I love the idea of the restaurant-market combo, and the Five Points neighborhood, which is ripe for gentrification with the growth of businesses downtown, has a new eatery at which you can both enjoy a locally sourced brunch or lunch and take home some fresh produce.
Five Points Market & Restaurant is the newest addition to the blossoming neighborhood, situated next to Café Desta in the Stone Avenue/18th Street slice of the Five-Points pie. There are a few tables outside (some are even semi-shaded for the scorching summer months) and the interior is warmly decorated, with plenty of open space and wood, playing the part of rustic market well.
Many of the ingredients are locally grown or locally sourced, often with the name of the farm or producer highlighted on the menu—Sleeping Frog Farms seems to be a favorite. Ted and I stopped in for a weekend brunch (served from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays and until 4 p.m. on weekends) and the place was abuzz with a variety of patrons. It’s a seat-yourself policy and there are no reservations, so you might expect a short wait on busy weekend mornings.
Overall, everything we ordered was tasty, but a few minor adjustments would have skyrocketed the experience from good to stellar. First, they freshly squeeze all of their juices ($5 for a glass of grapefruit juice). And by fresh, I mean, by the glass. Which tastes awesome, but is a little disappointing when it takes nearly 10 minutes to deliver a glass of juice to the table.
The smoked salmon Benedict ($11) was definitely the star of brunch, with crispy English muffins and a beautiful heap of lightly smoked salmon. However, there was too much balsamic reduction on it, overpowering the delicate flavors of the salmon, poached eggs and garlic-basil cream cheese. My Bandito Blanco ($10), described as a potato pancake with shaved ham and poached eggs, had pretty good flavor, but the potato pancake was mushy and soggy, and the texture hurt the entire dish.
The kitchen staff at Five Points needs to be a little more aggressive with the seasonings, too. When we asked for seasonings, it took our server nearly 15 minutes to bring us salt and pepper because, as she informed us, “There’s only one, so I had to track it down.” Five Points also doesn’t serve decaf coffee by the cup, as it does with regular coffee. In order to get decaf, you must order a French press carafe ($5). This wasn’t a big issue for me, as I much prefer French press over drip coffee anyway, but if you’re just looking for a single cup, $5 can be a little steep for plain coffee.
I took my friend Karen with me for a weekday lunch at the market, and it was again busy, but not overwhelmed. We decided to try some of the soups and sandwiches from the lunch menu. I opted for the cup of French onion soup ($6) and the Korean barbecue and kimchi sandwich ($11), while Karen went with a cup of the soup du jour —tomato basil bisque ($4)—and the pork torta ($10). Hibiscus tea ($2.50) and rosewater lemonade ($6) were the beverage choices. Our server informed us that Five Points hopes to have beer and wine available soon.
The drinks and soups were delivered promptly and at the correct temps—drinks ice cold and soups steaming hot—and our server was attentive and friendly. My rosewater lemonade was far too tart, and I prefer unsweetened beverages as a general rule, but both my French onion soup and Karen’s tomato basil bisque were delicious. However, we were only about one spoonful into the soups when our sandwiches were delivered, so by the time we were able to dig into the sandwiches, they were no longer hot and the bottom bread had started to get soggy.
My beef barbecue and kimchi sandwich, served on a crusty baguette, I would put squarely in the “tasted pretty good, wouldn’t order it again” category. The individual components were all good, but combined they didn’t quite work, and there was an overwhelming vinegary element that seeped into all of the ingredients. Karen’s pork torta was quite flavorful, but the pork tended a bit too much toward the sweet side, without enough of the pickled onion to balance it out. With more precise timing, and attention to proper seasoning techniques, Five Points has the potential to dish up some fantastic local food in a quaint, welcoming environment—and Tucson can always use more of that, no matter which neighborhood.
This article appears in May 8-14, 2014.
If the place were “Stellar” we couldn’t get a seat, why don’t you just not go back and look for somewhere else to dribble about.
What?
I love the creativity of 5 Pts Market. I see it in their presentation of the Market. I see the bright colors in their food. I see it in the owners and the people who work there. And, I see the brightness especially in the customers as I glance over the dining area. “Dare to create” seems to be their motto. I like that. I’m comfortable exploring their menu items. Especially that first glance as something gently placed in front of me. The details. The colors. The little splashes of sauces made by an artist somewhere behind the counter. 5 Pts. 5 Stars.
I disagree with your assessment. I think it’s perfect in every way. It’s one of my favorite restaurants in Tucson. I particularly enjoy the Ham and Cam and the Tempeh sandwich (I’m not sure what it’s actually called).
The service is excellent. The waitstaff is attentive, but they are never overbearing. I’ve eaten there probably 20 times (literally), and they have never gotten my order wrong (and I often do substitutions). With respect to the seasonings issue, I ask for additional hot sauce with my meals regularly, and it is always brought out promptly.
I work downtown, and I often bring clients to 5 points. It really has added so much to the neighborhood.
In short, I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys… well… food.
Upon my first reading of the Tucson Weekly, I found the paper to be itchy and drab, the articles boring and listless. Unhampered, I turned the page, which had a distinct acidity to it- reminding me of the smell of hot garbage in the summertime. Still, I had committed to an entire literary feast, so again I pressed on. The main story-again- underwhelming. It was as if the editor threw a bunch of re-hashed and soft thinking liberal gibberish in a pan and seared the words into a meaningless jumble, expecting someone to bite. Both the timing and the execution of the ‘dish’ lacked complexity, and failed to inspire. By the time I had reached the ending of this foul spread, I immediately craved aspirin & possibly a long nap, to which I accredit to a bellyful of yellow journalism. Next time around, I think I’ll pass.
Jeff Gould: Zing, I guess?
Dan, me thinks Jeff Gould considers himself intelligent and witty.
I can picture Jeff reading and rereading his post about five times with immense pride.
Methinks the reviewer is maybe unaware of the reviewers duty to do “comparison in context”. She does not like that her sandwich and soup were served at the same time while eating (not dining) in a Brunch/Lunch restaurant! Really? Did she think she was in a multi-course fine dining environment? Its soup AND a sandwich. The negative comments re: seasoning, the wait staff’s attentiveness or manners, and the care put into the preparation of the food make me wonder if she was doing a hatchet job or was doing lazy food journalism and needed a punch line to validate her (self righteous) sense of importance and relevance. I’ve been a customer of 5 Points since day one and have nothing but praise for this new endeavor. I’d go as far as to say that the Salmon Eggs Benedict is one of the finest plates available in Downtown Tucson, regardless of venue – fine dining or otherwise – at this time. 5 Points has it all, People that care, ambiance that is comfortable without being sticky or overly-hip, wonderful food imaginatively prepared, an ethical attitude both for the sustainability and quality of the ingredients and sensitivity to the culture and demographics of the Armory Park/Barrio Viejo customer base. The idea that locals can walk in, be greeted courteously, be served damn good food and then buy some groceries and put off the drive to Safeway for another day, is a major quality of The 5 Points Market which the reviewer missed completely. (Jack gives you Five Stars…. Way to go!)
Well put Jack! 5 stars for 5 points! I LOVE THAT PLACE!!!!
Why do people think the reviewer is doing hatchet job whenever they criticize a restaurant? We’re professionals and don’t do that sort of thing. It’s an observation and a restaurant should pay attention.
There are a lot of restaurants in this metro area which you probably have never covered. Why not go to any of those and review them? Step out of your comfort zone!
DonDTUS,
Please suggest a few. You’d be surprised they may have already been done.
I don’t understand the first post by Retardo.
I happen to like the food at 5 Points. It’s not a Michelin 3 star restaurant nor does it pretend to be. Could the food realistically be better. Yes. Is it good now. Yes. I like the staff, the service, and the ambiance. I also like the shop where I can get foods and sauces you won’t find at Fry’s or Safeway. Bottom line, when I’m in that neck of the woods, 5 Points is where I head for lunch. It’s a no-brainer for me.
Woah. Who knew people would be do defensive of this establishment? I have found restaurant reviews in the Weekly to be very consistent. Sorry folks. Food critics are good critics. They’re paid to be particular and the complaints here were handled so gently I realized before reading the inane commentary how hip this place must be. Writer knows the audience and was basically apologetic for having not been wowed and still you all attack? Yikes. I for one can’t stand when I can’t get salt and pepper when I want it and am dining out. Decaf may not be popular but it was merely a warning. I like sandwiches I do in soup but this is good info for those who might not, now they know to request the soup adequately first. Seriously guys.
Five Points is fantastic. Just my opinion, but the TW writer is off base. This is the second TW review in the last eight weeks that seems way off base, actually. But, hey, just skip the restaurant reviews and read the always excellent Skinny and, of course, Red Meat, Random Shots and K. Rat. Beyond that….well. I used to love the Weekly.
OH, a ‘hear, hear’ for Jack. Ugh. Gibson, get it together, man.