Acacia Meets Tohono Chul
Albert Hall and his wife, Lila Yamashiro—the gastronomical geniuses behind Acacia at St. Philip's—will begin overseeing the Tohono Chul Park Tea Room (7366 N. Paseo del Norte) on Wednesday, July 1. The new menu will meld Tea Room favorites and some of Hall's signature dishes. Hall will also hold cooking classes there sometime this fall. Call 797-1222, or visit www.tohonochulpark.org for more information.
Happy Hour
JaxKitchen (7286 N. Oracle Road) asked what patrons wanted, and the response inspired owners Brian and Sandy Metzger to start a happy hour from 4 to 5:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. The late-afternoon affair features discounts on appetizers like crispy, hand-cut fries with aioli ($4), and white-bean hummus with handmade crackers and rosemary oil and artichoke tapenade ($7). Try a signature cocktail ($6.50) or split a pitcher of sangria ($17). 219-1235; jaxkitchen.com.
Pig Out
Take a whole, slow-cooked pig; tri-tip tenders; sweet potato chunks; beef ribs; stuffed pork loin; fried catfish; tamale pie; and peach cobbler. Add a Jim Beam drink or a Copperhead Pale Ale from Barrio Brewery, and that's the story of the Patio Pig Buffet, from 4 to 7 p.m., Thursday, June 25, at Jonathan's Cork (6320 E Tanque Verde Road). $25; 296-1631; www.jonathanscork.com.
Eat Locally
The locavore craze sprouted as a small movement, but these days, it's the darling of even the biggest supermarket chains. Consider Safeway's new "Locally Grown" campaign, which will increase the amount of local food sold at more than 1,700 stores. The program also provides customers with maps of local farms and other information, according to a news release.
Speaking of eating locally, the Food Conspiracy Co-op (412 N. Fourth Ave.) kicks off its second annual Eat Local, America! Challenge with a party from 6 to 8 p.m., Friday, July 3. The Dusty Buskers will provide tunes while local farmers discuss the good foods they grow, and it's free. 624-4821; foodconspiracy.org.
Krispy Kreme's Komeback
Krispy Kreme, you left town so abruptly back in 2006 that we never even got to say goodbye ... and now you show up out of nowhere with a new location in Marana at 8260 N. Cortaro Road, Suite 110? The new store, which opened Tuesday, June 23, is open from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily.
