READERS' PICK: Tucson has celebrated Kingfisher as a great spot for innovative dining since they opened the door. Independently owned and chef-driven, Kingfisher showcases fresh seafood, and most importantly, farm fresh oysters. Even in the warm months of summer, it's possible to get excellent oysters, fresh off the plane, and shucked to order. Whether you slurp them down by the dozen, half dozen or mixed dozen, you'll always find these succulent beauties served up the way God intended: in the raw. In the winter months, oysters from far-flung places are flown in on a regular basis to satisfy the most discriminating palates.
LOOSE CHANGE: Mariscos Chihuahua, three locations, but we like the one at 1009 N. Grande Ave. It's so refreshing to step out of the hot desert air and into Mariscos Chihuahua because it smells like the sea inside. The seafood here is unbelievably fresh, and the menu tempts year round with both hot and cold dishes. The oysters are exquisite. Try a coctel campechana with fresh shrimp, salty dense sea snail, little savory clammies and tender octopus. Try anything prepared "culichi," in a rich picante green sauce unlike anything you've ever tasted. Mariscos Chihuahua recently doubled the floor space, but the quality of the freshest, tastiest seafood in town remains the same.
