Rita Connelly is the author of “Lost Restaurants of Tucson,” “Historic Restaurants of Tucson,” and “Arizona Chimichangas,”all published by The History Press.

Growing up in a large Italian family instilled in her an appreciation for the important role food plays in life beyond just nourishment. She has carried that lesson with her throughout her career.

Rita wrote restaurant reviews for the “Tucson Weekly” for eleven years. That job allowed her to expand her food-related knowledge, develop professional and
personal relationships within the Tucson culinary community, and have a little fun. Some of her best times have been as a judge for numerous food contests. She’s been a judge for tacos, hot dogs, salsa, margaritas, chocolate, wine and oyster pairings, and pies. That was especially memorable because there were more judges than pies.

Her other work has also been featured in many local and national publications. Rita is the co-author of the second and third editions of “Insiders’ Guide to Tucson.”
Currently her blog, www.wellfedfoodieblog.wordpress.com covers all manner of food related topics including chef bios, book reviews and dining experiences both on a local and national level.

Being a food writer is Rita’s dream job because she gets to have fun, eat well, meet people, learn about life and make a little money. What more could one ask for?