedding parties to concerts to cooking classes and more.
The Carriage House, located at 146 E. Broadway Blvd. just east of his Downtown restaurant, is a 4,000-square-foot space—1,000 square-feet of which are kitchen space—offering a 150-to-200-person capacity event space, depending on if the event is fully seated. Although private events, such as weddings, corporate parties and fundraisers, are certainly part of Wilder's vision for The Carriage House, it's only a fraction of the concept's intended purpose.
"It has a lot of different pieces," Wilder says. "It was too fun not to do. We've been looking for almost five years to do it."
Special "community building" events, including a Day of the Dead dinner, concerts featuring local and international talent, a New Year's Eve dinner and Sunday dim sum brunches, are planned for the space as well, though Wilder says a start date for the brunches is still to be announced. The catering kitchen will be run by executive chef Devon Sanner, who has worked with Janos for the last decade.
Tags: carriage house , tucson , janos wilder , devon sanner , rebecca wilder , cooking classes , dim sum , brunch , day of the dead , events , new , opening , catering
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Well, maybe this is a tad pre-emptive, as Brother John's doesn't officially open until 6 p.m. on Dec. 23. After that, you can visit the restaurant from 11 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. until midnight (kitchen closes at 11 p.m.) and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 2 a.m. (kitchen closes at midnight).
In a previous interview with Brother John's owner and namesake John Aldecoa and his team, Aldecoa spoke about the adaptive reuse of the historic Wildcat House space. After renovating the well-loved watering hole, Aldecoa enlisted chefs Nate Eckhaus and Patrick Vezino to craft a barbecue program that focused on cooking "slow and low," never sacrificing quality for speed. Eckhaus worked under famed New York restaurateur Danny Meyer, while Vezino worked with Mike Mills (partner in Meyer's Blue Smoke) to hone his barbecue skills.
The resulting menu offers slow cooked brisket, baby back ribs, St. Louis ribs, smoked chicken, pulled pork, pork belly and turkey breast, along with the occasional short rib special when the specialty cut can be sourced locally. Of course, no barbecue menu would be complete without sides, and Brother John's has most bases covered, offering potato salad, collard greens with bacon, tangy burnt end beans, mashed potatoes, jalapeño corn bread, mac and cheese and more.
The restaurant will soon also have a 2,400 square-foot beer garden, though construction on this part of the restaurant is not yet finished. The bar offers 48 draft beers, over 100 bottled beers, cocktails and 150 different whiskeys, including a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 15 year—for you hype whiskey snobs. Brother John's also offers several local craft brewers including Dragoon Brewing Company, Barrio Brewing Co., Sentinel Peak Brewing, Nimbus Brewing Company, Ten Fifty‐Five Brewing, Borderlands Brewing Company and Iron John's Brewing Company.
For more information on Brother John's, visit the restaurant's website.
Tags: brother john's bbq , tucson , beer , whiskey , bar , pappy van winkle , brisket , blue smoke , danny meyer , new , restaurant , open , ribs , local , craft , Image
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Tucson, you’ve got a new place to get lunch and late night eats off Fourth Avenue. That’s because the Latin It Up Sandwich Shop (344 N. Fourth Ave.) is now open and cranking out tastes of Central and South America.
Sandwiched between Che’s Lounge and late night chain poutine restaurant U.S. Fries, Latin It Up certainly to add some new flavor to that Fourth Avenue block. On the inside, the décor offers bold and bright colors, with ambient jazz piped over the sound system.
Before you enter, though, you’ll notice that Latin It Up claims to be Tucson’s home of the Cuban sandwich. Anyone familiar with the popular Floridian sandwich will definitely be excited to hear that this is true. El Cubano ($8.95) hits you with a pickley punch, creamy mayo, spicy mustard and pork two ways: as sliced ham and as pulled pork. Although I would’ve preferred my bread be toasted longer, the sandwich was easily the best iteration of this classic that I’ve had in town. All sandwiches at Latin It Up are served with your choice of plantain, yucca, BBQ, sweet potato or plain chips.
Other Latin It Up offerings include Chicharron, Roast Beef, Rio Chicken and Pollo Cilantro, along with three vegetarian options, salads, two soups, smoothies, empanadas and papas rellenas. The last of which is like a Peruvian potato croquette filled with ground beef and sliced olives.
To wash it all down, the Chicha Morada, or purple corn drink, is a sweet blend of juices and spices that’s as unexpected as it is refreshing. The small restaurant also offers milkshakes, flan and arroz con leche (rice pudding) for dessert.
Latin It Up Sandwich Shop is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. until midnight.
Tags: latin it up , sandwich , cuban , tucson , fourth avenue , lunch , now open , restaurants , south american , central american , papa rellena , chicha morada , Image
