Celebrating or just ballin'? Either way, indulging via food is worth it.
Here's our list of nine of the most luxurious dishes in Tucson. Steaks are usually among the most expensive option at restaurants, so we'll exclude them and keep things spicy (figuratively).
While Korean barbecue isn't fancy, the bill can add up quickly with a la carte options. Skip the fuss with a combo for two and share from a wider range of dishes.
Combo C ($59.95) features:
For more information, visit 7ounce.com.
The house special Cioppino ($39.99) at Bazil's features a combination of lobster, shrimp, clams, crab, scallops and fish sauteed in wine and a spicy marinara sauce.
For more information, visit bazilstucson.com.
The tamal-stuffed Lobster Tamalada (market price) is topped with green salsa and red salsa. On the side, a fancy candle tray keeps the drawn butter warm with the scent of garlic and chiltepin wafting through the air.
For top of the line bubbly, pair it with a bottle of Bollinger Special Cuvee ($149)
For more information, visit charrodelrey.com.
Paella Valencia ($58 for two) is cooked to order and features bomba rice with shrimp, mussels, clams, chicken and Spanish chorizo. It's also one of the most Instagrammable dishes in Tucson, I mean, just look at that thing ^
Cochinillo Asado (whole $475, half $260, three days advance notice required) features a roasted suckling pig with grilled green onions, patatas bravas, black beans, and the vegetable of the day.
For more information, visit eatatcontigo.com.
If you're hesitant to add on guacamole at Chipotle, look away.
The Flying V features Tableside Guacamole ($18), made by their "guacamoliere." It's not a 100% authentic interpretation, but it's still fantastic and surely beats an ice cream scoop of guac.
For more information, visit loewshotels.com.
Sometimes called "the Kobe beef of pork," Kurobuta pork can cost about eight times as much as conventional supermarket pork. You won't find Kurobuta at most grocery stores, so look to restaurants that are selective with their ingredients. Like Kobe beef, the glistening intramuscular marbling commands the high price.
At the Grill, enjoy the Kurobuta Pork Chop ($42) with white cheddar green chile polenta, apple, roasted baby carrot, leek, and apple brandy demi. (Note: the photo above is from a previous season's rendition of the chop.)
For more information, visit haciendadelsol.com.
Filet mignon, foie gras, and truffles round out three of the most cliché fancy foods.
At Le Rendez-vous, the Beef Wellington ($38) combines all three for an indulgent treat to remember. This version features beef tenderloin, foie gras, and mushroom duxelle wrapped in puff pastry with a truffle demi-glace.
For more information, visit rendezvoustucson.com.
For a classy appetizer, order a seafood tower with some martinis.
At PY Steakhouse, the tower comes as the Shellfish Sampler ($65) for two with two petite Maine lobster tails, four daily-selected oysters, four jumbo Mexican shrimp, a half-pound of king crab legs, cocktail sauce, horseradish, mignonette, aioli, house-fermented habanero hot sauce, and lemon.
The luxury doesn't end there — add the PY Steakhouse Special Label Caviar for $74.
For more information, visit casinodelsol.com.
Although Costco's rotisserie chicken is even cheaper than buying your own raw chicken and roasting it, treat yoself to one of the best versions you can buy. And I'm not talking about the $22.99 meal for three at Boston Market.
At Villa Peru, the Pollo A La Brasa ($31) features a free-range roasted chicken Peruvian style with rustic fries, a seasonal salad, and ají cream.
For more information, visit villaperutucson.com.
While Osso Buco ($46.95) isn't presented with any grand garnish, it comes with a tiny fork to scoop out the marrow. The menu description is charmingly concise: "veal shanks in a vegetable - tomato sauce over rice."
Jackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the food truck Tran's Fats. Although he...
