Best Of Tucson®

The End-of-Days Exit Interview: Addam Buzzalini

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As a teenager washing dishes at a restaurant, Addam Buzzalini watched the chefs working and loved the lingo, action and excitement in the kitchen. Wanting to be a part of a cooking staff, Buzzalini enrolled in the culinary arts program at Grand Rapids (Michigan) Community College. After graduation, he worked in Grand Rapids and later moved to Seattle, where he lived and worked for seven years. He's been a Tucsonan for almost five years and is currently the chef at Maynards Market and Kitchen. One of his favorite dishes to prepare there is poutine—French fries with local cheese curds, foie gras, duck confit, roasted duck gravy and cracklins.

A meteor is going to hit the planet tomorrow. Where in Tucson would you go for your final meal (besides Maynards)?

I think I would go to the Cup Café for the "Braveheart" breakfast. It is toasted rye topped with house-smoked beef brisket, smothered in country gravy with gruyere cheese, spinach, tomatoes and a poached egg. If I was in Tucson, and a meteor was on its way, that would absolutely be my final thing to eat, without a doubt.

Our new robot overlords want to ban alcohol. Where would you want to have your final drink (besides Maynards)?

Scott and Co. (I would have) anything that Karen wants to pour for me. The drinks are spot on; they are unique. The care, craft and love that go into the drinks are second to none.

Global warming has increased outside temps to 130 degrees in the summer. Where do you go to cool off?

I probably would be at the Crossroads (6 Grand Cinemas) theater or the Loft Cinema.

Aliens have landed in your backyard and say: "Take us to your leader." Where in Tucson would you send them?

Probably to The Hive Hair Salon in Hotel Congress. My wife, Lindsey, owns it. They should probably talk to her. She's my leader. (Laughs.)

The mole people are invading the surface world through a tunnel that opens in your backyard. What local business would you turn to for help?

Truly Nolen? And that gun store on Grant Road (Frontier Gun Shop). I would buy guns and take (things) into my own hands.

If a zombie apocalypse were to happen in Tucson, what shopping center would you like to hole up in?

Chicago Music Store, downtown on Congress Street. While I am waiting for the zombies, I'll have plenty of guitars and things to play around on to keep me occupied in the meantime.

What Tucson band or musician would you want to write the soundtrack to the end of the world as we know it?

Chris Black, without a doubt. I firmly believe nobody could write a soundtrack to the end of our life in this town better than Chris could. No question.

If you had only one sunset left in Tucson, from where would you watch it?

Gates Pass. I would be watching the sunset with my wife and our three dogs, and probably drinking some really good champagne.

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