Restaurant Reviews
Tucson Arizona restaurants and beyond

Anthony's In the Catalina's
6440 North Campbell
Tucson, AZ  85718

P 520-299-1771 - reservations suggested

Cuisine:  Continental, fine dining elegance at it's best

Parking:  No problem.  Valet parking available.

Anthony's has a special summer seasonal $69.95 dinner for two from June 1st through October 31st, Sunday through Thursday, offering 4 courses including a half bottle of Chardonnay or Cabernet.  We like to take advantage of this special offer as the regular prices at Anthony's are very expensive!!  We usually spend around $90.

As an amuse bouche we were served a small delicious melon ball of mildly flavored creamy smoked salmon mousse along with delicious wafer thin poppy seed Italian flat bread crackers.  We enjoyed that very much...  they asked if we wanted more.

For bread, my husband chose an Italian ciabatta roll, I opted for a wheat roll; they were both outstandingly delicious, heated just right and very fresh.  We were asked if we wanted more.

We ordered:
1st course - Appetizer: Sonoran Quesadilla; beautifully presented, most generous servings filled with duck sitting on salad greens next to tomato caucasus tossed with a hint of onion, cilantro, extra virgin olive oil and possibly a dusting of cayenne for a little heat..  I enjoyed the tomatoes most of all, they were delicious!
 
2nd course - Soup or Salad:  We chose Anthony's House Salad with peppercorn creamy dressing... an excellent choice, a bit salty but very good with crisp fresh salad greens topped with fresh julienne carrots.

3rd course - Main Entree: We both ordered Roast Duckling au Poivre a l'Orange.  We were each presented with two hind quarters of duck, more on the well done side, accompanied by a small container of l'orange sauce (which I did not care for); a delicious serving of Basmati Jasmine rice and a medley of fresh vegetables prepared al dente.  They brought us a 750 ml bottle of 2005 Francis Coppola Cabernet Sauvignon Claret Black Label wine included in the price of our dinner; it was medium bodied and bursting with fruit.   

4th course - Dessert:  Cherries Jubilee.  The sauce was heated just right and served with an excellent quality of vanilla ice cream.  I do not like canned pie cherries some chose to serve for cherries jubilee, they are bitter and taste of aluminum... this cherry sauce was fresh and absolutely delicious, top quality.

As a complimentary palate cleanser, we were served a delicious refreshing light effervescent lemon drink (no, it was not lemonicello, that would have ruined our dining experience, no thank you!), we enjoyed this light lemon refresher in a frosted shot glass, an absolutely elegant presentation and a beautiful ending to a fantastic dinner.  

Overall Review:
We can't say enough good things about Anthony's; their service was outstanding, everyone was most attentive, there seemed to be one attendant for each diner, we were amazed at their attention to detail.  All ingredients used were top quality, fresh and delicious;  their servings were all most generous.  We will definitely return but only for their $69.95 dinner specials for two served seasonally.

Arizona Inn
located near Grant and Campbell on Elm Street
Tucson, AZ

Parking:  located across the street

Cuisine:  American

Arizona Inn is located off the main drag of traffic in an old style hotel that looked like it needed a few touches of attention.

We ordered:
Their menu was pricey!  Main entrees were $44.  We decided it would be much more frugal to order their 3 course dinner menu at $50 each ...  we would get two more courses for an additional $6.

We were presented with an amuse bouche of dried out pilaf mixed with basil according to our waiter, it was actually cilantro pesto, topped with a scant piece of dried out tasteless chicken and garnished with a tiny tomato grape slice and little dots of a cranberry reduction on the plate.  We could have done without this entree, the pilaf was ridiculous, we couldn't eat it.  We expected better from them. 

We were each given a small roll, very sweet, probably popovers.

First Course:
Romaine spinach and frisee salad greens with marinated Roma tomatoes and mozzarella rounds with toasted pine nuts, parsley-parmesan crostini roasted garlic asiago vinaigrette.  It sounded better than it tasted.  The mozzarella was sliced too thick for the portion of tomatoes we received and the tomatoes were wilted.  It made more sense to slice the tomatoes fresh without marinating and use a fruity olive oil instead.  

Second Course:
Alaskan halibut with a lemon-thyme glaze, shiitake mushrooms, herbed rice pilaf, spinach-red onion saute basil cream sauce.  I questioned the waiter if this was actually halibut we were served, it did not look or taste or smell like halibut. Here again the description sounded good but it was lacking in taste and presentation.  Our other entree was lamb loin rosemary marinated black olive mashed potatoes caramelized shallots ratatouille roasted red pepper demi glace for our main entree.  Both portions for the fish and lamb were extremely small, no need for doggy bags at the Arizona Inn, you might want to stop at a fast food place on the way home.  The lamb was presented beautifully, no problem there and the taste was good. 

Third Course:
Cappuccino ice cream, delicious! with ginger pieces.  Good thing we knew ahead of time what the strange solid invisible pieces were in the ice cream (ginger), it was a strange feeling in the mouth. 

Overall Review:
We were looking forward to dining here from all the press but no way we'll be back. Arizona Inn is way over-priced, way over-rated and way under-whelming.

 
Baggin's Gourmet Sandwiches
11015 North Oracle Road
Tucson, AZ 85737

P (520) 547-2839

Cuisine:  sandwich shop

We ordered:  Breast of turkey club sandwich called "Baggin's Club".  What we received for $10 per sandwich was 3 slices white "Wonder Bread" with mayonnaise, 2 slices pressed turkey meat, 2 small pieces partially cooked bacon smaller than the bread slices, 2 small half slices red tomato and a sprinkle of julienne lettuce.  They included with our order a small plastic container of potato salad, a cookie and a small slice of carrot cake.  These items were the best tasting and yet we did not order salad or dessert, what we wanted was a turkey club sandwich.  The menu said we would receive with our sandwich sliced red onion, this was not included.  The sandwich was supposed to be made with Italian bread, they served us "Wonder Bread".

Overall Review:
Disgusting!  We ordered a club sandwich not salad or dessert.  Aren't club sandwiches supposed to be toasted?  Our "Wonder Bread" was not toasted.  We were very disappointed and expected better from them. 

 
Bellissimo Ristorante
located within Casino Del Sol, an enterprise of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe

5655 W. Valencia Rd.
Tucson, AZ  85757

1-19, Exit Valencia West
520-838-6777
800-344-9435

Cuisine: Continental, Tuscan-style

Parking: Yes, but difficult to find a spot because the area is shared by patrons of Casino Del Sol

It is a long tedious slow drive from our home to Bellissimo Ristorante.  We didn’t have reservations, an oversight on our part, it was an hour wait for us on a Sunday night. When we were finally seated we wondered why the long delay, were we being punished because we did not make reservations?  There were more empty tables than full in the dining area and it remained that way all evening. After another long wait to be recognized by our waiter, we made our selection from their menu. A few minutes later he came back to tell us they were out of Prime Rib. We made a second choice and sat and waited for what seemed an eternity wondering what the problem was as the place was about empty!  We were not happy with their service. 

We ordered:
4 oz. Petit Filet Mignon with Ancho Chili Butter - $22
Macadamia Orange Roughy with lemon herb butter - $21
Tournedos Coronado with artichoke and béarnaise. $32

All the entrees were to our liking just as we ordered them, well seasoned and very tasty.  Were they worth the wait?  No!

Overall Review: The food is very good though not worth waiting 2 hours to taste from all the unnecessary delays. The staff would do well to better organize their time and duties, the service lacked a lot. We will be back but only because our occasional house guests enjoy the gambling followed by a nice dinner; we will be sure to make reservations on our next visit.

The Dish
3131 E. First Street
Tucson, AZ  85716

P 520-326-1714, reservations not accepted

Cuisine: Bistro-Bar

Parking:  Ample.  

We ordered:  
Herb Crusted Rock Lobster Tail pan seared with melted Brie, lemon chive Beurre Blanc and fresh tomato concassis - $13.75.  We were served two 2-3 ounce lobster tails, a generous portion for the price.  Their sauce was excellent, the presentation was good.
 
Pan seared jumbo shrimp with Serrano ham, green olive and manchego pesto, roasted red pepper and paprika coulis with a refreshingly crisp jicama slaw - $ll.  My husband thought the presentation was excellent, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I thought the plate was over sauced.  His shrimp was wrapped in Serrano ham which was overpoweringly salty taking away any flavor of shrimp.

Very reasonable prices.

Overall Review:  The Dish was recommended to us with the distinction of being the best restaurant in Tucson.  We discovered The Dish is not a restaurant but a small in-house bistro/bar located within The Rumrunner Wine Shop.  If you are new to Tucson, you will have a hard time finding The Dish.  There are two streets named "First Street".  We were told directions from The Dish they are located on the corner of Speedway and Country Club.  Wrong!  We cruised the area 20 minutes trying to find the place.  We did not realize another street named First Street runs parallel to Speedway.  The bistro is located one block south of Speedway.  By this time we almost said 'forget it'.  It was getting dark but we managed to read a faint sign 'The Dish' on a dark building.  We walked into an extensive well stocked wine shop/deli and found The Dish back in the corner.  They have a small bar and small square wooden tables crammed into a very tiny area seating approximately 20 or so people.  Somewhere along the way I read or heard this is a 'high casual' restaurant.  Wrong!  I must have it confused with another place.  This is a bistro-bar, everyone, including the waiters wear jeans and sandals, if you wear Dockers you will be overdressed.  

We found a table set with cloth napkins and were given a menu.  We wondered if we were in the right place as there was no title name on the menu.  The choices are few but good.  They served complimentary sliced bread with a delicious herbed butter.  I asked two different waiters and got two different answers of what was in the butter.  In any event, it was good.  They just recently moved to this new location and told us they will be expanding; we wondered expanding where?  There didn't seem anywhere to go!  The floor was still cement with paint smudges.  The ceiling was extremely low, the noise level was terrible, it was hard to have a conversation.  Our waiter apologized for the lack of acoustics to absorb the sound, he said they are still under construction.  The night we were there every table was full. This is a fun place to go for the younger set.   

Dragon Village Restaurant
12152 N. Rancho Vistoso Blvd. #180
Oro Valley, AZ  85737

P 520-229-0388

Cuisine:  Chinese, dine in or take out 

Parking:  no problem, it is a busy place

We ordered:
Cashew Chicken with mushrooms, water chestnuts, zucchini, carrots and cashew nuts.  The portions are generous with lots of chicken. $7. They offer white or brown rice to accompany this dinner and of course fortune cookies. The dish is very tasty.

Overall Review: We recommend this place and plan to return many times, the prices are reasonable too.

2nd Visit:
A local Tucson Arizona magazine write up of Dragon Village Restaurant revealed they were recently voted as one of the nation's top 100 Chinese eateries in just 5 years of operation mainly for their award winning signature Sesame Chicken dish.  We were anxious to try it.  We discovered it contained chicken only...  nothing else.  It was very tasty and generous portions, however, we were disappointed not realizing we should have ordered an accompanying entree with vegetables.  This is still our favorite 'Chinese Takeout' restaurant, next time we will order a well rounded meal.

Family Dinner Review:
Our group of eight opted for their 'Family Dinner' at $9 to $10 per person.  It was delivered consisting of different choices which we left up to our host to decide. The dinner was okay but nothing to write home about.

Feast
4122 E. Speedway
Tucson, AZ

P 520-326-9363

Cuisine:  American; seated or take out

Parking:  off street parking between two buildings

We ordered:
To go:  Prime Rib of Beef with Gorgonzola scalloped potatoes, green and white waxed beans with melted cheese on top and au jus(??) I think this is what it was supposed to be.  The $17.50 price per person was reasonable.

Overall Review:
What a joke this food was!  Was their cook an 8 year old kid?  We had high hopes for some excellent food from what we had heard about this place.  Forget it!  Possibly the entree we ordered was the only one not acceptable, maybe their other choices were great.  However our food order was terrible and this is my honest review of what we received and experienced.   

When we walked in we were the only patrons, maybe this should have told us something!  They have a large impressive wall of wines at one end of their room; most of them are from outside the United States, very few cabernets, chardonnays, etc.

Let me start with the prime rib.  We ordered it rare; duh!  Isn't that typical of a prime rib order.  We received it well done!  In fact, the waitress told us after waiting a long time our order would be delayed because one of the cuts of meat was overcooked.  What is their definition of overcooked?  Both our orders were way over done, they were like a piece of pot roast.  When we got home, my husband and I each removed a large vein of fat running down the middle of our cuts of prime rib meat leaving two very small pieces of well done pot roast....   hence the low price?  We tasted an occasional bacon flavor on the crust which overpowered the supposedly unique prime rib beef flavor that was missing; here again, it tasted like pot roast; I think they did a switcheroo.  Our big mistake was ordering "take out"; if we had stayed there, it would definitely have been returned!  

Next comes the scalloped potatoes.  They served a generous portion; only problem they should have been called "scalloped cheese".  The cheese was over whelming that's all we tasted; they were dry like they were baked hours before and reheated.  

Let's talk about the green and white waxed beans, they were the worst of the lot; we left them on the plate!  I like veggies cooked al dente; these veggies were not cooked, they were so tough and stringy we couldn't chew them; have you ever tried to eat cardboard? I think they were just poor specimens of beans; no matter now much they would have been cooked, they would still be unfit to eat.  My husband told me when he lived on a farm these would have been fed to the livestock.  

Finally comes the au jus.  They cannot honestly call their small container of liquid... "au jus".  What was it?  Whatever it was, it was terrible!  I tasted it separately with a spoon; it reminded me of a weird liquid concoction made by my sorority sisters I had to ingest as being a part of my initiation into a social club.  There was no way we wanted to dip our overdone meat into this liquid; who knows what was in it, I couldn't identify any specific flavors other than a faint hint of tomato paste mixed with other weird tastes.  

After this most miserable meal we both had indigestion.  It seemed like the ingredients we ordered were not available to the cook and he scrounged around trying to come up with something that resembled our order.  We will never ever order from them again, ever!  

Firebird's Rocky Mountain Grill
2985 E. Skyline Drive
Tucson, AZ  85747

P 520-577-0747

Cuisine:  American

Parking:  Firebird is located within a shopping complex, there is plenty of off street parking.

We ordered:  
Pepper crusted sirloin center-cut, Certified Angus beef sirloin with cracked black peppercorns. $19.

Overall Review:
We were seated immediately; the dining area was full even though we arrived early which speaks well of Firebird's.  They gave us freshly baked sliced French bread hot from the oven.  We were served very generous steaks cooked to perfection, they couldn't have been better.  We had our choice of potato and opted for baked which came encrusted with salt, it was freshly baked and delicious.  The only criticism I have, there were no vegetables on the plate, just steak and potato.  We recommend Firebird's especially to palates that crave a good steak, we will return again.

French Twist
10110 N. Oracle Road Suite 180
Oro Valley, AZ 85704

P 520-797-1127

Cuisine:  Small casual French themed gourmet cafe serving breakfast and lunches; bakery and catering company.  Dinner served Friday and Saturday; Brunch served Sundays

Parking: no problem

We ordered:
Cordon Bleu sandwich - chicken breasts, sliced smoked ham, sliced tomatoes, fresh green leaf lettuce, sliced provolone on baguette bread slathered with herbed mayonnaise; served with a cornichon spear and a generous portion of pasta salad. $8.

Baguette sandwich filled with a generous slice of pate, sliced fresh red onion, fresh green leaf lettuce, served with a cornichon spear and a corkscrew pasta salad in a small bowl. Our orders were served in wooden baskets lined with paper. $10.

Overall Review:
A tiny little cafe with a great sounding menu for breakfast and lunch entrees. When we arrived, all inside tables were occupied, we sat outside at one of the shaded tables and was greeted immediately by a friendly waitress who told us when a table becomes available we could move inside to air-conditioning. It would have been tolerable outside under a fan or misting system in the middle of August but instead we dealt with numerous flies and pesky gnats. We eventually moved inside and was met by another overly friendly fly who insisted on visiting each table. The tables were few in number small square granite tops along with wooden chairs completely filling the tiny cafe. We watched the waitress bus a table but did not bother to wipe it :(

I was intrigued with their menu choice of a baguette pate sandwich; my husband said it was not as flavorful as his Cordon Bleu baguette sandwich, he especially liked the smoked ham, nevertheless I thought my sandwich was good.  

French Twist boasts of having freshly baked bread. We wondered what day our bread was baked as we both had a very hard time biting into our sandwiches, the bread was beautiful but extremely tough and hard like it had been baked then refreshed in a microwave oven which makes it tough. They have no wine or beer; we were told we could take our order next door to a Mexican restaurant and order drinks. As we were leaving we noticed the pesky fly on the inside glass door waiting to go out.

We were not overly enthused with French Twist, however I would like to return to try their salad combinations and maybe a different unique sandwich choice. Hopefully we won't have to share our table with a fly.

04/12/2008... I just learned the French Twist closed sometime in September 2007.  Down Home Delights now occupies the building.



Giorgio's
1131 N. W. Hoyt
Portland, Oregon  

Cuisine: Northern Italian

Parking:  Street parking, if you're lucky, otherwise there is a metered parking lot across the street.

We were served a tasty coarse textured Italian country bread with Calamata olives after a flavorful amuse bouche of smoked swordfish tartare laced with lemon oil on a round puffy interesting cracker.

We Ordered:
Appetizers:
Lettuces with Heirloom radishes, carrots and Meyer lemon dressing.  Good presentation; carrots were not fresh, had a bothersome moldy aroma; the dressing was overpowering with lemon. $9

Caramelized onion crepes with bouquerones and nicoise olive oil. Crepes were crunchy, onions were sweet, anchovies were salty which gave a good balance of flavors. $12

Celery root soup with whole grain mustard mousse.  Creamy, smooth textured with a good flavored contrast.  $9

Yellow and red beet salad with ruby red grapefruit, ricotta salata dressed with a citrus vinaigrette.  The portion was huge, more so than their other appetizers; beets were excellent. $13

Comice pear salad with Rosini, leaf lettuce and Marcona almonds.  Refreshing with good flavors of both sweet and salty. $14

Petite lasagna with duck confit, sweetbreads and arugula bechamel sauce. A beautiful presentation, buttery pate flavor, textured contrast; however it lacked in flavor, flat, too heavy, dense.. small portions. $16

Risotto with wild mushrooms and truffle oil.  Textured rice was not as creamy as it should have been, somewhat salty, small portions.

Main Entrees:
Roasted swordfish with mussels, bens, Piquillo peppers and faffron brodo. Swordfish was fresh, not frozen, mussels were the star being perfect, much better than the swordfish, the beans were hard, not a good accompaniment, a big "No". They should have been eliminated.

Citrus-honey glazed New Zealand venison loin with braised endive and huckleberries.  The venison was tender and flavorful as was the sauce which went very well with the meat but there wasn't enough of it. The braised endive was not good being bitter almost like burnt toffee. $32.

Medium rare Skirt steak, cippoli onions, caramelized potatoes with spinach, apple and bacon.  Good presentation, flavors were okay, nothing special, the meat had a good rub, served more on the rare side, couldn't taste any apple, it was basically good.

Dessert:
Meyer Lemon Cake with hazelnut Frangipone and lemon thyme sorbet.  The lemony flavors were excellent as well as the hazelnuts, a beautiful presentation./

Soft warm chocolate cake with homemade caramel.  Chocolate was of good bittersweet quality, the cake was hot and inviting, the ice cream was like a souffle, good presentation, the molten chocolate carmelized ice cream was a good match.

Semolina bread pudding with pineapple coulis and coconut sorbet.  It tasted somewhat like French toast.  No one tasted the pineapple, the sorbet was sweet and good, rich.

Selection of artisanal cheeses with seasoned fruit.  There was not enough cheese, mostly fruit, rather disappointing.  Small portions and was unimpressive.

Overall Review:  Disappointing, overpriced and small portions for the amount charged.  I had not visited Giorgio's for almost 3 years but remembered fondly the many times we enjoyed their excellent food and presentations.  When we planned our trip to Portland, Giorgio's was at the top of the list.  Either they changed chefs and/or their method of preparing food because the excellent quality of what it used to be wasn't there.  Every chef has an off night, maybe this was the case.  The food was just okay, nothing special or memorable to where we would want to dine there again.  I don't mind paying top prices for good food, in fact I expect this.  However for what we paid we did not receive in return, the food in my opinion did not match the dollar amount.  I could not believe they charged us a $25 corking fee per bottle when their menu specifically stated "$20 corking fee per bottle"...  are they that desperate for the dollar?  Our total bill was $666..   hmmmm....    the number 666 carries a bad connotation.  I expected the best from Giorgio's or I would not have gone there, what they gave us in return for our dollar was mediocre and not worth it. We ordered appetizers, a main entree and dessert, most all portions were small.  As I understand it, the present chef worked for Thomas Keller at Per Se in New York at the canape station.  This might explain his concept of food portions.  We will not return.

   

Heathman Restaurant & Bar 
1001 SW Broadway
Portland, OR  

P 503-790-7752

Cuisine:  French, Executive Chef Philippe Boulot

Parking:  typical, expected from a busy downtown area

I was really looking forward to a memorable dining experience based upon prior visits to the Heathman.  Sadly, I was very disappointed.  Either Chef Boulot was on vacation or they changed chefs.  Most all entrees were not up to my expectation on taste or presentation.  I doubt I will return.  

We ordered:
Soup Course:  Soupe à l' Oignon, onion soup with Swiss cheese gratin - $7.95  The presentation was rustic but typical of this type of soup. Flavors were intense, powerful and thick; it reminded me of eating pot roast.

Appetizers: Smoked Salmon Napoleon, Belgium endive and horseradish crème fraiche - $8.75  The combination left something to be desired; the endive was too bitter, the horseradish was overpowering.

Appetizers:  Roast Duck & Foie Gras en Papillotte, thinly sliced muscovy duck breast over mushrooms with duck foie gras steamed on a cabbage leaf - $12.95  The crispy duck skins and duck strips were excellent.  They forgot to include mushrooms in our order?????  the cabbage only deterred from the entree, a bad combination choice..  I asked for another alternative, they said, "sorry, can't do that".  Very disappointing. 

Main Entree:  Herb Roasted Rack of Lamb, asparagus flan, roasted root vegetables and roasted pepper sauce - $32.75  The lamb was overcooked!  Very disappointing!  The vegetables were okay; the sauce was excellent.  

Main Entree:  Pekin Duck à l' Orange, grilled breast and confit leg with orange sauce cardoncello mushrooms, sablé potatoes, green beans $27.95   All in all a good entree though the sauce was extremely sweet.

Main Entree:  Grilled 7 ounce Cascade Natural Filet Mignon, potato puree, white and green asparagus and sauce bordelaise - $34.00   The meat was not cooked to specification; we wondered if the sauce was from a package mix???  Their presentation could have been much better..  very disappointing.

Main Entree:  Grilled Certified Angus New York Steak, butter whipped potatoes, roasted shallots, broccolini, maitre d'hotel butter - $29.50  The butter was excellent, potatoes were creamy but meat was overcooked. It lacked presentation!  

Cheese Course:  Brillat Savarin Truffe:  Cow's milk cheese with a layer of perigord truffles - $5.75   Good.  Nice medley of flavors.

Desserts:  Chocolate Gourmandise, warm flourless chocolate cake with callebaut chocolate sauce vanilla gelato and cocoa noel nib nougatine - $8.50  Bittersweet; excellent flavors.

Desserts:  Tiramisu, espresso and rum soaked ladyfingers with marcaspone, rum anglaise and shaved chocolate - $7.50  Excellent; not too sweet, perfect in everyway; lingering flavors.

Our Wine:  
1990 Chateau Montelena cabernet sauvignon ; 1995 Eisele Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet sauvignon, Araujo Estate Wines...   2 magnums.  EXCELLENT!

Overall Review:  Disappointing.  I expected the best and received mediocre. The presentations were not there, neither was the top quality flavors. Very disappointing.  Where were you Chef Boulot????

Linn City Pub
19389 Willamette Drive
West Linn, Oregon

P 503-675-8833

Cuisine:  American

A conveniently located neighborhood pub with good food for a quick lunch we would not hesitate to recommend.  $33.65 

McGrath's Fish House
11050 SE Oak
Portland, Oregon

P 503-653-8254

Cuisine: American

Parking: no problem

I was pleasantly surprised regarding the quality of the restaurant as well as the food.

We Ordered:
Calamari Appetizer:  It was excellent, couldn't have been any better.  $8.49.
Shrimp Louie and bowl of chowder. $12.48
Bay Shrimp Lettuce Wraps. 8.99, the portions were huge!
Crab Louie. $12.99
2 orders of seared Ahi Salad and chowder. $26.96
Drinks

Overall Review: A nice place with good food I would recommend to anyone.

Metropolitan Grille
7092 N. Oracle Rd.
Tucson, AZ  85704

P 520-531-1212

Cuisine:  American, family style

Parking:  No problem, the restaurant is located off the main street in a large shopping center

We ordered:
Chicken Chardonnay - chicken breasts sautéed with artichoke hearts and grapes in a white wine butter sauce, served with fresh vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes. $16.38 per person... a banquet price!!! ($8.95 at the restaurant), A non-alcoholic beverage, tax and gratuity were included in this price.

Overall Review:
A Typical banquet meal, i.e. some items were overcooked, some were undercooked; the menu choices for this particular entree did not necessarily go together, specifically the sauce.  The chicken was dry and very overcooked.  I realize for such a large crowd it is difficult to cook this just right.  The sauce was pretty bad, the worse of the lot...  mainly blending brined artichoke hearts with sweet, sweet grapes.  The idea seems good for sweet and salty blends but the taste was terrible.  Possibly if this combination had time to marry, the sauce might have been okay.  This was served with a medley of vegetables with an occasional sautéed mushroom.  The menu said "fresh vegetables"..  carrots were a part of this medley that were fresh, not cooked, they briefly passed over a steaming pot of hot water then were served along with sautéed julienne zucchini which was fine.  Garlic mashed potatoes accompanied the chicken and vegetables; they were fine.  We waited approximately an hour and a half to be served, this could have been better organized. Each table was given fresh bread and softened piped butter; the bread was freely replenished as was our drinks.  The best part of this whole meal was the fresh bread. 

If you want a family style restaurant with reasonable prices you might like Metropolitan Grille.

Raz Restaurant
just East of Campbell and on the North side of the street

1929 E. Grant Rd.
Tucson, AZ  85719

P 520-327-2223
F 520-327-2658 

Cuisine: Modern Riveria cuisine

Parking: Yes, but limited, we parked in an unpaved area hoping we didn’t run over broken glass or other debris.

Raz is fairly new to Tucson with a contemporary setting .  We have been there many times and have never been disappointed. On this particular trip we invited three guests.  The five of us were seated on a platform area in the corner at an “L” shaped table. All of us were facing the same way overlooking the restaurant instead of facing each other. If we are ever offered this seating arrangement again we will decline. There was no way we could talk and converse with our friends without leaning forward and looking down the long table to find each other.

We ordered: 
Spiced Duck, pan seared duck breast with fresh pears, purple and white marbled potatoes finished with port wine and pine nut veal jus. - $19

Rack of Lamb, succulent citrus and herbs marinated grilled rack of Lamb accompanied with roasted tomatoes, sautéed haricot verts and RAZ potatoes. - $25 This particular night the lamb was overly greasy.

Rib eye Delmonico, grilled certified Angus rib eye accompanied with Portabella mushroom and sun dried tomatoes served with Peruvian Potatoes and savory herb jus.- $21

Overall Review: The food is good, well thought out and served in an inventive and interesting style.  Their presentations are excellent. They have a good selection of items on their menu, something for everyone. The entire staff is very attentive, friendly and most concerned their customers be well taken care of giving very good service.

Romano’s Macaroni Grill
2265 W. Ina Rd. - near N. La Cholla
Tucson, AZ

P 520-544-4655

Cuisine: Pizza, Pasta

Parking:  No problem finding a space fairly close by even though the restaurant was crowded.

We ordered:
Fettuccine Alfredo pasta with a homemade sauce of cream, butter and Parmesan cheese and an option of adding chicken or shrimp to the entree. - $10 

Overall Review: a family style restaurant reminding me of The Olive Garden with many menu selections of good tasty food for casual dining. We will return again when in the area.

Sasso's Pizza
12153 N. Rancho Vistoso Blvd.
Oro Valley, AZ

Cuisine:  Pizza

Parking:  Plenty of spaces available in front of the establishment

We ordered:
A 14" Pepperoni pizza with cheese.  Service was good, prices were good, amount of cheese on the pizza was good. - $14.40.

Overall Review:  everything was good, the pizza was well endowed with cheese but lacked seasoning; next time we'll bring a bottle of dried thyme!  We will probably return.

Second Visit:
What happened?  This was by far the worse pizza we have ever had.  We ordered a take-out 24" pizza with pepperoni and Italian Sausage.  What we received was a piece of bread burnt on the bottom with tomato sauce spread on top except for a 2-1/2 inch border that received no sauce.  They somehow managed to put a few pepperoni slices every 4-inches apart along with a few dobs of Italian sausage the size of small olives every 5" apart on the pizza.  What a big fat rip off!  This miserable piece of bread (I can't call it a pizza) cost $28, evidently we helped make their rent payment with one order.  We will never ever return there ever again, ever!

Sauce Tucson Oracle
located just South of Ina Road on Oracle Road

7117 North Oracle Road
Tucson, AZ 85704

Cuisine: Pizza, fresh Salads, Pasta, Panini and two Desserts

Parking: Yes, but difficult to find a spot because the area is shared by many other business establishments

This is basically a place for lunch although it can be enjoyed as a light dinner. Our neighbors Jack and Jan introduced us to Sauce Tucson Oracle. We have been back many times and have never been disappointed. If you like super thin crusted pizza this is the place for you. One pizza order per person is not too much, it is a good size to satisfy your hunger. Sauce is like a fast food restaurant, i.e. the menu is posted on the wall as we enter. Once we make our selection and place our order over the counter and pay for our purchase, we are given a number and the staff delivers our order to us at a table (if you can find one). It is always difficult to locate a table. They have seating available outside with few tables out of the hot sun. They have shades but we have never seen them used, I think most everyone would rather have a view than look at the inside of a shade. For those cold days and nights, heaters are available outside. Their pizzas are freshly made, wood-fired in brick ovens.

We ordered: 
Wild mushrooms sprinkled with Truffle Oil topped with fresh baby arugula and large shavings of fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. $8. This was the favorite! - $8.
Pepperoni and Crimini mushrooms - $9. Excellent.
Rosemary potato slices, fresh spinach, Feta cheese and olive tapenade. $9. A different pizza with unique flavors. 

Overall Review: The food is excellent, always fresh. The staff is friendly and accommodating. I highly recommend Sauce and plan to be back many times to try other selections available on their menu, I love their thin crispy pizza crusts.

Sun City Vistoso Cafe
1555 E. Rancho Vistoso Blvd.
Oro Valley, AZ  85755

P 520-825-3277

Cuisine:  American

Parking:  yes

We ordered:
Prime Rib of Beef and Baked Salmon; included with both entrees were baked potato with sour cream, rolls, broccoli and carrots vegetable.  A mesclun salad with a tasty cranberry dressing.  Dessert was a delicious generous piece of carrot cake. Each entree was $22.  A cash bar was available with chips and salsa.

Overall Review:They did a good job with the prime rib, it was rare to medium rare; the salmon was good also but a tad overcooked, it was well seasoned.  The vegetables were too soft and mushy.  There were approximately 60 to 70 people with the same order.  In lieu of this the chef did a good job.

 

Tavolino Italian Restaurant
located just South of Ina Road off of Oracle Road in a small shopping center

7090 N. Oracle Road #148
Tucson, AZ  85704

P 520-531-1913

Cuisine:  Italian

Parking:  Yes, there is a large lot available for parking shared with many other business establishments

This was our first time to Tavolino, we went with two of our neighbors and were very pleasantly surprised how nice Tavolino is inside.  Since it is located among many different types of retail stores within a small shopping complex with a very small store front, we were expecting a mediocre booth-type restaurant.  To our surprise, Tavolino was upscale with crisp white linens, dimly lit with a staff eager to greet us asking if we had reservations, which by the way, is a must!  They only have about 12 tables inside but also have a small seating area outside in front of a deli next door to the east side.  All of their pasta is homemade.  We had our choice of sparkling water with a wedge of lime or just plain water.  We opted for the sparkling water. 

We ordered:
Ravioli di Zucca, a homemade butternut squash filled pasta with sage, brown butter and parmesan. $12.75
Tajarin con Gamberetti e Pomodoro Fresco, a homemade angel hair pasta with shrimp, fresh tomatoes and garlic.  $13.75

Overall Review:  The ravioli was bland lacking seasoning.  Salt helped carry it to a higher level but the serving portion was way too small.  This will fill you up but only if you order an appetizer and a dessert.  Among the other orders presented at our table, this one was by far lacking in quantity!  In fact, one in our party asked for a doggy bag for their order of a different pasta entree that had very generous portions.

My husband loves angel hair pasta and zeroed in on this entree, however, he was disappointed in the way it was served.  Since angel hair is one of the most delicate pastas, it should always be added to other ingredients at the very last minute just before serving.  Unfortunately the angel hair came to our table in a paste-y lump!  The taste was good, no problem there, but it would have been a top winner if tossed with the sauce at the last minute.  

The prices were reasonable and we will probably return but with a more educated opinion on what to order the next time.

2nd Visit:

We ordered:
Salmone alla Griglia fillet of salmon, grilled medium rare, served with seasonal vegetables.  $16.95
Bistesca alla Florentina artifice angus rib eye steak, grilled and served with Tuscan white beans and sautéed spinach.  $19.75

Overall Review:  The salmon was grilled to perfection but could have used a spoonful of sauce beneath to help it along.  The vegetables were flavorful and went well with the salmon but the potatoes were too dry.  The rib eye steak was grilled also to perfection, they did a good job, even the white beans were seasoned well and made a unique accompaniment, the chef did a good job grilling.  The food was average, nothing outstanding.

We had a fiasco with our bill.  When we ordered we specifically told the waitress "two separate checks" for us and our dining companions.  After the meal when the bill came, she put our tallies all on one ticket with "circles" around each total.  We asked which one belonged to whom and would she please put them on separate tickets.  We were told, "No, that is the way they will have to be."  We each gave the waitress our credit cards.  Again there was a mix up, she switched cards, as a result our companions ended up paying more than they should have.  We made things right with them and laughed it off.  

It was a very busy Monday night, all the tables were full, people were standing by the door waiting to be seated.  I doubt we will return, not because of the "bill" problem, but we want to try other restaurants.   

 

Westward Look Resort  Bar & Grill
245 E. Ina Rd.
Tucson, AZ  85704

P 520-297-0134 - no reservations

Cuisine: casual sports bar restaurant

Parking:  no problem

We ordered:
An appetizer of 5 deep fried coconut coated shrimp over a bed of shredded Iceberg lettuce served with a spicy pineapple curry sauce. $7. We were hoping this would be the same absolutely delicious appetizer we had at the Gold Room but it was not.  The coconut flavor was very prominent.

Our main course was grilled ahi tuna with lemon aioli, a delicious sauce, with garlic mashed potatoes and a medley of fresh vegetables (red and yellow bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli, shredded carrots). $15.

Grilled 8 ounce N.Y. steak with shallot butter, French fried potatoes cut into large wedges dusted with paprika(?) and a medley of fresh vegetables. $16.

Both entrees were prepared to specifications and very good.  The vegetables were all al dente, perfectly prepared especially since they were all different in texture and size.  Our meal included an uninteresting dinner roll with small pieces of vegetables baked in the dough which tasted like ordinary assembly line grocery store buns.   

The bar and grill is a casual sports bar with lower prices than the Gold Room but equally as good in taste.  We will visit again.

 

Westward Look Resort Gold Room
245 E. Ina Rd. 
Tucson, AZ  85704

P 520-297-0134

Cuisine: contemporary with Southwestern accents

Parking: No problem, lots of spaces within close walking distance.

A friend from our Couples Gourmet Club recommended Westward Look because of the top quality food and presentation.  We were not disappointed!  They offer a seasonal 3 course Sunday Brunch from 11 am to 1:30 pm...   for a mere $25.  We were very pleased and can not say enough good things about the executive Chef Jamie West.  Their complimentary menu also offers a 'Wednesday Create Your Own Menu ...  i.e. Create Your Own 3-Course Dinner'  for $29.  We are looking forward to trying this also.

We ordered:
Everyone has their choice of sparkling water or mimosa, each were served with a fresh strawberry sitting on the rim of a champagne flute.

First course:  Wild Mushroom Bisque, a creamy earthy flavored soup garnished with baby celery sprouts.  The portion was very generous.  My husband ordered Coconut Fried Shrimp served over baby greens with a fabulous dipping sauce of orange marmalade laced with horseradish sauce.  This was absolutely marvelous!  I want to try and recreate it in my kitchen for special guests.

Second course:  For the main entree we both ordered grilled medallions of Beef Tenderloin served over gorgonzola mashed potatoes with a mushroom Madeira sauce.  The plate was garnished with baby carrots and broccolini steamed al dente and baby celery sprouts.  We were each served two generous beef tenderloin medallions grilled to perfection, the portions were most generous and delicious.

Third course:  The dessert course, my husband opted for the Strawberry Amaretto Torte, it was presented beautifully with a red berry sauce in a circle pattern on a white plate accompanied by fresh fruit, he said it was very good.  I ordered Chocolate Mousse Cake, it was extremely rich with about four different chocolate textures.  The portion was overly generous I could not finish it; the mousse was more of a fudge consistency and could have been improved upon in my opinion by folding in beaten egg whites and/or whipped cream to lighten the texture as well as improve on the presentation.

Overall Review:  Excellent!!!!  We loved it!  We moved from the Portland Oregon area 2 years ago and were told Tucson Arizona has great restaurants.  We have tried many and have been very disappointed, they are not as good as Portland until we experienced Westward Look's Gold Room.  We plan many return visits and inquired if they change their menu's....   they do and quite frequently...  this is one big objection I have with Vivace.   

2nd Visit - Sunday 3 course Brunch, $27 per person:
Starter:  Champagne flute of sparkling wine with a whole strawberry sitting on the rim...  very impressive.  They generously offered refills.  This was served with a basket array of warm breakfast pastries and raspberry infused butter.

We ordered:
The 3 course brunch of appetizers, main entree and dessert had several choices to choose from.  

For our appetizers, I ordered Portobello Mushroom Ravioli with mini narrow strips of fresh tomato sitting on a garlic, basil, butter and parmesan cheese sauce... a beautiful presentation, the taste was very nice.  My husband ordered their Warm Walnut Crusted Goat Cheese with tomato confit, baby arugula and balsamic vinaigrette.  The arugula was terrible.  Why they chose to serve it is beyond us.  All the leaves were limp, yellow, brown and dried up, it should have never left their kitchen.  

Second course, the main entree, I ordered Pan Seared Mahi Mahi with wild rice, pecans and dried cherries sitting on a blackberry beurre blanc sauce, and fresh broccolini.  The Mahi Mahi was overcooked and dry, the broccoli was limp and overcooked as well.  If the dish had been served immediately it would have had a better presentation because the wild rice took on the color of the cherries and blackberries making it unappealing.  My husband ordered Medallions of Beef Tenderloin with broccolini, rice and herb butter, it was very good.

For our dessert course we left our seats to view their large selection of different desserts from their buffet table.  We each chose a small scoop of vanilla ice cream presented in a small glass container.  They had several impressive sauces; we opted for heated fresh pineapple and strawberries mixed with brandy which they prepared in front of us, it was delicious.

Overall Review: We still think Westward Look is one of the best places to dine and we plan to return again.    



Wildflower
located just South of Ina Road on Oracle Road

7037 North Oracle Road
Tucson, AZ 85704

P 520-219-4230

Cuisine: New American contemporary cuisine

Parking: Yes, but difficult to find a spot because the area is shared by many other business establishments

We have been to Wildflower many times, the food has always been very good. The most memorable for me was enjoying their halibut entree. Unfortunately this is seasonal and not always available.  We were met at their door by a young man who asked if we wanted  seating inside or outside.  During the summer months they have an industrial misting system to keep us cool. During the chilly evenings they have tall gas heaters to keep us warm.  We always choose to be seated outside.  After taking our order we received a small offering of sliced crusty French bread with herbed garlic butter which lacked salt.  The bread was fresh and well received.  After we ordered it was not a long wait at all, our order was served promptly and the food was hot.  The staff was most accommodating and quick to give good service.

We ordered:
Sautéed salmon, roasted beets and fingerling potatoes. $21
Peanut crusted prawns, stir fried Asian noodles, hot n' sour gastric. $22

Overall Review: The salmon sitting on a bed of freshly sautéed spinach had a very nice crispy crust but was slightly overcooked. There were approximately 5 beets on the plate cut into chunks along with the same amount of fingerling potatoes with about a teaspoon of some type of cream sauce under the salmon. The entree could have used more sauce, this would also have helped the dryness of the salmon and bland taste of the potatoes. It was presented well and served hot from the kitchen. The peanut crusted prawns were delicious with a unique flavor, they went well with the Asian noodles which had some 'heat' to them, this was accompanied by a vegetable medley of red peppers, carrots, sautéed fresh spinach and mushrooms with a shake of cayenne, they were cooked to an al dente stage. We will return again to Wildflower to try more of their entrees.

---