Coronet teams up with Whiskey Del Bac, Barrio Bread, and Desert Pearl Mushrooms for a fundraising dinner at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 27, benefiting Community Gardens of Tucson. All produce for the evening comes directly from Tucson Community Gardens. Dinner is $125 per person plus tax and gratuity. Purchase tickets here.
The evening begins off-site at Pio Decimo Community Garden for a talk and tour at 5:30 p.m. Guests then move to Coronet at 6:15 p.m. for a welcome cocktail and passed appetizers, followed by dinner and dessert on the main patio. A raffle runs during dinner, with prizes including a bottle of Whiskey Del Bac Normandie Batch 5, a pair of etched Glencairn whiskey glasses, and two $150 Coronet gift cards.
A collaboration built on Tucson sourcing
Coronet has worked with Barrio Bread's Don Guerra for years, featuring his sourdough loaves and baguettes on its menus and at its cafe counter. Desert Pearl Mushrooms grows specialty fungi locally in Tucson and supplies chefs and farmers markets across the region. Whiskey Del Bac produces mesquite smoke-forward American single malt whiskey in the Sonoran Desert tradition at Hamilton Distillers, founded by Bill Owens in 2011. Together, the four producers reflect the kind of hyper-local collaboration that has earned Tucson its reputation as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.
Executive chef Mallorie Hart leads the Coronet kitchen. Hart started at Coronet Cafe at 21 and worked her way up through the restaurant kitchen to sous chef, then chef de cuisine, then executive chef. She describes her cooking style as "high impact, unexpected, approachable but interesting and inclusive as possible," with heavy influence from Asian, Middle Eastern, and African cuisines and a particular focus on craveworthy vegan dishes. Her menus rotate with the season, and the Sept. 27 dinner reflects her ongoing sourcing relationships with Tucson growers and makers.
For a full look at her cooking and background, read Tucson Foodie's Q&A with Hart.
A five-course menu built around local ingredients
The menu highlights vegetables and herbs from the Community Gardens. Chefs paired each course with a Del Bac spirit or house creation. Passed appetizers open the night with two dishes: barbecue mushroom stuffed turnip with mustard touille and rosemary lemongrass glazed pork skewers. A passed aperitivo of Del Bac rye whiskey, caraway apple shrub, and cider accompanies the apps.
The salad course features bitter greens, maple sage glazed squash, Del Bac emulsion, and fried mushroom "crutons," paired with mesquite smoked Del Bac dorado and chestnut mushroom.
Pasta follows with purslane walnut pesto over Barrio grain pasta, smoked cheddar mornay, and glazed carrots, paired with Old Pueblo Clear Whiskey with herbs and purslane, plus bubbles.
The main course showcases sage and ginger burnt ends brisket with ham hock collards, blue masa corn cake, and Del Bac whiskey demi. Mesquite smoked dorado, Alpine Meadow liqueur, and charred rosemary complete the pairing.
Dessert closes the night with a mushroom chocolate "cookie," dried cherry compote, and oregano caramel, served alongside a house herbed mushroom cordial.
About Community Gardens of Tucson
Community Gardens of Tucson has built community gardens across the city for more than 30 years, serving many residents who are economically disadvantaged and at risk from food insecurity. The organization offers gardening scholarships for low-income families and school gardening education for K-12 students. The Sept. 27 dinner raises funds directly for those programs.
For more on Community Gardens of Tucson, visit communitygardensoftucson.org.
Tickets and details
Dinner is $125 per person plus tax and gratuity. The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. at Pio Decimo Community Garden, followed by cocktails and dinner at Coronet Restaurant, 848 S. 7th Ave., starting at 6:15 p.m. Seating is limited. Reserve via Resy at here.
