Many of us have taken our own self-guided journeys into the city’s culinary world, but every now and again a little guidance can be helpful — especially for indecisive eaters or visitors.
Tucson Food Tours, which is owned by local couple Bradner and Maria Lawrence, is celebrating its 10th season of giving folks advice and creating lasting memories.
Tours that get you moving
Perhaps one of the best things to do after eating is to stretch your legs, walk it off, and then make room for more grub, of course.
The available routes Tucson Food Tours offers are about two miles with an average of about six total stops that last about four hours. That’s plenty of time to order drinks, enjoy the food, and allow the surroundings to captivate you while history lessons are given about different landmarks along the way.
For instance, a downtown tour sometimes consists of stops like HUB Ice Cream Parlor, Cafe a la C’Art, The Scented Leaf, and more.
“We have also seen an influx of tourists that are being brought into resorts in the area by the companies they work for, and they have been booking private tours so that they can experience Tucson and what it has to offer off of the resort grounds,” Tucson Food Tours released in a statement. “The tour is a local business whose whole purpose is to support other local businesses by giving them exposure to groups of people that would otherwise have no idea most of these restaurants existed.”
Planning is part of the adventure
At this point of the pandemic, certain things have been turning around ticking upward — tours have been filling up fast as of late. There’s a sense of excitement for those who have been staying home more often the past couple of years.
Right now, the tours are offered multiple days throughout the week and they’re offering two routes: Downtown Tucson and Fourth Avenue/Main Gate Square.
There’s more coming on the horizon, too. For example, Brewstillery Tours will be available in the fall, which features five craft locations with beer flights and samples.
The Tucson Food Tours have earned recognition over the years as well, like that one time it was designated one of the top things to do in the book 100 Things to Do Before You Die In Tucson written by Clark Norton.
For more information and a full schedule of tour dates, visit tucsonfoodtours.com.
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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.
