New: Tucson Tamale Company
Todd Martin is a foodie who owned a catering company 20 years ago called the Love Kitchen. He recently left Intuit to follow his passion--opening a tamale emporium. His fondness for tamales grew from tamale-making marathons with the family of his wife, Sherry. Todd brings to the table both traditional and innovative tamales, and both static and revolving choices. He separates meat from vegetables for strict vegetarians, and everything is gluten-free, including desserts. Best of all, he blogged about the entire experience of doing his homework and the labor of love involved in opening his joint at 2545 E. Broadway Blvd.; 305-4760; tucsontamalecompany.blogspot.com.
New: Local Harvest Marketplace
Philip and Sherry Ostrom are the new kids on the block on Speedway Boulevard between Alvernon Way and Columbus Boulevard, but they have years of experience growing and marketing organic produce under the New Harvest Organics label in Rio Rico. The store features fresh produce, products from small local purveyors, a salad/soup/sandwich/juice/smoothie bar, a cider press and patio which will soon host a nightly farmers' market at 3954 E. Speedway Blvd.; open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; 323-5009; localharvestmarketplace.com.
Coming Soon: Maynards Market and Kitchen
Maynards is slated to open Friday, Dec. 12, in the Historic Depot at 400 N. Toole Ave. Who is Maynard? Well, Maynard Dixon was a San Francisco artist who resided in Tucson for a while and has paintings in the Depot lobby (plus an exhibit at the Tucson Museum of Art through Feb. 15); and Maynard Flood was a train engineer for the station back in the 1930s. This is a grab-and-go neighborhood market with fresh, regional fare, plus a few necessities like aspirin and toilet paper; maynardsmarkettucson.com.
