Here’s a look back at what the Tucson Foodie team enjoyed during June!
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.
Chef Christian Padilla’s soft eggs from our R&D dinner blended many textures together that danced in my mouth; the softness of the egg with the crunch of the Japanese peanuts with the creaminess of the huitlacoche crema was the perfect way to kick off an amazing dinner experience.
The ahi poke wonton tacos at Hacienda del Sol are a steal during their happy hour and plentiful. They’re simply delicious.
My kid and I shared the fried chicken mac and cheese at the National and we’re pleasantly surprised with how comforting and velvety it was. We will absolutely be seeking this out on a cold, rainy day. Or just because.
The basque cheese cake at Los Milics was creamy, tasty, and perfectly rich. It was a great option to share with others and it paired perfectly with the Renato’s wine.
The Gougeres from Sunshine Wine are little pillows of gruyere and parmesan served with Dijon. I split them with a few friends and immediately regretted it because I didn’t feel like sharing after the 1st bite. Not pictured is the wheat ice cream that was nostalgia inducing and instantly became a favorite of mine.
New favorite dirty chai: spicy dirty chai at Zedamo Ethiopian Coffee Shop.
Green curry + tofu at Seasons Eats.
A friend and I craved something fresh, but more carby than a salad, so we both ordered the banh hoi bo lui tau hu ky nem nuong, or simply #88. You get two plates: the first plate features fresh leafy lettuce to make your lettuce wraps, mint, do chua (pickled carrot and daikon), and cucumber. The second plate features satueed onions wrapped with grilled beef, crispy shrimp paste, grilled pork sausage, and vermicelli rice patties. You assemble the lettuce wraps to your liking, then dip it in the bowl of sweet and savory nuoc cham for a fresh, crunchy bite with multiple contrasting textures and flavors.
Event though Sunshine Wine has been open for only a few weeks, I’ve dine there three times already. You could blindly choose multiple small plates to share and you’ll have a jolly ol’ time, but the two dishes I had to revisit were the Gougeres and Barbacoa Beets.
The Gruyère provided melty, sharp flavor in the light and airy Gougeres, while the Barbacoa Beets had a kiss of spice and bits of crunch from the dukkah and thin peppery radish.
While the lobster roll isn’t a menu mainstay, it regularly appears as a special; just make sure to pay attention to their social media announcements when it is in stock, as it tends to sell out early. The simple execution with butter and lemon highlights the natural sweetness of the lobster.
While the Coronet is currently closed for vacation until mid-August, I went beforehand to try their Wednesday/Thursday night tasting menus. This might be my favorite menu so far here; two dishes left me wide-eyed.
The Braised Beef Short Rib offered an elegant take on Korean flavors with a bok choy kimchi, crispy coconut rice cake, and tender grilled broccolini. The Salmon & Arròs Negre featured toothsome Spanish black rice, fried squid (surprisingly some of the most tender squid I’ve ever had), green chickpeas, chorizo, red chili fumet, and Barrio crostini with green chili rouille.
While pork katsu appears around Tucson, beef katsu does less so. At Katsu House, tender medium steak comes with eggs enriched with caramelized onions and a light savory sauce. Non-soup comfort meal in a bowl.
Their Japanese Style Dog features a beef frank, jalapeño, crispy onions, togashi, nori, Kewpie, and ketchup. However, they take advantage of the beautiful slightly-sweet and fluffy Sonoran hot dog buns available in Tucson.
98 E. Congress St.
The dinner menu at The National features comfort and bistro classics in a beautiful downtown space with giant windows for people-watching. A light arugula salad and chive béarnaise adorn tender, cast iron butter seared flatiron steak and fries for the Steak Frites.
I was recently lamenting how some of my favorite Tucson mac and cheese places recently closed, but The National thankfully fills that hole with a respectable and balanced version with sharpness from white cheddar, gooeyness from American cheese, and a satisfying stretchy cheese pull from queso Oaxaca.
It’s been way too long since I dined at Bata. I won’t make that mistake again.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
The perfect Manhattan — rye, vermouth, Barolo, and bitters pack a delightful punch — and the seared albacore crudo, the sweetness of the strawberry bosho offset by bits of cucumber and jalapeño.
The fresh hot malawach bread, used to scoop up the creamy labne and whey jam.
The mushroom skewers, hearty shiitakes with a light miso glaze.
The S’mores tart, its crunchy white Sonoran wheat crust topped with rich chocolate and marshmallows, all bathed in a pool of caramel.
There was a time when I ate at Samurai on Oracle Road once a week. I knew nothing of sushi back then, but there was so much on the menu that I loved so I never got bored. Now we order it at home and I have to say everything is as good as it used to be way back when.
Last night I had the Katsu Don. The pork was perfectly breaded, the onions were all melty, sweet and juicy. And the fried egg on top added both taste and texture. The shrimp shumai was wonderful. Samurai isn’t as fancy as most Japanese restaurants in town, but the food can stand up to any of them.
It’s always nice to have a new restaurant in the neighborhood. In this case the new joint is The District. Located in the former Pastiche site, the District is a nice addition.
We started with the grilled shrimp. These babies were plump, tender, and well-grilled. They were served with a tangy mandarin orange, sesame-ginger dipping sauce (a nice change from the usual shrimp sauce or lemon something.)
The “crispy thin cut” fries were exactly that. They came out piping hot and crispy.
We both had The District Burger. This was the very definition of a good bar burger. The six-ounce patty was topped with cheddar, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a garlic aioli. It was cooked through, but was still very juicy and delish!
We’ll return. The menu has plenty of plates I want to try. The chips on the side were practically perfect in every way.
Let me add that I’m thrilled that this space is finally back up and running. Anyone who knew Pat Connors understands.
OMG! I ordered something else besides the corned beef at Baja on Campbell.
The is the Monsoon Bene with an English muffin, tomatoes, avocado, applewood smoked bacon and two over-easy eggs. I substituted my fave Gouda sauce in lieu of the basil pesto Hollandaise. Topped with arugula and drizzle of balsamic reduction, this was a most satisfying change. The bacon was crisp to the max (as it should be.) Definitely will order again.
This is the Cinnamon Babka Morning Bun at 5 Points. It’s made with almond flour, a hint of orange, and a brown butter glaze. So good.
The “Watermelon Candy” chicken wings from Wings y Más will blow your mind. Both eyebrow-raising and satisfying. If they say they don’t have it ask, “are you sure?” and if it’s a still no, get whatever special sauce they have that day.
I ended my vegan career towards the end of last year for professional reasons :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:. What I’ve been craving more than anything is a fried chicken sandwich. I rrrreeeeealy wish I hadn’t found the “round” sandwiches from Slice & Ice just a few blocks from my house. They’ve got six different styles, all served on a yeast bun. This one (featured at my home after my third trip to Ace Hardware that day) has Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue sauce on it. Up next I’m gonna try the Chicken Parmesan.
I’m in love with Sunshine Wine. Beautiful space. And it looks like they scooped up some of my favorite bartenders and servers from around town. My favorite plate so far is the Shaved Veg with villi yogurt dressing, wild arugula, cucumber, radish, carrot, chili crisp, and dill oil.
The fish tacos from La Bufadora are fresh, delicious and gigantic. Two is enough for dinner.
Look at these freaking flautas from The Golden Taco. They taste even better than they look. The beef on the inside is seasoned perfectly and super juicy. Five stars.
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