The Downtown Dinner Experience

I remember when I first came to the University of Arizona. I was an RA in Coronado Hall and on the first day of training, I had been in Tucson for about three hours. I had no clue where to go for something to eat or even what there was to eat in Tucson. Luckily, my staff had all made plans to eat after training was done for the night. So, I jumped in a car with about four other RAs and we were off. On the short drive over, they kept telling me that I would love this place and how cheap the food was.

They couldn't have been more right. Bison Witches (326 N. 4th Ave., 520-740-1541) quickly became my favorite place to eat in Tucson when I wanted a hot, delicious, and inexpensive meal that was within walking distance from campus. This restaurant serves the biggest sandwiches known to man, massive bread bowls of soup, and lots of good beer all at a low price. What more could I ask for?

Recently, my girlfriend and I had the longest day of classes and work possible. We were ragged, tired, and extremely hungry. We especially didn't want to spend the time to make a meal either. So, we decided to wander down 4^th Ave. to get us a fix of Bison Witches and it was definitely needed.

When we walked in, we were happy to find we just missed the dinner rush and were able to find a table easily. Normally, Bison Witches is packed full of the downtown crowd and college students. The restaurant is very small, considering the location and half of the interior is taken up by a massive bar. Around the bar are many televisions playing the various sporting events that were being broadcast on ESPN. It normally is dimly lit inside, with most of the light coming from the refrigerators at the bar, and the jukebox is blasting classic rock hits such as “Highway to Hell” and “Brown Sugar.”

What I love about Bison Witches is the menu. You can either get sandwiches, soup, or both. They also have appetizers as well. It's simple and easy to read. The sandwich choices are amazing too with plenty of different choices. What I do every time I go there is get the half sandwich and soup meal. No matter which sandwich or soup choice you get, the order is $6.50, which is the price for most of the full sandwiches on the menu. Considering the bread that comes on the sandwich is enormous and the bread bowl is also huge, you can't beat this deal. Hence, my girlfriend and I both went for this deal.

Breanne chose the “Hawaiian Chicken” sandwich with the “Cream of Broccoli” bread bowl. The Hawaiian Chicken sandwich is made up of “two 4oz. oven baked chicken breasts that are topped with pineapple slices, melted provolone cheese, and shredded lettuce” while the Cream of Broccoli is described as “a light and delicate soup loaded with bits of broccoli, cheese, and spices.” I ordered the Corned Beef after my amazing experience with it at the Auld Dubliner and the Boston Clam Chowder bread bowl. The Corned Beef is “lean and tender, thin sliced corn beef is paired with spicy deli mustard, topped with melted Swiss cheese and is served on bakery fresh rye bread” and the Boston Clam Chowder has “fresh diced clams in a New England style chowder loaded with bits of celery and chunks of potato.” Bre stuck with water while I ordered a Shiner Hefeweizen, which was only $1 since it was a Thursday and they have deals on beer every night of the week.

The waitress lit up as Bre ordered her Hawaiian Chicken because it comes with a side of BBQ sauce that the waitress said she could eat “every day and not get tired of.” We got really excited about that and waited for our meal. Like I said, we beat the dinner crowd coming in and our meal was made quickly. Bre's sandwich was very bright with the pineapples and like the waitress said, the BBQ was very delicious, but not to the point where we'd want to eat it every day. My sandwich was also amazing with the soft rye bread mixing with the delicately cut pieces of corned beef perfectly. Both of our soups were hot and delicious as well. The Arizona Poore Brothers chips that came with both of our meals rounded out a perfect meal that helped us rejuvenate from the long week.

Synopsis: Bison Witches is a staple in the U of A community due to its proximity to campus and its ability to churn out quality food and beer for a very reasonable price. If you're in Tucson looking for a cheap meal that will satisfy, this is the place to go.

Dubliner in the Desert

I'm not Irish at all. Many people find this hard to believe considering a lot of my family is from East Coast, I cheer for the Red Sox, and I really like Guinness. But my family is mostly Slovak and Russian, so I never grew up eating Irish food. St. Patrick's Day was just another day for me and corned beef wasn't my idea of a good sandwich meat.

But, as you probably know from reading this blog, is that I love new restaurants. When I saw a brand new restaurant being built only a block away from my apartment, I had to try it out. Over the summer, the construction on this place was fairly quick and I began to see it was an Irish pub with a dark black exterior that looks nothing like the rest of the restaurants on University. Windows advertising Guinness and Harp were being put in and richly stained furniture was being moved inside. It seemed interesting and different for Tucson.

Like I said earlier, Irish fare is just unfamiliar territory for me. But, I'm not scared to try new things and decided to go in. Finally, the fall semester and this restaurant, The Auld Dubliner (800 E. University Blvd., 520-206-0323), opened their doors. Immediately, Breanne, who is my girlfriend, and I tried to find a time when we were free to try out the newest place to get a good meal and a cold beer near the University of Arizona.

Finally, we decided to go to dinner there on a Thursday night and invited our friend, Ashley, along. Ashley and Breanne were extremely excited to try the Dubliner because, unlike me, they are Irish and very proud of it. They've had amazing corned beef and know what a “banger” is. I felt like I was good hands, if I had any questions about what to order, with them around.

Upon walking in, we all felt like we were in a different world. The owners didn't just hang up a couple Guinness posters, but actually took time and consideration to make this restaurant seem genuine. Tables made from old Harp beer barrels, dimly lit lamps, and traditional Irish music all made up the interior of the Dubliner. Ashley, who had been to Ireland previously, remarked at how traditional the decorating choices of this restaurant were. There was definitely a crowd in the restaurant as well who all seemed to be enjoying the food and surroundings.

As we looked over the menu, the general consensus between the three of us was that this was not typical University Blvd. fare. The food was very well described and had very attentive, but not annoying, service who was cordial and willing to answer any questions we had. The beer selection was also very impressive with 10 traditional ales and lagers on tap alone, let alone the many they have bottled and the wide and vast options of Irish whiskeys. Finally, I decided on the Fish and Chips ($12.95) and a pint of Guinness Stout ($5.00). Breanne decided on the Corned Beef Sandwich ($8.95) and Ashley chose the Corned Beef and Cabbage ($12.95). Since Ashley had spent the night previously drinking hard at a chain restaurant in town, she decided to stay away from the alcohol choices.

The service was fast! Our food came promptly and hot...but what was impressive was the presentation. The food came on beautiful white plates with curry powder around the edges to give the dishes a good color. This was unlike anything near the college at all. And the food was, hands down, the best food on University Blvd. Everything was delicious.

My fish was battered in a Black and Tan beer batter and came on a bed of fries that were dusted with a light curry powder. It was piping hot and went very well with my Guinness, which was poured perfectly. Breanne's corned beef sandwich came with swiss cheese, apple-onion relish, and horseradish mayonnaise and honestly, I liked mine, but I liked her meal so much more. With all those amazing ingredients combined with a crusty rye bread, it was to die for. Ashley's corned beef and cabbage was HUGE. There was a plentiful amount of meat on her plate and the amount of cabbage she received was extraordinary. Everybody kept commenting on how flavorful our meals were.

The one piece of this meal that made this not only one of the best restaurants in the University district, but Tucson altogether, was their little touches with their condiments. The malt vinegar, ketchup, and mustard were even from Ireland. This truly made the meal authentic and not like anything else you could get in Tucson. Strong mustards and ketchups infused with curry were what made the meals light up so well.

I can't get over how wonderful of a time we had at The Auld Dubliner. The location to campus, the amazing service, and the extremely tasty Irish food converted me into a true fan of Irish fare. Breanne was just commenting to me recently how she is craving the corned beef and can't wait to go back. I think we may have to, sooner than later.

Inventive Italian on the North Side

Just like us, restaurant employees need a day to rest and relax from the hectic work week. Therefore, it is amazingly hard to eat out on a holiday. I figured this out recently when my girlfriend, Breanne, called me and had a craving for pasta on Labor Day. I told her that it would be no problem finding a place to eat. But that was kind of a lie considering every restaurant I called was closed for the holiday, not to mention many Italian restaurants in Tucson are closed on Monday to begin with. This wasn't going to be an easy task.

After the umpteenth try, I finally had found a place to go enjoy a nice meal that I heard wonderful things about and it was the last restaurant in the Italian section of the phone book. This restaurant was Zona 78 (78 W River Rd., 520-888-7878) and I was extremely thankful they were open, otherwise it was looking like a night of Top Ramen and peanut butter sandwiches for us.

Breanne was excited about my plan and invited our friend, Lauren, out with us for this meal...it's not often we get to relax and spend time together on a Monday evening. So, we all piled into my car and drove to River Road. Now, Zona 78 is a good drive away from all three of us, since we are all on campus and, being on River, it is close to the Foothill district of Tucson. However, it was a holiday and we had no obligations for the rest of the evening, so the drive was no hassle.

Finally, we arrived and immediately, were very pleased with the beautiful atmosphere of the restaurant. Everything was very casual with the Florida State/Miami football game on the TVs by the bar, but classy with the light jazz music playing and the beautiful artwork around the walls. It has a very hip feel to it and I couldn't be more pleased. My girlfriend seemed just as happy as me considering she kept leaning in and telling me that this was “such a good choice” and this was before we even had given a waitress our drink order.

The one interesting fact about the ambiance of Zona 78 was how the waitresses were dressed. With one exception, all of them had absurdly short skirts on. These skirts were so short that one could compare the shorts worn by Hooters waitresses; these skirts left nothing to the imagination and all three of us noticed this immediately.

After we had been seated, we looked over the menu and it was exactly what we were looking for. All three of us kept remarking about how “everything looked good” and it was going to be “hard to choose.” Finally, we ordered and I decided on the “Pizza Boy Pizza,” which came with pepperoni, hard salami, mozzarella, and fresh basil ($9.50). Breanne chose on the “Mediterranean Penne Pasta,” which had grilled chicken, artichokes, kalamata olives, pine nuts, tomatoes, pesto cream, and Feta cheese ($10.50). Lauren ordered the “Shrimp Cavatelli,” which is fresh Cavatelli pasta with rock shrimp, San Marazano tomatoes, basil, and Parmigiano-Reggiano ($10).

To drink, I ordered a Nimbus Blonde ($3.75), which I was very happy to see they carried since I am a huge fan of Nimbus Beers considering it is such an amazing business and also locally brewed. Lauren ordered a glass of Pinot Bianco ($5.50). Breanne decided to stick with water. My Nimbus wasn't flat at all and was poured perfectly. Lauren's wine was dry but still very fruity with many subtle hints of melon.

However, there was one huge problem and that was the service. The problem was that our waitress almost completely neglected us between seating and taking our order. It was at least 20 minutes before she came back to ask us what we'd like to drink and then she was surprised we “already” knew what we wanted. I was also annoyed that she never gave us straws for our drinks, even after asking, until the end of our meal. She also never looked at you, but seemed distracted by something else and was constantly darting her head around. She also made us repeat ourselves constantly and it was just amazingly rude.

Luckily, for our waitress, the food was very delicious. My pizza was piping hot, covered with all the amazing toppings, and had such a light crust. It was crisp, yet chewy enough to let you know you weren't eating a cracker. Breanne's pasta was very bright and had a perfect amount of the ingredients. The Feta cheese and kalamata olives, which are very Greek components, with the small pasta pieces made for an amazing dish that left her stuffed. But as good as both those dishes were, none of them compared to the Shrimp Cavatelli. I loved Lauren's Shrimp Cavatelli so much that I actually ate the rest of her meal, upon her request, after I had finished my pizza. The pasta was big and cooked to perfection and the tomato sauce was light enough to not be overpowering.

The amazing dinner got us in such a good mood, despite the poor service, that we looked over the dessert menu. With Lauren on a diet, we decided all three of us would split one item and we chose the “Belgian Chocolate Chunk” ($5.50), which was a double chocolate chip cookie with pecans that was topped with vanilla bean gelato and a rich chocolate ganache. This dessert was intensely chocolaty and it was amazing because of that. The cookie was cooked to perfection with it not being too hard, but not being pure dough. It almost was a variation of the “pizookie” that you can get at Oregano's, without the pizza tin. After our dessert, we left Zona 78 content, full, and happy.

Synopsis: Overall, Zona 78 is a great restaurant. The amazing choices of Italian food, very affordable prices, and great portions make this a place you must try. However, the owner would be wise to look over the waitresses he is hiring and possibly make a stricter dress code for them as well. But, other than that, Zona 78 should be a constant visit for Tucsonians that enjoy good pizza and pasta.

The Taste of Thailand in Tucson

Before I moved to Tucson in 2004, I lived in Fairbanks, Alaska for four years. Surprisingly, this small Alaskan city spoiled me rotten with its abundance of amazing Thai restaurants. With a population of 40,000, Fairbanks has four breath-taking places to get amazing Khao Na Ped, Kang Pa-Nang, and Pad Thai. These restaurants were always clean, fresh, and the chefs, being from Thailand, making authentic meals from their home country. It surprised me that Fairbanks had this, especially since the interior of Alaska couldn't be any farther away from Thailand.

Naturally, I was addicted and wanted more after moving to the desert. I was sorely disappointed. Restaurants in Tucson, which claimed to have Thai food, failed miserably. One restaurant, which will remain nameless, actually had the gall to put BBQ sauce over butter noodles and call that Pad Thai. I was shocked and started to miss Fairbanks, the frozen city full of spicy curry.

Luckily, I finally found what I have been looking for...coconut milk, lemon grass, and peanut sauce...and it's all at the Bangkok Cafe (2511 E. Speedway Blvd., 520-323-6555).

My girlfriend and I were out driving down Speedway Ave. looking for a restaurant to eat at after a long day of classes, meetings, and work. On the left side of the street was a small building that said “Bangkok Cafe, Authentic Thai Cuisine.” We both got extremely excited at the prospect of a true Thai restaurant, especially since it is close to campus. So, we pulled into the parking lot and decided to give it a try.

Immediately walking in, we were amazed by the beautiful interior of this restaurant. The walls are painted a cool and calming light green color and there are carefully painted pictures of Thailand and Buddhist imagery everywhere. There was traditional Thai music playing over the speaker system and the waitresses were dressed very brightly. After we were seated, we couldn't help but admire the beautiful chairs made out of bamboo and loved the fact they were padded perfectly for a comfortable dining experience. My girlfriend looked at me and said, “Ooooh. Good choice.”

At this point, we began to peruse over the menu. We were excited to see a wide variety of choices with may different soups, noodle dishes, rice platters, and all the curries you could ever want. Bangkok Cafe's menu is extensive and also have wonderful explanations of each menu item that explained what exactly a “Tom Jued Woon Sen” is to the average diner that does not eat Thai food on a regular basis. After a few minutes, my girlfriend decided to order the “Pad Khing Sod,” which is a ginger, skitake mushroom, and onion dish with your choice of chicken, beef, or pork (she chose chicken), and I ordered the Chicken Pad Thai, which is rice noodles, chicken, egg, bean sprouts, and tamarind sauce. Both of our dishes were $7.95, which is such a good price considering the portions.

While waiting for our food, we couldn't help but admire how well decorated this restaurant is. The music wasn't overpowering, the light brown tile floors weren't cold or slippery, and the waitresses were always smiling and attentive with filling our water glasses. It truly was beautiful here. Even the massive bar on the right side of the restaurant fit in with everything else and wasn't too obtrusive.

Shortly after we ordered, our food was quickly delivered. I was skeptical about the restaurant's food at first due to Arizona's track record with Thai food, but also because of the review the Tucson Weekly gave this place a couple years ago. Reviewer Jimmy Boegle said, “The majority of the dishes we sampled were inexplicably bland, which is a terrible shame." However,something must have changed over the past couple years because this food was so flavorful and left you wanting more. My Pad Thai was sweet, not overbearing with the tamarind sauce and all the vegetables cooked with the rice noodles were still crisp and obviously fresh. My girlfriend's Pad Khing Sod had a strong ginger flavor with the Shitake mushrooms still having the original consistency and not cooked to mush at all. Both of our dishes had chicken with them and they were cooked perfectly as well. Nothing was too salty and it truly felt like I was back in Fairbanks again eating the curries and the bean sprouts and trying to survive the cold through it all.

Synopsis: I can't recommend Bangkok Cafe enough. The portions are huge for the price you pay and the flavor can't be beat. This is truly authentic Thai cuisine and with it in a central location of Tucson, you can't pass this restaurant up.