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Welcome to Best of Tucson® 25: Super Tucson
Please allow me to diverge from the normal, happy-happy-joy-joy Best of Tucson® vibe for a moment. This has been a tough year for Tucson. First, the economy could definitely be better. Far too many Tucsonans are unemployed, underemployed or otherwise struggling. Poor Tucsonans are watching their health-insurance options go away, due to draconian actions by…
Pro-Tip of the Day: Peeling Garlic Super-Fast
This just looks like fun, and mildly more cathartic than my side-of-the-knife-blade technique. My wife wouldn’t be thrilled with the soiling of two bowls, but so be it.
Go See the White Panda at Club Congress Tomorrow Night
Pandamonium by The White Panda If you enjoy pop music, dancing, cheap vodka and fun, you’ll want to be at Club Congress tomorrow night to see The White Panda, a Chicago duo specializing in mashups. Their most recent mix, somewhat predictably titled Pandamonium, is on sale now, but you can also stream it from the…
Hooray for Ultra-Early Happy Hours
Oh, I loves me an ultra-early happy hour. There’s something freeing about tying one on when the rest of the world is waking up, although nursing a hangover before the sun sets can be a drag. But I digress. Shlomo and Vito’s New York Delicatessen at 2870 E. Skyline Drive now offers happy hour from…
In Case You Missed It, Another Awesome Band Came to Tucson This Weekend
Check out this Olympia, Wash. band, You Are Plural, who played the Red Room this past Saturday night, Sept. 24. Wurlitzer-whiz Ephriam Nagler and cello virtuosa Jen Grady weave keyboard, cello, and vocals into a stunning, lush exploration of pattern and rhythm in their latest EP, “No More,” released this month under label Side With…
The Thrill of the Comeback, Presented by the D-Backs
There’s something to be said about people who stay at a baseball game until the final out. Even if the home team had given up five runs in the top of the 10th inning to turn a tight 1-1 game into a 6-1 blowout. A Tuesday night road trip to Phoenix resulted in witnessing one…
Don Draper Predicted the Future of Facebook
I don’t care if he’s a womanizer, a liar, and a drunk…the man was a visionary.
Redistricting Commission Asks Court to Rule on Independence of Commission
The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission issued this press release yesterday announcing it filed a lawsuit to determine if state Attorney General Tom Horne’s investigation of the commission is constitutional. Horne is “investigating” if the commission allegedly violated open meetings laws when it hired a mapping firm: PHOENIX (Sept. 27, 2011) — The Arizona Independent Redistricting…
‘Suspicious Vehicle’ Closes Downtown Tucson Streets [UPDATED]
So, there was a major hearing in U.S. District Court in downtown Tucson today to determine the competency of accused Gabrielle Giffords et. al. shooter Jared Loughner … and just down the street Tucson police evacuated buildings and blocked off streets because of a ‘suspicious vehicle’ that may or may not contain some sort of…
Florida Is Openly Mocking Us. Great.
From the opening of a new outlet of the Alabama and Florida chain Lime Fresh Mexican Grill in Winter Park, Florida. I laughed when I read this, but then the sadness set in. IT’S FUNNY BECAUSE OUR STATE IS RUN BY RACISTS. Sigh. [Reddit]
V Fine Thai Dining Now Serves Lunch
V Fine Thai Dining, the newish downtown restaurant by the owner of Vila Thai, has added lunch hours. If I was a businessman trying to impress a client, I would take them to V Fine Thai Dining for lunch. The place is immaculately decorated, yet comfortable. There’s a killer wine list and a swanky courtyard.…
Find Out What Crap Your Kids Will Want for the Holidays
Time to Play, an online magazine, put together a list of what they suspect will be the hottest toys of the holiday season, including the DaGeDar toys that I spent ten minutes trying to figure out at Target the other day. So, they’re fancy coated ball-bearings that you race down a track? And you can…
Give This Juggalo Mini-Documentary All the Oscars
[Wildly unsafe for watching at work, by the way, unless you work here, then I think it’s ok.] Basically, someone just went to the Gathering of the Juggalos and interviewed Insane Clown Posse fans. In the end, it turns out that they’re just people who aim to accept other people, but also value “not giving…
Carmona: Still Thinking About Senate Run
As attorney Don Bivens launches his campaign for U.S. Senate, Andrea Kelly of Arizona Public Media catches up with Richard Carmona, who has a lot of people asking him to get into the race as a Democrat: “I am doing the internal due diligence necessary to balance the call to national service one more time…
Bummer of the Day: Radio Dept. Cancels Tucson Show
I was stunned when Club Congress announced that Swedish electronic-pop act Radio Dept. were scheduled to come to town November 7th, but now my Scandinavian musical dreams won’t be coming true after all: After much deliberation, The Radio Dept. has decided to cancel their fall North American tour. In a statement to the press, the…
Pima County Politics: Crowded Race To Replace Pima County Supervisor Ann Day
The race to replace Pima County Supervisor Ann Day, a Republican who is retiring after three terms on the board, is becoming a crowded affair. Last week, Republican Stuart McDaniel announced he’d seek the District 1 seat, which represents the Catalina Foothills and Oro Valley on the five-member Board of Supervisors. McDaniel, who has worked…
Sure, Why Not: X on the 1982 Jerry Lewis Telethon
1982-era Jerry Lewis wants you to know that X is a band name to remember. X are set to play the Fox Theatre on December 10th as part of their annual Christmas tour. Tickets are not yet on sale.
Sorry You Lost Your Job; Here’s a Card With a Talking Dog
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy I think if I lost my job right now (please visit a few more pages on the site, people!), I’d rather just have a giant bag of rice instead of a card. Unless the card is edible and made of super-nutrients. That might…
Salomón Baldenegro Sr.: “They Hate Us So Much They Have Codified Their Hate into Law”
The following is the latest opinion piece from Salomón Baldenegro Sr., Chicano rights activist and retired UA assistant dean and instructor, on ethnic studies, Arizona history makers, and, of course, Tucson Unified School District: Estimadas/os Colegas: Our fight to save ethnic studies (a misnomer: only the Mexican American Studies curriculum is under attack) continues. The…
Happy Birthday, Linda Ray
She is indeed a beautiful light, that Linda Ray, music writer for the Tucson Weekly and self-titled calendar girl. We like her so much around Weekly World Central that we decided to stop everything we were working on this morning to send the next issue to press, just so we could wish Linda a happy…
This Is What the Rick Perry Bandwagon Looks/Sounds Like
Just to be clear, the video’s description on YouTube points out that the video is intended to be a joke, but Stefanie Herminger’s passion for Rick Perry is real: Oh, Texas. So special.
City Hall Brawl: Sign-Gate 2011 Appears Resolved
Pima County Democratic Party Chairman Jeff Rogers sent out a press release yesterday demanding an investigation into a weird transaction on the campaign-finance reports of Republican Jennifer Rawson, who hopes to unseat Democratic Ward 2 Councilman Paul Cunningham. Rawson reported receiving a total of $2,650 from six contributors on Aug. 3—money that was also reported…
The Contained Gardener: It’s Time to Cut Back Your Roses
Before we leave September, be sure to do your fall rose pruning. Roses cut back in September will give you a wonderful fall blooming period. Bushes should be cut back by about 1/3. Clean up any debris under the shrubs and start fertilizing again, applying a time release and/or organic fertilizer now, watering it in…
Either the World Is Ending or This Is a Very Elaborate Movie Promotion
Now that the animals no longer fear us, I now believe our certain doom is near. Plan accordingly. Either that or the makers of Piranha 3DD have paid off someone at Google News. Authorities in a state in Brazil’s northeast are scrambling to take the fright and the bite off the beach after piranhas sunk…
We Should Make Food Stamps Worth Double at Farmers’ Markets
In Michigan they have a program that makes food stamps worth double at farmers’ markets. That’s a great idea. I’m starting to think that local agriculture and things like farmers’ markets are the only hope we have against the obesity epidemic – oh, and believe you me it is truly an epidemic. Right now, more…
Tipping NOT a City in China; More Like a Guilt Trip
Feel guilty whenever you leave a bad tip? You should. According to University of Arizona researchers, guilt plays a major role in our decisions to do what we think is right. By combining the math in economics and psychology, the researchers devised a new technique to measure the influence of guilt in decision-making and cooperation.…
The Millionaire Matchmaker Is Creepy and Obsessed With Grindr
Watch What Happens Live, the Bravo talk show which exists as a post-reality-show hype machine for the network’s programming, is only a half hour long, but Patti Stanger, star of The Millionaire Matchmaker, managed to spew quite a bit of prejudice considering the time restraints. There’s probably some sort of pool among the network’s “talent”…
#OccupyWallStreet Continues
The amount of information coming from the protests on Wall Street is a little difficult to sort through and make sense of, but Anthony DeRosa makes an excellent case for the event’s relevance for Reuters: Are they a mob of over-privileged, unemployed trustafarians? Many of them likely are. Does it matter? Dismiss them if you…
We’ve Created a Monster Named Rebecca Black
I feel like I’m as much to blame as anyone, considering I posted the “Friday” video like the rest of the internet, but Rebecca Black seems to be setting a new standard for what it means to be a celebrity in the YouTube age – detached, bored, and not all that interested in the ostensibly…
Democrat Bivens Announces Run for U.S. Senate
Attorney Don Bivens, the former chair of the Arizona Democratic Party, announced today that he’ll run for the U.S. Senate seat now held by the retiring U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl. Congressman Jeff Flake the frontrunner to capture the GOP nomination.
Grijalva: Fix Border Infrastructure, Create Jobs
Congressman Raul Grijalva proposes a jobs bill based on beefing up border infrastructure. His key quote: Working families can’t get by on tough talk about border fences. American jobs rely on a smart, modern economy with the infrastructure to match. This is a realistic, necessary upgrade to our local and national business model, and there’s…
Feel Free to Lie in Your Yelp Review
I suppose the customer service people at Yelp get quite a few emails from people trying to change information in reviews, probably largely from business owners upset about a burst of negative publicity posted nearly anonymously. However, the above email isn’t dismissive of a difference of opinion, but an actual lie that Yelp doesn’t seem…
Mark Your Calendars: “Luz de Vida” Concert at the Rialto October 22nd
First, it’s probably worth noting before I write a number of very complimentary things about the Luz de Vida compilation set to be released on October 18th that the creative team behind the project is full of Tucson Weekly staffers/writers/friends/etc.. However, the proceeds from the concert celebrating the album’s release, and the music itself (both…
These Nuns Now Sell Popcorn
Prayerfully Popped opened at the Benedictine Monastery last weekend. Let it be known that I am a full supporter of nun-produced popcorn, and that I absolutely love this new business. From where does my love for this new popcorn outfit spring? From their slogan – Corn From the Cloister! – and the pictures of the…
Idiot Boksen: H8 Is Such a Strong Word
It’s fall! You know what that means, don’t you? TELEVISION. Glorious, life-affirming television. There’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia! And NBC’s Thursday Night Lineup! And football! And Boardwalk Empire! And…and…it’s all too much…[faints] [Dreams of Oregon crushing Arizona tomorrow] [Regains consciousness] Ah, but not all of it is pleasant… I’ve been a little too rapturous lately…
Why Not Learn Something Today?
Bloomberg Businessweek, which is not generally the sort of publication I spend a lot of time reading, has an interesting online feature this issue featuring a series of “how to” tips from people in the know, from Women’s World Cup goalie Hope Solo on how to work under pressure to how to give a memorable…
Kyl Explains That Threat to Leave Super Committee Was Not Intended To Be a Factual Statement
U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl tells the Arizona Republic that his threat to leave the Super Committee now hammering out a debt-reduction package was not intended to be a factual statement: U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl made headlines earlier this month when he told the crowd at an American Enterprise Institute event that he’d be “off” the…
Is Marijuana Really Medicine?
If you’re in the mood for a road-trip, you can get the answer to that and other questions about cannabis in the medical world at a University of Arizona College of Medicine presentation next month in Phoenix. Sue Sisley, M.D., a clinical faculty member in internal medicine and psychiatry at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical…
Protests on Wall Street
(Note: Tucson Weekly reader Blaze Mason e-mailed to ask us why we have not been covering the protests on Wall Street. I explained that we cover local stuff; she responded that we reference national stuff all the time. I then invited her to write something for The Range. Here’s what she sent. —JB) Thousands of…
Political Roundtable: Trash Talk in Tucson Mayor’s Race, Free Speech at City Hall and a Conversation About Civility
On last night’s Political Roundtable, we talked about the Tucson mayor’s race, the controversy over call-to-the-audience at Tucson City Council meetings and civility in politics. Unfortunately, our conversation about TUSD’s fight to keep its Mexican-American Studies program was truncated, but I’m sure it will come up again.
Carmona for U.S. Senate?
AP reports: Former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona says Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ office has asked him to consider a run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated next year by Sen. Jon Kyl. Giffords at one time had been mentioned as a potential candidate for the seat, but her name now seldom surfaces in lists…
City Hall Brawl: Rothschild Snags Firefighter Union Endorsement; Vogt Qualifies for Matching Funds
A few notes from Tucson mayor and council races this week: Democrat Jonathan Rothschild has won the endorsement of the Tucson Fire Fighters Association. In a letter to Rothschild’s campaign, TFFA President Roger S. Tamietti notes: “The Tucson Fire Fighters Association applauds your commitment to Public Safety and our citizens we serve. We wish you…
Goodbye, “All My Children”
While it really does appear that the show will find a new life as part of some online/cable partnership, even if that won’t be until 2012, today ends the run of All My Children on ABC (and with a big cliffhanger!). The business model for soap operas on network TV doesn’t seem built to last…
Tune In: Tonight’s Political Roundtable
The second episode of Political Roundtable airs tonight on Arizona Illustrated. Arizona Public Media reporter Christopher Conover, Republican political strategist Jonathan Paton and Democratic political strategist Rodd McLeod talk about trash politics in the Tucson mayor’s race, free speech at City Hall and the question of civility in politics. Tune in at 6:30 p.m. on…
Jared Loughner to Make Tucson Courtroom Appearance Next Week
Jared Loughner is slated to make a court appearance next week, according to the folks at the Arizona Republic: The last mental-competency hearing for mass-murder suspect Jared Loughner in a Tucson courtroom made national headlines after Loughner engaged in a bizarre outburst that left his father in tears. Next Wednesday, victims of the January massacre…
Watching SNL Clips All Day? A Wonderful Thing
The folks over at Saturday Night Live have dug through old episodes and organized favorite clips by collection, dubbing it a “SNL Archive.” Collections like “Classic Hosts” and “Commercial Parodies.” Yeah. Goodbye doing anything productive today. In honor of Alec Baldwin hosting for the 4,353,647,724 time tomorrow night during SNL’s season premiere, NBC.com gave him…
You Should Enjoy NBC’s Thursday Comedies While They Last
If you watched Community, Parks & Recreation, and The Office last night, I want to say thank you, because it seems like nearly everyone else in America was busy watching The Big Bang Theory or going to bed really, really early: No, last night’s ratings weren’t great for the shows we like to champion around…
Listen to Music and Get Over Yourself
What if your crap day could be heard by someone with excellent music taste? We all know that music is the cure to the blues, and this website allows you to “check” your emotional baggage, let an anonymous person read about your problems and then suggest a song that might cheer you up. In one…
Get to the Galleries: Impetus at Joseph Gross
Kevin Peterson, “Keep Houston Ugly”, Oil on wood panel Let’s get one thing out of the way, right up front: The Tucson Weekly doesn’t need another arts writer. Margaret, & company do a wonderful job of providing coverage of Tucson’s art world. Apparently, though, someone at the Weekly thought that readers might like to hear…
Critter of the Week [Bonus Dog Edition]
Chico has been in our rescue since June. He is 5 years old and is believed to be a pom/chihuahua mix. He weighs in around10 pounds, loves kids, other dogs and just wants to be held. Will walk on a leash, uses a doggy door, and is also crate trained. Chico is neutered, up to…
Check Out This New Steakhouse
Like gambling and meat? Then the new P.Y. Steakhouse is for you. It’s going to be located at Casino Del Sol and they’ve already started hiring sommeliers and other staff, so the opening shouldn’t be too far off. There’s more information on the restaurant here, and a bio on the chef who will be running…
This Week in Tucson Bicycling
Michael McKisson/TucsonVelo.com More commuters than ever before are on Tucson roads. Tucson got big news when it comes to the number of bicycle commuter on the streets. Check out how many more people were out on the roads in 2010. Here’s a hint: It’s more than ever before. BICAS, Tucson’s bicycle cooperative is in the…
Coming Soon: Conspiracy Beer From Borderlands
The Food Conspiracy Co-op will soon have its own signature beer thanks to the guys at Borderlands Brewing Company. Coley Ward, the co-op’s marketing manager, says Conspiracy Beer will be an American ale. They’ve already settled on a design for the label and are currently working on getting bottle caps and six-pack holders. It will…
Way to Go, Republicans
I suppose it’s at least somewhat comforting that it seems like there were only a few rogue jackasses at the Republican presidential debate who booed an American soldier for being gay, but it would have been nice if one of the candidates right (including Rick Santorum, who answered the question) at that moment called out…
Tucson Peeping Toms on the Rise, Pun Not Intended
Photo Ryn Gargulinski Was this guy in any home furnishing stores lately? If you thought Tucson’s seemingly zillions of traffic cameras are an invasion of privacy, just wait until you hear about our Peeping Toms. It’s been a busy year for Old Pueblo voyeurs, with peeping and privacy invasion crime statistics up from last year…
Adventures in Terrible Parenting, Cocaine Edition
While some terrible parents do drugs in front of their kids, Nicole Cummings went next level: A New York mom faces criminal charges for feeding her 14-month-old child cocaine-tainted breast milk. Nicole Cummings used the illegal narcotic several times in May and June, state police said, at the same time her baby was breast-feeding. The…
TucsonWeeklyTV.com – Talking (Spiderman) Comics
Fresh off their Best of Tucson win, Eric and Arnie of Heroes and Villains discuss the new Spiderman.
Prepare Your Waistline for Tucson Meet Yourself
The list of food vendors for Tucson Meet Yourself is now online, so before the chaos hits downtown and you’re trying to figure out what to eat for the six meals you’ll end up eating at the festival during a four hour period, make some notes. Plan ahead. Pro tip: one of the Laotian places…
Who Wants to Be My Bid Whist Partner?
I haven’t actually played a live game, only on a terrible iPhone app, but I am sincerely very excited for The Onyx Room’s forthcoming Bid Whist tournaments: Cleveland Style Bid Whist Tournament…Sponsored by The Onyx Room and Planet Beach Oro Valley…You think you are the best Bid Whist player around? Come out and prove it!…
Meet Facebook Timeline, Nearly Ready for Your Complaints
I’m definitely not going to add my entire history to Facebook, but I guess this is the next progression of the digitizing of our existence. Introducing timeline — a new kind of profile With timeline, now you have a home for all the great stories you’ve already shared. They don’t just vanish as you add…
What to Listen to Wednesday (Thursday Edition)
As I mentioned yesterday, we’re going to try splitting our What to Listen to Wednesday feature into slightly more manageable pieces. So, today, we have six selections from our music writers, including the post for Linda Ray that will likely lead to her receiving a restraining order from the Depedro guy. However, first, you should…
Your Strange Karaoke Video for the Day
Don’t ask why I was searching YouTube for a karaoke version of “Islands in the Stream”, but this is what came up. All I know is that this guy will also be starring in my nightmares tonight in the same costume.
Regents’ Professor Michael Drake: 1946-2011
UA Lunar and Planetary Lab Michael Drake, the director of the UA Lunar and Planetary Lab, died yesterday. Drake had headed up the LPL since 1994 and, this year, had been named principal investigator on the OSIRIS-REx mission that the UA was just launching. From University Communications: Michael J. Drake, Regents’ Professor, director of the…
TucsonWeeklyTV.com – Down at Premises Park
To go along with this week’s TQ&A with Ian Abbott, Josh Morgan shot some footage at Premises Park.
Critter of the Week [Dog Edition]
Tough as nails, sweet as sugar and cute as can be! An incredible survivor, Ice was rescued from a busy Broadway intersection one harrowing July night after being hit by a car. Scooped up by a Good Samaritan, Ice was discovered to have a severely dislocated hip, some minor scratches and bruises, but nothing life-threatening.…
Best Mexican
The consistent accolades for this perennial winner aren’t isolated to Tucson: Chef and owner Suzana Davila has been featured in national publications such as The New York Times, Gourmet Magazine and Better Homes and Gardens. The food is always beautiful, fresh and incredibly flavorful. The menu changes daily, but there’s almost always a creamy tamale-pie…
Best Jewelry
(TIE) Rainbow Jewelers Don’t let the name fool you: Rainbow Jewelers is no hippie, hole-in-the-wall jewelry store. This local store is the real thing, with gold, diamonds and a full array of other precious bling. There are in-house designers who know their stuff and who love to help folks create unique pieces. You’ll also find…
Best Pizza
The word “gourmet” is in the name for a reason. All of the ingredients used at Magpies are fresh, and both the dough and sauces are made daily; even the cheese is freshly grated each day. The quality is matched by the variety of offerings: 19 pizzas may be found under “specialty pies,” with five…
Best Plant Nursery
So how does your garden grow? Magnificently, if you let the people at Mesquite Valley Growers be your guide(s). Spread over 20 acres bursting with life, Mesquite Valley Growers offers just about every kind of flora imaginable: flowering annuals and perennials, herbs, veggies, shrubs, shade and fruit trees, cacti, succulents, tropical plants and bonsai—and in…
Best Spectacle for Charity
Bathed, nails done, hair coiffed and smelling good, the dogs are ready to hit the town for Tucson’s annual four-legged charity event. Heading into the event’s 14th year, all mammals are guaranteed a good time at this party, benefiting the Humane Society of Southern Arizona. Tucson philanthropists put their best paws forward with a four-legged…
Best Car Wash
The Art Deco-style logo for Metro Car Wash hearkens back to a time when only the elite few owned cars, a time when things like car washes were probably laughed at as a ridiculous pipe dream. The Art Deco allusion infuses Metro Car Wash with something most car washes can’t even imagine: class. You want…
The Preservationist
SECRET IDENTITY: Demion Clinco, CEO of Frontier Consulting Group and president of the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation. SECRET POWER: Transcends time and space to restore Tucson’s architectural past SECRET ORIGIN: Demion Clinco was on a walking tour of the downtown barrio and entered an old curandera’s shop that was scheduled for demolition that very…
Best House Blend
The caffeinated masses have spoken, and Raging Sage’s signature house blend reigns supreme. A heady combination of tartness and body, this even and flavorful coffee provides a perfect boost at any time of the day. What’s the secret to Tucson’s favorite cup of coffee? It is Raging Sage’s roasting process, which controls the temperature within…
Best Malaysian
The marriage of cultures can lead to beautiful things, especially where food is concerned. Malaysian food is a delicious example of such a happy marriage, and for two decades, Seri Melaka has been successfully serving up this fusion of what we recognize as the flavors of Chinese, Thai and Indian cuisine. The familiar tastes of…
Best Art Superhero
Acclaimed glass artist Tom Philabaum has long been a glass-art hero, mentoring artists, helping start the Sonoran Glass Art Academy, doing demos in his fiery “glory hole” and showcasing art in his gallery. But SB 1070 did a number on him. He’d spent several years organizing an international glass-arts conference that would have brought thousands…
Best Beard Trim
Get that unruly beard of yours trimmed for just $5—and talk sports with Hector while you’re at it. Plus, you get to go to Bookmans afterwards. ‘Nuff said!
Best Radio Show for Local Music
When you tune in to Locals Only on KXCI, the intimate banter among band members almost makes you feel like you’re in Studio 2A with them. Host Matt Milner has a quiet magic; he gets artists to effuse about their music without ever really making his presence felt. The program does its part to represent…
Best Camp for Your Creature-Obsessed Little Creatures
For pet-obsessed households—whether the home is filled with hermit crabs, fish bowls, dogs and cats, or whether Mom is allergic and kids dream of time with animals they wish they could have—this is the place. It’s surprising how many people don’t know that the Humane Society offers a place for kids during school breaks to…
Keep the Faith
For a first directorial effort, there’s a lot to admire about Vera Farmiga’s Higher Ground. Farmiga, a character actress best known for her Oscar-nominated supporting turn in Up in the Air, quietly takes a trip behind the camera with this study of one woman’s lifelong struggle with faith. You’d expect to find many of this…
Best Tucson Classic
Pat’s has been a Tucson classic for longer than most of Tucson’s residents have been around. Definitely not a spot for the weak-stomached, this tiny drive-in joint has been slopping onions, mustard and chili on hot dogs and hamburgers for more than 40 years. Speaking of greasy: The fresh-cut, skin-on fries are one of a…
The Market Adjusts
If you want to know how to become a medical-marijuana patient in Arizona, the state Department of Health Services lays out almost everything you need. The department’s website (www.azdhs.gov/medicalmarijuana/patients) tells you what ailments qualify, what information to compile to apply for certification, how to apply for certification, and even when and where you can apply.…
The Skinny
Mitt Romney storms the Arizona desert … Democrat Don Bivens considers a run for U.S. Senate … Green Party mayoral candidate Mary DeCamp wants you to reuse your neighbor’s trash … and so much more!
Best Mexican Fast-Food/Drive-Thru
One of the main reasons that most of us refuse to stray from Tucson is our subconscious love of late-night burritos. (Let’s get our heads out of the gutter, m’kay?) Nico’s has provided a top-notch post-binge-drinking food fix for college students for years. Nico’s is also good for a filling yet cheap lunch for those…
Best Resale/Vintage Clothing
Buffalo Exchange is the Bloomingdale’s of urbane, resale clothing, full of trendy, seasonal, high-quality clothing and accessories for both men and women. It’s one-stop-shopping for, say, two whole outfits, sunglasses and a hat for around $100. And you’ll still be wearing those pieces 10 years from now. The buyers at Buffalo Exchange are discerning to…
Best Wings
The greatest thing about this chain restaurant is the whole passel of choices. Not content with original Buffalo-style wings (at four different levels of heat), these guys offer garlic-parmesan wings, hickory-smoked barbecue wings, Hawaiian wings, teriyaki wings and the truly unique lemon-pepper wings. Yum! You can get individual meals with as few as six wings,…
Best Independent Bookstore
Walking into Antigone Books is like walking into a literary toy box. This Fourth Avenue bookshop bubbles with goodies of all types, with scented, gummy erasers as readily available as baseball caps embroidered with javelina. Local and imported tchotchkes mingle with fun and funky stickers, buttons, magnets and plaques that proclaim things such as, “Don’t…
Best Yoga Studio
Life is beautiful. Want to feel lucky to be in Tucson? Try the best yoga studio in town. It’s easy to get into the groove with prices from $4 to $6 per class at three convenient studios. Yoga Oasis is a spiritual, accessible and positive place to discover Anusara yoga, a modern Hatha-style yoga with…
Best Farmers Market
In a country full of superstores, farmers’ markets provide a much-needed opportunity for people to meet farmers and buy locally raised meats and produce. The markets at St. Philip’s Plaza are no exception. Come Saturday morning, and choose from a wide variety of goodies like kettle corn, tortillas, coffees and spices. Or stop by on…
Best Signature Cocktail
Who is the mysterious Scorpion, that seductive mistress who can cloud men’s minds as easily as she can bring them ecstasy? Her secret identity remains shrouded in the shadows of Kon Tiki, although we hear whispers that she tastes of rum, brandy, gin, liqueurs and the juices of fruit. Beware: She may appear sweet on…
Best Japanese
You know you can have fun at Yoshimatsu when you see bento boxes on the menu. Just saying the name is fun. Bento box. Bento box. Bento box. You get the drift. The fun doesn’t stop with the bento box’s cute little portions in cute little compartments. The entire restaurant is cute, actually, thanks to…
Best Asian Barbecue
While duck feet, duck tongue, pig ear and pig stomach aren’t exactly on the summer-barbecue list for most of us, Nan Tian BBQ, inside Lee Lee Oriental Supermarket, is expanding Tucson’s culinary horizons with stellar Asian-style barbeque. Aside from the more-unusual offerings, Nan Tian also has some delicious roasted duck, as well as pork ribs,…
Best Billiards
A clean, well-lighted place for … playing pool? If you’re looking for a stale, smoky den of iniquity that is crowded with juvenile delinquents and petty criminals, Clicks Billiards is not the place for you. It has what you need if you’re actually there for legitimate reasons: 20 pool tables, including three nine-footers; foosball; soft-…
Best Margarita
This Tucson institution makes its margaritas a tad sweeter than many of its competitors do, which may explain why these drinks have taken the top spot so often. El Charro’s drink menu offers 10 varieties of ‘rita, including the house margarita; folks say the secret is in the citrus mix. Heads turn whenever a server…
Best Place to Hear About What’s Good in Our Schools
No matter what the state Legislature thinks about public education, there are many remarkable teachers doing remarkable things within our classrooms. Arizona Public Media’s KUAZ FM 89.1/AM 1550 has been documenting many of these success stories through its Teachers Voices series. Host Mark McLemore has put together a treasure trove of stories about educators who…
Best Bike Ride With Kids
Peddling with preschoolers can be a logistics nightmare: You want to be behind them to keep an eye on them, yet at the same time be in front of them to lead. At Cyclovia, you can ride side by side, in perfect springtime weather. Hell, you can even grab a leash and bring along the…
Top Ten in Movies
1. Thor Paramount 2. X-Men: First Class 20th Century Fox 3. Hanna Universal 4. Everything Must Go Lionsgate 5. Hesher Lionsgate 6. Meek’s Cutoff Oscilloscope 7. Forks Over Knives Virgil 8. Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop Magnolia 9. Wrecked IFC 10. TrollHunter Magnolia
Live
The music of DePedro sounds great on recordings, but Spanish bandleader Jairo Zavala truly works magic in a live setting, weaving intoxicating rhythms and irresistible melodies into his blend of Andalusian folk-rock and Southwestern border-groove. Such was the case this past Sunday night when DePedro headlined a show that also featured three Tucson-based bands infused…
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: I am a half-breed, as they say (Mexican father, Anglo mother), and I’ve recently been reading a lot about the drug violence in Mexico. I’ve become increasingly disturbed by the way in which we Americans are directly contributing to this war by supplying the demand for drugs while still making it illegal to…
Media Watch
Changes at KVOA, KOLD; Radio takeover; The Star’s parent shuffles its finances
Best Campground
Catalina State Park is the favorite place for Tucson Weekly readers to rest their heads in the great outdoors. Day hikes, equestrian options and RV hook-ups make it a popular destination for all sorts of outdoor enthusiasts. Nestled among countless towering saguaros are amenities to suit those who enjoy camping in vehicles, as well as…
Best Speciality Foods
From lychee fruit to sushi-grade ahi tuna, from cactus pads to decadent chocolates, AJ’s Fine Foods is the place to find that specialty item your pantry is missing. While roaming the aisles, you’ll come across foods from far-off lands, and even some specialties produced nearby. AJ’s also has a spectacular selection of wines, spirits and…
Best Casual Dining
There are all kinds of great restaurants in Tucson, and many of them do one or two things really well. But if you had to choose a best all-around place—one that’s appropriate for almost any occasion—you’d be wise to consider The B Line. First of all, it’s right in the middle of town. Second, the…
Best Local TV Newscast
Another station may have the look-alike logo, but the real Fantastic Four in Tucson is KOLD evening-news anchors Dan Marries and Heather Rowe, sports director Damien Alameda, and chief meteorologist Chuck George. Add the morning crew of Scott Kilbury, Kayna Whitworth and Erin Jordan, plus noon anchor Mindy Blake, and KOLD becomes a powerful force…
Best Fun for the Whole Family
Not much seems to have changed at Golf ‘n’ Stuff in the last decade or so: There are the same two miniature golf courses, the same bumper boats, and the same go-karts (along with the same corresponding smell of gasoline). There are still a bunch of video games. Fortunately, even in the age of super-high-tech…
Best Musical Instrument Store
Since the Chicago Music Store has existed in downtown Tucson for more than 90 years, it may be where your great-grandmother bought piano sheet music, where your grandfather bought his first button-box accordion, and where your mother bought her saxophone reeds when she was in her high school band. It means a lot to us…
Best Sports Bar
World Sports Grille is celebrating its third straight win as Tucson’s Best Sports Bar. With arcade games, pool, tasty food, drinks and—of course—plenty of TVs, the place has certainly earned the spot. Wander into the spacious venue, and find yourself face to face with many different interactive video games. If you’re not in the mood…
Best Middle Eastern/African
We’d bet that the food one can get in Black Panther’s African kingdom of Wakanda doesn’t come close to standing up to the cuisine on Zemam’s exotic menu. Whether you’re in the mood for doro wat or yedoro alicha, Zemam’s serves it up atop the spongy and always-delicious injera bread. It’s best to go with…
Best Melding of Meals
Most people love breakfast foods … so why do most restaurants segregate the bacon, the eggs and the waffles into the pre-noon hours? At The Abbey, chef Ginny Wooters and company give breakfast its proper place at the dinner table, offering an ever-changing breakfast-themed entrée as part of the regular menu. Whether it’s a crab-cake…
Best Place to See Original Plays
Where can you see exciting new plays being produced around these parts? Almost anywhere, it turns out, because Tucson’s theaters produce an extraordinary number of new works, often by local writers. This year saw The Rogue’s The Decameron by Patrick Baliani, and Ten Chimneys by Jeffrey Hatcher at Arizona Theatre Company. Beowulf Alley Theatre Company…
Best New Festival
It may be too early to call the Festival en el Barrio Viejo a tradition after just two years, but here’s hoping this fiesta becomes one. The most recent festival had so many standouts—from Al Perry’s new Tiger Blood band to the sweet sounds of the Silver Thread Trio to Robyn Hitchcock performing with R.E.M.’s…
Best Local ESPN Wannabe Show
Sports radio has now found a button on more car radios than anyone of us (mostly guys) would care to admit. And there, at the end of the ESPN syndicated workday, is Jody Oehler. Pronounced aye-ler, Oehler brings just the right amount of sarcastic cynicism to his mostly good-natured rants and phone-call exchanges with a…
Patchwork Performance
I was bored. It pains me to say it, but that’s the truth. Arizona Repertory Theatre has chosen to kick off the new season with The Voice of the Prairie, by John Olive. It’s an odd choice, because it’s an anemic story about the vitality of storytelling. The University of Arizona’s School of Theatre, Film…
Now Showing at Home
Citizen Kane: 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray); Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Blu-ray); The Twilight Zone: Season 5 (Blu-ray)
Best Antidote to Living in a Red State
Living with our state government can drain one’s spirits, but eating Roma Imports’ red sandwich can revive one’s faith in humanity. The people here take a baguette and schmear it with their special red sundried-tomato-and-basil-pesto mayonnaise. They add a generous layer of fresh, ripe tomatoes. And here’s the kicker: They add their bright-red sundried-tomato gouda…
Best Signature Nonalcoholic Cocktail
Attention, designated drivers, those needing a break between alcoholic beverages, and those who generally prefer their evenings to be alcohol-free: Get your sober butt over to Sky Bar. The star of the booze-free show is the homemade ginger ale. What? Yes. Just try it. The fresh-ginger infusion is insanely spicy, but the spiciness is gently…
Selective Enforcement
It’s been almost three years since residents in the mile-square burg of South Tucson passed a law to protect greyhounds at their rundown race track. For most of that time, city officials have either ignored the ordinance or done their best to dance around it—to a degree that suggests either collusion with track officials, or…
Best Hike
How to hike Sabino Canyon, for recent newcomers or Tucsonans who have yet to experience the canyon: 1. Follow Sabino Canyon Road north until you see the sign for the canyon. 2. Graciously pay your entry fee so that the park can be maintained. Grumblers will suffer karmic payback. 3. Park your car. Remember your…
Best Tattoo Parlor
Even the flash art—generic examples of tattoos you can get—on the wall is cool at Black Rose Tattooers. Browse through an artist’s portfolio, and the cool goes to a whole new level. Skill is apparent in every design, whether the tattoo is a realistic portrait of a beloved pet, or a custom sleeve that screams…
Best Bagels
Manhattanites might scoff, but in Tucson, we get our bagels at Bruegger’s. We aren’t snobs about texture; the chain impresses us not with its stone hearth, but by never failing to make our breakfast fresh, hot and chewy. Besides, why be picky when there are so many choices? The bagels come in varieties from pumpernickel…
Best Pop Music Station
Every good superhero needs a soundtrack to bump up the intensity, but mere mortals simply tune into FM 92.9. The Mountain offers a nice mix of upbeat pop music for grown-ups. The playlist features familiar tunes as well as songs by up-and-coming bands, and often includes music just outside of the mainstream that you won’t…
Best Playground
Those plastic twisty slides may be a little warm in the summer months—but we raise our kids here in Tucson to be super-tough, right? Reid Park, conveniently located in midtown, has a little bit of everything, and is sure to satisfy kids of all ages, no matter their tastes in playground equipment. Swinging, climbing, dangling…
Best Outdoor Venue
Why go to Phoenix for the massive-concert experience when so many good and hugely famous acts come to AVA? You can get one of the 1,779 reserved seats up close, or, if you’re late buying tickets (and/or strapped for cash), you can sit on the expansive, 2,700-“seat” lawn, where you’ll still have a nice view…
Best Workday Picnic Location
You can use this Best of Tucson® issue to learn about the best eateries to visit on your lunch hour—but with weather like ours, why eat inside? It’s better to pack your lunch and go to the park—and it’s best, if you happen to be one of the thousands of people who work downtown, to…
Best Modern Cuisine
Feast is a date-night haven, with prices that show your date how much you care—without emptying your bank vault. Keep your eye on the doldrums-bashing summer request menu, which changes weekly and packs a punch for super-foodies. Two of our favorites from the always-changing menu (chef Doug Levy mixes it up every month) are the…
Best Hidden Lunch Spot
Tucked away in an unassuming strip mall, the Sausage Shop Meat Market is Tucson’s best hidden lunch spot. The unassuming exterior harbors a plethora of goodies, including more than 50 different sandwiches and 100 types of sausage, many of which are made in-house. Sandwiches are not only freshly made, plentiful and generously sized; they’re affordable,…
Best Cocktail Menu
Cocktails are all the rage these days—but not the classic martinis that Don Draper imbibes. (Wait … that was last year’s Best of Tucson® theme.) No, nowadays, cocktails have clever names and ingredients that won’t be found in any old-school bartenders’ guide. And nowhere else in Tucson is this “trend” more evident than at Scott…
Dr, Smith, Warlord of Mars
SECRET IDENTITY: Peter Smith of the UA Lunar and Planetary Laboratory SECRET POWER: Builds robots that explore space and other planets SECRET ORIGIN: Scientist Peter Smith was monitoring communications from his robotic Mars lander at his Tucson lab during a monsoon storm, when a bolt of lightning hit the building. When he awoke, he discovered…
Best Radio Station to Help One Feel Like a Teenager
What’s with all the anti-aging creams, plastic-surgery procedures and midlife-crisis-driven thrill quests? All you need to feel as young as those textbook-toting teens in skinny jeans at the bus stop is some good, not-old-fashioned alternative rock from KFMA. If you think music by bands with names like Hollywood Undead, Joy Formidable and Bullet for My…
Best Place to Take Your Kids on A Lazy Sunday
The shows may seem familiar, because they are often based on old bedtime fairy tales and stories, but Live Theatre Workshop’s teachers and actors write fresh, new scripts that make the stories seem original again. The songs are fun, and the actors interact with the kids—and they love it. Some Sundays, it’s all about One-Man…
Señorita Salsa
SECRET IDENTITY: Maria J. Mazon, executive chef at Boca SECRET POWER: Can make delicious tacos out of virtually anything SECRET ORIGIN: Maria Mazon was serving tacos to the astronauts aboard the space shuttle as it sat on the launch pad—and her apron got stuck in the airlock. Unbeknownst to NASA, she was still aboard when…
Best Superhero Breakfast Joint
It looks like an unassuming hole-in-the-wall, mom-and-pop greasy spoon. It has all the old familiar menu items, as quotidian and unsurprising as Clark Kent or Peter Parker. But look twice! Order the specials! Frumpy Mother Hubbard has a secret identity: She’s Sexy Locavoracious Multi-Culti Witty Foodie Babe. One bite, and you know there’s someone in…
Best Bar for Cheap People Worried About Their Livers
When you go out on the town to drink, you want the most booze for your buck, right? Your liver, on the other hand, hopes you’ll be broke by 10 p.m. Well, drinkers, it’s time to agree to a truce with your favorite organ, and head to Che’s Lounge, famous for its humongous hard-liquor shots…
Police Dispatch
Driving crazy; Detox ahead
Best Park
Reid Park is special for so many reasons. The pool is covered to protect you from the sun. Hi Corbett Field will bring tears of nostalgia to your eyes. The rose garden will make you swoon in the spring and the fall. The bandshell, with its excellent acoustics, has some of the best free entertainment…
Best Delicatessen
Shlomo and Vito’s New York Delicatessen is a dieter’s nightmare—but a gourmand’s dream. The nightmare comes with portions so huge that you could not possibly eat everything in a single sitting, but the food is so scrumptious that you’re going to try anyway. The dream comes from delicious choices that include the classic corned beef…
Best Caterer
The food at Feast’s restaurant is some of the best in town. It’s fresh, flavorful, seasonal and creative—’nuff said. However, Feast’s catering is just as stellar. The presentation is gorgeous; there’s an artist at work here. The staff is attentive and professional. Feast’s catering manager has superhero-like powers of patience and courtesy, and can lovingly…
Best Radio Personality
While listening to Jon Justice fawn over State Sen. Frank Antenori each day, you wouldn’t get the sense that Justice is concerned about what people think of him—but he is. Responding to a tweet last year, Justice asked if the Tucson Weekly would say “one good thing” about him if he won this year. Well,…
Best Art Classes
This place is the epitome of what can happen when a small group of well-intentioned folks come up with a cool idea and nurture it with positive energy, realistic expectations and a vision statement that’s actually visionary. The Drawing Studio, now housed in a 10,000-square-foot slab of prime downtown real estate, may not look like…
Best Backpacking Trail
On the edge of our fair city, just before the wilds take over, there is a portal. The $5 usage fee does not protect our innocent citizenry from the savagery of nature, nor does it protect delicate wildflowers from the cruelty that a hiking boot can wreak. Sabino Canyon connects us to what is natural,…
Best Wine Bar
The foothills area is home to a lot of wine-drinking yuppies—um, we mean “poverty-challenged” people. But you don’t have to be rich to have a palate for superb wine, so it’s only fair that we have a place with great wine and great prices right in the heart of our “wine country” (aka La Encantada).…
Best Cafe Hangout
The eye-widening display of pastries could stop anyone in his or her tracks. But look up at the menu: Epic Café offers so much more. From sandwiches to breakfast burritos, from white chocolate mochas to Arnold Palmers, this perennial Best of Tucson® winner satisfies the appetites of vegans, celiacs and omnivores alike. The café is…
Best Place to Pick Up a Great Dinner
The proverbial question “What’s for dinner?” is easily answered at this longtime Tucson market. Yes, it’s a hip neighborhood grocery store, but the deli side has enough choices to keep everyone in the house happy at dinner (or lunch or breakfast, for that matter). The salad bar alone is spectacular—the bean salad tops any other…
Best Reason to Gather With 2,500 New BFFs
OK, these people aren’t really your new BFFs, but that doesn’t stop the masses from coming together at Rillito River Park on a weeknight in early September to witness the nightly swarming of the Campbell Avenue bridge’s resident bat colony. The atmosphere is decidedly festive, with bat-speakers, bat-music and an array of batty performance artists.…
Best Up-Cycled Style Essentials
You can spend hours combing through the stuff at Goodwill, Value Village and the like to find one or two impulsive mistakes that people made while clearing out their closets. Within the peacock-shaded walls of Preen are hundreds of such items for men and women—all kinds of garments and accessories, a handful of household things,…
On the Road
The road-trip movie is a staple of American cinema, and the formula is simple: Throw unusual travel companions into a car; put some high-concept obstacles in their way; and let the comic situations and unlikely bonding commence. 26 Miles, by Quiara Alegría Hudes, gives this cinematic structure a theatrical spin. The play takes two semi-estranged…
More Help, Please
A few months ago, the sous chef at the R+R Grill at the Four Points by Sheraton near the Tucson airport sent the Tucson Weekly an e-mail. He said the restaurant had just rolled out a new menu and invited us to do a review. This e-mail gave me some hope. Weekly World Central is…
Nine Questions
John Cafiero works as a technical editor for a local archaeology firm. He has written and recorded songs on his own since he was 16. Forty years young, he dreams of being recognized as one of the best new writers younger than 60. He also dreams of touring the country with his wife and two…
Best Bar for Plotting a Revolution
Located at the nexus of hippie Fourth Avenue and hipster Congress Street, the Shanty is best known for a wide selection of imported beers. It also features four well-lit pool tables; bottomless free-popcorn baskets; and an ample, bowered and conversation-friendly patio with a comfortingly babbling tiered fountain. You’d never guess the place was home to…
Best Public Garden
It’s nice to recognize all of Tucson’s “bests”—and how our bests really are the best. But, really, do you live here because of the Best Bagels or the Best Sports Bar or the Best Pop-Music Station? No. You live here because of the unique, gorgeous Sonoran Desert and the pleasant, sunny outdoor experience that it…
Best Custom Cakes
Nadine’s Pastry Shoppe was turning out stunning, artful cakes way before Duff and Ace of Cakes and all that jazz. While you won’t find a perfect cake replication of the Taj Mahal here, you will find cakes that are so breathtakingly perfect in every detail that one wonders how people can bring themselves to cut…
Best Tortillas
Tucked in Barrio Anita, this tiny neighborhood market attracts crowds from all over, thanks to the warm, soft flour tortillas. They come in two sizes: large and medium. Corn tortillas are also available; just order a dozen at the counter (although you really should order two dozen, because you know you’ll eat at least one…
Best Radio Station for News
With strong local journalists like Robert Rappaport, Christopher Conover and Mark McLemore (newscasters with non-alliterative names need not apply), KUAZ keeps Southern Arizona in the know. Programs like Arizona Spotlight highlight issues facing the community, while NPR shows like Morning Edition, Talk of the Nation and Fresh Air give listeners a global perspective. If Diane…
Best Art Museum
The Tucson Museum of Art has been “connecting art to life” throughout an 87-year evolution. This has meant building an impressive permanent collection of art of the American West, art of Latin America, and art both contemporary and modern. It also has meant featuring traveling exhibitions, offering studio-art classes and other educational opportunities, and being…
Best Bike-Riding
The Rillito River Park Trail runs from Craycroft Road to Interstate 10 on both banks of the Rillito River. Since much of it is paved, the trail is ideal for the casual cyclist who wants to avoid motorists. Paved areas are for “all users,” including pedestrians and equestrians. The trail is popular in part because…
Best Wine/Liquor Store
This place is known far and wide—like, across the country—even though it’s an unassuming, regular-looking liquor store. But there’s nothing ordinary about the treasures housed here: hundreds of hard-to-find beers—chilled, no less, and you can create your own six-pack; unusual spirits; and an admirable collection of wine. But perhaps Plaza’s real treasures are the knowledgeable…
Best Seafood
If you decide to treat yourself to seafood in the desert, the restaurant had better be good—and Kingfisher is the best. The menu is dominated by seafood of all types. Offerings include Gulf of Mexico oysters, grilled and chilled Gulf shrimp, and a bay-scallop spicy ceviche cocktail—and that’s just from the oyster-bar menu! Pan-roasted Scottish…
Best Departing Chef
The story is now a part of Tucson culinary lore: A few years ago, Jennifer Elchuck and Tom Smith, owners of The RumRunner and its in-house bistro, The Dish, found themselves suddenly without a chef coming out of the restaurant’s summer hiatus. Lo and behold, Martin Swindells—a veteran of 58 Degrees and Holding Co. and…
Best, Coolest (and Sometimes Scariest) Team Mascot
There’s a photo posted on the Tucson Weekly’s daily dispatch, The Range (daily.tucsonweekly.com), of a kid racing around the Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium baseball field—either being chased by or winning a race with the Tucson Padres mascot, Kino Bambino. Kids being chased by priests, at least in this context, shouldn’t raise any eyebrows—after all, this…
Best Gifts for the Upscale Bohemian
The refinement level of the M.A.S.T. experience is difficult to characterize. The space itself is rustic—an open warehouse with a high ceiling and architectural features that feel like characters in a play of space, in which light is the lead actor. The palette of the merchandise is natural, clear and white, moving outward to hints…
Weekly Wide Web
Arrr, Talk Like a Pirate Day Sucks; The Week on The Range; Comment of the Week…and more!
The Creative Slate
Back in the 15th century, Flemish artists were practicing a wholly new form of painting, rendering the subtle landscapes of Northern Europe in glowing colors with muted interplays of light and shadow. The new painters streamed into Florence, intent on stealing commissions from the Italian Renaissance artists, Andrew Rush writes in his new book, The…
Noshing Around
Green Gourmet; Olive oil galore!; Greek Festival preview; and more!
Best Turkish Coffee
Proper Turkish coffee should hit you like a freight train full of spices and espresso—which is exactly how they do it at Tork’s Café and Grocery. Unlike the watery liquid that America calls coffee, the thick beverage served here is more akin to cardamom-spiked sludge, and is so strong that a tiny demitasse cup is…
Best Outdoor Patio to Enjoy All Your Vices
Do you like slamming booze, gorging on food, getting wired on coffee and/or chain-smoking cigarettes—yet consider yourself a lot more genteel than that makes you sound? Hopefully, you already know that Café Passe now lets you simultaneously engage in all four of these not-so-healthy habits on its neat, serene and beautifully decorated outdoor patio. Yes,…
Best Recreation Area in Southern Arizona
Sabino may be a little tame for your average superhero, but for the rest of us, it’s a delightful oasis in our own backyard. Sabino Canyon is where generations of Tucsonans have gone to recharge their batteries—to hike, jog, bike, ride a horse or picnic. You can study desert plants, wildflowers, reptiles, birds, mammals, insects,…
Best Salsa
In this post-modernist era, there is no objectively perfect salsa, just as there is no perfect beer, dog or climate. It’s all a matter of balance and personal preferences. Guadalajara Grill’s response to this is to put you in charge of salsa production: You concoct your own favorite combination of ingredients. Diners after 4:30 p.m.…
Best Diner
After all these years, Grill is still the king of the Best of Tucson® diner category. Old-timers will tell you it used to be Rallis and the Congress Grill. Open 24/7, it’s got old vinyl booths and Formica tables. Fliers and independent newspapers are always available, but you can also read the menu’s fine print…
Best Radio Talk Show (Host)
This is Jon Justice’s third year in a row of winning this honor, giving many tea-baggers out there hope that Tucson isn’t as Baja as many of us would like to think it is. Because this is a reader honor, it’s good to keep in mind that alternative sources of information, news and entertainment are…
Best Toy Store
We’ll always have sweet memories of walking ’round and ’round this independent, locally owned gem of a toy store. This is the third year in a row that Tucson Weekly readers professed their love for local, their love for unique merchandise, and their love for fun; too bad it wasn’t enough to keep the business…
Best Bike Shop
Ah, the helpless citizens of Tucson—always busting the brakes, dislodging the derailleurs and splitting the spokes of their bicycles. Does your threadless headset need re-setting? Do you even know how to change a tube? Never fear, for Ordinary Bike Shop is here. This store’s super-knowledgeable (if capeless) mechanics don’t need X-ray vision or the ability…
Best Upscale Bar Ambiance
There’s no Great Recession happening at NoRTH. Things are hopping at this classy foothills watering hole, where those who want to be seen go to mingle with those who have enough money that they don’t need to worry about pedestrian concerns like “being seen.” Together, these two groups constitute the “in” crowd. The first clue…
Best Steakhouse
The people at Fleming’s aren’t quite superheroes, but they do two things, very well, that most of us lack the skill and equipment to even attempt: 1) age beef properly, and then 2) cook said beef at temperatures that would melt brass. Aging beef without turning it into a science project requires weeks of controlled…
Best Use of Child Labor
Having to watch other people’s children perform can be more excruciating than torture from a supervillain’s weapon. Fortunately, Arizona Onstage is here to save the day. Their production of Carson McCullers’ The Member of the Wedding featured two pint-sized actors who, under Carol Calkins’ direction, were compelling to watch for the entire performance. Daria Berg…
Best Gay/Lesbian Bar
It’s a bit more Tales of the City than City of Night at IBT’s: Weekend nights there are endless parties, not seedy meat markets. (Well, maybe there’s some of that, too.) You can slam “Orange Tic-Tacs” (drop a shot of Absolut Mandarin into a beer glass containing Red Bull) and dance ’til last call on…
Best Martini
James Bond wasn’t exactly a superhero, but considering his unbelievable spying skills, his ability to constantly defy death, and his female-attracting charisma, he might as well have been. Maybe he was born with it—or maybe it was all of those sexy martinis he drank. Either way, if you want to channel Bond through booze, Tucsonans…
Diversity Discussed
What was expected to be a three-part appeals hearing to examine whether the Tucson Unified School District’s Mexican-American studies classes violate the state’s anti-ethnic-studies law will go into a fourth day. Testimony is slated to resume on Monday, Oct. 17. Lisa Anne Smith, an attorney with DeConcini McDonald Yetwin and Lacy who is representing TUSD,…
Best Mexican Seafood
When you go into a Mariscos Chihuahua and see Hispanic families gathered for seafood served the Mexican way, you can figure that this is the real deal. Octopus, sea snails, clams, calamari and oysters ceviche-style are a mere starting point for the bounty here. There are soups and stews, whole fried fish, camarones al mojo…
Best Soul Food
The people in the kitchen at The Onyx Room are soul-food superheroes. From the humble collard greens to the sublime fried chicken to the pork chop smothered in a savory onion gravy, the food sings. There’s plenty of pork in the prep, which is a good thing, in spite of whatever the American Medical Association…
Namoli Brennet: We Were Born to Rise (Flaming Dame)
Tucson singer-songwriter Namoli Brennet’s impeccable ninth album places her firmly among the best folk-rock artists in the country. It’s sophisticated, witty, well-written and beautifully recorded. Brennet recorded almost every instrument herself in her home studio; drummer Todd Chuba sits behind the drum kit on three tracks. It’s a gorgeous, adult album, with rich emotions and…
Best Venue for Soccer Fans
The Trident’s cachet soared when the Navy SEALS got bin Laden. All of those guys reportedly drank and ate at the Trident, named for the SEALS’ insignia—and Trident owner Nelson Miller helped train them. The former SEAL from Maryland commandeers some of the freshest, best-prepared seafood in Tucson. And it’s no surprise that the place…
Best Sporting Goods
Big 5 Sporting Goods continues to bat 1.000 when it comes to a grand selection of cool goods at even cooler prices. Add in sales associates who actually make eye contact when you want it—and leave you alone when you don’t—and you’ve got yourself an all-around winner. Their shops are just the right size—big enough,…
Best Desserts
Terri La Chance, The B Line’s fabulous pastry chef, whips up desserts that are as premium as the ingredients she uses: real butter, cage-free eggs, real vanilla, Belgian chocolate, fresh fruit, flour sifted with love, and pie crusts rolled out with the delicate song of a siren. Just listen to this small selection of recent…
Best Smoothie
Zoom over to Xoom Juice for knock-down, drag-out delicious juice and smoothies. This is real food! Xoom doesn’t add sugar, corn syrup, ice cream or sorbet, so everything on the menu is righteously healthy; it’s all made with real fruit. There are more than 50 varieties to try, and they’re all tempting enough to leave…
Best Retail Music Store
One day far too soon, those of us who remember the days of vinyl, eight-tracks, cassettes and CDs will tell stories of hiking three miles uphill in the 110-degree heat to visit a record store and buy a new album. Sadly, record stores are going the way of (insert your favorite old-media form here) and…
Best Fine Art Gallery
Proprietor Terry Etherton delivered a knockout in the season’s first round with Ojos Bien Abiertos/Eyes Wide Open, an exhibition showcasing Alice Leora Briggs’ black-and-white sgraffito drawings of the hell going on in Ciudad Juarez. The haunting works were illustrations from Briggs’ border book Dreamland, co-authored with Charles Bowden. The rest of the season kept up…
Best Local TV Station That Needs Your Support
Most TV kind of rots your brain—and it sure doesn’t foster community. Access Tucson, our own independent, nonprofit public-access television station, is the opposite. It has shows that inspire you to think, feel and act, on subjects from Howard Zinn to ancient Peru to solar energy to training your dog. Most shows (a notable exception:…
Best Breakfast
Fighting passionless breakfasts since 1978, Blue Willow offers a hearty and hale spinach-jack-and-mushroom omelet for the calcium-deficient Popeye in us all. At Blue Willow’s centrally located headquarters, the breezy back patio is an ideal place to enjoy mouth-watering crepes, which serve to protect with fresh strawberries, bananas, pineapple, blueberries and yogurt. Refilling coffee faster than…
Best Sushi
After a year out of the top spot, Sushi Garden has climbed back into first place. Several months ago, the restaurant moved from its original location at Alvernon Way and Broadway Boulevard into the spot that most recently housed Elle. The northwest-side location at Foothills Mall is a dynamic, uptown meeting spot, full of chic…
Best Beer Selection on Tap
The very wise Dave Barry once said, “Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.” And without question, the best beer joint in Tucson is 1702. With an…
Best Outdoor Art Event
As the sun begins to creep down Tucson’s western horizon each day, the sky fills with oranges, reds and pinks, creating an outdoor art event that makes even the most cynical Tucsonan stop, catch his or her breath and ponder how lucky we are to call Tucson home. Tucsonans upload pictures of these sunsets on…
Best Local Fashion Incubator
Kudos to Dinnerware Artspace for being a consistent front-runner in urban trends that leave more-conservative local galleries in the dry desert dust. Dinnerware’s runway fashion shows come out of two new movements in urban culture and economy: the do-it-yourself trend, and the foodie trend of local sourcing. That’s a hoity-toity way of saying that Dinnerware…
History Underfoot
The sun beats down on our backs, causing beads of sweat to form on our exposed skin. Though the ground looks barren—cracked with drought and flat for miles—our eyes are open, unblinking, as we look for subtle pattern variations in the soil. And then we see it: a small shard of clay, about the size…
Best Mexican Restaurant for Visitors
No matter what’s on menu, Mi Nidito would remain famous due to President Bill Clinton’s visit there 12 or so years ago. Fortunately, Mi Nidito also has some seriously tasty—but still tourist-friendly—Mexican food. The buttered tostadas are melt-in-your-mouth sinful, especially when topped with the famous carne seca—a hard-to-find item outside of Tucson. One of the…
Mixed Vocabulary
The Stone Foxes are not a blues band; they wouldn’t claim that honor. Nevertheless, the structure, mood and attitude of blues is the basis for much of the San Francisco-based group’s music, which also incorporates classic rock, country, soul, folk and psychedelia. “The blues, I think, we draw from is, like, the stuff that Muddy…
Best Biscuits and Gravy
The biscuits and gravy at Pappy’s Diner fulfill the two most important criteria for this classic comfort food: The biscuits are big, and they are covered in more peppery sausage gravy than most heart doctors would recommend. Filling an entire dinner plate, the fluffy, homemade biscuits do their best to hold up under the deluge…
Best Place for Concerts Outside of Downtown/Fourth Avenue
Concert promoter Jonathan Holden has been bringing Americana, blues, folk, bluegrass, jazz, flamenco, Celtic and world-music shows to Tucson through his Rhythm and Roots series for about 13 years. His events have floated from venue to venue, often appearing in the courtyard at Plaza Palomino, at the corner of Swan and Fort Lowell roads. Lately,…
Best Urban Landscaping
It’s somewhat surreal to come strolling out of a tree-shaded grotto at Tohono Chul Park and see the bustling city streets beyond the fence line. Such is the magic at the old landmark, where groundskeepers have used species of plants from all over the Southwest, and from as far away as Africa, to create a…
Best Ice Cream
Although gelato is not technically ice cream, Frost’s version of the cool treat takes the cake once again. While some of the silky, intense flavors have fun, Italian names like gianduia (chocolate with hazelnut) and stracciatella (vanilla with chocolate shavings), there are also traditional flavors like peanut-butter crunch and mint chocolate chip. But gelato is…
Best Bookstore for New Books
If there ever was a time when we needed superheroes, it’s now. Barnes and Noble is a place where you can go to learn how to become one. Ethics, politics, history, diet, exercise, wardrobe, engineering—you name it, and they have books on it, so you can learn everything you’d ever want to know about making…
Best Rock Music Station
KLPX has kept Tucson rocking throughout the years with classic-rock favorites, from the Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin and the Eagles. For those who like their rock ‘n’ roll with a dose of deejay, The World Famous Frank Show delivers on weekday mornings, or you can get your dose of semi-local-veteran-rocker-smartass on Nights With Alice…
Best Alternative Health Center
Getting stuck with needles never felt as good as it does at Tucson Community Acupuncture. Paying their sliding-scale rates even feels good—rates range from $25 to $45 for first-timers, and $15 to $35 for repeat visitors. The soothing atmosphere and practitioner’s gentle touch will put you in a zone so comfy that you’d never even…
Best Newly Opened Record Store
Opening just off of Fourth Avenue in March, Ancient Radio has an amazing selection of records, covering nearly every cool genre, from punk to avant-garde jazz. Vinyl is increasingly of the moment, appealing to music-lovers who enjoy the tangibility and the warm sound, so the store is a welcome addition to the retail landscape. However,…
Best Brunch
Blue Willow You’ll be eating your fruit with brunch at Blue Willow—because if you don’t, you’ll endure well-intentioned questioning looks from the wait staff. The beautiful patio is an ideal spot for noshing on healthier versions of your favorite brunch classics, though the Blue Willow special—with scrambled eggs, chicken, green chiles, tomatoes, chopped corn tortillas,…
Best Thai
There’s something on the menu at Char’s for everyone—even the Thai-food skeptic. You, dear Weekly readers, are enamored with this innocuous-looking strip-mall joint, awarding it with a nine-year winning streak in this category. With a vast vegetarian selection, generous portions, killer lunch deals and some seriously delicious tom ka gai, Char’s rarely disappoints. The food…
Masters of Illusion
SECRET IDENTITY: Roland Sarlot and Susan Eyed SECRET POWER: Masters of the mystic arts SECRET ORIGIN: On a dark and stormy night in Transylvania, Roland pondered his future. He withdrew from his pocket a charm he’d fashioned into a lens. The enchanted glass revealed the shape of a dancing woman who was working magic with…
Best Happy Hour
Lucky us! The happiest hour in Tucson happens at a restaurant with locations on both sides of town, so the good times are spread out a bit. Both Zona 78 locations rule the happy-hour scene with half-price appetizers and well drinks from 3 to 6 p.m. There are also plenty of discounts on wine, signature…
Best Nightclub
You wanna blow off some steam? Get a wiggle on, and bend an elbow at the bar. With drink specials every night of the week, there’s no need to be stingy at Club Congress. Paint your tonsils and make for the dance floor to get movin’ like a hen on a hot griddle. Between the…
Improv in Motion
A tangled string of glowing lights lies crumpled on the black floor, and is slowly lifted into the air by a contorted dancer’s slowly rising foot. The performers watch silently as violin notes swirl in an electro-loop that fades away into silence. “This is what looking looks like,” someone in the group says. “This is…
Best Tacos Gobernador
La Botana is not your average Mexican Restaurant. The food here is from all over Mexico, and therefore, seafood is in the picture. The best example of this tasty difference is the tacos gobernador: Tender shrimp is grilled to perfection (rumor has it with butter) and tossed with chiles, onions, garlic and cheese; it’s all…
Best Audience Interaction
This new downtown eatery has harnessed the power of Facebook for good. Or, more precisely, for delicious: Every so often, the folks at Hub have an online contest to choose a new ice cream flavor. The staff chooses some possibilities, posts them on Facebook, and lets the voting begin. The flavor with the most “likes”…
Junior Boys: It’s All True (Domino)
It’s easy to underestimate the pleasures of an album like It’s All True, which is content to just hang out doing its thing, trying not to bother anybody. “Kick the Can,” for instance, chugs along like the theme to a lost Atari game. Croaky voices repeat the title in staccato bursts. Boys breathe heavily at…
Best New No-Cover Entertainment Mecca
It’s been a bit more than a year since a new management team, headed by Joanne Schneider of Bentley’s fame, took over La Cocina. What began as a series of cosmetic changes to the courtyard and restaurant menu has mushroomed to the point where entertainment can be found there at least six nights a week—and…
Best Burrito
The idea of what the word “best” means in this context is important. Are the burritos at Nico’s the best-tasting in Tucson? Since everyone has their own preferred Mexican-food outlet, it would be tough to gain a true consensus. What Nico’s unquestionably has going for it are its incredibly convenient locations, late hours and burritos…
Best Antiques/Kitsch/Collectables
You can find Copper Country by looking for American flags, a plastic bison and some sort of boat on the roof. At 32,000 square feet, it is the largest antique/collectibles store in town, and it is open seven days a week. Anyone could wander for days in this store. Fortunately, there is a lovely bistro…
Best Fresh-Baked Bread
Beyond Bread offers mini-vacations. Where do you want to go? Italy? Get the ciabatta or focaccia; try some semolina bread; or toast up some garlic Italian, and drizzle it with olive oil. Paris? Mais oui! They make a great baguette. Israel? The challah is a mitzvah. California? Only real 1970s San Francisco hippies could make…
Best Organic Food Store
Sunflower avoids that “healthier-than-thou” atmosphere that sometimes pervades organic markets, making it a health-food store for super-vegans and mere mortals alike. Not only does it carry all of the shopping staples (often with healthy, earth-friendly and special-diet options), as well as a mouthwatering, front-and-center display of fresh produce; Sunflower also offers freshly ground coffee, and…
Best Video Games Store
With 11 locations around town and a 24-hour online shopping presence, GameStop is our city’s most-comprehensive gaming resource. While the big-box stores also offer video games, GameStop has a staff of dedicated gamers who know their stuff. GameStop sells new and used games, so you can find classics like Shadow of the Colossus along with…
Best Indoor Venue
From a Woodstock tribute concert to a show by Krishna Das, with hip hop, hardcore and documentary-film screenings in between, the historic Rialto Theatre offers a smorgasbord of entertainment. The smorgasbord is served up on theater seats that are actually comfortable, a rarity in modern America. Comfortable theater seats must come from that “historic” part,…
Best Film About a Defunct Radio Station
There isn’t much recordkeeping going on regarding Tucson’s media history. People, shows and stations disappear, and life goes on, with new memories overwriting the old ones. Thankfully, Randy Williams, better known as R Dub, curator of Slow Jams, decided to put together a remembrance of Power 1490, the station he worked at as a teenager.…
Best Chinese
No oil, no deep-frying, no MSG—no problem. Guilin Healthy Chinese Restaurant serves up its flavorful food without all the fattening fixings—unless, of course, you want it that way. That’s no problem, either. Just because Guilin’s dishes lack unnecessary grease and calories does not mean they lack taste. A single nibble of the spicy Mongolian chicken…
Best Tea Service
In a world of pandemonium and nagging deadlines, stress is a rampant villain. Fear not, fellow Tucsonans, for beneath a simple green awning on Sixth Street lies a not-so-secret portal into an alternate atmosphere. Schedule a Chinese tea ceremony with some of your loving cohorts. The experience is informative and enlightening. When flavorful aromas mingle…
Best Ensemble Performance
There are few joys more satisfying than seeing a theater production that delivers the whole package—a fearless script, thoughtful direction, sensitive performances and courageous emotional honesty on all levels. Thank you, Live Theatre Workshop, for your How I Learned to Drive. Holli Thenhaus and Keith Wick led the way with their heartbreaking portrayals in this…
Best Place for Chicks to Become Bike Know-It-Alls
OK, so the world of bike mechanics isn’t as intimidating to women as, say, the world of car mechanics. Or stealth-bomber mechanics. In fact, bikes are basically accessible to all. Still, working on bikes does involve some tools that some females aren’t masters of—for example, at the risk of perpetuating a stereotype, a lot of…
Best Source for Superhero Costumes
This place is a costumer’s hidden paradise. Anything too strange to sell at a regular Goodwill location ends up here—and that means COSTUMES! Thousands of pounds of clothing (and props) move through here every week. If you don’t know what form your superhero persona should take, come here, and be inspired. Here’s what turned up…
City Week
Transgender Q&A; Free poetry; Music goes green; Pirates!
Trouble in Tucson
Clark Lohr’s debut novel, Devil’s Kitchen, is a fast-paced, Southwestern-flavored mystery/noir that occasionally offers some fresh and interesting angles to the genre. However, it never carries these angles far enough to make the book feel wholly original, and Lohr can’t quite transcend the clichés inherent to mystery novels. Devil’s Kitchen tells a story of conspiracies…
Soundbites
Fall Ball and PHATfest; Neon Indian returns; Nicki Bluhm; and more!
Wild Flag: Wild Flag (Merge)
It’s so tempting to have the “riot grrrl” conversation when talking about Wild Flag’s debut—especially since the album is so steeped in that sound. It really does bear the mark of its makers’ past efforts. Many of these songs could be off a lost Sleater-Kinney album, and others resonate, if not with Helium’s dream-pop, then…
The Prankster
SECRET IDENTITY: Dick Tuck SECRET POWER: Able to cloud the minds and puncture the egos of politicians SECRET ORIGIN: After returning home from World War II, Dick Tuck joined a new fight: The battle against GOP politicians! Who knows what bad policy proposals lurk in the hearts of Republicans? The Prankster knows! THE REAL STORY:…
Best Chile Relleno
Battered, smothered in cheese and still somehow light as a feather, the chile relleno at Little Café Poca Cosa is amazing. Of course, in typical Poca Cosa fashion, the plate will be smothered in other tasty goodies as well—and you’d better eat those fruits and veggies, lest you endure a good scolding on the way…
Best Clothing Fashions (Locally Owned)
Do you like high-class boutiques—but dislike the snobby boutiques with the ugly stuff? Zoë Boutique on Fourth Avenue combines a fancy-designer, Rodeo Drive-like shop with a funky-hipster local art gallery, carrying exclusive brands by local designers and selling cool work by Tucson artists. (Check out the bullet jewelry from Tasha Sabatino’s Bird’s Nest brand.) If…
Best Barbecue
No barbecue magician wants to reveal all of his or her secrets, but we know this: The folks at Brushfire know how to give their ribs and brisket a good rub-down before they toss ’em in the smoker. The result is tender meats, rich in flavor, that are primed for a splash of any of…
Best Bookstore for Used Books
Many local booklovers would choose a Bookmans store to be a personal Batcave, if they could. Crammed wall-to-wall with a changing assortment of used books, CDs, movies, board games and bric-a-brac, Bookmans is heavily fortified against attacks of boredom. Go searching for a specific title, and you’ll find yourself on uncharted paths, discovering treasures you’d…
Best Video Store
Many methods now exist to deliver video images to your brain. You can get your fix via mail delivery, the ubiquitous Redbox, or your Internet connection (legally or otherwise). But nothing beats the pleasure of visiting a brick-and-mortar store owned by people in your community, and then stumbling across a DVD copy of the documentary,…
Best Annual Festival
Twice a year, traffic gets jammed up on Sixth Street, and parking around Fourth Avenue becomes a near-impossible feat as we welcome the iconic Fourth Avenue Street Fair, now in its 41st year. So, slap on your sunscreen and a hat (especially for the spring fair); nosh on some tasty street food; sip a cool…
Mr. Mythic
SECRET IDENTITY: Eric M. Esquivel, marketing specialist for Heroes and Villains by day; internationally published comics author by night SECRET POWER: Can traverse infinite universes at the drop of a pen SECRET ORIGIN: Startled by a thunderclap during a sudden monsoon, Eric M. Esquivel cut his finger on the edge of a piece of original…
Best Greek
The Greek gods of Olympus never got their own comic-book franchise, although some of them did get cameos in Thor, Marvel Comics’ take on Norse mythology. Opa! offers Greek food that is heavenly and never comic, although the flambé dishes, especially the flaming saganaki cheeseburger, have an entertainment value that matches their culinary appeal. Of…
Best Vietnamese
Vietnamese cuisine satisfies year-round. In the summer, drop your body temperature a few degrees with a plate of delicate spring rolls in chilled rice wrappers, and a brain-freezing fruit slush with coconut jelly or tapioca balls. In the winter, cozy up to a steaming bowl of pho or mi; both of these broth-based soups are…
Best Portrayal of a Cow
When the UA’s Arizona Repertory Theatre produced the grand Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods, the troupe created wonderfully imaginative characterizations. But it was Milky White, the cow of Jack (of beanstalk fame), who was from the get-go the “cow-acter” who grabbed your heart and wouldn’t let it go. Zachary Jamison donned an amazing costume…
Best Benefit for Wealthy Binge-Eaters to Attend
Got a big appetite for sweets and a chunk of change that you want to put toward a good cause (besides filling your belly, that is)? You can’t go wrong with Tucson’s own Eat More Pie! party and baking contest, an all-you-can-eat, vegan-friendly pie gathering held every spring since 2003. Here’s how it works: Bakers…
Best Nifty. Thrifty Duds
Never mind diamonds; Savers is a girl’s best friend. Heck, even guys like this ultimate thrift shop, thanks to its vast variety and delectable prices. Spend $100 at most department stores, and you’ll typically get a pair of jeans. Spend $100 at Savers, and you can get jeans, a couple of sundresses, a few snazzy…
Best Desert Drive
When you’ve had enough and need a quick escape, there’s nothing like this drive to remind you of what really matters. (Just remember to bring water!) Take Speedway Boulevard west to Tucson Mountain Park, and you are instantly surrounded by saguaro, ironwood, ocotillo, mesquite, jojoba and prickly pear. Go over Gates Pass (while feeling appropriately…
Best Raspados
Raspados are shave-ice treats with syrup—and, no, they’re not like a sno-cone! The syrups are naturally flavored and colored, and the ice is shaved and fluffy, not granular and pebbly. From that simple start, things get infinitely more complicated. You get to compose your own combination of flavors and textures, like the way an expert…
Best Shawarma
Is it really possible for a humble place like this to put out amazingly tasty food? The answer is a resounding yes! The food here is Somalian, which means it includes influences from all over the world. And while the sabusas, pilafs, goat curry and kabobs are all quite wonderful, it’s the chicken shawarma that…
Bam Bina
SECRET ORIGIN: Brooke Lo Turco was just an ordinary girl who snuck into a lab on a dare to skate around a particle accelerator. Little did she realize she’d be belted by gamma rays when the accelerator started up! When she emerged from the lab, the 4-foot-9-inch Italian mamacita discovered that she had developed a…
Editor’s Note
I set out to become a journalist back when I was but a wee lad because I wanted to become a sportswriter. Yes, a sportswriter: I love sports, but have no athletic talent. (If it were possible to have negative athletic talent, I would; ask my former city-league softball teammates. They’ll tell ya.) But I…
Best Empanadas
Empanadas have been a Southwestern/Mexican delight since before Arizona was a territory. A combination breakfast/dessert pastry, these fruit-filled gems have long been a staple of the informal breakfast meeting around here, easily outclassing the doughnut. That’s why it’s nothing short of amazing that two blonde gringas have redefined the notion of what an empanada can…
Best Day Spa
The magic of Gadabout is that you feel like a million bucks the moment you walk through the door at any location. Customer service is key in this industry, and as Weekly readers have made it clear year after year, Gadabout is tops in whisking you away to another world by using state-of-the-art nail and…
Best Burger
Tucson burger joints run the gamut from greasy dives to high-class establishments, and regarding the latter, Zinburger proves that burgers can keep it classy—and still be tasty. In fact, you can go totally off the wall with the burgers here, moving from Kobe beef, to turkey, to a veggie patty to ahi tuna. Top the…
Best Gym
Gold’s Gym is famous for turning out muscleheads—the original Venice Beach location, opened by Joe Gold in 1976, was called “The Mecca of Bodybuilding.” Today, with more than 600 U.S. locations, Gold’s is a gym for everybody, offering a wide variety of classes, weightlifting and calorie-burning machines, personal trainers (male and female), a pool and…
Best Birthday Party Place
The pizza might be tasty—and the word “pizza” is part of Peter Piper Pizza’s name—but the pie is an afterthought when kids get a glimpse of all of the other stuff around the place. Every imaginable game or plaything that dings, dongs, sings, buzzes, flashes or otherwise makes lots of noise packs the floor; kids…
Best Auto Repair
Buck Rogers is an imaginary space-age superhero who saved the day for imaginary people. Buck’s Automotive is a real automotive shop that’s saved the day for Tucson motorists since 1978. Buck Rogers used his ray gun to keep enemies at bay. Buck’s Automotive uses old-fashioned elbow grease to keep breakdowns on the run. Buck Rogers…
Best Buffet
Did your mom ever tell you that if you wanted to be like Superman or Superwoman, you had to eat all of your vegetables? It’s partly true: Produce may not help you lift a car with your bare hands or detect evil through your Spidey-sense, but eating lots of it will infuse your body with…
Best Vegetarian/Vegan
Lovin’ Spoonfuls has once again convinced Weekly readers that the restaurant’s version of vegetarian fare is the best Tucson has to offer. The people there take traditional comfort foods, subtract the animal products, and replace them with tasty vegan alternatives—meaning a healthier version of the meal is born. The food is delicious; the portions are…
Best Indication That Something Fishy Is Going On
You’ve driven by them a zillion times, with your car stereo thumping as you text away instead of watching the road. There, in the wash, it’s a bird, it’s a plane—no! It’s the rare “Sand Trout.” Backs arched, silvery skin glistening in the hot summer sun, these incredibly rare fish are highly adapted to our…
Best Lowbrow Bar Ambiance
The Buffet (or “the Buff,” as some longtime patrons refer to it) is a Tucson institution. Old timers may recall the old Manhattan and the Esquire bars, scary establishments demolished and replaced lo these many years ago by, of all things, a bus station. The Buffet is a little more upscale than they ever were,…
Best Random Geegaws
It’s tough to say which is more fun at Desert Dust: walking in, or walking out. Walking in, you get the thrill of never knowing what kind of treasure you’ll find, and the joy of discovering treasures you never even imagined existed. Walking out, you get the thrill of the treasures tucked neatly beneath your…
Best Time of the Year
It’s hot. Screw that whole dry-heat thing. You’ve sweated through April, May, June and all of your clothes. There’s no escape. The sky is white, washed out. You fart dust. Your eyelids scrape across your glazed, desiccated eyeballs. Beer has no effect—it’s like drinking water. Imitating a lizard, you scamper pathetically from one shady spot…
Best Up-and-Coming Sonoran Treat
Remember back in the early ’90s, when you’d never heard of a Sonoran hot dog, and you read about them in Best of Tucson® staff picks? Now we have a whole official voting category devoted to them. As always, you heard it here first. So, psssst! Listen up: The next botana riquisima you never heard…
Best Cafe Reinvention
This shop on Broadway Boulevard has gone through what psychologists would call a typical adolescent identity crisis. Sure, it’s kept its original name, but it’s been handed over to different people at least twice in the last few years. First, it was a hip place with tasty scones. Then it was taken over by the…
Danehy
Former University of Arizona basketball star Steve Kerr was playing for the Chicago Bulls when, one night, his teammate, the legendary Michael Jordan, went off for 50 points. Kerr managed to throw in a couple of shots as well. After the game, Kerr told reporters that he looked forward to telling his grandkids about the…
Best Fish Tacos
Rubio’s has now won this honor three years in a row thanks to the restaurant’s famous fish tacos. Let the savory taste of the ocean come to life as you sink your teeth into a tasty beer-battered fish taco. Feel free to make it a meal with beans and chips, or black beans and rice.…
Best Florist
It’s a safe bet that Swamp Thing never set foot in Mayfield Florist. But as a protector of the environment, we’re sure he would appreciate Mayfield’s beautiful and creative use of plants and flowers. Since 1982, Mayfield Florist has been beautifying our offices, hospital rooms and homes with colorful and earthy arrangements. Many Tucsonans have…
Best Veggie Burger
A veggie burger at an otherwise-not-so-veggie-friendly establishment is usually a not-so-tasty afterthought. But never fear! The veggie burger has been perfected, and Lovin’ Spoonfuls has once again proven that when it comes to the cruelty-free version of this American standard, their burgers are best. The-most popular variety is the Route 66 bacon cheeseburger, containing the…
Best Comics/Games Shop
For the third year in a row, the magnanimous folks at Heroes and Villains are your Best of Tucson® comics/games superheroes. They champion the special days—including Free Comic Book Day, Black Friday and even your birthday! Collect Hero Bucks, and get great deals on special merchandise. Make new friends during Magic: The Gathering or HeroClix…
Best Catered-to-Kids Restaurant
Considering the generous amounts of pizza, the rides—including a carousel and a small rollercoaster—the buzz and flash of the arcade-style games, and the tempting possibility of scoring enough tickets to get that one awesome prize, there’s no denying that Peter Piper Pizza caters to kids in every way. If you’ve got a birthday party to…
Best Local Performing Artist
Look, Billy, what’s that in the sky? Is it a blimp? A flock of cactus wrens? Look, they’re heading for that stage over there, and what’s that sound? Could it be the sweet timbre of rock infused with mariachi? It must be Super Calexico, Tucson’s very own captains and protectors of local music! Watch as…
Best Summer All-You-Can-Play Special
It’s 3 o’clock on a blazing July afternoon in the Old Pueblo. The sun is still tauntingly high in the sky, and the clouds building off to the south have amped up the humidity—but almost certainly won’t bring any actual relief in the way of rain. What’s a real Tucsonan to do? Why, get out,…
Best Local Coffee Roaster
This is no ordinary coffee, and this is not your ordinary roaster. This is Raging Sage, a family-owned hot spot. (It was so hot this summer that the roof caught fire at one point, but all is well now.) These are folks serious about their beans, their growers and their environmental integrity. Their actual roaster—something…
Best Upscale Cuisine
Janos and its more-casual sister restaurant, J Bar, are a local point of pride; they’re both great places to take visitors when you want to show off, or if you want to spend a romantic evening with that significant other. While the menu is most definitely upscale on the Janos side, the prices on the…
Best-Tasting Local Brew
You’d be hard-pressed to find a better beer for Tucson’s sweltering days than Nimbus Brewing Company’s Dirty Guera, a blonde ale made with mesquite honey from hives down in Bisbee. But that’s just one of the many fine brews crafted at the warehouse brewery on East 44th Street, which has earned a nearly religious following…
Best Neutral Ground
This is one of those holy places where people with polar-opposite politics meet in peace. Whether you’re a tree-hugging, dirt-worshipping, bird-watching environmentalist looking for a field guide for your next elegant trogon search in Sycamore Canyon, or a weekend-warrior Minuteman border vigilante looking for a camo suit for your next immigrant search in Sycamore Canyon,…
Best Place to Buy Fashionable (and Practical) Eyewear
In 1961, when Marvel Comics introduced the Fantastic Four, Alvernon Optical opened. Styles have changed since the ’60s, but at Alvernon, you don’t have to settle for the plain frames worn by Diana Prince (Wonder Woman) and Clark Kent. Choose from stylish brands such as Dior, Armani, Fendi and Guess, or go retro with Ray-Ban…
TQ&A
When BMX riders asked city officials in 2009 to let them occasionally use the new Santa Rita skate park, they were continually told no, despite the fact that other skate parks around the country were opening to BMX users. This summer, Ian Abbott and a group of friends and volunteers decided it was time to…
Top Ten in Books
1. Feel-Bad Education: And Other Contrarian Essays on Children and Schooling Alfie Kohn, Beacon ($15) 2. The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer Siddhartha Mukherjee, Scribner ($18) 3. Unlikely Friendships: 47 Remarkable Stories From the Animal Kingdom Jennifer Holland, Workman ($13.95) 4. Man in the Woods Scott Spencer, Ecco ($14.99) 5. The Help…
Best Make-Believe BLT
Once upon a time, the Food Conspiracy Co-op had a huge second store with a super-size deli and sandwich bar. The store was a financial mess, but a key lesson was learned: A deli and sandwich section can be mighty popular. Eventually, they got things together at the original store, and from the outset, it…
Best Anything-Goes Bar
Besides having one of the best bar names known to mankind, this hangout seems to attract different groups for different reasons. You’ll see a good number of tattooed rockabilly types, tough chicks and punk rockers, in addition to the other wild and wooly denizens of Fourth Avenue. Concerts are frequent, with lots of local acts…
Messina
It’s a nondescript building near the intersection of Columbus and Speedway boulevards, but don’t be fooled by its exterior. Within its walls, there’s a special blend of nostalgia and community pride, all wrapped up in shiny bags. This is where Tucsonans have been purchasing locally made popcorn for years—Uncle Bob’s Popcorn. As the history goes,…
Best Guacamole
The person who banished guacamole into the “appetizer” realm clearly never stepped into the Guadalajara Grill. While the Mexican restaurant offers a host of delicious foods, there is something special about the fresh homemade guacamole that lets you know it can stand on its own as a meal. On a hot desert day, the sweet…
Best Goth/Leather Shop
Curious how Wonder Woman is able to save the world in that barely-there ensemble? Thanks to Hydra, you can give a similar costume a whirl. Are you more of a brooding, dark-overlord type? Again, Hydra has you covered. From fantasy and role-play clothes to clubbing threads, this downtown mainstay for extreme fashion will have you…
Best Sandwich
Shortly before his death, Warren Zevon told David Letterman that the life lesson he had learned best was to “enjoy every sandwich.” Seriously. Primarily, that’s what people who frequent Beyond Bread do. With so many combinations and possibilities to choose from, one has to be strategic in deciding how to attack the menu before getting…
Best Local Activist/Advocacy Group
For eight years running, Tucson Weekly readers have picked Wingspan as the city’s best activist/advocacy group, for providing the LGBT community with outreach and social-service programs that bring families together, help LGBT youth, offer support to transgender men and women, and prevent violence. This past year, the organization took the lead in calling attention to…
Best Public Servant
In every other year, voting in this Best of Tucson® category has been close. This year, Gabrielle Giffords won overwhelmingly. Even if we weren’t still grieving the events of Jan. 8, Gabby Giffords would be a deserving of this honor. As a moderate “blue dog” Democrat, she’s made it clear that her legacy would never…
Best Bowling Alley
If the Dude didn’t smoke so much pot, surely he would meet up with Donny and Walter for Lucky’s Friday “Breakfast and Bowl” at 9 a.m. For $4.50, you bowl two games over bacon, eggs and toast. Bowling leagues are there, too, and for those who think bowling should be accompanied by the devil’s music,…
Best Beach Volleyball Leagues
Beach volleyball offers a killer workout. It’s volleyball … but you’re running in sand! The Tucson Racquet and Fitness Club has three lighted beach (sand) courts and runs Thursday-night leagues year-round. The club holds a huge tournament on Labor Day weekend and a mixed-doubles tournament later in September. Call Mark Swenson at ext. 345 for…
Best French
For the true Francophile—and for anyone who wants a tasty meal or some amazing fresh-baked bread—Ghini’s French Caffe is a happening hot spot for breakfast, lunch, Sunday brunch or just a midday drink. Using deliciously fresh ingredients, Ghini’s serves up French classics (croquet monsieur, anyone?) as well as more American-style dishes. The hot-buttered apple-rum and…
Best Outdoor Seating
It’s customary to share the outdoor seating area at the Tohono Chul Park Tea Room with hummingbirds and butterflies, but don’t worry; these wild dining companions always mind their manners. Surrounded by star jasmine and golden columbine, and shaded by towering Mediterranean pines, the lush patio area is the picture-perfect setting to enjoy the restaurant’s…
Best Guerilla Bluegrass
A sighting of this band is only slightly less rare than spotting a “Sand Trout,” but if you ever get the chance, see ’em. These guys are funny. These guys are good. These guys are old! For more than 30 years, this group—consisting of a doctor, a biologist, an anthropologist and a couple of other…
Best Arboretum Hidden in Plain Sight
The university campus is actually one vast arboretum, with lots of peculiar, fragrant and beautiful plants. Here are some greatest hits: Download a podcast guide to the dreamy 110-year-old olive walk along the west edge of campus. Wait for March, and walk the arching green tunnel of sour-orange trees in swoony fragrant bloom, just east…
Best Place to Get a Makeover
While all ladies can’t have the beautiful blue eyes of Wonder Woman (Lynda Carter) or the luscious lips of Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer), we can learn which makeup and colors bring out our best features. Step into a Merle Norman studio—independently and locally owned—and your beauty consultant will introduce you to the “the ultimate beauty playground.”…
Best Place to Play in the Mud
The opportunity to be elbow-deep in mud together is a rare family adventure—unless, of course, you take a family class at the Tucson Clay Co-op, where the motto could be, “The family that throws together, grows together.” When you get into the car to go home, you’ll bond further by pointing out the dried clay…
Best Tarascan Tacos
While the competition is less than fierce, La Indita kicks major superhero butt in this category. From the restaurant’s Michoacán Tarascan Indian heritage come Tarascan tacos—made of thick corn masa and sealed in a half-moon shape, before being lightly pan-fried. The texture is soft and fluffy, but with a slight crispiness. Inside, the tacos are…
Best Portobello Burger
One of three “healthy burgers” on the Pita Jungle menu, the grilled portobello mushroom burger is huge, which is important, because once you start eating, you won’t want to stop. This perfectly grilled and marinated mushroom is joined by a roasted red bell pepper; mixed greens, tomatoes and onions; and then served on a whole-wheat…
Mailbag
An actual “thank you” from a reader; Comments from TucsonWeekly.com; and a clarification
Best Huevos Rancheros
There are a lot of versions of huevos rancheros out there, even though it’s such a simple dish—and some of those versions are pretty mediocre. But Teresa’s Mosaic Café does it just right—with fried eggs, corn tortillas and a tomato-and-onion sauce that perfectly complements the other ingredients. Served with refried or black beans and fresh-made…
Best Hair Salon
Gadabout SalonSpas has now held the top spot in the Best Hair Salon category for six years in a row! This posh salon literally has a menu of offerings. On the women’s side, the menu has this to say about hair-coloring options: “The Gadabout design team is continually re-thinking traditional color techniques and creating seasonal…
Best Sonoran Hot Dogs
You know you’ve attained a certain level of success when some bozo tries to threaten you when he thinks you’ve invaded his territory. So many folks have been craving El Güero Canelo’s take on Sonoran hot dogs—plump, juicy franks nestled with bacon, tomatoes, mayonnaise, beans, mustard, grilled onions and jalapeño sauce in the softest, sweetest…
Best Pet Supplies Store
True story: A couple of years back, Tucson Weekly’s midtown bureau welcomed Wilco (the Dog) to the team. Wilco had a bit of a wild streak, but since completing her undergrad and graduate degrees at PetSmart’s weekly classes, she’s become quite the well-behaved newshound. (Well, except for that time last week when she snatched that…
Best Sex Toy Shop
Faster than a pocket rocket. More powerful than an 18-inch dildo. Able to get you off in a single thrust. Look! It’s a sex toy! It’s a shop! It’s Fascinations! Fly on by to shop for all of your sexual needs. The employees are sweet as cherry pie and will help you find exactly what…
Best Movie Theater
The Loft Cinema, a perennial Best of Tucson® winner, is Tucson’s collective Fortress of Solitude. Nothing beats letting the darkness of this gracefully funky movie theater surround you, knowing that your fellow patrons share your love of unique and quirky films, far removed from the mainstream simplicity of the multiplexes. While the nonprofit Loft cherishes…
Best Outdoor Aesthetic Spectacle That is Not Art
Ever wonder where airplanes go to die? Lots of them go to Tucson, since our dry, clear and (relatively) smog-less climate minimizes corrosion. If you want to see these resting airplanes, head over to the east side of the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (there’s a ramada to sit at on Escalante Road), and prepare to…
Best Indian
Saffron somehow finds the perfect balance between the best of the old and the best of the new. The room looks like it was painted with the golden spices found in the kitchen, seeing as it is bright, warm and welcoming. Service is friendly and knowledgeable. Dishes can be made at whatever heat level is…
Best Bulk Tea Selection
One can sip tea from 1,000 cups, but a Tucson tea education has not commenced without a visit to Seven Cups. The first American tea-trading company to receive its own Chinese trading license, this shop sends representatives to broker deals with actual tea farmers and bring back one of the most interesting arrays of bulk…
Best Dance Production
The finale of this professional ballet troupe’s 25th season, Swan Lake was a gorgeous and entertaining rendition of the classic good-girl/bad-girl story. Following Natalie Portman’s Oscar-winning role in Black Swan, the company’s prima ballerina, Jenna Johnson, beautifully danced the virginal White Swan and the naughty Black. Stuart Lauer made a wonderfully wicked Rothbart, and he…
Best New Tucson-Related Space Mission
The crew at the UA Lunar and Planetary Lab, which has done more space exploration than anyone this side of Green Lantern, has a new mission: Fly a robot lab next to near-Earth asteroid 1999 RQ36, and take pictures for a year and half before sliding up to give the rock a peck on the…
Diva of Disguise
SECRET IDENTITY: Shana Nunez SECRET POWER: Dressing the actors and actresses of Tucson theater SECRET ORIGIN: While attending a radiology demonstration, mild-mannered seamstress Shana Nunez was bitten by a silkworm which had been exposed to radioactive rays. Through a miracle of science, Nunez soon found that she had gained the power to control any kind…
Best Place to Show Your Kids Where Food Comes From
It’s less than a two-hour drive from Tucson, which makes a trip out to Apple Annie’s Orchard a fun and easy excursion. You can go out into the orchards and pick apples, pears and peaches together; in the late summer and early fall, there’s a pumpkin patch. But don’t just stay at Apple Annie’s and…
Full Throttle
Ryan Gosling plays a quietly charming yet crazy bastard in director Nicolas Winding Refn’s alternately hypnotic and unnerving Drive. The film is one of the year’s greatest stylistic triumphs, and further establishes Gosling as one of the best talents putting his pretty face in front of cameras for a living. Gosling plays Driver; we never…
Best Non-Mexican Meal on Wheels
While the food-truck craze sweeps the nation, most of our mobile-lunch options in Tucson are limited to tacos and hot dogs … or at least that was the case until Planet of the Crepes swooped in and saved lunch! Relocating from a Mount Lemmon summer spot, the food truck has been serving up something a…
Best Sound Engineering
If there’s one thing that matters above all else at a live show (beyond the band, of course), it’s what goes on in the nondescript booth in the back. The sound engineering, when done well, barely registers on the average concert-goer’s radar. This is why sound engineers are the unsung heroes of the phenomenon that…
Guest Commentary
In the beginning, there was the word, and the word was “stadium.” Many moons ago, in the municipal-government firmament, someone figured out a way to build a stadium at no cost to the municipality. It was called “TIF,” and they saw that it was good. TIF stands for tax-increment financing. In this type of legislation,…
Best Menudo
Menudo is like kryptonite to some people—they buckle at the knees and avoid it like the plague. Too bad for them. Yeah, there’s a lot of bad menudo out there, but when it’s done right, it’s exquisite. And Teresa’s Mosaic Café, a long-time Mexican foodie destination on the westside, does it right. You can get…
Best Home Furnishings
Admit it: The last time you saw Bruce Wayne’s pad, were you a little jealous of the décor. Well, then head to Copenhagen to modernize your digs. In the spacious, glistening showroom, you will be knocked out by the stunning selection of stylish, clean, classic and modern furnishings for every room. Browse luxury accessories, like…
Best Tamale
Delaney is working the counter at the Tucson Tamale Company when she hands over a couple of packs of New Delhi and Berkeley tamales. She asks us: “So you like the vegan ones?” Vegan? We don’t care about that—we just think they’re the best damn tamales we’ve ever tasted! If Mr. Fantastic set out to…
Best Country Music Station
It’s as inevitable as a superhero ultimately defeating his or her nemesis that KIIM Country will win this category. With 1.2 gigawatts of reach and no substantial competition, the station is pretty much all-powerful and invincible; that’s why KIIM has dominated the country listings for more than a decade. Anyone wanting to challenge KIIM’s dominance…
Best Clothing Store
While a Spider-Man suit and a Superman cape might be OK for Halloween, moms and dads have relied on Lil’ Traders since 1988 to outfit their kids on the other 364 days of the year. Back in 1988, the store was known as Buffalo Kids. Even though the years have passed, the store’s philosophy of…
Best Mural
Like a latter-day Jack Kirby, muralist Joe Pagac creates senses-shattering images regarding the bands headed to downtown’s Rialto Theatre. (It goes without saying that we’re glad all of that legal trouble over the murals has been worked out with the city of Tucson.) Pagac works like The Flash, knocking out massive portraits of musicians in…
Best Place to Dance
One-dollar vodka cocktails? Admission that’s $3—or free? Hundreds of your sweaty friends shaking their boo-tays? Sounds like you’re at Optimist Club, a Thursday-night dance-party extravaganza at Club Congress. If you can’t make it on Thursday night, don’t worry: There more opportunities to get your groove on. Stop by on Monday night for Retro-Lution with DJ…
Best Italian
If you’re looking for high-class dining, five-star service and fantastic food, you really can’t do much better then Vivace. Where else can you get breaded prime pork tenderloin and stuffed mushrooms with parmigiano cheese? Or maybe you’re in the mood for a fruity Napoleon or a creamy molten-chocolate cake. Since 1993, Vivace has been living…
Best Late-Night Eats
“Open 24/7” pretty much sums it up Grill—plus it’s downtown, baby. Others come and go; yet others tear down historic buildings and then split. Meanwhile, Grill has been here, in one form or another since the 1920s. The adjacent Red Room offers live music most nights of the week to accompany your creamy-pesto-dipped-tot nosh. Like…
Best Wild Art Show
The brothers de la Torre opened Tucson’s celebration of glass art with a museum-size carnival of insanely creative art: a spinning glass Ferris wheel with a human heart impaled on every spoke; a cheerfully erect glass penis; a Virgin of Guadalupe simplified into a giant life-giving vagina; a border-crossing migrant crucified on a glass saguaro.…
Best Way to Learn About Science
You might never get as smart as Lex Luthor, but you’ll still feel like a genius after attending one of the UA College of Science’s Tuesday-night lectures. Each week in the spring, a different scientist takes the stage at UA Centennial Hall, explaining to the full house, for example, how perception works in our brains,…
Best Book Festival (Duh)
Each year, the Tucson Festival of Books brings in hundreds of authors from near and far. The number of choices for attendees—of tents to visit, of authors to see, and, of course, of books to read—is wonderfully overwhelming. Thanks to oodles of volunteers, the festival is always a good time, with food, live music and…
Best Way to Get Your Kids to Listen
Pull into the parking lot of Don’s Hot Rod Shop at 2811 N. Stone Ave. Introduce your children to Tall Paul, the 20-foot-tall, bearded behemoth, aka Glenn Stone. Admire how he shines, this newly renovated Logger Prince of Tucson, with his flap-front jeans a dark blue, and with him finally reunited with his faithful sidekick,…
Best Paletas
Tired of the regular popsicles from the grocery store? Want to suck on something with substance? (All right, get your minds out of the gutter.) We’re talking about paletas, or Mexican popsicles. The Mexican state of Michoacán is famous for paletas, so it’s no wonder that the treats at this Tucson establishment with the state’s…
Top Ten in Music
1. Anthrax Worship Music (Megaforce) 2. Lil Wayne Tha Carter IV (Cash Money) 3. Thor (DVD) Paramount 4. Dream Theater A Dramatic Turn of Events (Roadrunner) 5. Primus Green Naugahyde (ATO/RED) 6. LMFAO Sorry for Party Rocking (Interscope) 7. Black Veil Brides Set the World on Fire (Lava/Republic) 8. Adele 21 (Columbia) 9. Foster the…
Talking Trash
Fiorello LaGuardia, the Depression-era New York mayor, once opined that there was no Democratic or Republican way to pick up the garbage. But in Tucson’s City Council races, there is a major split between the parties on trash collection: The Democrats want to keep the current schedule of picking up garbage and recycling once a…
What to Listen to Wednesday (Part One of Two)
By suggestion, instead of flooding everyone with nearly a dozen songs all at once, we’re going to break this feature into smaller, more digestible parts. So, today, four songs. Tomorrow, even though it won’t be Wednesday, five more songs. If you liked it the old way, let me know. Still, great music, presented for your…
