Even though summer is technically about a month away, it’s not too soon for summer drinks and specials.
Welcome Diner recently updated its menu with warm-weather produce and refreshing, sessionable summer cocktails.
Additionally, all-day happy hour has expanded to Monday through Thursday for $2 off all menu cocktails, $1 off draft beer, and $5 house red and white wine. Menu cocktails range from $8 to $13.
Classic cocktail additions are a bit on the rarer side with inspiration from Charles H. Baker’s 1946 book Jigger, Beaker and Glass: Drinking Around the World.
The Red Snow ($8) is essentially sangria on crushed ice with a splash of orange flower water and nutmeg for pop.
Another fun and refreshing option is the Piazza ($8), with cream sherry, soda water, creme de cacao, and lemon.
Welcome Diner’s newest cocktails feature both original summer creations and revisions on previous menu cocktails. It also highlights locality with both spirits and produce.
“Erik from Pivot Produce is helping us a ton with these cooler and harder to find ingredients,” said Connor Mansager, beverage manager at Welcome Diner.
One of the best showcases of local ingredients is the Levantine Old Fashioned ($13). Cask-strength local Whiskey Del Bac is paired with date syrup from Iskashitaa Refugee Network. To embrace the Levant region even further, Mansager “introduced some cardamom bitters and a garnish of really good olives” for a juxtaposing snack.
The cocktail formerly known as Love and Squalor helped Mansager win the 2017 Arizona Star Bartender at the Devour Phoenix Bartending Competition. Now known as the Squanderlust ($10), it features horseradish vodka made in Scottsdale from O.H.S.O. Brewery + Distillery along with local beets and lemons.
“Fun story about the origin [of the Party Bod, $9] — nobody remembers why we call it that,” said Mansager. Quirky name aside, the cocktail is essentially a reverse Vesper with Cocchi Americano, local Three Wells Distilling Company Mt. Lemmon Gin, and Regan’s Orange Bitters. As a special touch, Mansager rinses the glass with a tincture he created by steeping huitlacoche (corn smut) in vodka for four months. It provides an earthy, sweet corn fragrance with a subtle chocolate note.
The emphasis on local goes deeper with the Three Sisters Burrito ($9), a vegan option on the breakfast menu.
“It’s based on the Three Sisters, squash, corn, and beans, which grow and taste well together,” said Clayton Craw, culinary operations director for Welcome Diner. The tempura squash provides crunch, while smoked pecan cheese adds richness. The deep, smoky ranchero salsa and fresh pico de gallo provide additional contrasting flavors and textures.
The Three Sisters inspiration also carries on with the trio of asparagus, strawberry, and rhubarb, unexpectedly paired with smoked trout in the dinner menu via the Smoked Trout Rillette Tartine ($12). The warm, crunchy-yet-still-fluffy-inside break provides a sturdy bed for the creamy asparagus mousse and smoked trout. The strawberry and rhubarb compote provide the balancing acidity with a touch of sweetness. Fresh dill adds the last brightening touch.
Shrimp and Grits ($19) have made their way into the dinner menu with Pima grits, which features corn that was fire-roasted before milling. Kernels of corn are mixed in for bursts of sweet fresh flavor. The roasted tomato and chorizo gravy’s umami is deepened further by making use of the shrimp peels and heads. The soft poached egg adds a last layer of creaminess.
The Twice Fried Chicken ($23) has returned due to popular demand. However, add $2 for the Korean Chili Sauce. If you’ve never experienced Korean fried chicken, then my oh my are you in for a treat.
Welcome Diner Cocktail Summer Menu Highlights
- Fortunato’s Dove – tequila, Oloroso sherry, pamplemousse liqueur, Regan’s, grapefruit twist ($9)
- Squanderlust – Arcadia’s Horseradish Vodka, meyer lemon cordial, beet juice, ginger ($10)
- Levantine Old-Fashioned – Whiskey Del Bac Old Fashioned with Iskashitaa date syrup, cardamom bitters, olives ($13)
- Santa Sangrita – Por Siempre Sotol, sangrita verde, Bittermens Mole Bitters ($12)
- Grapefruit Carrotvegetable – Secret Rum blend, carrot shrub, grapefruit oleo, bitters, lime ($10)
- Interstellar Overdrive – gin, mezcal, egg white, lemon juice, calamondin lime shrub ($11)
- Daniel Day-Lewis – Blanc vermouth, fino sherry, RumFire, cranberry shrub, cobbled ($9)
- Party Bod – Cocchi Americano, Mt. Lemmon Gin, Regan’s, corn smut (huitlacoche) ($9)
- Shady Tree – Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, grapefruit juice, Campari, IPA ($13)
Welcome Diner Summer Food Menu Highlights
- Three Sisters Burrito – tempura squash, corn, Tepary beans, smoked pecan cheese, ranchero salsa, pico de gallo (breakfast, $9)
- Blue Cornbread in a Skillet – date butter (dinner, $7)
- Smoked Trout Rillette Tartine – asparagus mousse, strawberry and rhubarb chutney, fresh dill (dinner, $12)
- Shrimp and Grits – Pimento Pima grits, roasted tomato and chorizo gravy, soft poached egg (dinner, $19)
Welcome Diner is at 902 E. Broadway Blvd. and can be reached at 520-622-5100. For more information, visit welcomediner.net
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Article written by:
Jackie Tran
More about JackieJackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the now-closed food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon Appétit, National Geographic, and the New York Times.
An adventurous foodie, he enjoys culinary experiences ranging from seasonal omakase to sloppily devouring green chili patty melts in his car afterhours. His favorite foods include aguachile, garlic noodles, and leftover fried chicken illuminated by the fridge light. His favorite drinks include morning micheladas, fireside imperial stouts, candle-lit negroni, and grassy mezcales.
Outside of food, he also loves playing musical instruments, karaoke, Tetris, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and petting Addie’s dog Spaghetti.
If you’d like to stalk him, visit his Instagram @jackie_tran_ or jackietran.com.
