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Tucson to host second Pueblos del Maíz festival
Maíz has deep roots in the Sonoran Desert, and Tucson is celebrating its cultural and agricultural significance for the second year in a row. The Tucson City of Gastronomy nonprofit is throwing the second Pueblos del Maíz (PDM), a bilingual, international festival celebrating the gastronomies, histories and food cultures of maíz (corn) in Southern Arizona.…
Tastes of Cinco de Mayo pepper the Tucson area
Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican Army’s victory over France during the Battle of Puebla in 1862. While the holiday marks this event, it has also become a bigger celebration of Mexican heritage and culture. In Tucson, there are various chances to celebrate the holiday with these local events and restaurants. Restaurants El Molinito Local…
Cannabis cook shares knowledge through book
Travis Petersen of The Nomad Cook has been hosting pop-up cooking demos and infused dining experiences since 2018, when it was legalized in Canada. With his book “The Nomad Cook: Introduction to Culinary Cannabis” (Dorrance Publishing Co.; $52) he wanted to share his knowledge on cooking with cannabis safely and responsibly. In the book, Petersen…
Anita Street Market tortillas reflect the American Dream
That mouthwatering aroma of freshly made Mexican food coming from the back kitchen of Anita Street Market is just a happy omen of delicious things to come. Step inside and make an order, but what? Maybe the Big Breakfast Burrito, made on a handmade 16-inch flour tortilla. It’s a burrito fat enough and long enough…
Skip Heller pays tribute to Lalo Guerrero
LA musician and composer Skip Heller has hosted gigs in Tucson throughout his career, and above all, believes the rich musical flavor of the city often goes unrecognized. “Tucson is kind of underrated,” Heller said. “Very few people know how many great musicians there are in Tucson, and how high the level of musicianship is…
Wild Arizona completes sign installations
As volunteer coordinator for the nonprofit Wild Arizona, Luke Koenig’s mission is to engage the public in wilderness protection. The latest project is a wilderness boundary sign installation across Arizona’s wild spaces. “Wilderness has the highest form of protection for federally managed public lands,” Koenig said. “Sometimes, though, it’s unclear when we’re crossing into designated…
Tours share accessible farming practices in Vail
On one of his farm tours, Michael Ismail bent down to check on a rainbow cactus starting to bloom. He explained there weren’t many when he moved to the property, but after implementing his water basin system, native plants have popped up all around and created a desert oasis. He pointed to the string of…
City Week: Weekly Picks
Cinco de Mayo at Hotel Congress Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers is a Sonoran Desert band and happy to be. Fans in Arizona and Mexico flock to their shows, which often sell out, to revel in their distinctive blend of desert folk and pop rock, layered with road dust, shimmering hot sand and the light…
Steve Hofstetter is funny enough
As Steve Hofstetter tells it, he started posting on YouTube to get better known as a writer. That was in 2006, four years after he graduated college. He was working as a Sports Illustrated columnist and had published two books of sarcasm about college life. By then he’d also stumbled into standup comedy. He said…
Live Music Calendar May 4 to May 10
MAY 4 Benny Benack III The Century Room, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., $25-$35 Carrellee, Glacier.WAV, Plant Candy and Echo Fighter Groundworks, 7 p.m., $10 Della Rose Band The Maverick, 8 p.m., free Freddy Parish LaCo Tucson, 6 p.m., free Hank Topless LaCo Tucson, 6:30 p.m., free Wednesday Club Congress, 8 p.m., $15-$18 MAY 5…
20 in Tucson: A list of great Mexican American cuisine
It’s all too common to see Tucsonan food labeled in a way that ignores the unique blend of culture that swirls to make a city that has plates as American as they are Mexican. In a nation of immigrants and hard workers, people that bring their livelihoods with them, whether it be through learning their…
La Botana celebrates with comfortable atmosphere
For almost 14 years, La Botana has served relaxed Mexican cuisine in the heart of Tucson. Owner Arnold Silva credited the restaurant’s success to its ability to stay relevant. “We’re always trying to keep up with the trends, as far as drinks and food,” Silva said. “We’re always updating our menu to cater to anything…
