Pecan Festival
The first Sahuarita Pecan Festival is chock full of pecan goodness,
but we only have room here for a summary: There will be pecan cooking
contests, pecan-flavored horchata, pecan-roasted turkey and chicken,
and pecan-laden sweets aplenty. Nut-themed activities will be liberally
sprinkled throughout, and there’ll be stands selling everything from
fried catfish to fine wines. Go nuts from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday,
Dec. 5, at 1625 E. Sahuarita Road, in front of the Green Valley Pecan
processing plant. Admission is free. Visit www.sahuaritapecanfestival.com for more information.
Tucson Tamal and Heritage Festival
More than 100 food vendors will be dishing up eats at this event,
which includes tamale-making contests, cooking demonstrations and two
stages of live entertainment from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 5,
at AVA Amphitheater at Casino del Sol (5655 W. Valencia Road). Here’s a
little tamale trivia to get you in the mood: Some sources say the
tamale originated between 5,000 and 8,000 B.C., and both Mayan and
Incan people coveted them. Admission is free; (800) 344-9435; www.solcasinos.com/tamal.
Taste of the Desert
After discovering desert foods, the Sonoran landscape looks like a
prickly produce aisle. With a little knowledge (and a sturdy pair of
gloves), you could be nabbing dinner-makings from the unlikeliest of
places in no time. If any of this sounds remotely interesting, head
down to Woods Memorial Library, 3455 N. First Ave., at 6:30 p.m.,
Wednesday, Dec. 9, for the “Taste of the Desert” program given by
experts from Tohono Chul Park. Food samples and recipes will be handed
out, and it’s free; 594-5445.
Openings
Chopstix, which has locations at 8195 N. Oracle Road and 3820
S. Palo Verde Road, has opened a third location at 8225 N. Courtney
Page Way, in the Continental Ranch area. Visit chopstixfinedining.com for more
information.
A chain restaurant called Camille’s Sidewalk Café has
opened at 4206 N. First Ave. Think sandwiches, flatbread pizzas,
smoothies, soups and desserts; 887-0345; www.camillescafe.com.
Tucson Originals Gift Certificates
The quarterly Tucson Originals gift certificate sale takes place on
the morning of Wednesday, Dec. 9. If you want between 25 and 40 percent
off meals at 44 participating restaurants, we suggest getting up early
that day and visiting www.tucsonoriginals.com.
Quantities are limited, and many restaurants sell out quickly.
This article appears in Dec 3-9, 2009.