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Sarah and The Great Schlep
The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo. Once again, Sarah Silverman insults everyone, but if she can convince someone to work on their grandparents in Florida (or Arizona), I’m all for it. We took the husband’s 95-year-old Aunt Doris to Canter’s for lunch. She promised she is voting Obama. See, it works–and all…
When Will Kenley Finally Go?!?
Will today be the day that Project Runway’s Kenley finally goes? She should have left two shows ago. I’m tired of her cry-baby antics, the way she laughs when fellow designers are being judged, her same-old ’50s style designs and her defensive attitude when she’s getting a critique. I liked her at first–but now, Mari…
Roads Into Saguaro Ranch Remain Open
Despite what the morning daily reported in late August, the public still has access rights to a road that goes through the luxury Saguaro Ranch development in the Tortolita Mountains. The dirt road is an extension of Thornydale Road that goes up a hill and is legally recorded as a public easement by the county.…
McCain’s Never Looked Better
Photographer Jill Greenberg is facing death threats and some heavy-handed criticism for some photos she doctored of pictures she took of McCain and posted on her Website. Greenberg was hired by The Atlantic Monthly to photograph him for an October 2008 cover, but because she retains the copyright to all her photographs, it didn’t take…
Revealed: McCain’s Voicemail to Palin!
This is one of the funniest things I’ve heard in a while.
Not Everyone in Alaska Loves Her
Someone e-mailed pictures to me of a anti-Sarah Palin rally held in Anchorage on Sept. 13, the same day others in Anchorage held a Welcome Back Sarah Rally. Evidently, there were more at the anti-Sarah rally than the other. Then I found this interesting blog at laurainak.blogspot.com that has some interesting insights from a woman…
Palien Alien
Some people believe there already exists an alien race on this planet, consisting of people who actually look like lizard people. Although we regular humans can’t tell. Instead we just see our boss, the nice but sometimes grumpy neighbor, or that odd kid who makes your dog bark more than usual when he passes the…
The Skinny
SLICK POLITICS As the economy was careening toward a historic collapse last week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 236-189 on an energy bill that allows offshore drilling 100 miles from the nation’s coasts. (The drill rigs could be within 50 miles of a state’s beaches if it’s OK with the state.) The bill also…
Live
Black Diamond Heavies, Tom Walbank, and Chris Black at Plush, Friday, Sept. 19
Best Indoor Venue
Don’t be fooled: The Rialto isn’t just the best indoor venue in Tucson. The Rialto is the best church, mosque, synagogue or whatever house of worship you need–that’s the Rialto. Are you ready to get close to the Creator? Are you ready to sweat out the devil? Are you ready to let the holy spirit…
Best Delicatessen
We’d like to tell you exactly the same things we’ve told you over the last several years when Feig’s was voted Best Delicatessen–for example, we’d like to mention the delicious corn beef, latkes, matzo-ball soup, whitefish and noodle kugel. But Feig’s, dear readers, closed in early June. However, take heart: The space at 5071 E.…
Best Smoothie
The secret behind Xoom Juice’s smoothies is simplicity: All that’s in that 24-ounce cup of frozen goodness is fruit, juice, yogurt and ice–and vitamins and protein and good, old-fashioned, natural nourishment. You’ll have a really hard time finding a better smoothie, even outside of Tucson’s sprawling city limits. Choose from Xoom’s plentiful and creative menu…
Best Local TV Newscast
KVOA Channel 4 goes for a mad “news in the afternoon” power bloc. They start at 4 p.m. with some of the lighter fare; it whets your appetite. KVOA reels you in with weddings on biplanes–and then hits you with the harder news, about crime and how your retirement plan could be in danger. (Your…
Best Auto Repair
Buck’s is a full-service automobile-repair facility. All mechanics are ASE master technicians, and Buck’s will repair any vehicle. Call and make an appointment during business hours (7 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekdays). If the situation is dire, they can tow your vehicle to the shop, conveniently located a little south of River Road on First…
Best Playground
The playground equipment at Reid Park includes cool submarine-style passageways, twisting slides, fire poles and sky-reaching swing sets, with the extra bonus of acres of green grass and strolling ducks. And, if your kid falls–and your kid will fall (that’s what kids do)–several layers of soft woodchips and some bouncy outdoor foam floors are there…
Best Recreation Area in Southern Arizona
After two years on the mend from torrential floods, Sabino Canyon is once again ready for visitors. The washed out road has been rebuilt, patched and paved all the way up to the end of the line to make way for eager walkers, picnickers and shuttle riders. For the more adventurous, the hiking trails of…
Best Indian
Indian food is one of those cuisines that most of us just can’t cook at home. Few of us can get it right, and the gulf between tandoori or tikka saag cooked right and those dishes cooked from a jar is wide, to say the least. Luckily, Tucsonans who love naan more than tortillas can…
Best Japanese
Before Yoshimatsu, Japanese food in Tucson was relegated to tempura this and teriyaki that. Then along came Yoshimatsu, bearing a new breed of Japanese fare billing itself as healthy, with more vegetables and no MSG. Try any of the bento boxes, the steaming udon noodle soups, the Japanese pizzas or the ice cream smoothies. Yoshimatsu…
Best Gluten-Free Chain Restaurant
Many longtime vegetarians remember how it was when no restaurants knew how to deal with vegetarianism. While that scene has certainly changed, for those who have celiac disease or any degree of gluten intolerance, to quote Yogi Berra (and John Fogarty), “It’s like déjà vu all over again.” Ask a restaurant server, “What’s gluten free?”…
Best Fashions (Locally Owned)
The colorful sun in Maya Palace’s logo is a prelude to what you’ll find in the store. Bright, colorful clothing is standard, all with a variety of fabrics and textures. This is the place to create a fashion statement or buy a party dress that will wow your date. Popular lines include Tianello, Anna Konya…
Best Toy Store for Millionaires
If we won the lottery, this is where we’d go to blow some dough. Hi-Speed’s combination showroom/hotrod garage combines high style with old-school grease-monkey wisdom. Bring in that old DeSoto from Aunt Thelma’s backyard, and have them cherry it out for you, or buy one of their finished creampuffs off the floor. (Our first choice?…
Best Beer Selection on Tap
There are certainly a lot of beers to be had here. From American piss-brew standards to the standard foreign assortment to a variety of craft and microbrew beers, Old Chicago has got its barley and hops going on. There are screens aplenty at Old Chicago, and you can rest assured that the game will be…
Best Anarchist Collective
Anarchy may have gone out of style with the passing of St. Joe Strummer, but here in Tucson, there are still a few flying the black flag. What they do is kind of a mystery. We know they take camping trips, practice consensus decision-making and, mainly, facilitate a space called Dry River. Dry River commandeered…
Scramblewatch
UPS AND DOWNS Last week started out with the stock market tanking and Republican John McCain assuring us that “the fundamentals of the American economy are strong.” Once Team McCain realized that quote made him sound too much like Herbert Hoover, the Arizona senator told the press that by “fundamentals,” he meant American workers. The…
Rhythm & Views
If more raucous Celtic groups come on like the strident peal of Louis Armstrong’s trumpet when he led the Hot Fives and Sevens, the sound created by fiddle-and-guitar duo Hayes and Cahill is more akin to that of Miles Davis’ trademark muted melancholy during his cool jazz period. Which isn’t to say that these guys’…
Best Movie Theater
Beer-drinking, pizza-eating and movie-watching are a few of our favorite games, for sure, and all can be played at the Loft Cinema. The nonprofit arts organization that runs the landmark theater on Speedway Boulevard books thoughtful and entertaining films (mutually exclusive concepts at most movie mansions these days), showing not only the best of today’s…
Best Burger
If you want to be a winner, you’d better excel at the fundamentals. That’s what they do at In-n-Out. When you look at the menu board, you’ll see burgers, fries and drinks, and that’s it–no fancy salads or desserts here. The In-n-Out folks do burgers, and they do them well. That’s not to say that…
Best Lemonade
There are many good reasons to like Bentley’s. The anti-Starbucks, it is a homegrown institution. Bentley’s also had the audacity and vision to ban smoking almost 15 years before it became fashionable (and then mandatory). But for all of Bentley’s good karma and designer coffee drinks, it is the lemonade–a perfect blend of refreshing sweet…
Best Pop Music Station
Powered by the performance-enhancing magic of “the clear”–its corporate owner, Clear Channel Communications, that is–KRQ has once again edged out the competition. Serving up candy-coated American Idol graduates, sugary Disney-stamped megastars and the occasional crossover like Lil Wayne and his dirty, dirty “Lollipop,” KRQ’s Top 40 rotation is both reliable and ever-changing. With morning shows,…
Best Car Wash
The four Capin Car Care Center locations in the Old Pueblo are much more than mere car washes. As the name implies, the good folks at Capin are caregivers: They know you love your vehicle, and they treat it accordingly. Choose from one of several packages, and have your baby cleaned from top to bottom,…
Best Toy Store
Imagine being 4 feet tall and suddenly entering an enormous space full of towering aisles stocked with everything your heart could possibly desire. Yes, that’s what it’s like for your kids every time you bring them to Toys “R” Us. It may be a big-box store, but all those big boxes hold things held precious…
Best Backpacking Trail (TIE)
What if the Santa Catalinas were suddenly declared off-limits, and the entire population was forced to swelter down here in the basin without access to the cooling heights of the great green island in the sky? It’s a hideous fate to contemplate. Unless you enjoy hibernating all summer, cocooned in an air-conditioned stasis, there’s nowhere…
Best Middle Eastern
Yes, AliBaba is Tucson’s Middle Eastern food champ. But what happened to the market of spices and things we couldn’t identify or pronounce? Well, there have been some changes in the past year, but thankfully, the recipes were left untouched. Try the best falafel in Tucson, the chef’s kabob plate or a fruit smoothie. While…
Best Mexican
The stultifyingly slow redevelopment of downtown notwithstanding, our urban core is still a worthwhile place to visit–especially when you’re hungry. Downtown is home to a host of diverse eateries, and this upscale gem is one of the best. Café Poca Cosa, presided over by the ever-gracious Suzana Davila, is perhaps a symbol of Tucson’s urban…
Best Noisy Place, But You Do Not Care, Because the Mole Is So Damn Good
Somewhere on the front window at Little Poca Cosa, there is a small sign warning customers that this is a cash-only kind of place, and that the staff likes loud music. And believe me: They aren’t kidding. The stereo system blares out old rock ‘n’ roll, Latino folk music and tunes from some lesser-known bands.…
Best Antiques/Kitsch/Collectibles
Are you looking to update your living space? Maybe you’re into the retro look? Annabell’s Attic has been providing our readers with the best selection of antiques and collectables for years. They carry everything from Grandma’s china to modern, never-before-used furniture. They rely on the help of their mascot, Louis the parakeet, to find the…
Best Time-Travel Retail Experience
Is it the 1920s look of the exterior? Is it the enlarged vintage postcards of Tucson at the end of each aisle? Is it the abundance of nice folks who are eager to help, who really know how to use all that stuff and who can explain it clearly to befuddled customers? A trip to…
Best Martini
A perennial favorite in this category, Sullivan’s boasts “steaks, martinis and jazz.” The bar offers 10 choices of martinis, priced from $9.95 to $11.95 per tipple. The joint’s signature martini is the Knockout. To make it, the crew lets Smirnoff orange vodka sit in a pineapple for two weeks, after which the juice-and-vodka infusion is…
Media Watch
KGUN Reporter Investigated for Allegedly Impersonating Victim-Witness Advocate
Rhythm & Views
I love good, fucked-up music as much as the next guy. This Icelandic artist, on his fourth full-length solo album, whips up a maelstrom of righteous noise with samples, distortion, feedback, high- and low-tech, and even traditional instruments. It’s a slightly-out-of-focus, postmodern amalgamation of blues, glam, psychedelia, noise, death metal, trip-hop and glitchcore. Mugison’s approach,…
Best Outdoor Venue
This should win as the best-named venue–but we digress. In truth, there is nothing like seeing good music in a good outdoor venue, and this one does the trick. In stark contrast to Phoenix’s Desert Sky/Blockbuster/Cricket/whatever it’s called this year Pavilion, the 5,000-seat AVA is everything that place (and Phoenix) is not; most important is…
Best Custom Cakes
It’s not enough to have your cake and eat it, too–it had better be good cake. If you’re going to take in that many calories, a slice of Nadine’s cake is the way to go. Sure, Nadine’s Pastry Shoppe makes all kinds of delicious pastries, but their cakes are off the charts. They’re beautiful inside…
Best French Fries (TIE)
It’s Luke’s! It’s eegee’s! It’s Luke’s! It’s eegee’s. What a dilemma! Both these local “chains” put out damn good fries, and each has its own set of fans. Both places serve their fries all hot, sizzling and salted just so, to the point that they barely need ketchup (and, please, no ranch dressing!). Yes, they…
Best Country Music Station
There’s no denying that Tucsonans just love that good ol’ Southern rhythm booming from their stereos when they listen to KIIM. You don’t have to like fried chicken and cheap beer to appreciate the kind of music you hear from Tucson’s only country music station (save for a brand-new AM station). KIIM have been supplying…
Best Weatherman
The weather in Tucson really isn’t all that interesting. It’s hot. It rains for a month or so. Then it’s hot; it cools down; it rains some more. Rinse, repeat. Making Tucson’s weather reports interesting is an art unto itself, and KOLD’s Chuck George is a master. He doesn’t just recite the highs and lows…
Best Clothing Store
Formerly Buffalo Kids, Lil’ Traders is still the best place to bring in those clothes your kids won’t wear anymore (for fear of social castigation) or that simply won’t fit their constantly growing arms and legs. One kid’s unwanted threads could very well be another kid’s new fashion identity. Buying used clothing is way better…
Best Hike
The canyon is back! After a massive debris flow shuffled the scenery around a bit two years ago (geology happens), Sabino is finally returning to normal. Even the tram is running again, all the way to the top. But we don’t need no stinkin’ tram: This is Tucson’s favorite hiking place. Put on your fancy…
Best Italian
Painting dramatic biblical scenes on your ceiling? Seeing green, white and red striped flags flutter in your mind’s eye? Insisting to everyone you meet that “they don’t make ’em like Joe DiMaggio anymore?” If you’ve got these or similar symptoms, it’s probably just a simple pasta deficiency. A recommended cure: a trip to Gavi, where…
Best Mexican Fast Food/Drive-Thru
You may have to compete with a couple of inebriated güeros for your 3 a.m. weekday burrito fix, but beggars can’t be choosers. Beyond the tempting 24-hour service, when it comes down to it, Nico’s dishes out the best cheap Mexican around. Go with the classic carne asada burrito, smeared in complimentary guacamole (you’d have…
Best Place to Get Bolognese Sauce Before a Night at the Theater
Bolognese sauce seems simple enough: a little meat (chef’s choice), some tomatoes, olive oil or butter (or both), garlic (maybe), wine, seasonings and a secret ingredient or two. Yet in the wrong hands, this sauce can go awry. Not so at Caffe Milano, a fine little spot downtown. Here, all the ingredients come together in…
Best Art/Artisan Jewelry
As Day of the Dead approaches, Tucsonans with a penchant for inventive body ornamentation hasten to Obsidian, where they clamor for the cunning red skull earrings. Fashioned out of recycled tin by Sister Bloc–real-life Tucson sisters Cindy and Wendy Sumner–the charming productions are probably the most affordable in the gallery, a treasure trove of the…
Best Truck-Aided Shopping
Never go to Gerson’s without a tape measure. You just don’t know when you’ll run across the exact door, cabinet or window you need, even if you didn’t previously know you needed it. It’s been some time since Gerson’s was the go-to place for restoring old homes; after all, most of the flipping seems to…
Best Margarita
In a town filled with Mexican joints trying to create the best guacamole, salsa and tacos, there is one category that ranks above all others in our hearts: Best Margarita. And once again, the voters have decided that El Charro Café has it. Stop at one of the various locations around town, and have a…
Police Dispatch
Dog Turds to Dead Birds North Vuelta Tajo, Aug. 28, 3:27 p.m. A creative vandal went to a lot of trouble to wreck the home of a woman with an active love life, according to a Pima County Sheriff’s Department report. The victim reported that one Wednesday, she had noticed a large amount of dog…
Rhythm & Views
For nearly two decades, old-school fans of Metallica have cried for the band to return to the thrash-metal sound that made them legendary. The bitching can finally stop. Metallica’s Death Magnetic proves that metal’s biggest and most successful band still have the attitude and determination to make meaningful music. Following the group-therapy session that made…
Best Art Classes
Our local community college offers an amazing array of art classes, ranging from the basics (art history, drawing and photography) to the extraordinary–mask-making or blacksmithing, anyone? And you won’t feel too much pain when you pay your tuition, either. While some classes have an additional materials fee, Arizona residents pay less than $50 per unit…
1981 Arizona Copper Classic Golf Tournament
Nancy Lopez devised a simple plan to win the 1981 Arizona Copper Classic before the tournament even began. Rain had washed out the final two rounds of the previous week’s Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tournament in Los Angeles. More inclement weather was predicted for Tucson, where an LPGA event hadn’t been staged since 1973.…
Best Place to Buy Gourmet Cheese to Go With That Wine
Pastiche Modern Eatery has delighted us for more than 10 years now–and their charming little wine shop has served Tucson for the last several years. With more than 600 wines (which no doubt helped the restaurant win a recent Wine Spectator Award of Excellence) to choose from, you can easily find a nice wine or…
Best Radio Station for News
What can we say about the station that brings us our daily dose of local and state news, as well as the best of National Public Radio? Original shows like Arizona Spotlight are brilliantly edited and highlight issues and people we wouldn’t otherwise hear about on the radio. And what better way to spend a…
Best Way to Relax After a Game
After running around a field all day, dribbling balls, chasing balls or hitting balls–whatever–your muscles may be seriously angry with you if you don’t give them some tender, loving care. The place to do this is Providence Institute, because if you schedule an appointment in the student clinic, you’ll only pay $25 for a 50-minute…
Best Birthday Party Place
You’re going to be asked to clap your hands. You’re going to be asked to dance. You’re going to be asked to form a conga line and shout. You’ll wonder where the rum punch is when they bring you pizza and party favors. And then, suddenly, you will be surrounded by children screaming, “Chuck E.!…
Best Public Garden
Approaching this place, an unexpected cloud of birdsong descends around you. Buzzing cicadas chime in. You head inside, and the temperature noticeably drops. All that earthy greenery exudes peace, oxygen and good vibes. Your cares fade away for a while, and you get the urge to bite into an apple, because you’ve just entered our…
Best Nouvelle Cuisine
Feast is one of the few restaurants that manage to seamlessly fuse cozy and upscale. Looking around the small restaurant with mismatched table cloths, it’s surprising to find one of the most extensive wine lists in the city, not to mention an impressive and creative menu to boot. The menu (which changes monthly) is smaller…
Best Salsa
Have you ever tried the salsa at a restaurant and wished you could spice it up (or down) to fit your own taste buds? Well, that’s just the kind of signature service you’ll get at Guadalajara Grill. Their salsa is a favorite, because it offers a wide selection of fresh ingredients as if they were…
Best Bistro, Boite or Café
Yes, there are somehow fewer seats at The Dish these days in its new location, but the smaller size hasn’t affected the food in the least. Heck, you can make a great meal from the small plates alone. Granted, the saffron mussels are great. But for other tastes, it’s the rock-lobster dish that is over-the…
Best Commercial Jewelry
This would be an ideal place to connect with our sports theme, considering all of the sparkly diamonds that are found at Tiffany and Co. But we’ll refrain. Of course, if we had a movie theme (like we did several years back), we again could make plenty of references (Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Diamonds Are Forever,…
Best Place to Find the Perfect Unusual Gift
Name a category–clothing, seasonal items, books, toys, greeting cards, home décor–and you can be assured that your giftee won’t own anything like what you’ll find at Bon. The stores’ unique assortments include a little of everything. It’s all charmed by the whimsy of a mother-daughter team with taste to die for. A garden trowel may…
Best Gay/Lesbian Bar
With two dance floors, two flat-screens, a giant two-way mirror and two bars tended by guys whom straight girls dream of drafting, IBT’s offers lots of fun–and it doesn’t matter which team you play for. Loosen up with a fruity Come Fuck Me drink before hitting the dance floor, and then slip back to the…
T Q&A
Tucson Q&A with Julie Glaser Ray
Top Ten in Music
Toxic Ranch Records top sales for the week
Best Place to Get Drunk and Talk Politics
So your friends stopped inviting you to the bar, because they’re tired of hearing about the evils of George W. Bush every time you get a little liquor in you. Luckily, there’s Drinking Liberally, a national organization of liberals who talk politics and drink in bars across the country. The Tucson chapter holds the weekly…
Best Fresh-Baked Bread
The best aspect of Beyond Bread is that you can snack on the bread for free. At the front of the line are small pieces of bread–perhaps whole grain, or cinnamon raisin, or white–along with a tub of butter, so you can give the breads a taste to see if you’re interested. You probably will…
Best Walnut Coffee Cake
A walnut coffee cake from Lutz’s will leave a satisfying taste in anyone’s mouth. Giving off a flavorful aroma of cinnamon sugar and warm walnuts, this affordably priced wheel-shaped gem serves up to six people. The flavor of the cake isn’t too sweet, and its texture is tender; the cinnamon is combined into the drizzled…
Best Rock Music Station
KLPX may not take a lot of risks, but there’s a reassuring comfort in their mix of tried-and-true staples. The nostalgia of the music envelops the listener in a warm blanket, transporting the middle-age listener to a time when Springsteen was a prophet, and the hair that blew in the wind wasn’t so thin on…
Best Florist
Ever since this category has been a part of the Best of TucsonTM, Inglis Florist has always finished in second place. This year, they’re no longer an also-ran. Inglis Florists has served Tucsonans since 1940; the current owners took over the business in 1967 after working for the original owners for more than 15 years.…
Best Catered-to-Kids Restaurant
Yeah, you always said you’d never let your kids watch that much TV, eat Cheetos or go to that place where the rat rules over his pizza palace. But eventually, it will happen: Barney will become your wee one’s favorite dino, Cheetos a delicious orange-glow treat and Chuck E. Cheese’s a frenetic, happy place that…
Best Places to Pretend You Are at Yankee Stadium
This will take a fevered imagination, to say the least, but what’s a baseball-minded body to do, now that our professional teams are bailing out of town faster than horses from the corral during a brush fire? Head out to a local park, and watch the hometown nobodies play! All over town, you can catch…
Best Seafood
If your palate delights in the unknown and unexpected–especially when it comes to sauces–you should know that Kingfisher delivers in a big way. Their infamous Summer Road Trip menu (May-August) focuses on regional cuisine and changes every two weeks. Looking for salmon? You’ll never get it the same way twice. How about as a Sonoran…
Best Vegetarian/Vegan
It’s not easy crafting a full-blown vegetarian menu–not to mention a vegan (dairy-free) menu–but somehow, this place has done it. In fact, the word that best applies to the menu here would be extensive. For breakfast, there are multiple scrambles, including Mediterranean, Italian and fiesta varieties. Lunch offers an assortment of burgers, and there are…
Best Neighborhood Gem
The Blenman-Elm Neighborhood may have the upscale historic Arizona Inn, but the Peter Howell Neighborhood has a discreet hideaway (now being expanded) known as the Lodge on the Desert. Motorists whizzing by on Alvernon Way may never wonder what’s within the purple and red walls. Take time to venture inside, and you’ll find an eclectic…
Best Home Furnishings
The furniture at Copenhagen has a midcentury modern aesthetic; you almost expect to see Frank Sinatra making out with Debbie Reynolds over martinis in one of those stylish, ready-made room designs. And yet there’s something so 21st century about those sleek lines–so cool, so elegant and yet so comfortable, with every leather couch and chair…
Best Alternative Jewelry
What’s with that nice mermaid–with flaming red hair and turquoise sequins molded to her fish body–lounging in a parched window next to Hydra? She called us inside, into a little pearl of a friendly place displaying contemporary styles of 316L steel jewelry for those mortals allergic to most metals. Who can resist the invitation to…
Best Signature Cocktail
The Kon Tiki has a fine happy hour–and many of the happy-hour drinkers seem to favor the Scorpion, which, according to the helpful and extensive drink menu, is the world’s largest cocktail. Some patrons, in fact, find it too large. A Scorpion is a mix of light and dark rum, gin, brandy, liqueurs and tropical-fruit…
Best of Tucson® 2008
As the Best of Tucson® 22 hits the streets, sports are on the minds of many Tucsonans. Some people are mourning the loss of our Triple-A baseball team to Reno, Nev., a town not quite half the size of Tucson. Others are fretting over the potential collapse of spring training in the Old Pueblo, with…
Best Ice Cream
Frost gelato has no business being part of a fitness regimen. Textured like shorn velvet and deeply flavorful, this gelato tastes like it’s several times more sinful than the best ice cream. Fortunately, the counter cards offer up absurdly sensible nutritional data. (Research shows that, per serving, Frost gelato has about half the calories and…
Pick of the Week
Obama’s Youth Brigade
Characters in Abundance
On stages near you: English women on holiday, personalities seeking plays, and a raucous Tupperware party
Best Gay Time on Stage
Last April’s second annual installment of Homoneurotic, an evening of original gay sketch comedy, had its share of smutty jokes about male anatomy, but the show ultimately had as much heart as it did balls. Funny, sweet and sometimes a little sad, the sketches were about the foibles of relationships that anybody could recognize. Masterminded…
Best Desserts
This diner-like little restaurant boasts one of the most impressive dessert selections this side of the Mississippi, with something sure to satisfy any sweet tooth in the city. Something Sweet offers homemade red velvet cake, cakes with espresso, cakes with peanut butter, cakes with flour, cakes without flour, cakes with cream cheese … and did…
Best Pain Au Chocolat
Wherever the colonial French landed, they left behind one amazing tradition: The chocolate croissant is to breakfast as an inside-the-park home run is to baseball–a uniquely sweet experience. The chocolate croissants from La Baguette are exceptionally large and fluffy. One may suffice for breakfast, but the diner will always want more. Inside each delicate delight…
Best Radio Talk Show (Host)
Johnjay and Rich are this year’s dream team of radio hosts, and they have a secret weapon: Carrie Moten, who provides listeners with all the latest baby-mama drama and other news from Hollywood. Best of TucsonTM voters are fascinated by their hilarious features such as “Second Date Update.” Tucson commuters love waking up to Johnjay…
Best AM Radio
There are quite a few Tucsonans who are gaga for this radio station. KCEE plays a delightfully broad range of pop hits from the 1940s to the 1990s–songs from your childhood that you would certainly go the rest of your life without hearing again if not for this station, or songs entirely unknown to you.…
Best Fun for the Whole Family
Competition. It’s at the center of all sports, none more so than mini-golf. Though the sport has gone through hard times of late, with the infamous “lying about your score” scandal, it is still one of the most devastatingly competitive sports on the face of the Earth. The epicenter of that competition locally is Golf…
Best Disc Golf Course
Tucson’s oldest disc golf course is tucked into a corner of town, but it’s well worth the trip. Located off the west end of Speedway Boulevard on Riverview Boulevard, the full-size course features 18 baskets, with cement tee-pads that allow for a sturdy stance. For those not so disc golf-savvy (or who have a weak…
Best Steakhouse
When Fleming’s opened in Tucson, a Weekly correspondent was invited to observe the wait staff as they were trained by their corporate director of wine, Marian Jansen op de Haar. When customers are paying a minimum of $27 for a cut of steak–à la carte–customer service is key. Like a prime steak, Fleming’s customer service…
Best Veggie Burger
What a burger! Even if you’re not a vegan or vegetarian, you won’t miss the meat. There are three veggie burgers to choose from–adzuki bean, classic soy and classic soy with grilled onions. We like the adzuki bean, which is mixed with finely chopped vegetables and nuts and then grilled to perfection before being served…
Best Mediterranean Restaurant
One of Tucson’s first kosher restaurants has evolved to include fare such as pizza, panini and pita sandwiches, grilled and gefilte fish, hummus and roasted eggplant from the Middle East, perogies from Poland, gnocchi from Italy, beer from Belgium, wine from Israel and something mysterious called a Moroccan cigar. Is that a cigar in your…
Best Outdoor Recreation Store
Hey! What the hell happened to Yellow Front? Bob’s Bargain Barn? Popular Outdoor Outfitters? Sadly, these dependable sellers of cheap camping gear are all gone, long gone. But Summit Hut, while not exactly cheap, soldiers on. What 30 years ago was a tiny hole in the wall at Park Avenue and University Boulevard has today…
Best Art Supply Store
A wannabe student of drawing walks into Sarnoff and doesn’t know her compressed charcoal from her vine charcoal. All these drawing tools appear dizzying. What contributes to the success of Sarnoff is that the store is staffed by artists–unlike that impersonal big-box crafts store, where customer service is an oxymoron. Remember how cool it was…
Best Wine/Liquor Store
The sad state of the dollar these days may preclude a trip to Europe, but at least we can still drink the beer. Head over to Plaza Liquors, and pick up a few bottles of hard cider from England, a couple of thick stouts from Ireland, and a strong German pilsner–you can pick and choose…
Danehy
Tom encourages you to get out and enjoy the games we Tucsonans play
City Week
Our top picks of what to do and where to do it for the week.
Memory and Geography
The Center for Creative Photography shows UA prof Frank Gohlke’s images of man taking on nature
Best One-Shot Production
It fell not to one of Tucson’s regular theater companies, but to a group of expert enthusiasts, to offer a local production of John Patrick Shanley’s 2005 Tony- and Pulitzer-winning play about the conflict between conformity and questioning, and the assertion of truth in the absence of facts. The ostensible topic is whether or not…
Best Barbecue
Once again, Weekly voters have honored this national chain as the local champion of barbecue. Not that this coronation by the residents of our fair city is a bad move; opinions on barbecue are always varied–and when you’re seated at Dave’s, the grub undeniably looks and tastes marvelous. Serving up the hat trick of barbecued…
Best Way to Play With Your Food
Boing! Boing! Boing! One drink with tapioca balls will offer you at least a half-hour of joyful entertainment. Order a drink or a snow with tapioca, and marvel at the translucent black balls with a sexy succulent bouncy texture, each about the size of a small marble. You’ll get an extra fat straw to slurp…
Best Gym
Perhaps the most Los Angeles thing about LA Fitness is its dedication to looking good. The gyms themselves look good, and the whole point of going to a gym is to help your body look good (and, of course, feel good, as the LA Fitness radio will constantly remind you). But the comparisons between the…
Best Urban Wildlife Spectacle
From spring through November, Tucsonans have the opportunity to watch thousands of Mexican bats darken the sunset sky like a crazy kinetic cloud. Bridges at Pantano Road and Broadway Boulevard, Ina Road over the Santa Cruz, and Campbell Avenue at the Rillito provide bats with an ideal place to hang out and chill in a…
Best Kiddie Pool
Yeah, everyone’s crazy about the Edith Ball pool at Reid Park–we are, too, especially because it’s covered, and some of us have pigment-challenged babies. But the kiddie pool at Santa Rita Park is so, so sweet. It’s big, shallow and has its own lifeguard. And there’s rarely anyone there, so if your kid wants to…
Best Place to Play Tennis in the Middle of the Desert
Tired of smelling car exhaust while you’re trying to volley at the UA? How about the nasty fast-food fumes wafting your way while you’re chasing down lobs at Himmel Park? Head out to PCC West, where the air is pungent with acacia, palo verde and other desert spices. The courts are nestled among thick Sonoran…
Best Sushi
Sushi is one the best things to eat on a hot day in Tucson. There’s something about the blend of fish, rice and seaweed that is both filling and soothing without being, well, hot. And Sushi Garden’s take on traditional maki, nigiri, and their signature rolls is always fresh, delicious and just the right size.…
Best Café Hangout
Epic is your quintessential Fourth Avenue hangout: eclectic, noisy and open late. College students, jaded professionals, hipsters and even the occasional drifter all seem to find their way to Epic to take advantage of the extensive menu and the free wireless Internet. Epic offers the usual coffee and bagel fare, along with a variety of…
Best Reason to Go to South Tucson
Drive south on Sixth Avenue, and the bright-yellow-and-purple former taco stand–now a cozy maze of rooms–screams out. The pico de gallo–a tropical fruit lover’s dream where the ripest of fruit spears collide with a generous sprinkling of red chile powder, creating a wild tango in your mouth–is so good that sometimes, they run out. Then…
Best Sporting Goods
An athlete or an athlete-wannabe can spend lots of time contemplating his or her inner sports hero while wandering from one end of Big 5 to the other. Even for those who simply want to look like a good sport, Big 5 offers a huge selection of clothing, and we’re not just talking athletic paraphernalia.…
Best-Tasting Local Brew
Microbrews can come in a wide variety, from the simple standard ale to bizarre combinations that can include coffee brews and milk stouts. The folks at Nimbus have the solid, the traditional and the slightly quirky covered with their beer selection. Their Dirty Güera has a light, sweet taste that’s incredibly smooth going down (the…
Best Billiards
One of our favorite indoor sporting events is shooting a rack. Although Clicks has 17 locations nationally, its Tucson location has always felt like a neighborhood haunt. Of its 20 pool tables, three are 9-footers. You can also play foosball (which may be even more fun than pool), darts and other bar games. If you’re…
Messina
Hey, Southern Arizonans: Love thy neighbor, even if that neighbor lives in (gasp!) Oro Valley
Low-Rent Lifestyle
‘Choke’ has been transformed from a so-so novel into a funny and touching film
Gunfighter Gourmet
Sherry Monahan wrestles old dishes from Tombstone’s history
Best Theatrical Bestiality
Loud, intense and emotionally realistic, Rogue’s production of Edward Albee’s play about a married man who has sex with a goat gradually twisted its initial whimsy into an evening throbbing with loneliness and rage, thanks to director David Morden and lead actors J. Andrew McGrath and Cynthia Meier. What began with witty sophistication descended into…
Best Sandwich
Bread-lovers, sandwich-enthusiasts and Atkins-haters all rejoice in the amazing selection offered by Beyond Bread. Sandwiches are made on fresh, homemade artisan bread, and are stuffed to the brim with quality meats, cheeses, vegetables and sauces. Offering a variety of both hot and cold sandwiches–each with cute, alliterative names, like Bob’s BLT and Curt’s Club–Beyond Bread…
Best Pizza
Devotees of New York-style pizza–with thin crust, red sauce, lots of cheese and a topping or two–may squirm at the huge, transcontinental-leaning menu at Magpies. But Magpies offers just what the name says–gourmet pizza–and even the biggest pizza snob would have to admit that Magpies makes a damn tasty pie. With a huge selection of…
Best Hair Salon
When was the last time you had your hair bathed and your scalp massaged while you enjoyed soothing music and watched videos of the ocean? Have you ever had your hair cut by a true expert? At Gadabout, you can do both and more, whether you want a “spa cut” with a customized Kerastase conditioning…
Best Place to Play in the Water Without the Risk of Drowning
Kids love this clean and well-designed “splash pad” at beautiful Brandi Fenton Memorial Park, between River Road and the Rillito, and it’s a worry-free good time for parents as well. Just push the button, and for 15 minutes at a time, cool water sprays out of fountains, falls from buckets and bubbles up out of…
Best Cheap Thrills for A Toddler
It may sound strange, but it’s true: The most fun one of our local toddlers had this summer was in the family bathroom at Park Place Mall. There are side-by-side grown-up and kiddie fixtures, which is reason enough to check it out. The wee toilet and toddler-height sink are exceedingly entertaining for the little ones,…
Best Dog Park
Fido needs his exercise, too. To wear him out so he doesn’t destroy your furniture, treat him to a romp and tumble at Miko’s Corner Playground at Reid Park. Named after a police dog killed in the line of duty, the off-leash dog park features separate areas for big and small dogs, both with double…
Best Thai
Char’s displays one of the finest pieces of hokey art found in a local restaurant: One wall features a traditional Thai temple melded with an effervescent red-rock Arizona landscape. Luckily, the menu at this establishment is just as lively as the glowing geographic fusion. More than 80 menu items exist, from tom yum gai and…
Best House-Blend Coffee
The beauty of Raging Sage is two-fold: The delectable house-blended coffee is their own unique creation, and bags of the stuff are on sale to go. Toeing the fine gymnastic line between the light and dark side, the brew achieves the ever-difficult balance of satisfying both the die-hard coffee-bean aficionados and the folks who just…
Best Way to Be a Locavore Without Actually Gardening
If you’re looking for a way to get locally produced vegetables, and you don’t know about Tucson Community Supported Agriculture, this is going to make your day. Tucson CSA offers produce shares from two Southern Arizona farms. You buy a subscription for a season, and stop by Tucson CSA’s pickup center on your assigned day…
Best Pet Supplies Store
Look at that pooch at your feet. See him there? He needs food. And toys. And probably some exercise. If you didn’t want to exercise your pet, you should have gotten a goldfish, dummy. So head over to PetSmart, and grab him some kibble, a chew toy and a leash–and get crackin’ at being a…
1977 Softball College World Series
Seeking its first national title, the UA softball team made an improbable run to the Softball College World Series championship game against Northern Iowa on May 29, 1977. Arizona finished the regular season with a mediocre record, and then placed third in a regional playoff tournament. Despite that, the Wildcats qualified for the Association for…
Best Bar Where One Can Get Nailed by a Baseball
At Home Plate, the bar and the batting cages aren’t too far apart. Guzzling a few beers and trying to emerge victorious against the “superstar” pitching speed is a grand way to spend a lackadaisical afternoon (or a bender with your buddies). The cages, happy-hour deals and pitchers of beer are always cheap. The pub…
Guest Commentary
David Foster Wallace: 1962-2008
Suburban Monster
Decent performances are wasted in the cliché-ridden, ridiculous ‘Lakeview Terrace’
Top Ten in Books
Antigone Books best-sellers for the week
Best Sign of History Repeating Itself
When the old Pima Savings and Loan building was renovated last year, we held our breath, hoping the sign would stay. It had been painted over years ago, but the paint was fading, and the sign was coming back just in time to be relevant again. Wisdom prevailed, and the sign was preserved. Look up…
Best Tortillas
If you can get a dozen tortillas home from St. Mary’s intact, you’re a stronger soul than most. Warm and fresh, steaming up their wrappers, these locally famous thin round slabs tempt from the passenger-side seat, calling out to stuff a few in our tortilla-hole at the stoplight. What makes one tortilla better than another?…
Best Tacos de Lengua
Slip us some tongue! A good tongue taco–hell, any tongue taco–can be hard to find. If you’re not a tongue-eater, get over it already; you’re missing one of the two best parts of the cow. La Fresita offers fresh, real-mom-style cooking (if your mom was a really good cook), with hand-patted corn tortillas that don’t…
Best Yoga Studio
It’s quite simple, really: With a mission statement that says “to help make yoga affordable and accessible to everyone in our community,” Tucson Yoga is doing exactly what it set out to do, with its 20 classes a week at only $6 per class. Those prices may be further reduced with monthly memberships and bulk…
Best Way to Explore the City
After a couple of decades in Tucson, you may think you’ve seen it all. We did–until we discovered letterboxing. Part treasure hunt, part art-making adventure, letterboxing sends people out hunting for boxes hidden all over town. Some are long hikes; some are quick drive-bys. Every box we’ve found has connected us to unique places in…
Best Place to Have a Beer With Kids in Tow
Some people might raise their eyebrows at the presumably oxymoronic concept of a kid-friendly bar, but aren’t pubs in Great Britain a family destination? That’s what we’ve heard, anyway. Barrio Brewing has snacks beloved by the younger set–french fries (we recommend the beer-battered version), some kind of chicken finger food and quesadillas–as well as fine…
Best Night on the Town
Now in its second year, the Tuesday Night Bike Ride is here to stay. It’s a party on wheels with hundreds of riders of all ages, on all kinds of bikes. It’s a fairly slow and easy ride, and the point is … well, there’s no point at all, except to go out with friends…
Best Breakfast
The patio alone makes any nibble at the Blue Willow worthwhile, but luckily, the food is equally inspiring at this little oasis on Campbell Avenue. For more than 30 years, this restaurant has made “fresh and simple” part of its foodie mantra, and it works. Take Blue Willow’s breakfasts: The eggs Benedict melts in the…
Best Local Coffee Roaster
Coffee beans are broken into two categories: arabica and robusta. While a mass-produced Robusta like Folgers will get you through the game, Raging Sage knows that in order to play your best, you must drink the best. They only roast arabica beans. One small in-house roaster, resembling a large popcorn machine, cooks their dozen varieties…
1936 Border Conference Football
Winning a championship in any sport is difficult–and repeating as champion may be one of the toughest things to do in team sports. That obstacle, plus the immense difficulty of a schedule which was described as “the toughest season in the history of the school,” faced coach Tex Oliver’s 1936 University of Arizona football team.…
Best Video Games Store
Ya know something, dude? The old Hulkster’s been on a rough streak lately. The wife left me, and Hulk junior had some driving problems. But, man, when I go to Gamestop, the old times come rushing back. The Hulkster understands the value of trade-ins, even if Hulk is a tad concerned he’s getting screwed on…
Best Upscale Bar Ambiance
Sure, you’ll find big-screen TVs tuned into an assortment of sporting events, and the bartenders have been known to opine on the state of the UA teams, but NoRTH is no sports bar. From the minute you pull into La Encantada, the warm lights of this upscale drinking and dining spot catch your eye. The…
Best Mojito
Primo might make a person feel a bit bush-league; it’s located inside a swanky resort high atop a desert hill, overlooking where most Tucsonans actually live–but pay no heed to those thoughts. The upscale eatery whips together a mojito that will make you forget all of this. With an on-site organic garden a step outside…
¡Ask a Mexican!
Anchors, babies and otherwise.
Now Showing at Home
“Risky Business: Deluxe Edition (Blu-Ray),” “Iron Man (Blu-Ray),” and “Leatherheads”
Prime Pie
Grimaldi’s offers up some of Tucson’s best pizza–but only if you order correctly
Best Urban Contemporary Folk Art
Working in the same genre as Andy Goldsworthy or Roger Asay and Rebecca Davis, an anonymous genius is making human order out of natural chaos at the poetically named corner of Sahuaro Street and Stone Avenue. Within the tight confines of a chain-link fence, firewood is meticulously stacked and fit together, filling the entire corner…
Best Bagels
This bagel chain began in 1983 with the opening of the first Bruegger’s in upstate New York. Nord Brue and Mike Dressell created a concept that is still going strong today. The secret of their success is in the bagels themselves–ingredients include high-protein unbleached wheat flour, fresh (never powdered) yeast, malt syrup, water and salt.…
Best Effortless Barbecue
Come on a Saturday afternoon, when this neighborhood butcher shop and grocery store sets up a mesquite charcoal grill in the parking lot. Inside, buy your marinated tender beef from the butcher counter, plus a bag of flour tortillas, fresh salsa, a couple of avocados and some little green onions. Then get in line, and…
1942 Quarter Horse Championship
On a chilly midweek afternoon in February 1942, 1,500 horseracing fans made their way out of town, to the Moltacqua Turf Club on Sabino Canyon Road. There, they found a half-mile track, wooden benches which served as a grandstand, and some pari-mutual wagering. These racing fans had come to see seven contests, highlighted by what…
Best Smoke Shop
For those of us who must always be enveloped in a haze of sweet smoke in order to think straight–whether that smoke be from a hookah, an imported British cigarette or from some other burning plant–the smoke shop is paramount. Too many of these places seem like private clubs or fly-by-night entrepreneurial whims. Not Hippie…
Best Theater Experience for Kids
Live Theatre Workshop has a gem in Michael Martinez. If you have a young theater geek living under your roof, harness that thespian love right now. Under Martinez, All Together Theatre runs a theater camp during the summer and afterschool, giving kids of all ages and abilities the chance to pretend to be Peter Pan…
Best Weird Critter Living in Tucson
Sometimes called the Western blind snake, this little guy looks like a weird shiny earthworm with scales. Leptotyphlops humilis is found across much of Southern Arizona. Turns out there’s a mysterious colony of them living all across Tucson. Spending most of their time underground, they eat ants, termites and other small bugs. Once in a…
Best Brunch
Prices are considerably higher here than at those all-you-can-eat-Chinese-Mexican-American-pizza-dessert-for-$7 brunch buffets–but honestly, it’s worth it. (Besides, you can’t order a bottle of champagne from an award-winning wine list at those places.) Using the finest ingredients–many from the onsite garden–the staff turns all those regular brunch items into something special. Eggs Benedict become Southwestern eggs Benedict,…
Best Tea Service
The Seven Cups is a definite local treasure: It’s the first American tea company to have its own Chinese trading license, and is one of the country’s best sources of high-quality Chinese tea. Walk in past the bulk tea shop, and you’re transported to China. Seven Cup’s tea-service menu is impressive (it’s pages and pages…
Best New Bookstore
If the bookselling industry were a competitive sport, Barnes and Noble would be like the UA basketball team used to be–a sort of unstoppable juggernaut (but without the guy with the hair). The chains have pretty much destroyed the competition, and B&N is the biggest and baddest of them all, making them our readers’ perennial…
Best Plant Nursery
Originally a wholesale grower, Mesquite Valley Growers expanded into the retail business in 1990. Today, it offers a wide variety of native and non-native species at a beautiful facility that covers 20 acres on East Speedway Boulevard. Make that way-far-east Speedway, just east of Pantano Road. If you don’t live on the eastside and are…
Best Lowbrow Bar Ambiance
“Lowbrow,” “dive”–whatever word you want to describe the Buffet is drivel. “Gem” is more like it, and that’s why so many different types of people make the Buffet their little bit of drinking paradise. The Buffet is proof that large quantities of alcohol should be consumed with good company, and despite the graffiti-painted walls and…
Best Basement Rec Room You Never Had
Remember back when you were a kid, and you thought it would be so cool to have a basement where you could set up a pool table, a dart board, an air hockey game, a pinball machine and a jukebox? Well, you can find all that and more at Danny’s Baboquivari Lounge. The roomy bar…
Oh Bother!
A note from the editor.
Indie Watch
What’s happening in the world of independent film in Tucson.
Noshing Around
New: Fuku Sushi Sushi has landed at Main Gate Square at 940 E. University Blvd., where Café 940 and Bakerzin both failed. Andrew Adey, who has owned the Pita Pit for the past five years, and Cami Quist are the owners. The name, pronounced foo-koo, means “uniform” in Japanese. Other than sushi, Fuku also serves…
Best Painter
Thirty-something Velez gave Tucson an art attack last fall with his explosive paintings and installations in the Bajo La Frontera/Under the Border at MOCA. The visual cacophony of Ambos Nogales, the twin border towns where Velez grew up, crowded into his big cartoon canvases and spilled into Mexican-style shrines. Giant bunnies, Minutemen, graffiti and monster…
Best Burrito
After a long night at the clubs, there isn’t a better place to gain back the calories you’ve sweated out than Nico’s. What really makes Nico’s an early morning delight is its carnitas burro. Unlike other burrito purveyors, Nico’s chops up the carnitas; the meat is not shredded. Carnitas should be chopped and cooked up…
Best Annual Festival
Through its success over the years, the biannual Fourth Avenue Street Fair has remained a diverse local affair. From school-age kids busking on the sidewalks and folklorico troupes intertwining their colors to vendors offering varied crafts, there is always something on display. If the kokopelli kitsch or meat-on-a-stick food offerings have worn you out, you…
Best Contemporary Architecture
With a rash of unique design features, this building stands out from all the other formulaic UA buildings on campus; even the copper-topped McHale Center fades in comparison. This is an arts building, after all, and the idea of dance was very much the inspiration for the overall design. The outside is wrapped with a…
Best Urban Ranch
Step across the threshold of Southwest Animal Health, and you’ll be transported to rural Sonora circa 1965. Or 1865. Or something like that. Owner Robert Vincent was raised on a ranch in Northern Mexico, and he has re-created the feeling of it here. The front is a parlor with old ranch furniture and saddles and…
Best Film Venue for Kids of all Ages
For the last two summers, the Glassman Foundation has sponsored the Tucson International Children’s Film Festival at the Loft. The first year saw a screening of The Iron Giant, along with a parade of kids dressed in homemade robot costumes–a morning of film magic. This year’s screening of My Neighbor Totoro beautifully ended the festival.…
Best Picnic Dinner Spot
Pack up your picnic basket and park at the trailhead at the end of Camino de Oeste south of Speedway Boulevard. Wander up the canyon to the Stone House, a roofless romantic ruin built by Sherry Bowen, a long-ago city editor at the Arizona Daily Star, and his wife, Ruby, who homesteaded 2,000 acres here…
Best Late-Night Eats
Every city should have its own 24-hour dive that caters to the needs of its sleep- and munchies-deprived artists, musicians and downtown scenesters. Complete with its own fan base–some people love this place–we have Grill. Any weekend night between midnight and 2 a.m., this place is teeming with activity and storylines worthy of a graphic…
Best Bulk Tea Selection
Seven Cups offers gracious traditional Chinese tea service in its back room, but many of us never make it that far, because we’re hung up on the selection of bulk teas in the front of the shop. They’re strictly Chinese, but that’s hardly a limitation; the tidy shelves display packages of green teas, oolong teas,…
Best Used Books
As a used bookstore, Bookmans has, along with everything else, a sports section. In it, you can look through such sports epics as Phil Jackson’s Kobe Bryant Is a Temperamental Jerk but the Lakers Pay Me Way Too Much to Just Walk Away Again and roughly 500 different novels written by John Feinstein. Beyond the…
Best Bike Shop
The perennial champion reigns–no surprise here–and it’s certainly a well-deserved win. Ordinary Bike Shop just keeps getting better. With their extraordinary service (pun intended), this full-service shop has everything you need, whether you’re a hard-core bike commuter who doesn’t even own a motorized vehicle, or a lazy mama searching for sparkly tassels for her weekend…
Best Wine Bar
In the past several years, a plethora of wine bars have sprung up around town. 58 Degrees Bar and Bistro is one the nicer ones. The folks here are dedicated to vino: You’ll find wine tastings, flight lessons, wine dinners, weekly specials and lockers where, for a modest membership fee, you can store your personal…
Best Bloody Mary
It’s not a sexy drink, like a metropolitan or a pomegranate martini; instead, this drink is a meal–and if made right, it can make for a fun evening. The guys at the Cup Café (and at the bar in the Hotel Congress lobby) get this; in the Tap Room, not so much. At the Cup,…
Mailbag
Howls of outrage and squeals of delight from our astonished fans.
Top Ten in Movies
Casa Video’s top rentals for the week
Best Fine Art Gallery
For 27 years, Terry Etherton has pitched a series of perfect seasons, devoting equal attention to both worthy locals and way-famous photographic luminaries. Last fall, for her 60th birthday and her 30th year in photography, Tucson’s own Frances Murray had a glittering retrospective of her sleek black-and-white photos, many of them shot in her West…
Best Cool Photographer
We mean cool literally. Robinson is a photographer of snow without peer, a poet of white blanketed fields, a lyricist of delicate bare branches, a chronicler of gray northern skies. Exhibiting her gorgeous suite of wintry photos, Snowbound, at Etherton in the dead of winter, Robinson evoked a frozen landscape where sound was stilled and…
Best Sonoran Hot Dogs
The writer Jim Harrison once wrote that only in the Midwest is eating considered to be an Olympic sport. Or something like that–he was quoting his pal Jack Nicholson. Nevertheless, here in Tucson, you’ll be tempted to engage in your own private little gustatory Olympics at El Guero Canelo. These are hands-down the best Sonoran…
Best Spectacle for Charity
Hot dog! Not only can you get dolled up, but so can your pooch before stepping out on the grassy grounds of the Tucson Country Club to hobnob with other humans and their hounds. Every year, the silent auction is greater than the year before. All the participating Tucson Originals restaurants offer tasty samples and…
Best Goth/Leather Shop
Dear “I. M. Curious”: Relax. Go ahead, and be a lifestyle tourist. You’ll look pretty much like everyone else at Hydra. Well, of course, excepting the staff. But, trust us: From the first “hello,” they’ll make you feel right at home–and you may find exciting fetishes you never knew you had! Nurses? Schoolgirls? Policemen? They’ve…
Best Trifecta
The Tohono O’odham Nation has outdone itself with this striking desert-hued, Lego-like sprawling casino and hotel. This is the ultimate trifecta–gambling, eating, lodging–especially for the visiting in-laws who like to play the slots, keno and poker 24/7. They can satisfy their cravings in the food court, coffee bar, buffet or upscale steakhouse; they can take…
Best Place to Get the Family Geek On
While the folks at Rio Nuevo and the UA continue to fiddle with the future UA Science Center, the current UA Science Center is already the best place in town for your big and little guys and gals to get their geek on. There are animated shows and, of course, light shows, but kids who…
Best Place to do an Endo on Your Mountain Bike
Get someone to drop you off at the top near the fire station in the fall or spring. Bring plenty of water in case you get slightly lost (like one of our idiot writers did). You’ll plunge several miles down through various vegetation zones, from cool pines up top all the way down into the…
Best Buffet
Always start with two plates at this buffet. The food seems to go on forever, starting with the basics of red-leaf and iceberg lettuce, spinach, vegetables and dressings of all sorts (including fat-free choices). After you sit down, it is not over: There is an area that offers a variety of soups, pastas, baked goods…
Best Take on the Standard Mocha
Coffee Xchange is a diamond in the rough: It’s not as fancy or as cozy as some coffee places, and it only sells coffee and food–no compilation CDs or mints here–but it is well worth the trip. Coffee Xchange offers your standard coffee drinks (the house blends are always worthwhile), but their unique take on…
Best Independent Bookstore
Independent bookstores in our fair city are about as endangered as our minor-league sports franchises. Fortunately, Antigone Books has sunk tenacious roots into Fourth Avenue. Antigone is as much of a community gathering place as it is a bookstore, sponsoring frequent readings by local and national authors, reading groups–including a Buddhist book group–open-mic events and…
Best Musical Instrument Store
Almost as famous for its clutter as its content, Chicago Music Store is one of a handful of businesses to survive in downtown long enough (60-plus years) to achieve landmark status (with stores also on the eastside and in Nogales). Whether you want to buy, sell, trade, rent or repair instruments, amplifiers or PA systems,…
Best Sports Bar
With 10 Famous Sam’s locations throughout Tucson, it’s hard to come up with an excuse not to get out of the house to watch the game. Even if you’re not a sports fan, eight tasty flavors of chicken wings, signature “Samwiches” and a humongous selection of cold beer–draft and bottled–offer the perfect reasons to pretend…
Best Bar for a Late-Night Bite
When we’re hungry for a late-night meal, we had over to the bar at Kingfisher. The intimate space can feel a little too cozy on a crowded night, but try to score the corner table. The attentive barkeeps serve smooth cocktails, cold pints of Stella Artois and satisfying meals, whether you’re there for a salad,…
Swing Seat
Can Democrats hold on to the Arizona Senate slot in District 26?
String Theory
Ra Ra Riot is more than a rock band with violin and cello
Best Art Museum
New York’s Guggenheim has got nothing on the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block. Well, maybe a few hundred million dollars worth of paintings, but nothing in terms of Southwest soul. Besides their permanent collections (Art of the Americas, Art of the West, Modern and Contemporary Art) and their rotating exhibits, the Tucson Museum…
Best Dance Debut
It’s odd to call anything associated with longtime dancer/choreographer Thom Lewis a debut–he’s helped found, or worked with, just about every modern-dance company in Tucson in the last generation–but this is the first time he’s had a troupe all his own. And it made a spectacular beginning, in a concert devoted half to Lewis’ own…
Best Empanadas
Up until Mamma Llama’s opened in 2001, the empanada was almost exclusively the domain of the Mexican breakfast pastry and dessert family. With the advent of Mamma Llama’s gourmet empanada, however, that has forever changed. In short, their empanadas are huge and a meal unto themselves. A single one can lay waste to the mightiest…
Best Park
Visit this sprawling greenscape in midtown on any given weekend, and you’ll find Tucsonans playing their games: soccer, Frisbee, football and running in circles while pushing a baby in a stroller. For those of us who prefer to watch, there’s plenty of imported tree shade, a duck pond and cool grass for lounging and forgetting.…
Best Way to Get Into Tucson
When you consider that most roads leading into Tucson are as clogged as a Waffle House patron’s arteries, that Amtrak is often hours behind schedule, and that Greyhound is the official mode of transportation in hell, you may conclude that flying is the best way of getting into town. If arriving by day, you get…
Best Walk-In Humidor
When the weather is dry as dust and your skin feels like yesterday’s parchment, take a well-deserved break in the walk-in humidor at Anthony’s Cigar Emporium. Where else can your skin bask in the refreshing perfection of 72 percent humidity? Forget the spa treatment; this is a freebie fix. It’s just you and the mind-boggling…
Best Urban Landscaping
The University of Arizona is one of the few places in town where you can find a large patch of grass to play a game of croquet, Frisbee or touch football, but that’s not all the campus has to offer. (And no, we’re not talking about the cheerleaders.) The UA has an arboretum of local…
Best Chinese
With more than 150 items on the menu, Guilin is the choice for healthy Chinese food in Tucson. Selections are prepared without MSG and with 90 percent less oil (according to the menu). You can even get your food prepared without oil. There are many choices for vegetarians; prices are very reasonable and include a…
Best Upscale Dining
The Weekly recently sent one of its intrepid reporters to The Grill to research this blurb. He was promptly seated at the bar rather than in the restaurant–which was upsetting, because he’d actually bathed and put on a clean shirt. Turns out it wasn’t a personal hygiene issue after all: They were expanding and remodeling…
Best Wall-to-Wall Decorations
Liza Minnelli stares seductively at you, perched next to a vintage Rolling Stones concert poster, across the way from a hanging Boston Celtics banner. No, this isn’t some trippy dream; it’s part of the eclectic, in-your-face decorating scheme at East Coast Super Subs. This delicious little hole in the wall has managed to cover three…
Best Retail Music Store
They used to tout themselves as “Arizona’s only real record store,” and given the current state of the music industry, this may, in fact, be true. In spite of the overblown posters for heavy metal, post punk and death rock, and a penchant for lots of piercings and black among its clientele and the help,…
Best Toiletries Display
There’s something about pulling toothpaste out of a cool, contemporary file cabinet that gives the act of buying basics a whole new experience. Rather than spending your money in a corporate drug store or supermarket where things are on shelves (so passé!), you could head over to Wilko, the new market on the corner of…
Best Nightclub
Hotel Congress is downtown Tucson’s most enduring landmark, and Club Congress, nestled inside the hotel, is consistently the most happenin’ nightspot downtown. Club Congress is justly famous around the country, and recent years have seen major improvements in the stage, the sound and the decor. Maximizing their space-time continuum, Club Congress frequently offers doubleheaders, with…
Best Dessert Cocktail
The chocolate jalapeño martini is for people who prefer to sip their desserts rather than eat them with a spoon. Janos’ signature dessert goes alcoholic: Will the clever bartender who got his or her buzz on while concocting this wickedly delightful drink–starring house-made chocolate jalapeño ice cream blended with vanilla vodka and raspberry liqueur–please raise…
Retention Blues
Why is the Border Patrol losing an increasing number of agents?
Inspiration All Around
Ruby Dee and the Snakehandlers create aggressive, no-nonsense honky-tonk music
Best Mural
Steve Farley has been a state rep in the Arizona Legislature for Tucson’s District 28 for almost two years, and he’s running unopposed in November. Not bad for any politician, but his annual landslide in the Best Mural faceoff is an even bigger victory. Tucsonans adore his black-and-white tile mural at the entrance to downtown–partially…
Best Caterer
Whether you’re planning a T-ball party or a grand-slam wedding, Blue House Catering provides major-league service for every event, and the people at Blue House are eager to make every occasion an unforgettable experience. The hundreds of divine dishes Blue House offers include smoked salmon and artichoke baked eggs, French toast layered with berry compote…
Best Huevos Rancheros (TIE)
Just west of Alvernon Way, on the north side of Pima Street, you’ll find a humble building full of warm and lovely people. It’s Frank’s, one of the two best places to go for huevos rancheros. The meal is built on a large tortilla with beans, cheese, salsa and two eggs (any style). You also…
Best Local Activist/Advocacy Group
With another bigoted proposition on the fall ballot aiming to amend the state Constitution to proclaim that marriage can only be between a man and woman, it’s a great feeling to know that Wingspan is around. Celebrating its 20th year, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community center is in no way slowing down. With…
Best Bowling Alley
Bedroxx meets everyone’s needs. Wanna bowl? Good. They have 30 lanes. Wanna drink beer while you bowl? Good. They have a bar and some pretty good pizza, too. Wanna eat spicy chicken wings served by a waitress with big gazangas? Good. Bedroxx is next door to Hooters. Now wait a minute: This is an establishment…
Best Living Local Author
If there’s a single writer who best captures who we are at this time and in this place, it’s Tucsonan Chuck Bowden. He’s our most honest American writer. Bowden holds up a cracked mirror to both himself and us, and he’s unafraid to describe what he sees there, warts and all. A shelf of his…
1962 State Basketball Finals
At halftime of their state semifinal game, Tucson High’s 1962 dream basketball season seemed to be ending in a nightmare. The team trailed Phoenix Central, 32-19. The undefeated Badgers were in serious trouble. A few months earlier, the defending city champions had begun their season slowly, in part because their star center, Ray Kosanke, was…
1973 Pacific Coast League Championship Series
After an 84-60 season, the 1973 Tucson Toros were optimistic about their chances against the Spokane Indians in their best-of-five playoff series. A club known for its hitting, the Toros were only the second Tucson team to have a winning record since the franchise entered the Pacific Coast League in 1969. The Toro’s hitting prowess…
Best Vietnamese
The original Miss Saigon sits quietly along Campbell Avenue, across the street from the University of Arizona, just waiting for you to stumble into her arms–because she knows that when you do, you’ll keep coming back for more. Vietnamese food is like that in general–there’s just something about the combination of flavors that makes the…
Best Place to Fall Asleep
Sick of the heat? Head up to Firebirds, and you’ll quickly be transported to Colorado–that is, if your idea of Colorado is a large, luxurious, dimly lit log cabin that also serves high-class comfort food. With offerings like meatloaf and crab cakes, Firebirds will make you feel right at home. And if the food isn’t…
Best Video Store
The perennial winner in the Best Video Store category, Casa Video takes it again–but who else would you vote for, really? Every city should be so lucky to have a video store with such a vast and varied collection; thank goodness Casa is ours–and we’re keeping it. The store itself is a bit ragged, and…
Best Selection of Exotic Drinks
The 17th Street Market sometimes feels more like a museum or an art gallery than a grocery store. The aisle of Asian canned and bottled drinks is so fascinating that we have spent nearly an hour looking at labels and tipping containers upside down. One favorite find: a basil-seed drink that resembles a lava lamp,…
Best Cocktail Menu
The ancient recipe of fruit juice mixed with booze is at the heart of this retro-realistic spot, a favorite among the Arizona tiki-culture crowd since it opened way back in 1963. Of course, that’s an oversimplification. The drinks at Kon Tiki are a far cry from red plastic cups of “jungle juice” ladled out in…
Best Sake Education
To know sake is to appreciate sake. Good sake should be chilled or served at room temperature. Heating sake makes for an astringent brew. RA educates sake drinkers about the nuances of sake-pairing. Sake is a neutral beverage neither notably sweet nor too dry; it can be filtered or not. Like a sommelier who enhances…
Medical Mystery
Ask different people what the consequences of Prop 101 would be, and you’ll get different answers
Soundbites
THE ONSLAUGHT CONTINUES People, I ain’t foolin’. I know that the last time we talked, I told you that “this week is awesome” and all. And it was, right? I mean, I didn’t steer you wrong. Calexico and Jimbo Adkins, benefiting Gabby Giffords? Sweet. That Silver Jews show? You kiddin’ me? Positively transcendent! Oh, I…
Best Public Art
Like an athlete on steroids, this is one pumped-up snake–one you can walk through. Heck, the structure could qualify for its own honorary membership in the class Reptilia. The fact that you people keep voting for this big ol’ harmless rattler, year in and year out, is a testament to the fact that this is…
Best Specialty Foods
AJ’s slogan boasts that it’s a “purveyor of fine foods,” and it is indeed the perfect little grocery store at which to find bottled water, imported wine, quality meat or just an air-conditioned resting spot when shopping at La Encantada. AJ’s doesn’t just offer standard grocery-store wares; this insanely clean, upscale spot has a sushi…
Best Fish Tacos
In all honesty, fish tacos taste way different in a land-locked state like Arizona. Anyone who’s had a roadside taco de pescado in Rocky Point can attest to this–but the cooks and servers at Chuy’s (pronounced Choo-ee’s), could care less. An enthusiastic lot, the clan at Chuy’s lets you know what’s going on, whether elaborating…
Best Day Spa
The sweltering heat and dry air we face every day can be tough on our bodies. That’s why locals like to take a timeout to pamper themselves at Gadabout, where we can receive excellent body treatments, from head to toe. Gadabout SalonSpas offer services such as pedicures, body waxing and spa massages. They even have…
Best Radio Personality
Every morning radio show has games to play for concert tickets and people who call in with outrageous stories, but most won’t wake you up with a kick stronger than a triple espresso. Now broadcasting from Phoenix, Johnjay and Rich deliver a daily dose of gossip and drama during their morning radio show on KRQQ…
Best Dead Local Author
It’s hard to believe he’s been gone almost 20 years. The curmudgeonly writer of Desert Solitaire and The Monkey Wrench Gang left behind a body of work unsurpassed in its craftsmanship and its commitment to a place: the desert Southwest. Abbey upset people because he booted them out of their comfort zones and forced them…
Best Campground
Remember that first time camping? If you’re from Tucson, chances are that first trip was to Mount Lemmon. Mom and Dad had sweltered enough in the summer heat, so they tossed the kids in the car, along with the cheap Coleman sleeping bags, hot dogs, marshmallows and a few cervezas for Dad. It was fun…
Best Diner
Located downtown, Grill is a favorite among our readers for its food, its 24-hour service and its festive, retro décor. Grill junkies rave about the properly named “freakin great tortellini” and the burgers, as well as the delectable milkshakes. Also a hit is the nightly entertainment the Red Room offers, including record-spinning, live music shows…
Best Outdoor Seating
After a long afternoon of browsing the racks at Anthro, BCBG and Lucy, what’s a girl (or shopping-friendly boy) to do except head across the La Encantada patio to NoRTH, the sophisticated restaurant and lounge created by absurdly innovative restaurateur Sam Fox? Whether you take a seat at the outdoor bar or slip into one…
Best Place to Get Lost Trying to Find It
Tucson is generally known as a place that is easy to navigate around. But there are some areas we know as black holes–Aviation Parkway/Alvernon Way/Palo Verde Road and 36th Street, for example, where as you are reading this, people are cursing while getting lost. Without a GPS, finding Roma Imports–an amazing little Italian grocery and…
Best Comics/Games Shop
The thing that sets R-Galaxy apart from other comic shops in the area is the breadth of their offerings. They’ve got comics, sure, but they also have geek-culture DVDs and action figures–both new and obvious (with a robust selection of comic and box-office heavyweights like Batman), and older/obscure/bizarre figures. (On a recent visit, a plastic…
Best Handmade Stuff
Etsy.com is “your place to buy and sell all things handmade” (that’s their trademark), and on the site, you can find a cornucopia of handmade stuff: clothes, jewelry, art, furniture, ceramics, etc. If it can be made with two hands, someone is selling it on Etsy.com. But the coolest thing is the “shop local” search…
Best Place to Dance
Club Congress knows how to make everyone feel special–especially when it comes to the dance floor. Retro-Lution appeases anyone jonesing for some ’80s, while the Optimist Club on Thursday nights keeps people bouncing, sweaty and horny until last call. Bang! Bang! is now a Saturday night regular, an ode to all genres enabling patrons to…
Best Piano Bar
Despite what you may think from time to time, romance isn’t dead. The first step in finding it: leaving the house. Head toward the Sam Hughes Neighborhood and the low lights outside the Arizona Inn. Once inside, search out the Audubon Bar, which takes you into a Casablanca-inspired nightspot–complete with a guy playing the piano.…
Familiar Feeling
After making history in 2006, Arizona voters again have to decide on the definition of marriage
Nine Questions
Ben Kweller
Best Local Performing Artist
The year has been good so far for transgendered folk singer-songstress Namoli Brennet: Her 2007 album Singer Shine Your Light is continuing to pick up momentum; she won the Tucson Folk Festival’s songwriting competition; and now, she can add the title of 2008 Best Local Performing Artist to her already impressive list of accomplishments. Brennet’s…
Best Organic Food Store
The bad news here is that people still confuse natural foods with organic foods–and there can be a considerable difference. The good news is that natural foods, organic or not, are making big inroads into the mainstream, and Sunflower is a significant new player in the game. Begun by the same folks who initially launched…
Best French Toast
French toast seems simple–slice some bread, soak it in batter, and slap it on the griddle–but making good French toast isn’t all that easy. Joe’s Pancake House, though, makes it just right: The slices of bread aren’t too thick or too thin; the batter is perfectly flavored; and the end result is moist without being…
Best Public Servant
Everybody knows that Congress is a contact sport, and one of the toughest new players is Tucson’s very own “Gabby.” The first-term lawmaker has been busy pushing solar energy and immigration reform while watching over Southern Arizona’s threatened environment and dwindling water resources; she’s generally credited for taking the interests of thinking Tucsonans to heart.…
Best Sex-Toy Shop
The term “adult shop” may bring to mind a creepy location, hygienically suspect, with leering, dysfunctional types lurking in the shadows and a fat, middle-age loser in a sweat-stained T-shirt breathing heavily behind the counter. Fascinations is the absolute antithesis of this stereotype. The surroundings are so clean, bright and lurker-free, you’d think you were…
1940 Olympics
Joe Batiste, 19, had his sights set high when he went to the 1939 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) track and field championships. The phenomenal athlete from Tucson High School dreamed not only of doing well in the Lincoln, Neb. meet, but also of winning a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. Coached by Don Van…
Best Bike Riding
This flat and easy, 11-mile route following the sandy-bottomed Rillito is a frequent winner in this category. Sure, the river is dry on top, but it’s still a relatively green and shady route. For north-end bike-commuters, it’s a kind of an east-west freeway–one with bunnies and lizards always popping out to keep you sharp. The…
Best Greek
The Greeks over the years have added much to the human endeavor, what with inventing democracy, philosophy, history, drama and a few other noble, if increasingly unpopular, pursuits. But none of this ancient civilization’s many accomplishments can beat sweetbreads, spiced lamb, tzatziki sauce, stuffed grape leaves and baklava. And the best place in Tucson to…
Best Casual Dining
When the second Zona 78 opened on Tanque Verde Road earlier this year, the crowds cheered: Folks on the far eastside could enjoy all the food and fun that the original Zona 78 made famous. The kitchen offers small plates, salads, soups, a plethora of panini, pastas, pizzas and more, made with the finest and…
Best Fourth Avenue Eatery Where You Can Schmooze With the Owner
Look up the word “gregarious,” and you’re likely to see a picture of Martin. Although he is the principal cook, he manages to spend as much time on our side of the counter as he does in the back. That’s because he provides the kind of service that harkens back to a time when connecting…
Best Resale Clothing
OK, so almost everyone in Tucson knows all about Buffalo Exchange–that’s why it’s won in the Best Resale Clothing category every year since 2002 (and lots of times before that). But did you know this store that was birthed here is nationally renowned? Not only does it have locations all over, from Long Beach to…
Best Selection of Bath and Beauty Products
This newish store on University Boulevard near the UA campus offers a carefully chosen selection of face creams, soaps, cosmetics and lotions from around the world. We love the French line Nuxe, which is hard to find in the United States, and Salud has a luscious array of their products, along with cleansers from Iceland…
Best Happy Hour
At long last, locally owned Zona 78 has left heretofore perennial winner Applebee’s in the dust (or at least in second place). Zona 78 is hip and happening, with a warm, friendly, attentive vibe for unwinding after work or classes. That happy hour runs from 3 to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. For patio diehards,…
1924 Polo National Championship
Within two years of establishing a polo team, the University of Arizona was competing for the national crown. Having beaten four other Western college squads in a tournament held in San Antonio, the team would later travel east, accompanied by 24 horses, to take on Princeton for the title. Before that trip, though, the UA…
