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Tag: Tucson Restaurants

How Restaurants Are Powering Downtown Tucson Right Now
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.

Tacos at Penca.

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.

The Monica on Congress.

URSA is after something else: Chef\ owner 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.

A course at Ursa with natural plant-based skewers.

Right next door, Los Milics Restaurant and Tasting Room create 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.

Charcuterie board at Los Milics with housemade focaccia

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.

American bistro fare at Cafe a la Carte

Jessica Gonzalez mural, “Mask of Many Stories” Tucson Museum of Art

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 in 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.

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.

Strawberry shortcake, Grandma Anna-style

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.
April 20, 2026
Tucson Breakfast Burrito Tour + Chicken Thighs with Cream and Chiltepin
We have been in Tucson for nearly six months. Nick and I have been eating out a lot , trying to get a better sense of Southern Arizona through its food. I’m grateful to have a partner who allows me this indulgence. There is no misunderstanding that eating is far more expensive than it’s ever been, for everyone. However, this is our extravagance. We aren’t big on moviegoing, concerts or theater, maybe the occasional symphony, but dining out is our big thing. It’s our entertainment. I know that when you eat at restaurants in an area and shop at its farmers’ markets, you get to understand its culture better than anything else.

I’ve even been trying to eat my way through as many breakfast burritos in Tucson as I can. While I love burritos, I heart an egg, cheese, bean and whatever else can be stuffed into the Mexican roll-up. It’s a perfect balance of carbs, fat, and protein in one portable, easy-to-eat meal.

Over the last several weeks, we had breakfast at four very different tables: Tumerico, Tito + Pep, El Brunch Bistro, and Buendia Breakfast & Lunch Cafe.

At Tio & Pep, brunch is an energetic and gestural, artsy experience. The dishes look more abstract expressionist, with sauces dripping from well-conceived proteins on large plates, serving as canvases. The interior even sets a specific tone with its Midcentury modern appeal and a philodendron that vines itself around the ceiling.

Inside Tito & Pep with the philodendron.

The very well-known Tumerico pulls you in a different direction with its commitment to vegetarianism. I went in thinking light and left with something more substantial than expected. Chef Wendy Garcia doesn’t sell you on anything; she cooks with the intention of flavor. Even when you think you’re ordering simply, there’s more going on beneath it, and the menu changes frequently.

Chef Wendy Garcia’s breakfast burrito at Tumerico in Tucson’s Sam Hughes neighborhood.

Over at Buendia Breakfast & Lunch Cafe, husband and wife team, Julio and Jael Garcia sprinkle a bit of happiness over every meal. (We can all use that right about now.) Their rendition of a burrito is actually two with housemade refried beans as a dipping sauce. Charming place that you can – or I can go in like a crab-apple and come out as sweet as a peach.

Buendia burrito and bean dipping sauce

And then El Brunch Bistro, a hidden carry-out spot where the burrito, a mas grande ham, cheese and egg log felt like it belonged to the burrito-eating project I’ve silently been on. It was warm, lusciously straightforward, and exactly what you want to be fed well with lots of smack. This is the kind of robust burrito that keeps me seeking out others just like it. Look at the ceiling and it’s not tin, but old license plates painted white. Nice touch.

Ham and cheese burrito at El Bruncho.

This is where we are eating right now: Out in the Old Pueblo, somewhere in the middle of a very unofficial burrito tour and at home.

After a week of eating out, I ended up back in our kitchen, trying to cook something that carried a bit of comfort, depth, and enough heat to wake everything up, including my stuffed sinuses from the desert pollen. That’s where this came from: Chicken thighs with cream and chiltepin.

It’s a simple, European-inspired dish with seared skin, a delectable richness from the cream, and a little sharp, indigenous Sonoran heat from the chiltepin, making a dish that tastes like it rightfully belongs in the desert.

Chicken Thighs with Cream and Chiltepin

Ingredients
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- One medium chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed chiltepin (more if you want heat)
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- Optional: squeeze of lime, chopped herbs.
Instructions
1. Pat the chicken thighs dry, then season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken skin-side down and cook until the skin is golden and crisp, about 6–8 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add garlic and onion and cook briefly until your kitchen smells aromatic.
4. Pour in the chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits. Let it reduce slightly.
5. Add the cream and chiltepin, stirring to combine.
6. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer until cooked through and the sauce thickens, about 10–15 minutes.
7. Finish with a squeeze of lime or and freshly chopped herbs, such as Mexican oregano or epazote, if you like.
Serve with rice, handmade tortillas, or a freshly baked bolillo, toasted, to sop up the sauce.

Saguaro National Park

The end. Go eat.
March 25, 2026
Cooking with Tucson’s Indigenous Ingredients
Interior of Wildflower, Sam Fox’s first restaurant

Smoked salmon and potato pancake

How a Newcomer to the Southwest Dips His Toes into the Holiday Festive Glaze.

When Nick and I picked Tucson as (hopefully) our final move and — yes, our last destination — I knew I didn’t have a clear picture of Tucson’s Indigenous ingredients or the region’s complex food history, even after living on both U.S. coasts and in seven cities. Tucson, also known as the Old Pueblo, is full of gastronomical history, indeed the country’s oldest, going back nearly four centuries. In comparison, I’ve spent years writing about ingredients, cooking techniques, and chefs in their kitchens, and I’ve felt confident in my descriptions and use of both gluten-free and non-gluten-free ingredients. Living in the Sonoran Desert is making me realize my usual approach doesn’t apply here.

This Tucson gluten-free almond cake came out of that intention — something simple, something I could bake without fuss, but still tasting like the Sonoran Desert brushing up against my kitchen. Hibiscus for tang and color, citrus for brightness, almonds for body. It’s the kind of dessert that lets the region show up without trying too hard.

Tucson isn’t a “farm-to-table” town in the way the Midwest is. It’s much older than that. What you see in markets and farmers’ markets traces back to Indigenous farming methods that have been here long before the United States existed. Tepary beans. Mesquite. Chiltepin. The three sisters — corn, squash and beans. Sonoran white wheat. These are foods created by people who figured out how to thrive in arid conditions, stark heat and scarcity, including long periods of drought. Yet, they managed to build a culinary region with depth.

I’ve certainly not used many of the new ingredients I’m surrounded by, such as the beans or nopales. Instead of asking myself, “What’s seasonal?” I’m now asking no one but me, “What survived here, continues to grow and why?” It creates a different way of viewing local Ingredients. And, these, of course, carry stories as well as the people who cultivate them, too.

I’ve also been reading how longtime Tucson restaurants have done this work. Wildflower, native Tucsonan and restaurant impresario Sam Fox’s first restaurant, manages to highlight the region without leaning on trends. No doubt you know his Culinary Dropout or Flower Child, and the selling of his empire to the Cheesecake Factory netted him $800 million. It opened more than two decades ago and still draws a regular clientele because it balances a sense of place with a contemporary atmosphere: no adobe wall or cactus but a well-lit, sexy space. The menu changes enough to keep new and old customers happy, but you’ll always find something tied to the desert, such as mesquite, squash, cinnamon and Oaxaca cheese.

So, I’m trying to cook with the foods that matter to my new home. I’m buying mesquite flour. I’m reading up on tepary beans. I’m reaching for chiltepin instead of the usual red pepper flakes. And I’m letting Tucson teach me to look at food from a different, more inclusive perspective.

This week’s recipe is an almond cake with cinnamon, covered in a “pretty in pink” hibiscus glaze, which isn’t ancient or Indigenous. But it uses items such as almond flour (while wild desert almonds can be made into a flour—this Bob’s Red Mill almond flour), hibiscus, an edible flower found throughout the Southwest, and cinnamon, brought to the region in the 16th century by the Spanish. It tastes sweet and right while showcasing the beauty of where I’m living now. It’s easy, with hints of sweet floral notes and pantry ingredients I have on hand – except the hibiscus syrup. (You can find that online or at specialty stores like AJ Fine Foods. It’s where I purchased mine.) And sometimes it’s enough to acknowledge the food where you moved, combined with familiar elements that you know.

Importantly, it’s festive enough for the holidays.

Almond Cake with Cinnamon and Hibiscus Glaze

Serves 8

Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- ½ cup white rice flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ⅓ cup neutral oil (avocado, canola, grapeseed)
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk or a milk alternative
Hibiscus Glaze

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons hibiscus syrup (adjust to taste and thickness)
• A gentle squeeze of fresh orange juice for brightness (Optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl: almond flour, rice flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth.
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Mix until just blended. The batter will be slightly thick.
5. Pour into your prepared pan and smooth the top.
6. Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, or until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool completely before glazing.
8. Make the glaze: whisk the powdered sugar with hibiscus syrup until it reaches a pourable consistency. Add lime juice if using.
9. Drizzle glaze over the cooled cake. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
LEFTOVERS

Local: Tucson
Tucson’s KGUN reports that the MSA Annex at Tucson’s Mercado District continues to grow, adding two new food spots to its westside lineup. BŌS Burger opened with Japanese-leaning Wagyu smash burgers and katsu-style sandwiches, while Hidden Hearth Bakery started serving whole-grain, fresh-milled breads in late November.

Regional: Arizona and the Southwest
According to The Glendale Star, A 16-year-old was hospitalized after visiting the fair on Oct. 26. She and several others say the illness began after petting pigs at the fair’s zoo.

National:
The USDA Economic Research Service says food prices in the United States will continue to rise in 2026. The agency’s latest Food Price Outlook projects an increase over all food categories of about 2.7 percent next year, with grocery costs climbing roughly 1.2 percent and restaurant prices up an estimated 3.3 percent. The forecast states that uncertainty remains high, driven by tariffs and climate-related disruptions.
December 3, 2025
The Thanksgiving We Didn’t Expect
A move from Indianapolis to Tucson reshapes our holiday season and inspires a Sonoran sweet potato and green chile gratin.

We thought we had two more years in Indianapolis. Two more winters of fall-back clock changes, farmers’ market routines, and knowing exactly where to find good greens or a reliable gluten-free loaf for the poultry stuffing. But as we know, life doesn’t exist for our specific timelines. Instead of a nice, slow transition, we decided to pack up boxes, say as many goodbyes as our last month in Indy would allow and drive southwest toward Tucson. The move to the Old Pueblo felt like stepping back into a familiar space – Nick and I had lived in Phoenix for a year and, of course, Palm Springs, which has a similar weather pattern: warm, arid and dry, with occasional heavy rain. Tucson, though, feels safer than both. More diverse and friendly, perhaps it’s due to the Indigenous and Mexican cultures, which lean heavily into their foodways.

Thanksgiving is next week, and we are still getting into our familiar patterns. Back in the Midwest, the holiday always had a specific blueprint, as it had over the last 12 years of our relationship. Nick makes the turkey, and I would cook everything else, including the cheesecake. It’s usually the two of us and occasionally someone else. Last year, we had Tanya, a longtime New York City friend who moved up from Nashville. This year, we will have some of Nick’s cousins who live in Phoenix, Bill and Anne and possibly the new neighbors – Collen and Greg – our Lucy and Ricky, to our Fred and Ethel.

Moving sooner than expected shifted everything. We’re still figuring out which grocery stores offer the best deals – especially in this challenging economy – where to walk Betsy and Rufus, and how to create a neighborhood in our builder community.

This Tucson Thanksgiving wasn’t the one we planned at the beginning of 2025 – we also didn’t plan on losing George – but we have Betsy for Rufus.

If you are looking for a change of scenery other than your kitchen stove, bring friends and family to the newly opened Redbird at Sam Hughes. It offers something for everyone and a great local back story. Located in the historic, former Rincon Market building, the restaurant opened in September and appeals to everyone with seemingly little effort, but most likely requires more than most. The former grocery outlet, which had been part of the area for almost a century, has been divided into two spaces, and Redbird Scratch Kitchen + Bar “flits” right into it, meaning it’s the kind of restaurant that feels cared for because the people running it care.

Pretty much everything is made from scratch: sauces, dressings, and marinades. The only exceptions are the gluten-free hamburger buns and waffle fries, which are bought from a wholesaler. Think of Redbird as a place to hang out, watching sports in a creative atmosphere with someone else doing all the cooking, such as tacos, wings and burgers. They also have a house-made black bean burger for the vegetarians in the group. Another great touch: they offer a hot towel to clean off their hands at the end of the meal. The first time I saw this was at a high-end resort in Bali. I asked Sergio Pinon, one of the owners and general managers, about this amenity. He basically said they saw it at a luxury property and wanted it at Redbird.

It offers coziness and the aromas of the Sonoran Desert as soon as you walk in, but the neighborly atmosphere of a “Cheers” bar. Sometimes it’s enough to sit in a place that welcomes you without hesitation, especially when you’re still figuring out what it means to belong in a new city.

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Sonoran Chile and Sweet Potato Gratin

This is a dish that bridges both worlds. It nods to the Midwest—where casseroles anchor every gathering—but pulls its warmth from Tucson. Roasted Hatch or Anaheim chiles replace the traditional green bean casserole’s heaviness, and sweet potatoes stand in for richer autumn sides. It’s comforting, regional, and quietly celebratory.

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 Hatch or Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1½ cups grated asadero Oaxaca or Chihuahua. If you can’t find these cheeses, substitute Monterey Jack or a mild white cheddar
• Olive oil for sautéing

Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a medium baking dish (about 9 x 9).
2. In a skillet, heat up the of olive oil. Sauté the onions until soft and lightly browned. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Stir in the chopped roasted chiles, then season with smoked paprika, cumin, Mexican oregano, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat.
4. In a small saucepan, warm the cream and milk together until just steaming. Don’t boil.
5. Layer half the sweet potatoes into the baking dish. Scatter half of the chile-onion mixture over the top. Add a handful of the cheese.
6. Repeat with the remaining sweet potatoes, chile mixture, and cheese.
7. Pour the warmed cream and milk mixture over the potatoes.
8. Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and then bake another 20–25 minutes or until the top has turned a lovely brown, bubbly and the potatoes are tender.
9. Let it rest for 10 minutes to allow the layers to settle.
November 20, 2025