With the permanent closure and rebranding of Café Botanica inside the Tucson Botanical Gardens, owner Kristine Jensen sought out new opportunities to bring her online grocery store and on-the-go meals to fruition.
Her ideas quickly took shape nearly a year ago in the form of the brick-and-mortar Gallery of Food Bodega at 2522 E. Ft. Lowell Rd. Now, after months of careful planning and coordination, Jensen is excited to finally throw a Grand Opening celebration in her bodega’s honor.
Grand Opening Festivities
The store has been open since October 2020, but they’re hosting a special party from noon – 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 20, which is the day of the Summer Solstice — an ideal time for a new beginning.
The commemoration of the fresh start will include live music, tours of the store and kitchen facility, and conversations with the bodega’s staff to learn about the many local resources of the region. Additionally, you can bet the Gallery of Food will completely stocked, stacked, and ready for your shopping needs.
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Kristine’s background as a chef, caterer & restaurateur
She’s got more than 30 years of culinary experience in Tucson and it’s been a goal of hers to share a supply of fresh local ingredients in the community.
With the help of local purveyors like Pivot Produce, Barrio Bread, Top-Knot Farms, Cheri’s Desert Harvest, Aravaipa Farms, and others, she created the Gallery of Food online Bodega in early 2020.
“We continue to be inspired by the bounty of the Sonoran Desert and the wide variety of indigenous foods available to us and are pleased to carry so many wonderful local delights,” said Jensen. “We hope our guests will appreciate the hard work and dedication of the wonderful farmers, ranchers, and other producers in this region.”
Jensen’s home-delivery included seasonal fruits and vegetables, sustainably raised meats, poultry and seafood, bread, and a variety of house-made dishes prepared by Gallery of Food’s chef Christopher Baldwin, whose culinary background includes dishing out the goods at the former Café Botanica.
“We are delighted to share their products in our little store,” said Jensen.
Hours of Operation
The bodega is currently open from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. from Wednesday – Saturday and has plans to extend the hours this fall. Additionally, Gallery of Food is also offering full-service catering for events of all sizes.
Gallery of Food Bodega is located at 2522 E. Ft. Lowell Rd. For more information, call (520) 884-5033, visit galleryoffood.com, or follow Gallery of Food Bodega on Facebook and Instagram.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
