It’s Tuesday and 5 p.m. Friday looks like a very distant light at the end of the tunnel. Grab a good friend and head to the Grant Road Lumber Yard where friends will find not nails and sheets of plywood but Culinary Dropout, where tasty treats and thirst-quenching libations are waiting.

Of particular interest is Episode 163 “The Slicer,” named after a Seinfeld episode, a chef’s board that is meant to be paired with a luscious cocktail and a good friend and the week is looking up. 

“You come in, you can snack on something,” Culinary’s general manager Zack Baum said.

From Monday through Thursday, diners pay only $30 (plus tax and tip, of course) and get a chef’s selection of thinly-sliced meats, cheeses and a few other tidbits, enough to satisfy that snack tooth. Included in the price are two mixed drinks. It’s a bargain considering those same drinks can cost anywhere up to $17 each.

Baum, who has been general manager at Culinary for four years, said the plate is an opportunity to share a memorable moment with a friend because what you get is a “great experience, great food, great vibes,” he said.

What is on the board? 

“It’s like a blend of the best that we have to offer with the cured meats, the cheeses, the crusty bread, the chilled and grilled asparagus,” he said. “It’s like a shareable moment.”

Among the assortment on this particular night was sliced prosciutto, soppressata, fig jam, toasted nuts, a white cheddar cheese and another soft cheese, grilled asparagus, olives, deviled eggs, golden raisin compote and toasted bread slices. For drinks there was the evil jungle princess and the Tijuana spa water, which both diners said they liked. It seems likely since there was barely a drop left. 

For this deal there is one excluded drink and that’s the abandoned Cadillac margarita.

This may or may not be enough to satisfy a football fan, however, so Culinary has those diners covered as well. Every Monday during football season get a pub burger, a side of house-made chips and a soda for $22. They call it the game-day bundle. Fans may upgrade the soda to a beer, which then goes for $25. Don’t worry about missing a favorite team, the restaurant has 26 televisions. Why?

“We want everything to be available so we can accommodate guests’ requests,” Baum said.

It’s all part of the restaurant’s philosophy.

“Something that we really pride ourselves on is great hospitality every time,” Baum said. “We have a lot of pride in that, and we want people to see that.”  

Episode 163 “The Slicer”
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday
WHERE: Culinary Dropout, 2543 E. Grant Road
INFO: culinarydropout.com/locations/tucson-az