Friday, February 6, 2015
Although Savor Food and Wine Festival is on Saturday at the Tucson Botanical Gardens to fulfill all of your food and beverage desires, the $75 day of ticket price might be a bit rich for your blood. If that's the case, no worries—head on over to Ten Fifty-Five Brewing Co. at 3 p.m. for their second anniversary celebration.
With special small casks, seasonal Randalls and brand new beers to sample, Ten Fifty-Five made sure there was plenty to drink for the party. Fans of the brewery will also be happy to know that their popular Sugar Skull chocolate milk stout is making a comeback for the event too. It's not all about the beer, though, because Agustin Kitchen, Prep & Pastry and more are bringing food and a band and a DJ will be supplying the tunes.
Birthday festivities run from 3 p.m. on Feb. 7 until midnight at the brewery, located at 3810 East 44th Street Suite 315.
Tags: ten fifty-five , 1055 , brewery , tucson , anniversary , agustin kitchen , prep and pastry
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
If you've spent any extended period of time in Albuquerque, there's a good chance you've stopped into Blake's Lotaburger by now, seeing as the fast food spot has been there since 1952. Blake's also already has restaurants in Texas, however Tucson is about to get the first location in the state for the New Mexico restaurant chain.
According to the Albuquerque Journal, Blake's plans to open the first of a few planned Old Pueblo joints at 2810 East Speedway Boulevard by mid-summer. The company's business development manager, Craig Wood, told the Albuquerque Journal that there were no plans to expand outside of Tucson in Arizona at this time.
So, just what is a Lotaburger?
The restaurant also is known for serving up chili dogs, seasoned fries, breakfast burritos, milkshakes, pulled pork sandwiches and breaded chicken sandwiches. Blake's also occasionally features specials like fish and chips as well as a "50 to 1" burger with two burger patties, two strips of bacon, cheese and Hatch green chiles.
Tags: blake's lotaburger , tucson , fast food , hatch green chile , restaurant , new , new mexico , open
Monday, February 2, 2015
Ladies and gentlemen, it's about to get pretty un-Kosher on the Northwest corner of Broadway Boulevard and Kolb Road. That's because the Phoenix-based Oink Cafe just opened their second porkatorium at 7131 E. Broadway Boulevard.
The restaurant has made a name for itself already up north by putting all things porcine on their full breakfast and lunch menus. Just what does that mean? Well, think an eight-piece bacon flight with applewood smoked, jalapeño, honey-cured, sugar-cured, apple cider, pepper, hickory and a chef's choice option. There's also non pig-related comfort foods like chicken fired steak and grilled cheese. For breakfast, Oink Cafe offers omelets, pancakes, biscuits and gravy and more.
If you get thirsty, the usual juice, coffee, and espresso drink options are available. For something a little stronger, Oink offers mimosas, bloody marys and beer.
You can check out Oink Cafe's newest location daily from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Tags: oink cafe , tucson , bacon , donuts , pork , restaurant , open , new
According to Art Fire, Maker House has a new full-time pastry chef and he's a Tucson favorite already. Garst Bavier signed on to be the in-house baker, rather than working on contract for a few places, which is what he was doing before the new Maker House deal. Sadly, that means places like Stella Java no longer carry Bavier's pastries.
The article says to expect the same French-inspired baked goods that Bavier has become know for over the last 15 years in town including croissants, danishes, chocolate tortes, cookies, baguettes and other fresh baked bread using Arizona grown Sonoran white wheat. Bavier will also be crafting the special vanilla, chocolate, and caramel syrups for espresso drinks at Maker House.
Read up on Bavier's Maker House move and watch a video of him chatting about his new gig and baking by checking out the Art Fire blog.
Tags: garst bavier , baker , pastry , french , tucson , maker house , Image
Friday, January 30, 2015
It's almost Arizona Beer Week, which mean you've likely been sifting through the schedule of planned events to plan a full week of local brews, collaborations, seminars and more. Chances are you're probably getting pretty excited about the inaugural Tucson Craft Beer Crawl on Saturday, Feb. 21 that will take attendees around to some of downtown Tucson's best spots for a pint.
While letting all of that sink in, you can get in the Arizona Beer Week spirit on Saturday, Jan. 31 by heading to Zona78 for a beer-paired dinner collaboration with Borderlands. Here's what the team has in store:
The four-course beer dinner is $40. You can make your reservation by calling 888-7878 and then head to Zona78, located at 78 West River Road, tomorrow at 7 p.m.
Tags: zona78 , borderlands , beer , dinner , tucson , beer week
Thursday, January 29, 2015
If you fancy yourself a serious local food snob, take note. Savor Food & Wine Festival is hitting the Tucson Botanical Gardens on Saturday, Feb. 7 and some of this town's best food, beer, wine, cocktail, and coffee makers will be serving up samples of their delicious wares for crowds to try.
The second annual event is joining forces with an impressive line-up of over 40 local chefs, 15 breweries and wineries, artisan vendors and purveyors, coffee roasters, and more. Live demonstrations will keep attendees informed and entertained throughout the day, including seminars on how to make gnocchi and tarte tatin.
However, we all know it's really about eating in the end. Some planned bites include:
- Braised Spanish Pork Shoulder Stuffed Peppadew Peppers with Shaved Manchego Cheese and Romesco Aioli from Stephen Eldridge (Noble Hops)
- Roasted Street Corn with Queso Fresco and Chipotle Aoli from Jesse Ahumada (NOX Kitchen & Cocktails)
- Braised Pork Cheek Posole from Albert Hall (Acacia Real Food & Cocktails)
- Browned Butter Pecan, Prickly Pear, Coffee Ghost Gelato from Peter Miller (Tazzina di Gelato)
VIP attendees also get the opportunity to sample dishes from Ryan Clark (Agustin Kitchen), Kristine Jensen (Cafe Botanica / Gallery of Food), Kris Vrolijk (Proper), Chris Bianco (Pizzeria Bianco), and Daniel Scordato (Scordato's Pizzeria)
If you get thirsty, you can expect everything from Ninkasi, Dragoon, and Dogfish Head brews to coffee from Yellow Brick to a cocktail from The Still's Tiffany Eldredge that combines dark rum, fresh pineapple juice, chai syrup, and nutmeg.
Events like this are especially great if there are a handful of hotspots you desperately want to try, but don't necessarily have the cash flow to eat a full meal at all of them. Trust me, after a while all of those samples will certainly fill you up. Before Savor invades the botanical garden from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Feb. 7, an exclusive kick-off event at Westar Kitchen and Bath will serve as the big event's appetizer course on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 5 p.m.
You can get tickets for Savor and its kick-off event via the Southern Arizona Arts and Culture Alliance website. General admission is $65 in advance and $75 the day of (unless it sells out) or $100 for the full VIP treatment. The website also lists most of the samples chefs will be serving up, if you need to formulate a plan of attack—might not be a bad idea.
UPDATE: Cait Blanton of the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance says the event is very nearly sold out and they do not expect to have tickets to sell the day of—so get them now.
Tags: savor , food , wine , festival , tucson , botanical gardens , beer , chef , event
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Natural Grocers made its Tucson debut on Tuesday, Jan. 20, offering up fresh, healthy produce to the Old Pueblo. After last weekend's block party and local food tasting fair, the new grocery store, located at 7220 East Broadway Boulevard, is offering up more events to teach you about eating right.
Here's what's coming up at Natural Grocers' new Tucson location:
Saturday, Jan. 31: Taste the Difference that Food Standards MakeFor more information on upcoming events and times, visit the Natural Grocers website. All events in the opening series are free to the public.
Saturday, Feb. 7: Gluten-Free Health Fair
Sunday, Feb. 15: Primal Eating for Optimal Health
Tags: natural grocers , free , grand opening , tucson , education , nutrition , classes
You might have been peeking in the lower level of the TransAmerica Building, wondering what was in store for the small cafe space. Well, the wait is finally over because Pie Bird is soft opening today at 7 a.m. to serve up pastries and espresso drinks for those curious customers.
Of course, that includes pies of all sorts such as hand pies, slices, and full pies by special order in a variety of flavors. Baker and co-owner William Moyer says some of his favorite recipes are custard-based, including honey pie, shaker lemon pie, and key lime pie. As a trained baker from the Culinary Institute of America and the former food stylist and recipe tester for Saveur, Moyer is focused on both the aesthetic and flavor of his baked goods, which will include a range of savory quiche options as well.
However, that's not all that's in store for Pie Bird. Co-owners Moyer and Maren Bell collaborated on a full lunch menu, in addition to a daily rotating selection of Moyer's signature pastry recipes, that will launch on Tuesday, Feb. 3.
Moyer and Bell say that they are excited to offer fresh, new options to the downtown lunch crowd too with a full lunch menu and grab and go salads. Bell, who ran a lunch catering business before Pie Bird, uses recipes from her own and her grandmother's arsenal, as well as taking suggestions from Moyer. Bell describes her menu as, simply, "comfort food."
"It'll be like something you'd have at your grandma's house," she says, adding, "but with a modern twist."
Sourcing fruit and nuts from Sedona, locally sourced honey pork and bacon from Niman Ranch, coffee from Cafe Aqui, and chocolate from Guittard, the duo behind Pie Bird look to incorporate local and artisanal ingredients into that simple cuisine.
The décor, which was designed by Bell's aunt who owns Grey House Antiques, tries to mirror the homey cooking. Bell describes it as a "farmhouse feel" and, while small touches are still being put in place at the restaurant, that vibe definitely comes through.
You can stop into Pie Bird tomorrow to try a pastry and get one of their classic espresso drinks, or you can hold out until Feb. 3 to try the full breakfast and lunch menus too. Here's what you can expect for lunch:
Salads
Greek Salad- Mixed green and romaine blend, red onion, cherry tomatoes, fancy olives, cucumbers, and feta cheese served with our house made Greek dressing and a feta crisp on the side
Citrus Salad- Arugula and mixed green blend, fennel, orange slices, dried apricots, avocado, shaved parmesan, and chopped pistachios served with our house made balsamic dressing
Turkey Taco Salad- Romaine lettuce, seasoned roasted turkey, avocado, cherry tomatoes, roasted corn, black beans, green onion topped with house made tortilla strips and cowboy ranch dressing
Cobb Salad- Romaine and mixed green blend, roasted turkey, blue cheese crumbles, cherry tomatoes hard boiled egg, Niman Ranch bacon, green onion served with house made balsamic dressing
Caesar Salad- Romaine lettuce, roasted turkey, shaved parmesan, torn croutons and house made Caesar dressing
Quiche
Mixed Veggie- Roasted red pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, onion, cheddar jack blend, in our house made crust, served with simple green salad and your choice of dressing
Ham and Swiss- Ham and Swiss cheese, in our house made crust, served with simple green salad and your choice of dressing
Sandwiches
Club Sandwich- Toasted sourdough, roasted turkey breast, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, Niman Ranch bacon, avocado, mayo and mustard
Pressed Caprese Sandwich- Tomato, basil, mozzarella cheese, house made pesto, served on pressed Cibatta roll
Tuna Salad Sandwich- House made tuna salad served on your choice of bread, with lettuce and tomato
Veggie Sandwich- Roasted zucchini, red peppers and onion, with goat cheese on a Cibatta roll brushed with our house made balsamic
BLTA- Niman Ranch bacon, mixed greens, tomatoes, and avocado served on a garlic aioli on croissant
Pressed Ham and Brie Sandwich- Ham, apples, and Brie cheese pressed to perfection on a Cibatta roll
Pie Bird is located in the TransAmerica Building at 177 N. Church Avenue. It's open now on weekdays from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Tags: pie bird , bakery , cafe , transamerica building , quiche , pie , pastry , lunch , coffee , espresso , william moyer , maren bell , Image
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Breakfast is great, pizza is great, and free is great. So Fired Pie thought to combine the three for a one-day-only, three-hour event. On Wednesday, Jan. 28 from 7 a.m. until 10 a.m., you can get your free breakfast pizza. All you have to do is follow the fast casual pizza chain on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and prove that you did by showing the cashier your phone.
The month-old pizza joint, located at 350 E. Congress Street #150, is serving up free 7" pizzas topped with scrambled eggs and your choice of sauce, cheese, meat, and veggies. Fired Pie will also be serving drip coffee, espresso drinks, and croissants for the morning crowd.
Friday, January 23, 2015
Thursday night at La Cocina means Funporium will bring under-the-radar local acts to the stage for your listening pleasure. Last night's show featured Otherly Love, who, despite not playing in a while, really killed it with a high-energy set, as well as az77 and RJM, featuring members of Prom Body.
However, a great free show is only one reason to head to Funporium nights at La Cocina. If you're not a music junkie, consider the taco special. The weekly changing offering dreamt up by Kyle Araishi who mans the grill is something inventive and totally delicious.
Taking some liberties with fusion, you'll find that chimichurri tacos, kimchi tacos, and more are well worth the $3 price tag. Plus, they pair rather well with the varied list of local, seasonal brews on tap at La Cocina. You can try the taco specials for yourself by heading to La Cocina Thursday nights from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m.
Tags: la cocina , funporium , taco , grill , special , kyle araishi , chimichurri , kimchi , Image
