Downtown Tucson restaurants are helping shape how the city feels in the 21st century, from walkable lunches along Congress Street to late dinners on Fourth Avenue. As Tucson continues to grow as a destination for everything from culture to art to a food paradise, downtown is driving foot traffic, evening and day experiences, and an overall energy found in much larger areas. The best way to understand it is to walk it.

I get to know a place by walking through and imagining what it would be like to live there. Sometimes, as I did in Paris or San Miguel de Allende, I’ve rented homes to get a feel for the locale. To shop in the markets and make my dinner, or to head to the laundry mat to wash my clothes. Other times, I’m content to have passed through. Once, after a meal in Kuala Lumpur’s Jalan Alor night market, I stumbled onto a drag club tucked in an alley, closed for the night but marked by a sign with photos of queens in full regalia. It was one of those treasured discoveries that stays with you, even if you only see it from the outside. (Malaysia is known for terrible LGBTQ+ rights, which is why it was surprising to find any type of gay club.)

It reminds me that Downtown Tucson doesn’t show itself all at once, either. Some people think of it as only a health and wellness destination or hiking trails. Others think of it as a the only the best Mexican Food, but it’s so layered with culture and all sorts of dining experiences.

Candlelit Penca, with its tall windows and industrial vibe, leans into central Mexican flavors with house-made tortillas, roasted meats, mezcal, chile relleno and slow-braised carnitas. It’s that place with sidewalk dining that feels like a neighborhood. It has that fashionable vibe that reminds me of the East Village or the Gold Coast in Chicago, creative food and a realness that displays what Southern Arizona can offer.

At The Monica, with its large indoor and outdoor spaces that draw a different kind of crowd and keep the entire day moving. Sitting right in the middle of the world, that is Tucson, it begins pulling customers in for breakfast and keeps them for lunch. Perfect for a wine spritzer and a salad or burger. Over the course of its day, it takes the city from morning meetings to downtown cocktails, showing how the area rolls.

URSA is after something else: Chef Aaron Lopez explores his Sonoran Desert childhood, raising expectations of how people see Tucson as a food city. It draws in diners who want more of an experience, traveling with their taste buds, if you will. This is one of the few places in the world where eaters get to eat a pickled cholla bud or an entire dessert made of cactus. Its uniqueness lies in the kind of influence that doesn’t stay inside four walls or even within Arizona. Lopez and Ursa are changing the conversation about Tucson and what it can become.

Right next door, Los Milics Restaurant and Tasting Room creates a wine-country experience in an urban setting. Guests get window seats to the comings and goings of the sidewalk, which adds to the urban story. Carefully selected charcuterie, polenta tots with a savory strawberry jam and goat cheese, and house made focaccia to make the Arizona wines sippable on a warm afternoon.

And then there’s Café à la C’Art, tucked inside the old 1865 Stevens House on the grounds of the Tucson Museum of Art. Come earlier in the day for a slow lunch, chatting with a friend and gossiping about the kids. It’s a casual mix of American bistro dishes, like a steak salad or their version of a croque Monsieur with thickly sliced bread, chunky ham and creamy bechamel. On weekends, the rooms and patio lean into parents with their kids and a louder meal experience, but it never loses that art-filled dining one expects from tier-one cities.

A short 15-minute walk to the Barrio Viejo, The Coronet, feels different. It’s a melding of Los Milics and à la C’Art, an inventive space with imaginative compositions. Crunchy lettuces dressed with goat blue cheese, Barrio Bread and whipped butter, firm tofu dusted with turmeric and coconut. We sat in the courtyard where cou. Nick said it feels like Beverly Hills. My friends said Santa Barbara. I thought a bit like San Miguel de Allende.

What stands out isn’t just what these places do on their own, but how they carry the rest of their days and weeks. Some are for breakfast meetings, others for the evening and carousing, while others are meant for contemplation and chats. Together, they create a remarkable experience that only Tucson can offer.

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My Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake Cake

When it’s strawberry season, I think of my grandmother picking strawberries at her South Carolina farm. It’s familiar and all about the fruit, cream, and a cake that will hold it like a trophy stand.

Essentially, this is the recipe I remember her making. It was a layered cake with berries and whipped cream in the middle and on top. using. The first time, I made this GF version, it came out a little too dry, which was fine, but not something I wanted to repeat. So, this one leans into a moist crumb, with oil and kefir to keep but sturdy enough to hold together as the fruit juices soak in. If you don’t have kefir, yogurt or buttermilk, any of them will also work. While this is gluten-free, feel free to make yours with wheat flour. No judgment, but we are GF focused in our house.  

Ingredients

Strawberries (You can also use different berries: Blue, raspberries)

• 1 pound strawberries, sliced
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• pinch of salt

Cake

• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free 1:1 flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup neutral oil
• 3/4 cup kefir (or buttermilk)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Whipped cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Cut the strawberries into bite-sized, uniform pieces. Toss them into a bowl with the sugar, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Let them sit until they relinquish their juices.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8-inch cake pan. Whisk the dry ingredients together in one bowl. In another, whisk the eggs, oil, kefir, and vanilla until smooth. Combine the two, mixing just until they come together. If you overmix, you lose some of that moistness, and it will become slightly dense.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 25 to 28 minutes. A few extra minutes can tip it from just right to overdone, so pull it as soon as you feel the center is set.

Let the cake cool completely before cutting. Whip the cream until soft peaks form, not stiff peaks. Assemble however you like—slice the cake in half or serve it in thick pieces. Spoon the strawberries and their juices over the top, add the cream, and it will drizzle into a succulent puddle. It should be soft, strawberry-soaked, with a light crumb to hold it all together.