A Visit to Tucson!

Some people say that the culinary centers of the world (i.e. Paris, New York, San Francisco) far surpass those of other cities. While these cities offer extraordinary variety with high quality, there are many other locales that bear visiting. My wife and I recently visited Tucson, AZ and had a wonderful opportunity to partake in the flourishing food-scene in the desert! Below is a review of the cuisine/restaurants we enjoyed during our visit to the Sonoran Desert.

Tohono Chul Park:
Tohono Chul Park is an excellent place to take a walk through the beautiful desert gardens and see some wildlife in the meantime. But don't miss out on the cafe! I've only visited Tohono Chul for breakfast/brunch, but have been pleasantly surprised with their offerings of Huevos Rancheros, a variety of omelets, and of course, the Prickly Pear Lemonade (served chilled but hot pink!). This visit, I enjoyed the Huevos Rancheros: two eggs over easy with Colorado Salsa (a deep tomato-base salsa/puree) and a blend of cheeses, served with black beans and tortilla strips (and don't forget the bacon!). A touch of spice with wonderful roasted tomato flavor. My dining partners (Katie & her mother, Peg) enjoyed the Sweet Potato Hash and the Tohono Chul omelet, which certainly was a generous offering of omelet with accompanying guacamole and sour cream. Overall, a visit to the Tohono Chul Tea Room accompanied with a easygoing walk through the park after brunch is a great way to start off the weekend. Visit Tohono Chul!

Acacia:
As an avid wine drinker, I consistently search for Wine Spectator Award Winners. Acacia does not disappoint in the wine department and rewards its diners with a dining experience, especially if those diners choose the Tasting Menu (with or without wine pairings). The winner of the evening at our table was the Tasting menu, offering three courses of three small entrees. The small offering turned out to be a large amount of food, especially when finished with three small desserts! I decided to stray from the crowd and ordered the Swordfish with prawn and scallop over sun-dried tomato and goat cheese polenta. The swordfish was seared, with a delicious seasoning, while the scallop was by-far, the best scallop I've ever had. The polenta was also tasty and meshed well with the other key players on my plate. Prior to my entree, Katie and I fought over the two Maryland crab cakes, awesome! The evening finished with an assortment of desserts, my favorite of which was the warm strawberry pie. Pair all of this meal with a wonderful Priorat, and what a great evening!

One would think that after these two meals, we couldn't possibly have an interest in eating the rest of the weekend. But....

Zin Burger:
I love a good burger. Plain and simple. But Zin Burger ratchets the burger experience up a notch. My in-laws were raving about Zin Burger, not only for its burgers but also for its Double Truffle Fries and great shakes! I ordered the Kobe Burger, served with cheddar cheese and mushrooms, cooked medium per the chef's recommendation. Wow...I couldn't believe how juicy the burger was! The fries had a nice sea salt to cut the truffle flavor and paired wonderfully with my burger and the enormous Bars of Zin shake that I had. The service was impeccable and the environment is very relaxing, reminding me of an upscale hamburger diner with multiple TVs above the bar and a decent wine list. Overall, fantastic!

Sauce:
Sauce is from the same restaurant group as Zin Burger, so the expectations were high. After an attempt to visit the Thunder Canyon Brewery (a great place for a quick, cheap meal with pretty damn good beer), we were in a pinch to find a place dinner. Sauce was a great alternative. I enjoyed a Pepperoni and Crimini mushroom pizza with my father-in-law, in addition to the bottle of Ruffino Chianti. The pizza was an very thin-crusted pizza with awesome mushrooms! The pepperoni was an after-thought to the mushrooms on this pizza. Peg ordered the beef lasagna, a generous chunk of lasagna that she raved about. Katie ordered a salad, I can't remember which, but she also really enjoyed it (especially after a day at Zin Burger!).

Finally, our last dining experience!

Old Pueblo Grille:
The Southwestern food scene in Tucson took a hit, in my opinion, when Cafe Terra Cotta closed last year. However, since then, the Old Pueblo Grille has taken over the top spot. We shared the Tostada sampler, offering four different types of "open-face sandwiches" southwestern style. The beef machaca was awesome! Full of flavor and could be eaten by the forkful. I really enjoyed the refried bean and cheese tostada, while the guacamole tostada was nicely spiced, offering a touch of heat! I then ordered the Sonoran Chicken "Parmesan" with accompanying Green Chile Mac & Cheese. The chicken parmesan was excellent, in that it used Sonoran spices and salsa with Monterey Jack and Cotati cheeses to improvise the Italian version. The Mac & Cheese was insanely creamy, with just a touch of green chile flavor. Overall a delight, especially after a Prickly Pear Margarita (what can I say, I try to get as much Prickly Pear fruit into my diet when I'm in Tucson!).