Thursday, August 29, 2013

Posted By on Thu, Aug 29, 2013 at 1:30 PM

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My memory is so terrible that I never remember which of these class-action settlement forms I've filled out, but yet, every time I hear about one, I dutifully enter my information in the hope that I'll receive a surprise check down the road in the mail.

So, while I make no guarantees about whether you'll get the $45 potentially available from Naked Juice in a new class action settlement (the juices weren't so naked apparently since they included calcium pantothenate, GMOs, and some other less juice-like ingredients), but it's worth a shot if you think you bought some of their juice at some point between September 27, 2007 to August 19, 2013. If you have a proof of purchase, you're eligible for more, but really, who keeps a stack of juice UPCs just in case?

Join me in wishing and hoping for an eventual bit of extra cash.

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Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Posted By on Tue, Aug 27, 2013 at 10:00 AM

What happens when you put a family of chefs together in Arizona’s first and only solar powered food truck? Chef’s Kitchen, of course. Clad in matching tattoos of their logo, the Cryderman’s - Chris, Ivor, and Chris’ wife Mary - are sharing their passion with Tucson one dish at a time.

Chris has been a chef for 40 years. He started flipping burgers in Detroit at 14 and trained at the Culinary Institute of America the same time Anthony Bourdain was there. “It was quite the party,” says Chris.

He’s opened 23 restaurants in Michigan and Colorado, mostly for other people. Chris always wanted to come back to Tucson - he worked at El Conquistador for a time - and finally had his chance when he found the right woman. The original plan was to open a cheese store, but when the perfect location fell through, Chris figured it just wasn’t time and looked into food trucks instead.

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Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Posted By on Wed, Aug 14, 2013 at 3:00 PM

Blake Collins
  • Blake Collins

Nicole Flowers and Travis Reese are trying something new with Saint House, set to open August 15th at 256 E. Congress Street. Flowers and Reese love showcasing classic cocktails and serving good products at Scott & Co., but no one in town was doing rum. “It's the most diverse spirit in the world,” says Reese. “We wondered if we could do something unique with Caribbean-style food and pair it with drinks.”

They also wanted to create some diversity Downtown. “There's already a lot of American food,” says Reese, “and the Caribbean has a lot of unexplored North African and French dishes.” But Saint House will keep their food program approachable. There will be 4 ceviches, at least one veggie style, and a taco component. The Stew del Mar sounds mouthwatering with 5 different seafoods in a coconut curry broth. And everyone, absolutely everyone, is excited about the taro chips. “We were surprised at how good they are,” says Reese.

There will be some crazy dishes for the adventurous types, including one that features scotch bonnet peppers. “It can ruin a person if they're not expecting it,” says Reese.

The décor for Saint House was inspired by a visit to Miami, to which designer Chad Goebel added an upscale element. Grays, dark yellows, and dozens of lanterns — hanging or otherwise - give the restaurant a soft, intimate feel. The private dining room, done in light blue with dark blue accents, offers a breathtaking view of Congress Street.

Seating is extremely varied. Booths rest against a lantern-covered wall, there are low top and high top tables, and there are plenty of seats at the bar itself. “Hopefully it will be a different experience each time you come in,” says Laura Adams-Reese of Storyteller PR, who is handling Saint House. She eagerly pointed out the set of paintings by local artist Gonzalo Espinosa.

Then there's the long bar in the middle of the room. The shiny gray slate beckons you to sit down and order a drink. The bar was left open to highlight the cocktails and pull diners into the experience. “It's dinner and a show,” says Flowers.

Flowers admits that her specialty is the business side of things, while Reese works as restaurant manager. “Travis and I are equals at the top, but there's so much to do that we split up the work,” says Flowers. Big restaurant decisions, like the menu, are made together.

Since the focus is rum, there will be over 40 brands offered, which will appeal to a range of drinkers. Rum daiquiris will be a specialty here. “Daiquiri's are basically the perfect cocktail,” says bar curator Karl Goranowski. “They're balanced, not too sweet or sour.” At least, his aren't. Apparently most daiquiris we encounter are not true daiquiris.

Do you like vodka? Try a daiquiri with rum from Appleton Estate, which has a potent pineapple flavor. It's refreshing and light, the perfect poolside drink. American whiskey drinkers might like the Barbados aged rum, which has a little bit of toffee and vanilla from the barrel. It makes a richer-flavored daiquiri, and you can taste the barrel in there.

Rhum Agricole will have flavors that Margarita-drinkers find familiar, with something exciting added. It's like tequila-plus, without the oil, and grassy/vegetal notes on the back end. This daquiri is deliciously complex, and is one Goranowski would order for himself.

English Harbour is an oak-aged rum perfect for people who like cognac or bourbon. It smells of vanilla and a hint of leather, and has a sweeter taste without being cloying. “As Americans, we're told that all things vanilla are good,” says Goranowski. “Ice cream, bourbon...” And now daiquiris.

Once you get into the uniquely rum flavors, it's a wild ride. Banks is extremely vegetal, almost like a black olive. “It's a little bit down the rabbit hole,” Goranowski admits. It definitely has that fresh black olive note on the nose, and makes an incredibly complex and balanced daquiri. Those who like juniper will find satisfaction with this drink.

The sipping rums they offer are incredibly drinkable. Try Pusser's for a strange adventure that leaves you tasting raisins at the end. It's unforgettable.

A huge part of Saint House's mission is to educate the public about rum. The fun will be in trying daiquiris side by side to discover the nuances in flavor. Or let the bartenders know what you like, and they'll find a rum that suits you.

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Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Posted By on Tue, Aug 6, 2013 at 10:00 AM

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Serial Grillers, the horror-film themed cheesesteak and burger food truck, are set to open a brick-and-mortar location by the end of the month at 5737 E. Speedway Blvd. Somewhat similar to their existing food truck business, the new joint will be takeout and delivery only, but will offer a different menu than their mobile location, but thankfully keeps up the truck's naming conventions for the pizzas, cold deli subs, calzones, paninis and salads. More info can be found on the new location's Facebook page.

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Monday, August 5, 2013

Posted By on Mon, Aug 5, 2013 at 3:00 PM

Caridad Community Kitchen - which is operated by the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona - is getting ready to offer another series of free culinary training sessions for people who meet specific low-income requirements. As highlighted in the video above, it's a cool program that prepares people for culinary careers while feeding nutritious meals to those who need them in communities across Tucson.

There's more information, including specifics about how to sign up for the course, over here.

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Posted By on Mon, Aug 5, 2013 at 2:00 PM

A new Italian restaurant called Dominick's Real Italian is open for business at 8330 N. Thornydale Road, in Marana. Workers there tell us they opened for business last Friday.

Check out the menu and get more information over here. No liquor yet but the license for that has been filed and they expect to be offering libations around the end of the month.

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Posted By on Mon, Aug 5, 2013 at 1:00 PM

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There's been a run of new food trucks popping up lately (Zany Beaver, a poutine van; Lucky Girl's Asian-influenced burgers, and others) and Cheesy Rider, a grilled cheese themed truck, is set to open this month. It seems like there should have been a grilled cheese option long ago, but hey, better late than never, I suppose.

The Cheesy Rider folks seem to have their social media game on lock, at least, with 982 Facebook likes as I write this, so they're offering a preview meal ahead of their grand opening. The catch...you have to write a clever caption for a photo of two cowsa horse and a cow (I clearly didn't look closely at first). A winner will be selected to dine on sandwiches on Aug. 9, ahead of the hoi polloi. If there's any currency with any value left in this world, it's the ability to enjoy something that other, clearly inferior, people cannot, so good luck.

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Thursday, August 1, 2013

Posted By on Thu, Aug 1, 2013 at 3:30 PM

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Look out HoneyBaked Ham Company. Reigning Tucson Iron Chef Ryan Clark - executive chef at Lodge on the Desert - and local gardener, sommelier and bee-keeper Noel Patterson are teaming up for an event that takes pairing sweetness and swine to a whole new level:

Ryan will be roasting a whole pig in a La Caja China box. You’ll get to see part of the process, as well as chat with him.

All dishes will feature honey from Dos Manos Apiaries. Noel Patterson, owner of Dos Manos Apiaries will be on hand to talk honey, bees, and will have plenty of honey for sale, as well.

Main Dish
Whole Pig Roast, Honey + Lavender Marinate
3 Condiments: chili-honey, honey-mustard and honey-BBQ

Sides
Seasonal Salad
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Grilled Vegetables

Dessert
Mesquite Honey Cup Cakes

Cocktails - Each entry receives two drink tickets, all cocktails $5 afterwards

The Buzz
Local Honey Aged Bourbon, Honey Comb Bitters, Sweet Vermouth

Bee Sting
Organic Grapefruit Vodka, Fresh Grapefruit Juice, Cardamom-Honey Syrup

Bee’s Knees
Bombay Gin, Lemon Juice, Honey Syrup

The event is being put on by local food blogger Tucson Foodie. It goes down Thursday, Sept. 5, and tickets - which can be purchased here - will run you $30.

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Monday, July 29, 2013

Posted By on Mon, Jul 29, 2013 at 5:00 PM

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There's been a liquor license application in the queue recently for a place called Heist No. 43, located at 7131 E. Broadway (the former home of a Big Fat Greek Restaurant that always seemed busy, but you never know). The license application was under the name of a company that does that sort of thing, the corporation under the name of some guy in Phoenix who has a Google trail of a bunch of business names and not much else. So, while the information about what Heist No. 43 is actually going to be was out there somewhere, it wasn't immediately apparent.

Anyhow, a long story, but now we know a little more about the place. It's apparently a pizza place (the Facebook page, which went up on July 9, promises white truffle oil and Peroni on tap, for what that's worth, although I didn't know people liked Peroni that much) and it's the third Tucson restaurant from Aaron May (chicken-and-waffles joint May's Counter and house-of-massive-portions Lodge Sasquatch, being the first two). I was on Matt Russell's radio food show on Saturday and we interviewed May, who mentioned that he had two things in the works, a Tucson location of breakfast concept Over Easy and something else he wasn't ready to talk about yet. One of those concepts is scheduled to open before the end of the year...odds are that's Heist.

More info when we get it.

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Posted By on Mon, Jul 29, 2013 at 1:00 PM

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As the standard sort of food-loving jackass that seems to be everywhere these days, I enjoy the food blog Eater. They do a great job with the fun national trend stuff, but also provide a solid insight into what's happening in the various cities they cover. However, for better or worse, Tucson has rarely made it on to their radar (the Boca lion meat story, the Chick-Fil-A drive-thru jerk, the forthcoming Pizzeria Bianco and a few other things).

Today, Tucson gets a prime spot on the site with a local installment of their Heat Map feature. The idea is to cover the most interesting new restaurants in a city, but in Tucson's case, that's more or less the nine places you'd expect, considering not that many places really open here any given year. I guess this information might be helpful for someone from out of town or who doesn't follow local food news, but at least as Tucson's culinary culture stands right now, I think a wider net still makes more sense (plug alert: like our 100 Essential Dishes feature from earlier this year!)

So, here's the list, as composed for Eater by Adam Lehrman of Tucson Foodie:

Diablo Burger
Falora
Penca
Wild Garlic Grill
Dante's Fire
Proper
The Twisted Tandoor
Reilly
Umi Star

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