Tucson steps up offerings
with fine dining restaurants
By Rebecca Larsen,
Associate Editor
TUCSON, Ariz. (Jan. 5, 2004) -- Once upon a time, Mexican restaurants and steakhouses were the main staples of the dining scene in Tucson. But today’s eating spots have greatly expanded in cuisine, culture and character.
Restaurateurs who have opened new businesses in the city in the past 20 years have become adept at taking flavors from south of the border and fusing them with dishes with a European or Asian flavor.
Take Janos, for example, a restaurant that opened in downtown Tucson in 1983 and is now located at the Westin Paloma Resort. Owners Janos and Rebecca Wilder blended French cooking techniques with ingredients from the Southwest to create dishes that have been acclaimed by the James Beard Foundation, Mobil Travel Guide, AAA, Wine Spectator and Zagat Survey, to name a few.
Now the Janos crew has opened another more casual dining spot under the same roof where they blend tangy tastes of Latin America, Southern Arizona and the Caribbean. The 2003 Zagat Survey notes: “From the open kitchen emerge blissfully grilled Latin American specialties infused with wonderfully original flavors (the jerked pork is fantastic).” Address, 3770 E. Sunrise Drive (Westin La Paloma Resort) in Tucson; phone, (520) 615-6100.
 At
Loews
Ventana Canyon, the premiere dining spot is the Ventana Room where
the cuisine is Nouveau American, combining fresh organic produce from
Amber Valley Farms in Wilcox, Ariz., with fresh seafood and meats from
throughout the nation: scallops baked in their own shells with Maine Peekytoe
crab stuffing; short ribs in a Pinot Noir Sauce; as well as roast pheasant
and wild boar. The second-story location of this restaurant offers spectacular
city views while you dine. “Tucson’s Most Popular restaurant is also No.
1 in the state for food and service,” says the Zagat survey. Address,
7000 N. Resort Drive;
Book here
Call 1-866-444-0992
Fox Restaurant Concepts, a firm that created the popular Bloom and North restaurants in Scottsdale has also created a New American cuisine eatery Wildflower in Tucson where Far East definitely meets the West. Dishes include: Fire roasted chicken with Chinese broccoli, caramelized onion and soy glaze; lemongrass scallops with jasmine rice and Asian stir-fried vegetables; wild mushroom ravioli with braised garlic rapini; and roasted pork tenderloin with wild mushroom ragout and apple balsamic glaze. Address, 7037 N. Oracle Road; phone, (520) 219-4230.
 Café Terra Cotta is one of the top tickets in town. Chef/owner Donna Nordin offers upscale desert-style ambiance along with spectacular mountain views in her dining rooms. Dishes have both a Southwestern and sometimes an Asian touch: pork tenderloin adobado with black beans and apricot-chile conserve; marinated flank steak in a red wine mushroom sauce with white cheddar-garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus; and grilled salmon with a miso-shiitake broth, wasabi whipped potatoes, bok choy and a dark soy-sesame glaze. Address, 3500 E. Sunrise Drive (Southeast corner of Sunrise and Campo Abierto) in Tucson; phone, (520) 577-8100.
The Grill at Hacienda del Sol offers expansive views of the Catalina Mountains and has a mesquite-fired rotisserie. The restaurant is housed in one of the first buildings built in the Catalina Foothills, on the grounds of Hacienda del Sol, one of Tucson’s historic guest ranches. Among the entrees: wood-roasted rack of Colorado lamb, grilled Pacific salmon, dry-aged certified Angus New York strip, pecan-fired rotisserie loin of pork, chili-seared sea scallops, pan-seared breast of chicken and herb-crusted salmon with a whole grain mustard sauce. Address, 5601 N. Hacienda del sol Road; phone, (520) 529-3500.
The elegant Gold Room at Westward Look Resort overlooks the Tucson valley. The cuisine has been acclaimed by the Mobil Travel Guide and Wine Spectator and fuses Southwestern and European culinary styles, accented with chilies, herbs and produce from the chef's garden. Dishes range from buffalo and ostrich to more classic choices like roasted game hen and rack of lamb. Address, 245 E. Ina Road; phone (800) 722-2600.
Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.
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