Noshing Around

Burgers and Custard: Culver's

The latest burger chain to make a go of it in Tucson is Culver's, with locations opening at 40 S. Broadway Place and 6905 N. Thornydale Road. Hailing from Wisconsin, Culver's is best known for its ButterBurgers—so named because of the lightly buttered buns—and its ultra-creamy frozen custard. Deep-fried cheese curds, pot-roast sandwiches, Reubens, fish plates and other items round out the menu. Both locations are expected to open this summer; www.culvers.com.


A New Cocktail Competition

Some of the best mixologists in town will compete at the inaugural Southern Arizona Cocktail Competition at Hotel Congress (311 E. Congress St.), from 6 to 10 p.m., Tuesday, March 29. The event is part of a push by Aaron DeFeo, the cocktail program manager for Hotel Congress and Maynards Market and Kitchen, to establish a Tucson chapter of the United States Bartenders' Guild. It's free to attend, and there will be specials on Absolut Wild Tea and Beefeater 24 cocktails; 622-8848; www.hotelcongress.com.


Prickly Pear Beer!

The owners of Borderlands Brewing Company, a microbrewery opening this summer at 119 E. Toole Ave., have some tasty-sounding beers in the works. Michael Mallozzi and Myles Stone say they'll brew a prickly pear wheat beer when the fruit is in season. Other beers will include a vanilla porter made with vanilla from Sonora, an amber, a lager and a traditional stout.


Grazefest

Pasture-fed meat gets top billing at some farmers' markets this week. A cooking demonstration by Jonathan Landeen of Jonathan's Tucson Cork highlights a day focusing on meats from grass-grazing animals on Friday, March 25, at the Tucson Farmers' Market East at Jesse Owens Park (400 S. Sarnoff Drive). Colin King of Harvest Restaurant gives a demonstration using pasture-fed meats on Saturday, March 26, at the Oro Valley Farmers' Market (11000 N. La Cañada Drive). Both demonstrations are at 10 a.m.


Noshing Notes

Penzeys Spices is bringing a huge selection of cooking spices to a storefront at 4128 N. Oracle Road. ... Lindy's at Redline Sports Grill is open and holding tons of sports-themed events at 445 W. Wetmore Road. ... El Taco Tote (1340 N. Wilmot Road) is reportedly the first place in town to have a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine, which dispenses 106 flavors of soda. ... Jasper Food and Mixology is now Jasper Neighborhood Restaurant and Bar. More next week.