If you had to pick ONE restaurant in Tucson

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Fri Jan 25, 2019 8:36 pm

Chicago deep dish is good, it just doesn't qualify as pizza. It's a baked casserole type dish.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Fri Jan 25, 2019 8:37 pm

UAEebs86 wrote:
dovecanyoncat wrote:Chicago pizza isn't pizza; it's an overcooked yet gelatinous pancake above-ground pool with 23 unidentified things swimming in greese (cheese+grease). I'd sooner eat grout compound.

There's also Chicago thin crust which is delicious.

Had it at both Giordano's and Geno's East in Chi-Town.

Rosati's does a decent version too.

Sounds to me like Rocco's is thin crust, which is the real Chicago pizza. Chicagoans don't eat deep dish pizza.

dovecanyoncat · Post by **dovecanyoncat** » Fri Jan 25, 2019 8:38 pm

UAEebs86 wrote:
dovecanyoncat wrote:Chicago pizza isn't pizza; it's an overcooked yet gelatinous pancake above-ground pool with 23 unidentified things swimming in greese (cheese+grease). I'd sooner eat grout compound.

There's also Chicago thin crust which is delicious.

Had it at both Giordano's and Geno's East in Chi-Town.

Rosati's does a decent version too.

OK, I'll admit never having tried thin crust Chicago. Mea culpa. Does it come in minimalist versions? I detest pizza piled with the garbage disposal contents, the forever soup pizza landfill. Anything surpassing the Margherita composition by more than one meat or some melanzane is like going to IHOP for carne asada.

KingG · Post by **KingG** » Fri Jan 25, 2019 10:05 pm

Longhorned wrote:
UAEebs86 wrote:
dovecanyoncat wrote:Chicago pizza isn't pizza; it's an overcooked yet gelatinous pancake above-ground pool with 23 unidentified things swimming in greese (cheese+grease). I'd sooner eat grout compound.

There's also Chicago thin crust which is delicious.

Had it at both Giordano's and Geno's East in Chi-Town.

Rosati's does a decent version too.
Sounds to me like Rocco's is thin crust, which is the real Chicago pizza. Chicagoans don't eat deep dish pizza.

Rocco’s has awesome thin crust and deep dish. And their sausage is excellent, they source it from Roma Imports. They have the best Cesar Salad in town IMO, and the wings are great too, especially if you like them extra crispy.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Fri Jan 25, 2019 10:11 pm

Roma imports *thumbs up*

ASUCatFan · Post by **ASUCatFan** » Fri Jan 25, 2019 10:36 pm

Longhorned wrote:
UAEebs86 wrote:
dovecanyoncat wrote:Chicago pizza isn't pizza; it's an overcooked yet gelatinous pancake above-ground pool with 23 unidentified things swimming in greese (cheese+grease). I'd sooner eat grout compound.

There's also Chicago thin crust which is delicious.

Had it at both Giordano's and Geno's East in Chi-Town.

Rosati's does a decent version too.
Sounds to me like Rocco's is thin crust, which is the real Chicago pizza. Chicagoans don't eat deep dish pizza.

They do both. I love Rocco's, but I usually order pasta, salads, or sandwiches when I go. Their pizza just doesn't float my boat.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Tue Jan 29, 2019 3:34 pm

NYPD just moved into the shopping center next to Sakura on Tanque Verde and makes a great pizza. Also Renee's Organic Oven makes a damn good pizza

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Tue Jan 29, 2019 7:26 pm

Jefe wrote:NYPD just moved into the shopping center next to Sakura on Tanque Verde and makes a great pizza. Also Renee's Organic Oven makes a damn good pizza

I always meant to go to NYPD but never did.

UAEebs86 · Post by **UAEebs86** » Tue Jan 29, 2019 7:48 pm

Jefe wrote:NYPD just moved into the shopping center next to Sakura on Tanque Verde and makes a great pizza.

The owner Mark Fontana was an Offensive Lineman for UofA, recruited by Larry Smith but he played for Tomey I believe.
He coached my son at Cienega - both his boys played there.

The wings are really good too.

ByJoveByJingle · Post by **ByJoveByJingle** » Tue Jan 29, 2019 11:55 pm

Just wanted to post an insanely late thanks to everyone contributing to this thread. I’ll definitely be checking out some of these places when I get back to Tucson. As a newbie, it’s really hard to find out where the must-visit restaurants are without having an in-the-know local guiding you.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Wed Feb 13, 2019 7:52 pm

Sometimes a caramelo is all you need. I know there are posters who can’t be in Tucson as often as often as they’d like, and if you’re among them, you should say fuck it and come home.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Wed Feb 13, 2019 8:40 pm

Longhorned wrote:Sometimes a caramelo is all you need. I know there are posters who can’t be in Tucson as often as often as they’d like, and if you’re among them, you should say fuck it and come home.

Mmm. Don't suppose you went to Aqui con el Nene? Went there for tacos and a hot dog last weekend.

My wife is convincing me to move to La Crosse, Wisconsin in a year or two...I'll miss the Mexican food more than the 60-70 degree winters

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Wed Feb 13, 2019 9:01 pm

scumdevils86 wrote:
Longhorned wrote:Sometimes a caramelo is all you need. I know there are posters who can’t be in Tucson as often as often as they’d like, and if you’re among them, you should say fuck it and come home.
Mmm. Don't suppose you went to Aqui con el Nene? Went there for tacos and a hot dog last weekend.

My wife is convincing me to move to La Crosse, Wisconsin in a year or two...I'll miss the Mexican food more than the 60-70 degree winters

I'll try it. Tonight I hit Los Chipilones.

Don't do it.

ASUCatFan · Post by **ASUCatFan** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 6:01 am

If you go to Aqui con el Nene, get the Papancha.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 7:49 am

As one who grew up in Michigan if my Tucson born wife wanted to move to the upper midwest she would have to go without me for half the year. The snow and cold is bad enough but the endless winter days with the sun not coming out for days just drains on you.

It's OK if you grew up there since it's all you know. It wasn't until I moved to Colorado that I knew that there could be snow on the ground and the sun could be out. Colorado I could probably do if I needed to.

Junior · Post by **Junior** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 8:29 am

scumdevils86 wrote:
Longhorned wrote:Sometimes a caramelo is all you need. I know there are posters who can’t be in Tucson as often as often as they’d like, and if you’re among them, you should say fuck it and come home.
Mmm. Don't suppose you went to Aqui con el Nene? Went there for tacos and a hot dog last weekend.

My wife is convincing me to move to La Crosse, Wisconsin in a year or two...I'll miss the Mexican food more than the 60-70 degree winters

My brother-in-law lives in West Salem, just outside of La Crosse and he sent me pics from two different days during that polar vortex... one day -30 and the other -25. Oh and they just got 9 inches of snow the other day.

dovecanyoncat · Post by **dovecanyoncat** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 8:43 am

Merkin wrote:As one who grew up in Michigan if my Tucson born wife wanted to move to the upper midwest she would have to go without me for half the year. The snow and cold is bad enough but the endless winter days with the sun not coming out for days just drains on you.

It's OK if you grew up there since it's all you know. It wasn't until I moved to Colorado that I knew that there could be snow on the ground and the sun could be out. Colorado I could probably do if I needed to.

Same for me re Colorado. I grew up in Montana. People who praise Montana beauty never spent a winter in Missoula.

Scum, I was gonna bust your chops about Badger basketball, but I'll offer my winter sympathies instead.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 8:56 am

dovecanyoncat wrote:
Merkin wrote:As one who grew up in Michigan if my Tucson born wife wanted to move to the upper midwest she would have to go without me for half the year. The snow and cold is bad enough but the endless winter days with the sun not coming out for days just drains on you.

It's OK if you grew up there since it's all you know. It wasn't until I moved to Colorado that I knew that there could be snow on the ground and the sun could be out. Colorado I could probably do if I needed to.
Same for me re Colorado. I grew up in Montana. People who praise Montana beauty never spent a winter in Missoula.

Scum, I was gonna bust your chops about Badger basketball, but I'll offer my winter sympathies instead.

We had a student employee who was born and raised and raised in Southern California. When he graduated he found a job in Wyoming. I told him he would be back within a year. He said "oh no, I love the outdoors and winter sports".

Guess who was right.

Thinking more on it, I think there is only one good season in the upper Midwest, and it's fall. The sights are smells are fantastic, and it's finally cooling down.

The summer humidity is just brutal, and you can't go outside after dark due to the mosquitoes.

My niece had a summer job at Yellowstone the past summer and stayed in the dorms there, and was offered a winter position at the airport gift shop but with no housing.

She had to turn it down due to the high cost of housing there.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 9:27 am

Hahaha yeeah I know it'll be bad. I honestly think if we do move we'll be back in a few years. She mostly wants to move because all her family is around there and we're thinking of adding some little scumdevils86's in a year or two. I told her we can have little kids there then move back to AZ when they hit school age!

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 10:36 am

Probably no good Mexican restaurants is right.

But this is cool, 51% Clinton, 41% Trump http://www.city-data.com/city/La-Crosse-Wisconsin.html" target="_blank

Definitely 4 season weather.

and the (future) kids will like this:

This will be hard to get used to, at least for me.

Compared to Tucson.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 10:50 am

La Crosse is a younger liberal college town. Average age there is like 29, compared to like 39 for the rest of the state. It does seem like a nice place to live outside of the weather from December through March.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 11:10 am

Main things I'll miss if we end up in La Crosse (besides weather). A close Trader Joe's and Costco. Mexican food. Arizona's lack of mosquitoes. Mexican food.

I won't miss the summers in AZ but I will miss the monsoon storms.

catgrad97 · Post by **catgrad97** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 11:15 am

scumdevils86 wrote:Hahaha yeeah I know it'll be bad. I honestly think if we do move we'll be back in a few years. She mostly wants to move because all her family is around there and we're thinking of adding some little scumdevils86's in a year or two. I told her we can have little kids there then move back to AZ when they hit school age!

Make the move back here while you're young. Or "a few years" will turn into decades.

Just saying. Your wife will NOT want to leave her family after seven years putting down roots near them. And you won't have the energy to overcome her objections, especially putting your kids back into AZ schools, which are not exactly trending upward unless you have the cash and the contacts to keep them in BASIS somewhere.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 11:26 am

Yea true the school thing is a fair point. The schools in La Crosse are quite significantly better than almost every school in Arizona.

dovecanyoncat · Post by **dovecanyoncat** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 11:41 am

You're toast.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 11:41 am

scumdevils86 wrote:A close Trader Joe's and Costco.

When my daughter moved to Honolulu with her Navy husband, the Trader Joe's is what they missed most (outside of us we hope). She is always asking us to send stuff from there in her monthly Care packages.

Now he is being transferred to Cherry Point, NC, with no Costcos and the nearest Sam's Club is an hour away.

Funny the things you miss.

Edit: She has yet to find a good Mexican restaurant in Honolulu

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 12:00 pm

The key to living in the midwest is being in denial.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 12:29 pm

Merkin wrote:
scumdevils86 wrote:A close Trader Joe's and Costco.
When my daughter moved to Honolulu with her Navy husband, the Trader Joe's is what they missed most (outside of us we hope). She is always asking us to send stuff from there in her monthly Care packages.

Now he is being transferred to Cherry Point, NC, with no Costcos and the nearest Sam's Club is an hour away.

Funny the things you miss.

Edit: She has yet to find a good Mexican restaurant in Honolulu

There is a TJ's and Costco in Rochester, MN...75 miles away.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 12:42 pm

scumdevils86 wrote:
Merkin wrote:
scumdevils86 wrote:A close Trader Joe's and Costco.
When my daughter moved to Honolulu with her Navy husband, the Trader Joe's is what they missed most (outside of us we hope). She is always asking us to send stuff from there in her monthly Care packages.

Now he is being transferred to Cherry Point, NC, with no Costcos and the nearest Sam's Club is an hour away.

Funny the things you miss.

Edit: She has yet to find a good Mexican restaurant in Honolulu
There is a TJ's and Costco in Rochester, MN...75 miles away.

So 2 hours and change there and back. I did 4 hours and change for the nearest TJ's, and it was actually worth it.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 3:03 pm

ATL Wings opening up Saturday at University and 4th Ave where The Garage was. I was at ATL 2 weeks ago in Scottsdale and they make really good wings

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Fri Feb 15, 2019 3:52 pm

I forgot to say I went to Falora last Saturday. Amazing pizza. We got a bianca, which was fantastic. Another one was too American-style with the anchovies. You know -- heavy handed. But I love anchovies so it's all okay. Just fantastic Neopolitan pizza.

84Cat · Post by **84Cat** » Fri Feb 15, 2019 4:15 pm

Longhorned wrote:I forgot to say I went to Falora last Saturday. Amazing pizza. We got a bianca, which was fantastic. Another one was too American-style with the anchovies. You know -- heavy handed. But I love anchovies so it's all okay. Just fantastic Neopolitan pizza.

We went to Falora last night for our anniversary and it is always good. I recommend getting a reservation because most nights they don't take walk-in traffic after 7

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Fri Feb 15, 2019 6:33 pm

84Cat wrote:
Longhorned wrote:I forgot to say I went to Falora last Saturday. Amazing pizza. We got a bianca, which was fantastic. Another one was too American-style with the anchovies. You know -- heavy handed. But I love anchovies so it's all okay. Just fantastic Neopolitan pizza.
We went to Falora last night for our anniversary and it is always good. I recommend getting a reservation because most nights they don't take walk-in traffic after 7

But it's my excuse to drink cocktails at Sidecar.....

ByJoveByJingle · Post by **ByJoveByJingle** » Sat Feb 16, 2019 6:33 am

https://www.sunset.com/travel/southwest ... in-Tucson/" target="_blank

Most of these places have probably already been covered in this thread. But now I’ve got a nice list of places to check out.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Sat Feb 16, 2019 2:09 pm

I'm not a vegetarian, and I'm not a vegetarian restaurant guy, but Tumerico (across from Rincon Market) makes some fine jackfruit tacos. They make spectacular beans, too.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Sat Feb 16, 2019 2:23 pm

Longhorned wrote:I'm not a vegetarian, and I'm not a vegetarian restaurant guy, but Tumerico (across from Rincon Market) makes some fine jackfruit tacos. They make spectacular beans, too.

I've been meaning to try it for a long time

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Sat Feb 16, 2019 2:41 pm

scumdevils86 wrote:
Longhorned wrote:I'm not a vegetarian, and I'm not a vegetarian restaurant guy, but Tumerico (across from Rincon Market) makes some fine jackfruit tacos. They make spectacular beans, too.
I've been meaning to try it for a long time

We went because we heard 2 year-olds were welcome and accommodated.

I read the reviews, and people go nuts saying, "This is the best food I've ever had", and "I moved here from Denver just so I could keep eating this food."

Part of that is meaningful overlap between people who don't appreciate food in the first place, and people who become vegetarians. But part of it is that the food is just really good there.

So if you have a 2 year old, or if a vegetarian family member comes to visit, let there be no doubt about it.

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Sat Feb 16, 2019 3:50 pm

You ever been out to a restaurant and someone asks for a vegetarian option and they are brought out a piece of wilted lettuce on a plate? I wonder what the Veggie restaurant equivalent to this is if you ask for a carnivore option?

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Sat Feb 16, 2019 4:39 pm

Longhorned wrote:I'm not a vegetarian, and I'm not a vegetarian restaurant guy, but Tumerico (across from Rincon Market) makes some fine jackfruit tacos. They make spectacular beans, too.

Grovery Outlet, if you are near one, sells jackfruit already seasoned for tacos.

But easy enough to do yourself with the jackfruit from Trader Joe's.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Sat Feb 16, 2019 5:14 pm

Merkin wrote:
Longhorned wrote:I'm not a vegetarian, and I'm not a vegetarian restaurant guy, but Tumerico (across from Rincon Market) makes some fine jackfruit tacos. They make spectacular beans, too.

Grovery Outlet, if you are near one, sells jackfruit already seasoned for tacos.

But easy enough to do yourself with the jackfruit from Trader Joe's.

I just picked up two cans from Trader Joe’s! I’m going to make it into pulled pork, mixed with a bottle of TJ’s barbecue sauce.

How the mighty have fallen.

ByJoveByJingle · Post by **ByJoveByJingle** » Sat Feb 16, 2019 9:31 pm

Alieberman wrote:You ever been out to a restaurant and someone asks for a vegetarian option and they are brought out a piece of wilted lettuce on a plate? I wonder what the Veggie restaurant equivalent to this is if you ask for a carnivore option?

Vegan chef defecates on your plate.

dovecanyoncat · Post by **dovecanyoncat** » Sat Feb 16, 2019 9:44 pm

ByJoveByJingle wrote:
Alieberman wrote:You ever been out to a restaurant and someone asks for a vegetarian option and they are brought out a piece of wilted lettuce on a plate? I wonder what the Veggie restaurant equivalent to this is if you ask for a carnivore option?
Vegan chef defecates on your plate.

Vegan chef sneers "Our Modest Proposal menu, perhaps sir?"

Siempre Verde · Post by **Siempre Verde** » Thu Feb 21, 2019 12:11 am

Longhorned wrote:The key to living in the midwest is being in denial.

The key to living in the Midwest is moving away. Look, I love my relatives who stayed, but Peoria County will always be a good place to be from. Swamp ass in the summer, cold AF in the winter is not my desired combination.

Siempre Verde · Post by **Siempre Verde** » Thu Feb 21, 2019 12:19 am

Getting back on track, if I have to pick the most, long-time consistent restaurant in Tucson, it’s Kingfisher. I’ve never had a bad meal there for over a decade and a half. In fact, I’ve had some sublime meals. I typically sit in the bar.

legallykenny · Post by **legallykenny** » Thu Feb 21, 2019 12:31 pm

My 20 year reunion this fall is doing an event at some place called Three Canyon Beer & Wine Garden, which I've never heard of. Is it at least minimally acceptable?

ASUCatFan · Post by **ASUCatFan** » Thu Feb 21, 2019 5:06 pm

legallykenny wrote:My 20 year reunion this fall is doing an event at some place called Three Canyon Beer & Wine Garden, which I've never heard of. Is it at least minimally acceptable?

I've never heard of it either. I have plans that weekend, so I'm not going, plus I refuse to believe it's been 20 years.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Thu Feb 21, 2019 5:11 pm

I've never heard of that place either.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Thu Feb 21, 2019 6:56 pm

I haven't heard of it yet, but it may exist in some realm.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Sat Feb 23, 2019 5:21 pm

I forgot how good Michas is. I hadn't been back since before the fire. Damn good carne secca burro enchilada style. It's not Mi Nidito, but sometimes you just want to sit down and eat.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Sat Feb 23, 2019 5:27 pm

legallykenny wrote:My 20 year reunion this fall is doing an event at some place called Three Canyon Beer & Wine Garden, which I've never heard of. Is it at least minimally acceptable?

Yelpers seem to love it, https://www.yelp.com/biz/three-canyon-b ... den-tucson" target="_blank with some exceptions who hated it.

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