Noble Hops Gastropub
The two brothers who own the two local Vero Amore pizza locations are opening a new restaurant in Oro Valley called Noble Hops Gastropub. Aric Mussman says the restaurant will serve 28 small-production beers on tap and 40 more in bottles, and that some of the brews will be so rare that fewer than five kegs will ever make it into the country. On the menu: items such as American-style tapas, homemade pretzels served with made-from-scratch mustard, gourmet cheese plates and fish-and-chips made with Chilean sea bass breaded in panko crumbs. The restaurant is going in at The Shops at Oro Vista, on the corner of La Cañada Drive and West Lambert Lane. It's expected to open this spring.
Campus Candy
A store that sells 500 different candies by the pound is a good thing. And if that store looks like something straight out of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, all the better. Such is the case at the new Campus Candy at 910 E. University Blvd., where UA students have been descending en masse since the grand opening about a month ago. All the sweets are priced the same, too, so you can fill a bag with all sorts of saccharine goodness with nary a care in the world. Campus Candy also has a frozen-yogurt station and free Wi-Fi; www.campuscandy.com.
Vito's Pizza Kitchen
A new pizza joint called Vito's Pizza Kitchen is serving New York-style pizza, sandwiches and desserts at 2921 E. Fort Lowell Road. Chef Roy Santana says he uses the same recipe for the crust and sauce that his parents used at their Chicago pizzeria, where they sold New York-style pizza back in the 1960s. He also says numerous New Yorkers have already given him the thumbs-up. "I seriously take my pie very seriously. It's really thin, it's really crispy and it's full of flavor," said Santana. Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday. Delivery is available within a two-mile radius; 867-8008.
Whiskey, Scotch and Rye
Nimbus Bistro at 6464 E. Tanque Verde Road is hosting a tasting of several freshly stocked spirits from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 10. Double White Vodka from Poland, Deerstalker single-malt Scotch, and whiskies from High West Distillery in Utah will be sampled, and the event is free; 733-1111.