DINING OUT on desert cuisine
ONCE a compact bastion of artists, eccentrics and drifters, Tucson has billowed across the surrounding Sonoran Desert like a dust storm, propelled largely by an influx of retirees.
The restaurant scene has expanded in step, but vestiges of the Old West remain, along with traces of Tucson’s history as a Mexican pueblo (the US acquired it in 1853), and some of the top establishments hide in plain sight in the lively and eclectic Fourth Avenue district near the University of Arizona campus.
But don’t get stuck there: the cactus-riddled mountains and washes ringing the city demand aimless wandering, and the resulting thirst will prime you for Tucson’s dominant cuisine – the craft cocktail sits on the menus like a weathered Stetson. If you’re seeking real Mexican food or innovative American chefs, fear not. You won’t leave disappointed. Danish.
While tacos are enjoying a creative revival nationwide, few purveyors can claim the same legitimacy as Maria Mazon, chefowner of Boca Tacos Y Tequila. Born in Tucson and raised partly in her ancestral homeland of Sonora, Mexico, Mazon says she was driven to cook after working in Amercanised Mexican restaurants and witnessing the horror of plates “smothered in yellow cheese and sour cream”. Her response? Tortillas topped with lively concoctions including shredded pork simmered in a fresh tomatillo sauce, fire-roasted peppers, citrusmarinated salmon, strips of ribeye steak and the five-star grilled octopus with sautéed onions and garlic. Equally impressive are Mazon’s home-made salsas, which she rotates based on available fresh ingredients – from raspberries and chickpeas to herbs and exotic chillies. Don’t be dissuaded by the line inside the door (it moves fast), and definitely be persuaded by the 100 brands of tequila behind the retro-hippie bar.
Rustic cool meets desert heat at 47 Scott, a downtown bistro with upscale food and urban decor, and – despite the frequent bustle that accompanies popularity – a laid-back vibe. Owner Travis
Reese opened 47 Scott in 2010 in a space that once housed a peepshow parlour. Now, the sightlines extend through the narrow dining room and out into a shady brick patio and, from the right vantage, into the adjoining speakeasy Scott & Co, which is renowned for its dazzling cocktail menu. Start with a margarita, then ease into baconwrapped dates or buffalo chickenstyle fried cauliflower (one way to get kids to eat their vegetables), an heirloom tomato salad featuring house ricotta toast, and, finally, 47’s signature entrée, phyllo-wrapped chicken, with spinach, goat cheese, Yukon Gold potatoes and chicken jus. – The Washington Post