[an error occurred while processing this directive]


Best All-You-Can-Eat Buffet
Best Bagel Bakery
Best Bagels
Best BBQ
Best Bread Creations
Best Breakfast Under $5
Best Breakfast
Best Burgers
Best Butcher Shop
Best Cannoli
Best Casual Dining
Best Chinese
Best Delicatessen
Best Desserts
Best Dim Sum
Best Diner
Best Fine Dining
Best Fish Market
Best Food On I-10
Best Formal Dining
Best Free Snacks
Best Fresh-Baked Bread
Best Greek
Best Hot-Links
Best Ice Cream
Best Indian
Best Italian
Best Korean
Best Late-Night Restaurant
Best Local Flavor
Best Lunch Over $5
Best Lunch Under $5
Best Margarita For Kids
Best Margaritas
Best Marinara Sauce
Best Mexican (No Lard)
Best Middle Eastern
Best Middle-Eastern Market
Best New Restaurant
Best Omelet Bar
Best Outdoor Dining
Best Pizza
Best Place To Eat Fried Pickles
Best Produce
Best Salads
Best Salsa
Best Sandwich Advocate For Fire Safety
Best Sandwiches
Best Smoothie Bar
Best Sonoran Hot-Dog
Best Sunday Brunch
Best Sushi
Best Sweet Shop
Best Taco Stand & Hot-dog Stand
Best Take-Out
Best Taste Of New York
Best Thai
Best Tortillas
Best Truck Stop
Best Vegan Selections
Best Vegetarian Fine-Dining
Best Veggie Burger
Best Vietnamese Soup



Best Outdoor Dining

The Cottonwood Café
60 N. Alvernon Way


READERS' PICK: An occasional midday indulgence is good for the soul; and the pleasure is all the sweeter when the restaurant chosen is The Cottonwood Café. With its lovely, shaded outdoor patio and indoor Taos ski-lodge ambiance, its elegant nonchalance is a class act all the way: neither too stuffy nor too casual. Just be sure to inform the staff if you're on a schedule, or they'll treat you as if they expected you for the afternoon. If you have the time, start your lunch with one of Cottonwood's signature fresh-fruit margaritas, a wicked adult version of the Slurpee. (See Best Margaritas for details.) Lunch entrees cover demure salads of exotic mixed greens, with heartier entrees reflecting a Southwestern or Native American influence.

READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: Café Terra Cotta, 4310 N. Campbell Ave.

A REAL SCREAM: Thousands of little white lights twinkle in the dusky trees at La Cocina, 186 N. Meyer Ave. The skyscrapers of downtown peek over the thick adobe courtyard walls, framed by vibrant fuchsia bougainvillea. Mellow jazz and the soothing gurgle of a half-dozen sculpted clay fountains hang in the air. A crisp waiter brings your perfect margarita as the intoxicating scent of mesquite-grilled chicken wafts to your table. Nestled in the heart of the historic El Presidio district, Cocina at Old Town Artisans is a wonderful place to bask in Old Pueblo charm.


Case History

1998 Winner: Café Terra Cotta
1996 Winner: The Blue Willow
1995 Winner: Café Terra Cotta


Page Back

Home | Arts & Culture | Cafés | Chow | City Life | Kids | Outdoors
Saloons | Shopping | Most Wanted | Credits | Search

Copyright © 1995-98 Tucson Weekly

Page Forward