Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Jale Tweedy, the owner of Petite Pea Catering and Fine Foods, says she's opening a storefront at 1012 E. Sixth Street, right across from the UA Campus.
Petite Pea Fine Foods Market opens Tuesday, Oct. 26, and will feature favorites from Tweedy's catering menus and other items. The hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Tweedy has a degree in dietetics from the UA and worked for the Pima County Health Department as a dietician before opening her catering business. She eventually realized that her true calling was in cooking, and the rest is delicious history.
"I got frustrated as a dietician. I thought instead of talking about eating and making better choices that I would be serving the community in a better way if I was making the food I was talking about," said Tweedy.
"I cook whatever sounds good and is delicious. We cook Mexican food, Italian food, all kinds of food, and I’m Turkish, so when I have a request for Middle Eastern food, I'll cook that, too."
The only stipulation Tweedy does have is that all the food she serves is made from scratch with quality ingredients. "No pre-made food comes in my kitchen," she said.
Tweedy was cooking brisket and scalloped potatoes when we spoke. She said her balsamic dressing (the demand for which inspired her to open the store in the first place) and parmesan-crusted chicken will definitely show up on the menu, alongside any number of daily specials.
Call 884-0817 for more information.