[meteorite-list] 6th Annual Eating Your Way Around Tucson - 2016

From: Larry and Twink Monrad <larrytwinkmonrad_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2016 07:50:20 -0700
Message-ID: <79DB520A6CC941238121AEA39D5DC9DE_at_LarryPC>

 
Just two quick notes, La Fuente has been closed for a few years
And it is El Minuto on Main, not El Menudo
And for El Charro fans, there are several around town if the old downtown
one is too busy.
Twink Monrad


Hey, List Members!

I have it on good authority that Tucson is fast approaching! With that in
mind, I am once again giving my ?Annual Eating Your Way Around Tucson? list,
a slight name change from last year. This list has been put together with
over twenty years of attending the shows. These are my opinions (well, my
wife, Cookie, too!) only. I have no vested interest in any of these
establishments, no free food, etc! I just like good food! Maybe you will
find my/our tastes different from yours but all of these are worth a try!

Again this year, I am leaving for Tucson mid-January! This will be my fifth
year to make the 2200 mile (each way!) drive to Tucson. My wife,Cookie, did
retire July 2nd and will make the dive with me (for the FIRST time!) rather
than flying!

I am adding some new locations suggested by list members last year after
prior posts. We did get to try some of them and enjoyed them VERY much. I
hope to add more this year!

NEW FAVORITES for us!
Fist, a BIG ?Thank you!? to Terry Sayther from Austin Texas! Terry sent us
a couple of suggestions for breakfast
 or ANYtime! We are calling them
?MUSTS?!

MUST #1: Bobo's Restaurant, 2938 E. Grant Road, 520-326-6163
http://www.bobostucson.com/ We at there ?more than once? in 2014!
Everything is GREAT! I have to be gluten free but try the pancakes! They
are the size of a plate! The omelets are WONDERFUL! Check out the deserts!
Once again, Bobo?s ROCKS!

MUST #2: Robert?s Restaurant (closed Sunday), 3301 East Grant Road, (520)
795-1436 http://www.robertstucson.com/ We also visited Robert?s a couple of
times! Robert?s is just down the street from Bobo?s but on the opposite
side of Grant! You cannot go wrong with either choice!

MUST #3: Teresa?a Mosaic Caf?, 2456 N. Silver Mosaic Dr. (at Grant Rd,
behind McDonalds), Tucson, AZ - 520-624-4512. GREAT Mexican food!
WONDERFUL margaritas! http://www.teresamosaiccafe.com/

If you are looking for GREAT ?diner? eats, give Little Anthony's Diner (,
7010 E Broadway Blvd, 520-296-0456) a try. If you like milkshakes the ?old
fashioned way? (with the ?extra? shake that won?t fit into you LARGE shake
glass delivered to you table in the metal mixing cup, complete with frost on
the outside!) then Little Anthony?s Diner is for you!
http://littleanthonysdiner.com/ Little Anthony?s also sponsor car shows in
their huge parking lot. Like old and new cars and trucks, be there Saturday
1/23 and/or 2/6 10am-2pm to see some cool vehicles! I know this is not
food/eating related but check out The Gaslight Theatre (next to, and
associated with Little Anthony?s!) http://thegaslighttheatre.com/! During
Tucson show time, the Gaslight offers an old west themed, hilarious
melodrama! We have attended each year for several years and have enjoyed
each performance! This year?s production is ?The Cisco Kid?. You can order
your tickets online for best seat selection and then pick them up in Tucson.



Now, a ?Classic?!

* Pat's Drive In, 1202 West Niagara Street, 520-624-0891 I should not list
this first, but I AM! I first read about Pat's in Arizona Highways
magazine. It is a tradition in Arizona! It is on a side street off N.
Grande Ave, between Speedway and St. Marys. It is near the condo that we
rent each year. I had driven within half a block of it for years and did
not know it existed! If you like the old drive in restaurants, this IS the
place for you! If you like greasy fries by the pound, this is for you! If
you like GREAT chili hotdogs, this IS the place for you, please note that
they have three degrees of heat for their chili!


We have "favorites" that we think everyone should try at least once. In no
particular order:

NEW! NEW! NEW! This is our NEW ?favorite? from 2013:
* Guadalajara Grill was suggested by good friend, Dennis Beal, XTAL, (Room
120, Hotel City Center, Marty Zinn?s Arizona Mineral & Fossil Show). We
have learned that if Dennis suggests a restaurant, you BEST try it! He has
never sent us to a bad one, not even a mediocre one!
Guadalajara Grill ? West, 1220 E Prince Road-520-323-1022 (also 2nd
location: East, 750 N Kolb Road, 520-296-1122. We went to the one on Prince
the very last night we were in Tucson 2013. Large parking lot that was
FULL! It took us 15 minutes or more to find a parking place
 then about
30-45 minutes to get a table
 BUT it was more than worth the wait! HUGE
portions of GREAT food at reasonable prices! You WILL enjoy it!

* La Fuente Restaurant, 1749 N. Oracle Rd., 520-623-8659 REALLY good
Mexican/Tex-Mex food. The lunch buffet is very good and very reasonable.
If you're there for dinner, be sure to order the Guacamole made table-side.
It is VERY GOOD!

* Silver Saddle Steak House, 6th Ave. & I-10 (310 E. Benson Highway),
520-622-6253 This place is near downtown and has some of the best steak that
I've had in Tucson. If you're going for dinner, it is best to get there
early or be prepared to wait 30 minutes to an hour. It IS worth the wait!
I do not think that they take reservations. We ate at Silver Saddle at
least twice in 2015
 and probably will top that this year!

* Lil Abner's Steakhouse, 8501 N Silverbell Rd., 520-744-2800 This is a MUST
for Tucson show visitors. I remember going there a lot of years ago when
this place was truly "in the middle of nowhere"! If you go this year,
you'll she how that has changed. It use to be a drive out into the desert!
Any of the show weekends will have tons of show folks there! The steaks
rival Silver Saddle but everything is served with a salad, beans, and bread!
LOVE the atmosphere there!

* Daisy Mae's Steak House, 2735 W. Anklam Rd., 520-792-8888. This is just
down the street from the condo we rent while in Tucson. Great steaks!

Other recommendations:

Breakfast recommendations:
* Blue Willow, 2616 N. Campbell Ave. Tucson, AZ 520-327-7577 If you want to
take time for a nice, leisurely breakfast, this is THE place! Food is
great, prices are reasonable. It is in a house converted to a restaurant.

* Los Betos Mexican Food, 3680 East Grant Road (520) 318-4787 and 2100 West
Grant Road (520) 624-7751, plus several other around town.
If you're looking for something that will keep you going through MOST of a
day visiting shows without having to stop to eat lunch, try the burritos at
any Los Betos! There are many breakfast burritos available and VERY
reasonably priced. Last year the one on Speedway was closed for remodeling.
I hope it has reopened as it is so convenient to several of the shows. Look
for a Los Betos!

Traditional choices:
El Charro Cafe, Bar Toma! & Gift Shop, 311 N. Court Ave., 622-1922 This
place has been in business since 1922 in Tucson! That says it all! The
restaurant is located in the original family home in the El Presidio
Historic District.

El Minuto Cafe, 354 S. Main Ave., 882-4145 This is my wife's favorite for
Mexican food!

Mi Nidito Cafe, 1813 S. 4th Ave.; 622-5081 I have not visited this one but
it comes HIGHLY recommended by locals. We tired to get in a couple of times
and the wait was between 1 and 2 hours!

I'm sure there are other great places to eat. We are open for suggestions!
I hope others will offer their suggestions! (I am including some
suggestions from others at the end of this e-mail. I am certainly going to
try some of them this trip!)

Bon app?tit! (Being from Tennessee, I'm not quite sure what that means ...
but it sounds good!)

Hope to see you in Tucson! (Look for the bearded guy wearing a Tennesse
orange "T" cap, and with a hungry, bewildered look on his face ... and with
the Tucson 'stoop'! If you don't understand that last one, you've not been
to Tucson enough!!!)

Suggestions from other list members!

Suggestion from Bob Keller:
If you appreciate a great breakfast and a good old fashioned greasy spoon,
there is no finer eatery than Frank's in Tucson:
http://www.franksrestaurant.com/ Franks Restaurant, 3843 E. Pima St. - 520
881-2710. Best not to attempt Frank's on weekends however, as it will be
filled to capacity with locals very shortly after they open.
----------------------------------
Suggestion from Sue drsue99 at yahoo.com : For those of you who enjoy
microbrewed beer, or just good food in general, try the Barrio brewery or
Nimbus. For great sandwiches, they Bison Witches. We used John Teague's
guide two years ago and appreciate the additions. Thanks John!
Barrio Brewing Co., 800 East 16th Street (520) 791-2739,
http://www.barriobrewing.com/ From Nathan Martin rocknate at gmail.com
Lexington, MA:
Baggin's Gourmet Sandwiches 1800 East Ft. Lowell St. in Tucson. It is a
chain with about 8 stores in the Tucson area (including one in Oro Valley).
They offer a variety of sandwiches, salads, sides and desserts. I had one of
the best sandwiches I have ever eaten and we went back there several times.
Most of their sandwiches are in the $7 to $8 range so you can definitely get
a cheaper lunch in Tucson but I don't think you can get a better one. It
makes me hungry just thinking about it!
--------------------------------------------------
Nimbus Brewing Co., 3850 East 44th Street, (520) 745-9175,
https://locu.com/places/nimbus-brewing-co-tucson-us/#menu
Sue
----------------------------------
Suggestions from Jim Baxter:
Anyone who doesn't want to put up with the hour plus wait at Mi Nidito
should at least order the cheese tostada with guacamole as take out. About
the size of a medium pizza with a thin really flaky crust, a thin layer of
melted cheese and radial 'spokes' of guacamole.
Simple..... and..amazingly good!!
----------------------------------
Suggestions from Paul Head:
Poco and Mom's on Kolb Road just north of 22nd Street. They specialize in
Hatch Chile dishes. 1060 S. Kolb Road. 520-325-7044
----------------------------------
Suggestions from Elayne (sorry, I?ve lost your last name!):
Breakfast-Lunch: The Ajo Cafe on Ajo and Country Club by TEP and the sister
cafe Bread and Butter on NW corner E. 22nd St. and S. Columbus Picture Mel's
diner and Flo is there taking your order at the counter or booth. Home made
pie and cinn. rolls!!

Great Italian: Caruso's.... on N. 4th Ave at 6th. Do not miss the spumoni...
fabu. Gavi's on Broadway at Pantano out East usually a wait at both.. go
early.

Great Sushi: Kampai Sushi... NW corner Swan & Speedway Also Sushi Cho on SW
corner Broadway and Campbell/Kino look for Carl's Junior.

Mexican: I agree with El Minudo on Main close the the convention center not
the other one. But then I got turned on to Rosa's Mexican Food on SW corner
Fort Lowell and N. Campbell set back in the SW corner look for it.. It is
worth it! Pick up a dozen tamales at Tucson Tamale



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Received on Mon 11 Jan 2016 09:50:20 AM PST