Upscale diners will rejoice at the return of this year’s Sonoran Restaurant Week! The 10-day event celebrates Tucson’s diverse culinary scene from now through Sunday, September 15th!
This year, you will notice a few exciting changes for Sonoran Restaurant Week. First, Tucson Foodie has introduced an upscale dinner series for this year’s event, offering exclusive dining experiences at venues like Penca, BATA, The Coronet, Feast, Dante’s Fire, and more. You can learn more here.
Secondly, there’s the addition of the $55 prix-fixe menu.
In previous years of Sonoran Restaurant Week, menus were capped at $45. The $55 prix fixe menus make it possible to incorporate even more premium ingredients, all while ensuring a minimum 25% discount on the standard pricing.
Now, let’s explore the elevated menus that caught my eye!
This curated list of $55 prix-fixe menus not only highlights restaurants I’ve personally visited multiple times but also the restaurants featuring exclusive plates and/or ingredients that are not typically offered on the regular menu.
PY Steakhouse
5655 W. Valencia Rd.
Executive Chef Ryan Clark and PY Steakhouse Chef de Cuisine Eleana Hernandez collaborated to create a three-course prickly pear-themed dinner. As an optional add-on, PY Steakhouse Manager and Sommelier William Foster curated a special beverage pairing.
For this dinner, Chef Clark noted that it took a few days to forage the prickly pear within the Casino del Sol property. The best were selected based on color, size, and ripeness.
“The fruit is carefully cleaned, juiced, and pasteurized,” said Clark. “Then, the organic juice finds its way into different properties for our menu.”
As a fan of the chef’s “trust me” menu at PY Steakhouse, I was thoroughly impressed with the $55 prix-fixe dinner for Sonoran Restaurant Week. Here, you can expect everything to be made in-house and with the highest-quality ingredients.
PY Steakhouse’s $55 Sonoran Restaurant Week Menu
(+Tax and Gratuity) +$25 Optional Beverage Pairings
First Course
- Prickly Pear Cured Salmon – Gravlax, Roe, Creme Fraiche, Pickled Onion, Everything Lavash
- Pairing: 2021 Daou Rose, Paso Robles, California
- (+$74 Supplemental PY Steakhouse White Sturgeon Caviar)
Second Course
- Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Tenderloin – Hayden Mills Polenta, Corn Miso, Greens, Prickly Pear Demi Glace
- Pairing: 2022 Elk Cove Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Third Course
- Frozen Prickly Pear Sorbet – Pistachio Meringue, Mezcal
- Pairing: Ilegal Mezcal Reposado
- (+$140 Supplemental Clase Azul Guerrero Mezcal)
Mignardise
- Prickly Pear Pâte de Fruit
barbata
35 E. Toole Ave.
Barbata and BATA are two of Tucson’s most exciting concepts. If you’re unfamiliar with barbata, it’s a basement bar located beneath BATA. The concrete design and dim lighting create a distinct environment where you feel as though you’ve snuck out of Tucson.
Something that I always appreciate about BATA is its ever-changing menu, vegetable-forward menu. Executive Chef and owner, Tyler Fenton, celebrates the region by sourcing 90% of its ingredients from within 400 miles.
barbata $55 Sonoran Restaurant Week Menu for Two
(+Tax and Gratuity)
First Course
- Potato Bread, Cultured Butter, Smoked Salt
Second Course
- Shaved Fall vegetables, and Choice of Pork or Mushroom
Third Course
- Sorbet
Flying V Bar & Grill
7000 N. Resort Dr.
One of the many reasons why you should consider dining at Flying V Bar & Grill is for the stunning outdoor views. Located at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, the restaurant sits near a breathtaking waterfall and offers sunset-lit vistas of the surrounding mountains. If you prefer to sit indoors, you will find a rustic and warm environment.
As far as the menu goes, it’s exciting to see the fresh energy Chef de Cuisine Christian Padilla has brought to Flying V!
For his menu, I was pleased to see Arizona wine pairings for the first course.
Flying V Bar & Grill $55 Sonoran Restaurant Week Menu
(+Tax and Gratuity) +$20 Optional Wine Pairings
Amuse Bouche
- Mexican Street Corn (V) – Corn Pudding, Poblano, Cilantro, Pickled Red Onions
- Pairing: Wycliff Sparkling Wine
First Course (Choose One):
- Tuna Aguachile (V) – Fennel, Cucumber, Fresno Chili, Tamari, Tajín
- Pairing: Sand-Reckoner Vineyard Rosé
- Lamb Birria Egg Rolls – Birria Consomé, Habanero Relish, Oaxaca Cheese
- Pairing: Deep Sky Vineyard Syrah
Second Course (Choose One)
- Wild Mushroom Tamale (V) – Truffle Mole, Pistachio Crumble, Pickled Carrot
- Pairing: Santo Tomás Misión Tinto
- Mexican Sea Bass – Salsa Macha, Pepita Gremolata, Grilled Lemon
- Pairing: Casa Madero Chardonnay
Third Course
- Mexican Chocolate Coconut Torte (V) (GF) – Crispy Crust, Hibiscus Syrup
- Pairing: Fonseca Porto Terra Bella
Sonoran Restaurant Week not only brings foodies together but also generates over $3 million in revenue, providing a much-needed boost to local businesses emerging from the summer slowdown.
View the full list of participating restaurants for Sonoran Restaurant Week here.
Sonoran Restaurant Week Map
Like last year, we created an interactive map to help you plan your week.
For more information about Sonoran Restaurant Week, visit sonoranrestaurantweek.com.
