Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Whhhhhhat? Exciting news for the Best of Tucson voters who picked "watermelon" as their favorite eegee's flavor:
Tucson Weekly named Watermelon the best eegee's flavor in the 2015 Best of Tucson competition. To celebrate we are bringing your favorite flavor to a few select store locations for a limited time starting TOMORROW. Want to know where to get your Watermelon eegee's? We'll post the store locations once we reach 500 likes...it's happening!They're announcing the locations on Facebook right now. Get there.
Monday, October 19, 2015
There's probably no better way to showcase local food than by pairing farmers up with chefs. However, the Mission Garden and Native SEEDS/Search aren't just growing produce. The two nonprofit groups are committed to maintaining heritage plant life that has grown in the region since the times of Father Kino and before.
On Sunday, Oct. 18, the Mission Garden filled up with stands and long tables to serve up truly farm-to-table fare cooked up by some of Tucson's top chefs. While many food events focus on rich, decadent ingredients and loads of meat to win over attendees, almost all of the dishes at the gourmet picnic were vegetarian. The refreshing use of mostly veggies made for an event that was certainly easier to digest, but not lacking in flavor by any means. Instead, chefs like Doug Levy (Feast), Robbie Tutlewski (Pizzeria Bianco) and more simply enhanced the natural flavors of their freshly picked ingredients.
Here's what happened:
Of course, that's not the only way you can learn about and help out this outstanding native foods organization. Visit the Friends of Tucson's Birthplace website for more information.
Tags: mission garden , friends of tucson's birthplace , farm to table , gourmet , harvest , picnic , dinner , event , slideshow , native seeds search , Image , Slideshow
What's going on with the Mercado these days? Just last week, chef Ryan Clark announced his departure from the retail and dining square's flagship restaurant, which also saw him selling his share in the restaurant with an almost imperceptibly speedy replacement by The Coronet's chef Erika Bostick. Let's not forget Taqueria El Pueblito's move out of the space and replacement by Seis. Now Blu, the sandwich, wine and cheese shop, is calling it quits at the Mercado San Agustin too.
Unlike the expectedly mundane content of the announcement from Agustin Kitchen, though, Blu's release gave a little insight into something more. Owner Tana Fryer said explained that the store's closure was caused by "an impasse with her landlords."
“We had hoped and planned to be part of the Mercado for a long time,” she said in the release. “It makes me sad that we couldn’t come to terms with our landlord and it was awful to tell my team that most of them don’t have jobs anymore.”
With both Fryer and Clark leaving the Mercado without a solid next stepping stone, the initial question holds true: Just what exactly is going on with the Mercado San Agustin these days? As a beautiful venue for events, live music, a farmers market and more, hopefully the Mercado won't see any more of its keystone businesses closing up and moving out.
For information on the future of Blu, including gifting, catering and private events opportunities, visit Blu's website.
Tags: blu , tana fryer , ryan clark , wine , cheese , shop , leave , close , restaurant , tucson , mercado san agustin , landlord , dispute
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Tucson’s Latin American food scene took a major hit when Don Pedro’s Peruvian bistro shuttered its South Tucson location in July. Rather than throwing in the towel, though, owner Peter Gonzvar got to work converting his Peruvian restaurant into a food truck. You can get the first tastes of Don Pedro’s new mobile digs on Friday, Oct. 16 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Jacome Plaza (101 N. Stone Ave.). Prices will range from $5 to $15.
The Living Room wine café and lounge also opened recently at La Encantada (2905 E. Skyline Dr.) Taking over the well-loved Armitage Wine Lounge space, The Living Room seeks to offer a wide range of wines, sharable bites and a relaxed atmosphere. The bar is open Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-12 a.m., Friday: 11 a.m.-2 a.m., Saturday: 9 a.m.-2 a.m. and Sunday: 9 a.m.-10 p.m. You can find more information at www.livingroomwinebar.com.
Monday, October 12, 2015
Tucson Meet Yourself 2015 came and went, offering insight into the cultural diversity in the Old Pueblo. With food, music, dance, arts and crafts, attendees could peek into something a little different than what they're used to and take a mini vacation without ever leaving the city limits.
Here are some of the sights of this year's event:
Tags: tucson meet yourself , food , art , crafts , culture , dance , music , photos , Slideshow , Image
Friday, October 9, 2015
You know, Casks and Cooks is more than just a beer-paired dinner event. It's more like a mini food festival. With four different chefs and four different stations featuring three different Tucson breweries, there's more to this event than just sitting down at a table and having dishes placed in front of you in sequence (though there's nothing wrong with that either).
Instead, this unique event allows you to wander between grill-centric stations offering fireside treats and brews to complement at the Loews Ventana Canyon Coyote Corral (7000 N. Resort Drive). From Argentinian-inspired technique to beer cheese soup and brats, the night will offer plenty to sample between sudsy sips.
Here's the full line-up of what you can expect:
Tags: casks and cooks , loews ventanya canyon , food , event , dinner , grill , fireside , craft beer , breweries , tucson , 1055 , dragoon , pueblo vida
Thursday, October 8, 2015
While there's pretty much always something remarkable growing within the adobe walls of the Mission Garden, Sunday, Oct. 18 will bring a uniquely Sonoran culinary tradition to life at the base of A Mountain. The Farm to Table Gourmet Picnic will be an opportunity for local gourmands to sample heritage flora cooked up by some of the state's most well-known chefs.
As far as the raw materials go, those heritage crops and agricultural products will be provided by the Native Seeds Conservation Farm in Patagonia, the Mission Garden, San Xavier Cooperative Farm, BKW Farm, Ramona Farms and 47 Ranch. And on the line? You can expect truly all-star (and a couple James Beard award-winning) chefs, which will include Chris Bianco (Pizzeria Bianco), Janos Wilder (Downtown Kitchen + Cocktails), Kris Vrolijk (Proper), Doug Levy (Feast), Kelzi Bartholomaei (Mother Hubbard's) and more.
The heirloom harvest celebration, fundraiser and picnic feast runs from 4 until 6 p.m. at the Mission Garden, located at 929 W. Mission Lane. This one-of-a-kind Sonoran food history and pride event will serve it all up for $75 for adults and $25 for children. You can buy tickets at Native Seeds/SEARCH (3061 N. Campbell Dr.) in person or online via the Friends of Tucson's Birthplace website. Attendance is limited to 200 guests so you'll want to get your ticket soon.
Tags: mission gardens , friends of tucsons birthplace , native seeds search , chris bianco , janos wilder , doug levy , farm to table , picnic , event , tucson , heritage , heirloom
Ermanos on Fourth Avenue is hosting another pairing of beer and small plates, however, this time it’s all about the local goods. That’s because Ermanos’ kitchen will be pairing with Dragoon Brewing Co. beers. The tap line-up for the event includes the Blanche de Ventana (a sour collaboration with 1055 and Pueblo Vida), Flashdance (India pale lager), Batch 100 V3.0 (black IPA) and Cuatro (six-month aged Russian imperial stout). Ermanos will also be celebrating the return of Dragoon’s German-style gose called Öhaygrrl by tapping this season’s first keg.
You can try all of those Dragoon brews and more at Ermanos (220 N. Fourth Ave.) on Thursday, Oct. 8. The event runs from 5 until 10 p.m. For more information on this event and other events at Ermanos, visit www.ermanosbrew.com.
Friday, October 2, 2015
After just about a year of serving up re-imagined Native American cuisine in downtown Tucson, it looks like Barrio Cuisine’s run on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Broadway Boulevard has come to an end. Signs posted around the building serve as a notice that Barrio’s landlord has “terminated [the restaurant’s] right to possess and occupy the premises” due to “yet unpaid, rent.”
While open, Barrio blended Tohono O'odham and Pascua Yaqui traditions, serving upscale takes on fry bread, prickly pear glazed spare ribs and Native American-style tapas Barrio also offered live music and dancing to utilize the restaurant’s expansive layout.
No further information on Barrio or what will fill the restaurant space at 199 E. Broadway Blvd. is currently available.
Tags: barrio , native american , tucson , cuisine , restaurant , closing , downtown
Friday, September 18, 2015
All next weekend, you have the opportunity to go Greek without any of the weird fraternity nonsense that phrase typically entails. Rather, the 39th annual Tucson Greek Festival is returning for four days of Greek food, dance, drinks, music and more.
Although you can check out the full food menu for this year's fest online, you can expect classics like hummus, falafel, baklava, dolmades and more and you might even discover some new favorites. You can definitely look forward to saganaki ($5; pan-fried cheese with Greek brandy and lemon), Athenian baked chicken with lemon and oregano ($9) and roasted lamb shank with rice pilaf ($12), as well as Greek beer, ouzo, wine, coffee and brandy. The event will also feature live Greek music, the award-winning Panathenian Dancers and a Greek market.
The Tucson Greek Festival will take over St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church (1145 E. Ft. Lowell Road) on Thursday, Sept. 24 from 5 to 10 p.m., Friday, Sept. 25 from 5 to 11 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 26 from 4 to 11 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 27 from noon to 6 p.m. Admission is $3 per day for adults of $6 for a four-day pass. Kids under 12 get in free. For more information and the full food menu, visit the event's website.
Tags: tucson , greek , festival , st. demetrios , food , beer , music , dance , culture
