Rita Connelly arrived in Tucson when Wilmot was the end of town. She’s worked in restaurants both front and back of the house, although these days she prefers to write about food instead of sling it.
As a restaurant reviewer for the Tucson Weekly she’s had the opportunity to eat some of the best (and worst) that Tucson has to offer. In addition to her work at the Weekly, Rita writes for www.gayot.com and has recently launched her food blog, The Well-Fed Foodie.
What was the first dish you had that changed your perspective on food?
I can’t say there is one specific food as much as it is that first time I had certain foods and how I reacted. I literally remember the first time I ate specific foods and how I felt when I ate them. Like sun-dried tomatoes. I had them in a sandwich at a Rich Melman restaurant in Chicago and I remember the pop and the tang and thinking, “Now I get what the fuss is about.” The first time I had risotto it was at DaVinci’s here in Tucson and I was blown away that rice could be so luscious. I woke up the next morning craving that dish. I do that often after a great meal.
What are you eating these days?
Roast chicken and greens from my husband’s garden. I’ve really gotten into Indian food this past year, especially the Tikka Masala from the Twisted Tandoor food truck.
What was the first dish you remember cooking?
Pork chops with a liberal dose of Accent (MSG). It was a big part of my repertoire when I was learning to cook.
What concept, ingredient or food trend does everyone seem to love, but you just can’t stomach?
Kale –I just don’t get the appeal. The thinking from a kitchen point of view is that kale is cheap and abundant. I think it’s a conspiracy of some kind.
What chef, with us or passed on, would you most like to cook or eat dinner with?
Jose Andres. Just listening to the man talk about food makes my mouth water.
What city, other than Tucson, is your favorite place to eat?
New York, of course. And Toronto because we get to eat there often and when we do, we eat large, thanks to my daughter and her chef husband. I want to get to San Francisco soon, too. I have a long list of places where I want to eat.
Speaking in junk food terms, what is your favorite guilty pleasure?
I’d say pizza but, don’t consider pizza to be junk food. I guess I’d have to say caramel corn.
Top three Tucson restaurants?
Tough question. I love Kingfisher because the food there is real and Murph, Jeff and Marianne love what they’re doing and it shows.
We do North a lot.
And lately, Tavolino. I’ve been taking Italian language lessons up there and have had the opportunity to sample a lot of the menu. The lasagna is top-notch.
With a figurative electric chair in your immediate future, what is your last meal?
A cheese pizza, a NY strip steak, a bottle of good Italian red and strawberry shortcake for dessert, but it would have to have a sweet biscuit base.
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