If the words “donut program” don’t get you excited on first mention, let me explain. Kade Mislinski, formerly of Playground, is planning a Willy Wonka-like world of glazes, fillings, shapes, and more when he takes over the historic Saguaro Corners restaurant. Most importantly, he says his crème brulée donut, which will be filled with vanilla cream and bruléed to order, will be the real showstopper of the program.

Beginning Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 11 a.m., Mislinski and chef Gabriel Greenberg are completely overhauling Saguaro Corners’ menu, though he expects that donut program won’t be ready until the end of January. He says the new menu is about simplifying a concept that he “didn’t think was broken.” Just because it’s going to be simple, though, doesn’t mean it’s not also going to be ambitious.

He says diners can expect reasonably priced fast casual counter service during the day until 4 p.m. and a full service menu for dinner six days per week. While he wasn’t ready to spill all of the beans yet, comfort food staples like grilled cheese, burgers, biscuits, and mac and cheese will be on the menu. However, his real plan is to make Saguaro Corners, which has been open since 1956, a buzzworthy spot in the vein of California's Gott's Roadside, Donut Bar, and Fremont Diner, as well as Portland's Pine State Biscuits.

“I want it to be a neighborhood restaurant and I want it to be a family restaurant,” Mislinski says. “It’s going to be a destination.”

You hear that, Alton Brown? Looks like you have a new spot to check out when you visit Old Pueblo.

The new Saguaro Corners will also feature a revamped cocktail program with freshness at the forefront. In fact, that’s the plan with the whole menu. Mislinski says he’s taking the microwaves and freezers out of the kitchen and sourcing everything from the veggies, meat, and dairy as locally as possible.

With all of the changes, Mislinski assures that he’s going to keep the aspects of Saguaro Corners that have worked for the spot in the past, such as live music, craft beer, and the serene mountainside patio.

Mislinski says he’s excited to make his first move to the dining scene on the eastside at the restaurant located at 3750 South Old Spanish Trail, but customers shouldn’t expect a copy of Hub or Playground—this is something completely different.

The funny thing about Tucson is it’s never not ice cream weather. That’s good news for Dominic and Kristel Johnson who just opened their first stationary Isabella’s ice cream shop in Rincon Market. Their large converted Model T “T-iosk,” as they’ve named it, sits inside the market.

Previously, the couple ran a small fleet of Model Ts outfitted with large freezers to sell their handmade, all natural ice cream. Kristel Johnson says the idea came from the couple’s desire to make a “not creepy ice cream truck” that they could send their daughters to.


Two years after the initial concept was formed, the trucks were born and about a year and a half after that the couple was approached by Maynard’s Market to begin making flavors for the restaurant. At that time, the couple had to make all of their product on Cuisinart machines in their kitchen. After a Kickstarter campaign helped them raise $15,000, the couple moved their operation into a larger production facility, which is good because Whole Foods, Safeway, and several local restaurants and markets are stocking their ice creams.

Currently, the Rincon Market location has 15 flavors on hand, including cinnamon, prickly pear, lavender vanilla, and spicy chocolate with cayenne pepper. Kristel says in the past she’s made custom ice creams and sorbets including whiskey bacon and caramel, kale-apple-ginger, celery, and a pineapple and bell pepper.

The ice cream parlor sells ice cream sandwiches ($5), hand-dipped bon bons ($2), pints to go ($7), sundaes ($6.50), and freshly made waffle cones with one scoop for $3.50 and $6 for a double scoop. The cones, sundaes, and sandwiches are all fully customizable—and the couple doesn’t skimp on toppings if you’re the type who likes to load it up.

Kristel says she makes the bon bons with Belgian chocolate and uses liquid nitrogen to freeze them into perfect circles. In terms of chemicals, that’s the only one you’ll really find in Isabella’s products. Kristel explains that even the cream she sources is completely pure and without stabilizers, which is rare to find.

In order to have complete control over her product, she makes the caramel and chocolate sauces (which are vegan), all of the ice cream (which is gluten free), the sorbets (which are vegan), and pretty much everything else associated with their new parlor. The base of all of the ice cream is simple—just cream, milk, eggs, and cane sugar. She notes that she never uses peanuts in her facility, as many are allergic to them.

Dominic, who was once an Olympic track and field athlete, was in charge of remodeling the vintage Model T, chairs, and tables in order to give their area inside of the market and olde tyme feel for those finishing touches. 

Isabella's Ice Cream is open now at 2315 E. 6th Street inside Rincon Market weekdays from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. and later on the weekends.

Listen up, Foothills folks—there’s a new dining option for you. The team behind Union Public House is opening a Mexican joint near their other restaurant on Sunday, Dec. 14

Located at 4340 N. Campbell Avenue at St. Philip’s Plaza, the restaurant will try to bring the cosmopolitan vibe of Mexico City and Guadalajara to Tucson, according to owner Grant Krueger.

“Think of it like a cross between Café Poca Cosa and Penca,” Krueger says. “But with a much better patio.”

Chefs Patrick Malarchik and Edward Dick of Union Public House will be heading the kitchen, which aims to make literally everything from scratch. That means the team will be buying corn and grinding it down to make their own masa for corn tortillas. The restaurant will also feature front of house salsa and flour tortilla preparation for your viewing pleasure.

Krueger says some of his favorite dishes on the menu include the pato ($22) with guajillo duck confit, chorizo, plantain, and housemade mole poblano as well as the carnitas ($19), which are braised with Mexican lager and paired with pickled jalapeños. He also says to expect more seafood than you might be used to with Sonoran cuisine.

In terms of imbibing, the bar boasts 229 tequilas and mezcals, as well as eight draft brews and 40 wines. Bartender Dylan Higgins, who is a sommelier, will be running the bar program, which features fresh juices and, of course, a paloma. Discounted drinks and food will be available during the “hora feliz,” which runs daily from 3 until 6 p.m. and again from 10 until 11 p.m.

Reforma Cocina will be open daily from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. beginning Sunday, Dec. 14. For more information, visit the restaurant’s website.

If you've been patiently waiting for the Cashew Cow Dessert Parlor to open its doors between tastes of their wares at the Heirloom Farmers Market, the wait is nearly over. On Monday, Dec. 15, the ice cream like dessert purveyor will start serving up scoops of the cashew-based iced dessert at their new storefront.

The opening line-up flavors at the shop includes green tea, pumpkin, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, mint chip, and one surprise flavor to be announced. 

Cashew Cow will open in just four short days at 16 S. Eastbourne Avenue. Until then, you'll just have to bide your time on So Delicious coconut milk ice cream if you're looking for a chilly dairy free dessert fix before then. 

Sometimes it might seem like chefs can be rigid with their menu, not allowing for substitutions or subtractions that would compromise the integrity of their dish. Regardless of how you feel about that aspect of dining, you at least have options if you’re looking for a little more creativity and you’re willing to leave everything in the hands of the folks cooking your meal.

It all starts on the first Sunday of the month at Heirloom Farmers Market. Chef Kris Vrolijk peruses the vendors for local and seasonal inspiration. Once he has his ingredients picked out, he plans his menu for Proper’s Monday night community dinners.

The $35 prix fixe meal typically comes with three courses, but Vrolijk explained to the nine diners that he was particularly inspired by the farmers market and, instead, made six smaller than usual courses. Here’s what he made:


Course 1: Market Chowder with chicken, turnip, and turkey stock
Course 2: Housemade Fettuccine with sage and Grana Padano
Course 3 Ricotta and Squash Tortellini with butternut squash, hazelnut, and date syrup
Course 4: Brown Butter Basted Heirloom Carrots with cranberry sauce
Course 5: Pierogis Two Ways with housemade sausage pairing
Course 6: Brown Butter Panna Cotta with pecan shortbread, sliced Granny Smith apples, cajeta, and butternut squash puree

While that menu might seem like a lot in more than one way, Vrolijk assures that each community dinner is completely different from the ones before it—some being lighter and more vegetable focused and others showcasing hearty handmade pastas and more. This time he chose to showcase the pasta, as he plans on producing it in higher volume soon for retail sale at the neighboring Proper butcher shop that will be opening soon.

While the fettuccine and tortellini were both expertly executed and al dente, the best dish of the night was definitely the pierogis. Served alongside two different housemade sausages, the butternut squash pierogi and garlic potato pierogi came to the table without sauce. The two Polish style dumplings didn’t really need it though because of the creamy texture and flavor of the filling from the goats milk kefir and the fatty coating from the sausage and crunchy guanciale.

Even the basted carrots were prepared with care. Stepping out to explain the sourcing and idea of each dish, Vrolijk said he enjoys cooking vegetables like they’re the last he’ll ever cook—taking extra time and attention to make sure they’re as good as they possibly can be, while still letting the freshness shine.


Overall, the event is a great way for you to connect with a chef, sourcing, local purveyors, and the process of creating a dish. Plus, out of the prix fixe dinners I've attended in the past, Vrolijk is definitely skilled at putting plates out hot en masse, which is quite a feat when you consider the time to plate ten dishes individually. If that sounds like your kind of event, Proper, located at 300 East Congress Street, hosts community dinner on the first Monday of the month beginning at 7 p.m. The (usually) three-course dinner is $35 plus tax and gratuity with additional suggested drink pairings. You can make a reservation by calling 520-850-9594.

Fans of Tucson’s toasted sub franchise Cheba Hut got some bad news last night via Facebook. Owners Steve and Colleen Bigelow announced that after over six years of slinging sandwiches, the location at 1820 E. 6th Street will be permanently closing on Friday, Dec. 5 at 10 p.m. due to “uncontrollable circumstances.”

Owner Steve Bigelow says those circumstances amounted to a disagreement between the company and him as the franchise owner, which he describes as still a “mom and pop operation.”

“Me, as the owner and landlord, and corporate could not come to terms to keep Cheba Hut open at this location.”

Though Bigelow says he’s unsure when or where Cheba Hut might open under new ownership, you can stop into Bigelow’s Cheba Hut from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5 to say goodbye and get one last AK-47 pinner (8” French dip sub).

“We want to thank all of our loyal customers for all of the good memories and 4/20 parties,” he says. “If you think about it, Cheba Hut’s customers are happy and hungry and you can’t go wrong with that. We’ve absolutely loved the past six years.”

You can follow Cheba on Facebook for updates on the new location.

Nikki and Matt Thompson have been running a catering business called 2 Hearts 1 Kitchen in town for about seven years, but now the couple is ready to bring their take on New American cuisine, which she defines as “traditional American with a random international splash” to the public.

“We’ve always wanted to have our own place and create our own food since we met in culinary school,” Nikki Thompson says. “The romance of owning our own restaurant has kept us going.”

Now, the Thompson’s dream is in sight with their forthcoming restaurant Nook, located at 1 E. Congress Street. Thompson says they plan to be open the first week of February, but until then, she and her husband are enjoying the time they get to invent dishes.

Thompson says to expect breakfast and lunch on the weekdays and brunch on Saturday with unique dishes like a huevos rancheros omelet. She is also excited to bring some of her culinary experience in Hawaii to her menu at Nook. One such dish will be a her take on prominent Hawaiian chef Danny Morioka’s loco moco (a layering of rice, burger, egg, and gravy), which she traveled back to Hawaii to perfect. She plans to make her loco moco with bacon and cheese.

Although the couple plans to open Nook in February, Thompson says they likely won’t be able to serve liquor, beer, or wine until at least May when their license is approved. After that, she says to expect a full “boozy brunch” experience.

Equally important as the food, Thompson says she’s focused on creating a relaxed, casual, and comfortable atmosphere with friendly service at the forefront.

“We want the vibe of the restaurant to be like you’re hanging out with your family, eating in the kitchen,” she explains. “You can have stark white walls in the house, but it’s the family that makes the ambiance.”

Thompson says Nook definitely won’t have those white walls, though, as she plans on featuring local artists in the restaurant.

“I was born and raised in Tucson. Tucson is my heart and my gut,” she says. “It’s important to bring it all together.”

For updates on Nook’s progress, you can follow the restaurant on Facebook and Twitter.

Chances are you have about twenty different food carts, holes in the wall, and other hidden gems that you are just dying to let the world know about. Well, nerdy TV food enthusiast Alton Brown wants to hear what you’ve got.

According to Brown’s blog, he’s hitting the road to try tasty places across the country in nearly 40 different cities and Tucson is one of them. He’s asking Tucsonians to take to Twitter and Facebook to namedrop as many local food hot spots as possible using the hashtag #ABRoadEatsTucson.

The post says Brown is specifically looking for late night snacks, coffee shops, sandwiches, and restaurants in general. The crowd-sourced food tour is part of Brown’s Edible Inevitable Tour, which will bring him through Tucson on Saturday, March 22. For more information on his Tucson appearance and to buy tickets, check out the tour’s website.

Otherwise, get to Twitter and start telling Alton Brown what’s up.

The prospect of a restaurant that serves only poutine dredges up some complicated emotions. There’s the side of you that wants to eat French fries, gravy, and cheese curds all night and forget about all of the locally-grown, artisanal stuff for a little bit—it’s hard to be responsible all of the time. Then there’s the side of you that kind of wants to punch a wall at the gimmickiness of it. Unfortunately, you probably won’t feel too resolved on either front after a visit to Fourth Avenue’s newish restaurant: U.S. Fries.

In terms of set up, there are a few issues out of the gate with this fast casual restaurant, located just south of Seventh Street. First off, there’s only table seating for ten people so once there are ten people eating poutine, you have to grab one of the tableless high chairs that line the storefront window and eat off of your lap. Not exactly dignified, but hey—you’re eating a box o’ poutine.

This wouldn’t be so frustrating if there wasn’t so much empty, unused space in the restaurant. U.S. Fries could likely double the seating capacity with some creative rearranging or if they just bought high top tables for those chairs or they can be happy feeding only ten people at a time, though that model doesn’t seem particularly viable for a fast casual spot.

Seating issues aside, the restaurant is decorated like a fast food joint, but insists in pricing that it is fast casual with $5 to $7.50 for a regular size and $8 to $11.50 for a large. The bright, abrasive primary colors say "leave" nearly as much as the lack of seating. Additionally, the futuristic soda, plasticware, and napkin dispensers make the place feel sterile.

Despite the restaurant’s lack of any semblance of ambiance, the service was actually very friendly and quick. Choosing between gussied up options like, chili topped with chives and cheese, cheeseburger topped with pickles, and a questionable combination of ham, pineapple, gravy, and cheese curds, all atop a bed of fries, might be a little rough on your first go so start with the traditional.

Admittedly, a $5 regular-sized poutine was more than enough food to fill up, holding true to the restaurant’s obnoxious motto that “it’s not poutine, it’s a meal.” However, the brown gravy was too salty and the cheese curds were too large and remained off-puttingly cold in the center. If you’re touting a food with just three elements, those elements should be dead on. Plus, would it kill them to put some chives or something on top so I can maintain some illusion of healthiness? A little green never hurt anyone.

All that being said, it’s still just fries with gravy and cheese and that tastes pretty good no matter who you are (they even have a vegetarian option). It’s not like this is the sort of place that should be a regular stop in your dining roster, but maybe if you’ve had too many drinks at Che’s on the weekend, it’s worth it to walk down and try it out. After all, they are open until 3 a.m. Thursday through Sunday and 10 p.m. the rest of the week.

Just maybe consider taking your poutine to go.

Not to get all Doris Day on you, but it’s cold outside, which means it’s time to get soup and a lot of it. At this point, if you don’t know of Tanias 33 in Barrio Hollywood (614 N. Grande Ave; Monday - Saturday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.), it’s definitely the opportune moment to stop into the little Mexican joint and grab a bowl or three. Whether you’re vegan or not, Tanias 33 has soup to satisfy and keep you warm when Tucson gets sort of coldish.

There’s a sign out front of Tanias advertising the fact that they carry 12 soups daily. 12 soups daily is music to my soup loving ears. The list of caldos includes Mexican classics likes albondigas (meatball soup), menudo, menudo colorado and more.

For the more adventurous, you can get the jugo de birria de res. Once you order, you’ll be met with a bowl of stew-like slow cooked beef packed with chiles and spices with a densely rich flavor. After all, slow cooking any cut of meat, no matter how garbage-like, will likely yield tasty results. While the finished product was a bit too salty, the heartiness of the meat-packed caldos was instantly comforting.

On the other end of the spectrum, the cazuela might look more like the soups you’re used to, but the mixture of roasted green peppers and onions gives this soup depth. The carne seca perks up in the beef broth, though it is admittedly a bit greasier than you’d expect.

Oddly enough, of all of the soups at Tanias, the vegan fideo had the most balanced flavor. Without the carne crutch, the delicate blend of citrus, salt, tomato, and spices in the broth all meld together perfectly. The rice vermicelli cooks in the broth, giving the finished product a delightfully velvety texture and using the starch in the noodles effectively. There’s a reason people say they’ve seen famous meat-free folks like Jared Leto at Tanias, after all.

Best of all, when ordered to go, you get your cup of soup wrapped up like one of those fish you win at the fair. However, instead of having a dead fish when you get home, you get a modest portion of soup paired with fresh cilantro, onion, and cucumber and a small side of salsa for only $2 for eight ounces. Until you pick your favorite of the 12 Tanias 33 soups, getting several of the small cups is the way to go, though two or three will definitely be filling.