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 Some Of Tucson's Finest Italian Eateries Are In The Most Unlikely Locations. By Rebecca Cook WHAT'S UP WITH pint-size strip malls and good Italian restaurants? First came Gavi, wedged teasingly between venues for pizza and cinnamon buns, and now La Focaccia arrives on the scene in close proximity to a hospital, drive-through tacos and floral arrangements. What gives? Like Gavi, La Focaccia will have to depend on word of mouth rather than an eye-catching establishment to generate a solid customer base. But given the quality of the food La Focaccia serves, as well as its friendly and efficient service, there should be no problem garnering a slew of satisfied patrons.
Once seated, however, warm and freshly made focaccia bread is placed on the table straight away. Fluffy and tinged with salt, oregano and sun-dried tomato, this satisfactory introduction would've been enormously improved by a cruet of warm olive oil lightly scented with garlic and rosemary. Open for lunch and dinner, La Foccacia's entrees differ from many of its competitors' by minimizing the role of the tomato. A tangy sauce of simmered, chopped-fresh tomatoes, garlic and olive oil can still be found on a few of the pasta items, but more common here is a pasta tossed with vegetables, prosciutto, grated cheese and olive oil. Cauliflower, asparagus, potatoes, spinach and white beans all make an appearance in tandem with some complex carbohydrate. Also notable are the variations on gnocchi, an Italian potato dumpling not often glimpsed as an entrée option in these parts. Intricacy of preparation ranges from the simplest (parsley, pesto, cheeses and butter) to the sublime (lamb cooked in red wine, tomato sauce, garlic, oregano and basil)--all look tantalizingly scrumptious.
Our greatest disappointment was an order of antipasti, in this case baked mussels topped with a rosemary-laden tomato sauce and melted cheese ($7.95). Although tasty, the mussels were exceptionally chewy and the rosemary dry and obtrusive enough to require its discrete removal with each bite. Not cool. But our craving for sincere and straightforward food after the high-calorie glut of the holidays was amply catered to by La Focaccia's pasta dishes. Familiarity being the cornerstone of solace, we gravitated towards the few dishes that embraced the superiority of the tomato. La Focaccia's stuffed pasta is a generous pocket filled with meat, cheese and vegetable ingredients. The fagottini di verdura ($10.95) was replete with a puréed combination of mushrooms, eggplant and spinach, topped with a tangy-sweet tomato sauce. Although La Focaccia doesn't make their own pasta, the mega-ravioli nevertheless had real character, being tender but still pleasingly al dente. While none of the individual ingredients stood out in flavor, the composite was still satisfyingly delicious. The timballo di rigatoni ($10.95) consisted of tube-shaped pasta tossed with a smattering of spicy meatballs, grated hard and soft cheeses, salami, mushrooms, hard-boiled eggs and tomato sauce. Every bite was a sinful pleasure, although the portion was far beyond my capacity. Several enticing fish, chicken and meat dishes are also available at dinner. Lunch is a much more modest affair at La Focaccia, with all but one item priced under $7. The gnocchi, risotto and various fish and meat dishes are missing from the menu, but in their place, an assortment of frittates (Italian omelets) and sandwiches have been substituted. A sandwich with marinated eggplant and melted provolone cheese ($5.95) was adequate but somewhat bland, the flavors of the marinade never asserting themselves. Something similar could be said of the grilled portobello mushroom in egg wash ($4.95), which began our noon meal. More of an egg bath, the thick battered coating distracted from the meaty mushroom interior, which, without a squeeze of fresh lemon, would have been nearly devoid of flavor. Tastier by far was a frittate of three cheeses and prosciutto ham ($6.95). Unlike the omelet, a frittate is never folded into a padded shape; instead it's served open-face and perfectly round, cooked on both sides. Again, the addition of a salad would constitute a complete meal. Dessert is never overlooked at La Focaccia, with the favorites being a large, sundae-sized mascarpone (a deviation from tiramisu made with pound cake, almond paste, espresso and a gentle lacing of orange liquor), fried ricotta with orange sauce, spumoni ice cream and Italian gelato. Allotments are generous to say the least, so sharing is strongly recommended. It's hard to spot as you're flying down Grant Road, but fix the address of La Focaccia in your mind and drop by this strip mall sometime soon. Maybe you can snag some fresh flowers and a check-up while you're at it.
La Focaccia. 5553 E. Grant Road. 296-6255. Open
11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday
through Saturday, and 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday. Beer and wine. V, MC,
checks. Lunch menu: $4.95-$9.95; dinner menu: $4.95-$15.95.
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La Focaccia is petite: The small dining room holds nine tables,
with a couple more tables outside on the storefront sidewalk.
Reservations will deftly circumvent a lengthy stay in your car
while you wait for the next table to vacate.
Finally, if you're one of those individuals who never gets his
fill of rice, has La Focaccia got a deal for you: Risotto is combined
with a wide range of flavors to stunning effect. Along with a
simple green salad and a glass of Chianti, a steaming platter
of risotto with sautéed portobello mushroom, shallots,
onions, garlic, butter, wine and a splash of brandy makes an elegant
feast.
