What’s hip, hot, and happening in Tucson?

Well, a bizarre collection of foodie items you wouldn’t have paired together, but they’re here and we’re into them!

With doughnut bars on the rise (think Irene’s Donuts, Island Plate Lunch‘s new bakery, and soon-to-be Donut Bar downtown), the fried treats can’t be ignored.

In addition, our Chinese food culture is booming — Hello China Bamboo, Fatman Kitchen, affordable Fried Rice Hut, and recently opened Chef Wang Chinese Restaurant and their extensive 165-dish menu inspired by areas such as Sichuan, Dongbei, and Xinjiang. Other options include Original Cuisine, Yu Zi Wei, China Valley, Noodleholics, Asian Sofrito, Panda House, and Zing Zings.

Doughnuts and Chinese food not enough? Let’s throw some good ol’ pickles into the mix. Yes, pickled food is trending (and is a great accompaniment to a picnic, especially on Mount Lemmon).

Bet you can’t guess the last trend… or maybe you can. If you’ve been sipping on drinks trying to keep cool around town, you’ve likely seen/sipped on a mocktail — non-alcoholic cocktail. We aren’t talking straight soda and juice, these are expertly curated drinks (if you visit the right spot).

Want to hear more?

Free up your schedule today from 1 – 3 p.m. and tune in to “Around the Table” on 1030 KVOI AM — we’ll be talking about food trends and what not to miss out on.

We’re broadcasting live from the Tucson Foodie offices downtown with the staff, some local guests, and radio host and James Beard Award winner Jennifer English.

It’s casual, fun, and will keep you ‘in the know’ regarding food.

Trending topic this week: Food trends

This week, we’ll be sharing insider knowledge on local food trends — where to find ’em, what to look out for, and what not to miss… so stay tuned.

Guests featured on Thursday, June 13

• TF Chat: The Tucson Foodie Crew will share top bites of the week and chat about food trends (cue Jackie Tran with the Chinese Cuisine)
• Executive chef Devon Sanner from The Carriage House
• Executive chef David Solorzano from Penca
• Mixologist Eric Harding from Elvira’s will make the cocktail/mocktail of the week
• Principal Laura Reese from Storyteller Public Relations & Event
• Mixologist Stephanie Kingman from The Parish sharing a sneak peek of their up-and-coming mocktails

Want to keep up with the latest convos on food?

Tune in to 1030 KVOI AM for our show, Around the Table, every Thursday from 1 – 3 p.m.

We’re broadcasting live!