Irony, unlike revenge, is apparently a dish best served hot ... and with a side of sour cream: Several local groups will be selling traditional Jewish potato pancakes this weekend to raise funds for efforts by the Middle East Children’s Alliance to help Palestinian children. More information here.
Jasmine Market, the awesome little Mediterranean grocery store at 2516 N. Campbell Ave., has closed. I saw them packing up this weekend and called, hoping they were just relocating, but the phone had been disconnected.
The new Beyond Bread location at 421 W. Ina Road is open.
Biscuits Country Café at 7002 E. Broadway Blvd. has moved down the street to 7026 E. Broadway Blvd. “Same menu, more seating,” said the owner. We’ve also gotten word that a new place called Hummingbird Café could be going in at the old Biscuits spot.
You'd think running three restaurants would really wear a guy out, but Janos Wilder always makes time to give back to the community. Wilder teams up with Pueblo High School's special-education class for a holiday luncheon with seatings at 10:56 a.m., 11:58 a.m. and 12:45 p.m., Friday, Dec. 10. $5, and reservations are strongly recommended. Proceeds benefit the special-education program. E-mail Randy.Spalding@tusd1.org for reservations or more information.
Wilder speaks about Tucson’s culinary heritage at the Museum of Contemporary Art at 4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 4. Reservations are highly recommended; 624-5019.
Wilder has also announced the next run of his popular cooking classes, which go for $50 each. The first class takes place in mid-January and features recipes from his new restaurant DOWNTOWN Kitchen + Cocktails. Call 615-6100 for reservations or more information.
And finally (I told you he was busy!), bean dishes created by Wilder and several other local chefs will be featured at the Great Bean Tasting at 11 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 11, at the Natiive Seeds/SEARCH store at 3061 N. Campbell Ave. Admission is free. Call 622-0830 for more information.
The Danish Club of Tucson will be serving complete Danish meals and homemade cookies at the Nordic fair at Streams in the Desert Church (5360 E. Pima St.) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 4. Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian food will also be available. More information here.
In wine news, there are only two seats left for Tohono Chul Park’s trip through Arizona’s wine country. The tour from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, Dec. 10, features stops at Sonoita Vineyards, Callaghan Vineyards and Kief-Joshua Vineyards, tastings and lunch, and costs $99 for park members; and $120 for nonmembers. Call 742-6455 for more information.
It looks like the new incarnation of elle Wine Country Restaurant, which will be known as elle wine bistro, is coming along nicely. Check in at the bistro’s Facebook page for more information.
Half-price bottles of wine today for Delectables weekly Wacky Wednesday event. The restaurant has also announced a beer, bratwurst and Wheel of Fortune event scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 16. More here.
Hotel Congress has announced its third annual Whiskey Weekend. You'll want to head over here for information about that.
If you didn't see it on this blog earlier this week, there's new coffee to be sipped in South Tucson. We peeked in the window this morning and are calling the atmosphere "industrial-Bohemian," or "Oh my God, it looks like every apartment I've ever lived in!" The place wasn't open at 7 a.m. (like the owner said it would be) but he's just getting the place off the ground and doesn't even have employees yet, so he's off the hook for the time being.
Fans of desert foods can learn how to make holiday treats with mesquite flour at an event next Saturday. Check that out here.
And lastly, there is reason to believe that I may soon become the first writer at the Tucson Weekly to have a crepe named after them. Allow me to quote from the Planet of the Crepes Facebook page:
I'm naming a crepe after Adam Borowitz. How about "the best crepe ever"?
I'm not worthy!!
