The culture was vibrant, the flavors were sizzlin’, and taste buds were unquestionably treated during this year’s Sonoran Restaurant Week, which was put on by Tucson Foodie and sponsored by Visit Tucson.
As a matter of fact, the 2022 edition was the largest yet with more than 90 participating restaurants. Several of the establishments around the city were thankful for bigger crowds throughout the 10-day event, and many of those visitors were seeking that special, limited-time menu.
For instance, Doug Levy, owner of Feast at 3719 E. Speedway Blvd., mentioned that revenue at the restaurant was an easy 25-30% above last week’s. As a whole, we’re estimating that the economic impact from this year’s Sonoran Restaurant Week brought in about $4.6 million.
With the success of this year’s eating extravaganza and showcase of Sonoran-inspired dishes, Tucson Foodie, as a collective, is excited about the future of the culinary scene and already looking forward to 2023.
“As the producer for this year’s event, we feel that it went really well,” said Shane Reiser, CEO of Tucson Foodie. “We’re looking forward to evolving it next year and making it even better.”
So, if you missed out on some of the menus, there’s always next year. Meanwhile, those that did partake in the festivities are still reminiscing about the food they had the chance to devour.
“Charro Steak & Del Rey’s deep-fried churro poblano, which was topped with ice cream and caramel sauce, combined the worlds of sweet, salty, and spicy in every single bite,” said Kim Johnston, writer for Tucson Foodie.
While some of the dishes have left the menus at participating restaurants, a few can still be enjoyed during future visits. One of those is the vegan pizza that Falora put on display throughout the 10 days.
“Falora’s El Fauxrizo pizza is covered in tasty house-made vegan chorizo and has cilantro lime crema drizzled all over,” said Hannah Hernandez, social media manager of Tucson Foodie. “Their kale salad is one of my favorite salads in town, and the Sorta Torta was silky and light.”
Other restaurants got creative after their Sonoran Restaurant Week run was finished, and used the remainder of their ingredients in Sunday brunch dishes — Blue Willow being one of them since they’re not open for dinner on Sundays.
Sonoran Restaurant Week Extension
On the other hand, it’s not too late for fans of Barrio Charro. The restaurant has decided to keep its Sonoran Restaurant Week menu active until the end of the month. You can check out Barrio Charro’s special menu at sonoranrestaurantweek.com.
