Remember when cupcakes, frozen yogurt, bacon, and kale were everyone’s foodie obsessions? We talked to six Tucson chefs and restaurateurs to see what kinds of trends we should expect in 2018.
The trend all the chefs see continuing: local produce and farm-to-table ingredients.
Read MoreA sunset drive over Gates Pass outside Arizona’s Saguaro National Park, a half hour west of downtown Tucson, delivers momentary goose bumps. In the vast valley before you, lanky green cacti stand silhouetted against purple-red mountains, a visual rock opera. Hit it just right, and golden light pierces the cactus spines, electrifying their outlines.
Read MoreA report on Tucson food systems done by The Center for Regional Food Studies at the University of Arizona shows 14 community organizations make Tucson a leader in conserving food biodiversity.
Read MoreTucson’s restaurant industry in 2017 at times felt like a rollercoaster ride, with enough twists and turns to keep us on our toes.
Read MoreIf you’re a Goldilocks kind of traveler like we are, you may at first glance be turned off by Phoenix’s enormous sprawl. Meanwhile, there’s mystical Sedona and charming Flagstaff, both pretty—but also kinda petite. But, wait. Tucked into the state’s southeast corner is enchanting Tucson. A multi-culti blend of Native American, Mexican and European influence with a population of a half million chill peeps and a harmonious blend of city and nature, Tucson is juuust right. Sunny, funky and always buzzing, we’re darn near in love with the place and predict you will be too. Here’s why…
Read MoreIt’s the diversity of life–of species, genes, textures, flavors and nutrients–embedded in the meals we eat, and in every garden, farm, food forest and ranch from which we gain our “daily bread.” It includes the cornucopia of crop seeds, fruit trees, bulbs, cuttings of herbs, mushrooms, wild edibles, livestock, poultry, fish and game in our food system. And it’s part of the larger realm of biocultural diversity–the know-how for wisely and sustainably harvesting, processing and eating diverse foods.
Read MoreTucson is one of the top cities in the United States conserving and disseminating edible biodiversity and local heritage foods, a new report reveals. Released by the University of Arizona Center for Regional Food Studies, the second annual “State of Tucson’s Food System” documents Tucson’s rich variety of common, heritage, native, and heirloom plant species and varieties available, often at little or no cost, in its local economy.
Read MoreIt is the second anniversary of Tucson’s designation as the first UNESCO City of Gastronomy in the U.S.
The University of Arizona Center for Regional Food Studies has issued the second annual report on Tucson’s food system, focusing on the role of the “edible biodiversity” of more than 2,020 varieties of 340 food plant species in the local economy. This report documents how Tucson is an international leader in conserving and providing access to food biodiversity uanews.arizona.edu learned.
Read Moret’s been two years since Tucson was designated a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, a title reflective of Tucson’s rich food history and culture. In November, the Tucson City of Gastronomy board hired Erik Stanford, who worked as a chef at the Cup Café, The Carriage House, Exo Roast Co., and 5 Points Market and Restaurant before launching his own food hub, Pivot Produce.
Read MoreIn 2015, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added 47 locations to its “Creative Cities” network. Alongside Liverpool for music, Baghdad for literature and Budapest for design, Tucson was added for gastronomy.
Read MoreHere’s a fun thing to do with out-of-town visitors! Skip lunch and take them on a guided food tour of our city’s finest bites. The Tucson metro area is getting two new routes this season: Fourth Avenue and an archaeology-focused tour of the Marana area.
Read MoreTurkey and stuffing aren’t the only foods on the menu this week in the Old Pueblo.
The Tucson City of Gastronomy Chefs on a Global Stage event will offer fare such as roast pork shoulder adobado with chipotle Anasazi beans, shrimp tacos with Sonoran white wheat tortillas and other distinctive dishes that celebrate the flavors of the region from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the Carriage House, 125 S. Arizona Ave.
Read MoreIf you appreciate local food beyond flavor, don’t miss on Marana’s newly-created food tour.
Read MoreThe Sonoran Desert is the thread that binds Tucson, in all of its enchantment, together. Pops of color from cactus blooms, ingredients plucked from the desert, and clarity of vision from the crisp desert air: they’re all part of the city’s deeply felt sense of place.
Read MoreIn 2015, Tucson was designated a World City of Gastronomy by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), becoming the first city in the United States to receive the designation. How did it earn such an honor?
Read MoreWhen UNESCO named Tucson, Arizona a World City of Gastronomy in Dec. 2015, the first U.S. city so named, it put this small desert city on the global map. It also gave a boost to one of its top chefs, Janos Wilder.
Read MoreWhen Tucson was named a City of Gastronomy in December 2015 — the first in the United States — it was an opportunity to introduce to foodies ingredients and cooking techniques unique to the Old Pueblo.
Read MoreTo learn a city’s best dishes, you need a local guide. The Arizona Office of Tourism and the Arizona Restaurant Association recently launched website Expedition Foodie to help out-of-towners plan their culinary adventure in Arizona.
Read MoreThis Arizona hotspot, designated a Unesco ‘world city of gastronomy’, is fast becoming an essential foodie destination with its unique Baja Arizona and Sonoran Mexican cuisines, and unusual desert-grown ingredients.
Read MoreAs it basks in the light of international recognition, Tucson has upped its game in the culinary world.
Being labeled North America’s first “City of Gastronomy” by UNESCO in December 2015 not only created pressure to live up to the hype, but it also increased competition between local chefs.
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