Thanks to Thanksgiving, the month of November sometimes ends up being an all-you-can-eat food fest. Here’s a look back at what the Tucson Foodie team enjoyed the most in November.
Not only are these reminders of the dishes we ate, but they can also be a guide for your own decisions on what to eat here in Tucson.
The Bird buns, Street noodles, and Obon ramen. I brought a friend from out of town and this was easily one of the highlights of her visit. We sidled up to the sushi bar and tried a bit of everything. Steamed buns are a must!
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A friend and I checked out Zemam’s before a concert and it was an excellent idea. We split a bottle of wine since it’s BYOB and ordered two Mixed Meat and Veggie samplers. Our favorites? Yetakelt Wat, a deliciously seasoned medley of fresh vegetables and potatoes, and the Gored-Gored, slices of beef, spiced with chili peppers and tomatoes
The brunch buffet at Loews Ventana Canyon is a work of art. We went to the Thanksgiving buffet this time around and felt like a million bucks. There were multiple carving stations with prime rib, turkey, lamb, and ham. On the grills, you could find other proteins such as salmon, pulled pork, hot dogs, vegetables, and more. The dessert bar is fit for royalty! I recommend checking out their weekend brunch.
Run to El Torero and get a big hot bowl of Shroom Pozole Noods. Find it on the plant-based specials menu. Get it while you can!
The Houlden’s Rise Above storefront is open, and I can’t visit enough. I love seeing the long line of people excited to get their hands on Houlden’s gorgeous pastries. Pictured below is one of their wildly good Strawberry Lemon Curd Cruffins.
A chocolate chip cookie the size of a small child’s head? Sign me up!
When I wrote about Tucson Coffee Cricket a while back I immediately became obsessed with their juice and coffee concoctions. Hearing that they were doing a Hannukah Hot Chocolate made with real Gelt chocolate (the kind you find in the coins traditionally handed out during those eight crazy nights) I had to get one… with a double shot which made it a Kosher mocha. Unreal. Rich, silky, chock full of chocolatey beauty, and with the added addition of espresso my day was off to a very delicious day spiked with a well-needed boost. So good. But then I found myself famished.
A good portion of my job is being online. This particular Saturday there was a good portion of friends, especially my vegan friends, posting about this Bacon Western Cheeseburger at Midtown Vegan Deli. So I ordered one to go as I needed some time in a local park. Finding solace at Rio Vista Park, I sat on a bench overlooking a child’s birthday party and the occasional jogger and ate what should be a full-on meat-gouged sandwich entity of “cheese” “beef” and “bacon.” There was a red tail hawk that circled and screeched as I divulged. It was all too glorious. The flavor and texture were there. The sun was warm but the air was cool. Afterward, I took a post-vegan western bacon cheeseburger nap.
Again, one of the spectacular bonuses of being a writer for Tucson Foodie is making connections and friends with such amazing people. Recently, Rachel and Zak of Holy Focaccia have been doing kinda, sorta secret breakfast sammies made with their insanely fantastic bread that I had the honor of writing about. Wait, should I be telling you about these sandwiches? Do you follow Holy Focaccia on social media? Okay. Now things have gotten a little bit weird. Well, just to let you all know that my Sunday was filled with an omelet with jam and cream cheese and cheese and herbs.
“Well, would you look at all of that food!” I’m pretty sure that’s what I said before digging into the Cast Iron Baked Eggs breakfast at Cup Cafe.
Yeah, beer is a meal for me. According to Beer Advocate, beer can be considered food because “it’s made with cereal grains, hops, and yeast, all of this combined goodness is oftentimes a meal in itself.” Pueblo Vida Brewing Company recently released their Vida Bunch hazy IPA, which is a collaborative brew made by the staff there at the brewery (they’re all featured on the can like the opening scene of The Brady Bunch). I thoroughly enjoyed the beer in a cozy corner of Tucson Hop Shop.
The traditional Eggs Benedict from Tucson Racquet Club. They’re made with Canadian bacon as god intended them to be. FYI the downstairs dining room at TRC is open to the public for breakfast and lunch daily.
The Buttery Biscuits and Gravy at Meyer Ave Café. Housemade sausage and bacon gravy — biscuit is housemade, too. Definitely add the poached egg.
The vegan onigiraz from Yoshimatsu.
