The Housechick Blog

Last week, my pal and were wandering downtown in search of lunch, and came across Chile Verde.  We’d never heard of the place, but decided to give it a shot.  Staff say they’ve been open about a year now, and we were told they are in the process of opening a bar within the restaurant, hoping to draw a later dinner crowd as well as the lunch bunch.

It’s a neat little place off of Stone Ave, at 20 North Stone, just South of Pennington, in downtown Tucson.  Once you order and sit, you can see the people making your meal off to the side of the dining area, and there’s bar seating around it, as well as tables and booths along the edges.  There’s a patio outside as well, sort of placed off the back of the dining area, away from the main street, which made it rather private and enjoyable.

Since they bill themselves as "chile verde a taco joint," I had to go with the chile verde taco especial for lunch.  And was not disappointed. 

It was a pretty simple meal, really.  Steak bits in a chile verde sauce with cheese, but everything was detailed well.  The tortillas had been lightly cooked so they had a nice crispy outside, and the plate came with a grilled jalapeno and green onion, and a small bowl of beans.  There’s a salsa bar as well with several options, and a little cone of chips found its way to our table while we waited for our food.

They are very close to the courthouse, and are trying to leverage that.  I love this little card they had beside the register: Free fountain drink when you show your juror badge!

The other day, I ate lunch with my branch manager over at Las Cazuelitas, at 3535 East Ft Lowell Blvd, near Dodge.  I remember going to this building when it was an Italian place called Da Vinci’s, but that restaurant closed quite a while ago, and has been changed into Las Cazuelitas.

I went to a couple online Spanish to English translators: cazuela is either “casserole” or “crock,” so cazuelitas would be “little casseroles” or “little crocks.” 

They seem to have left a good portion of the decor from when it was an Italian restaurant - but tossed a couple serapes and sombreros on the wall to give it a somewhat different feel.  This is the desk at the front entrance of the restaurant.

From here, the building breaks up into several rooms of various sizes.  I like that there are many corners to sit and eat.  Some restaurants have a big open space and you’re kind of stuck out in the middle, but there’s a nice feel to the interior here, with the many rooms and a couple of fountains scattered about provide ambient noise.

We both had the daily special, which was two beef tamales with rice and beans, soup, and dessert.  Forgive me for not remembering the name of the soup, but it was a chicken stock with lots of pasta and scattered vegetables.  With all the pasta, it was a very filling soup!

The chips and salsa were good as well.  The salsa was a little on the tomatoey side for my taste, but had a nice mild spice level.

The main dish came out shortly after the soup.  (Isn’t that a nice festive tablecloth?)  The beans and tamales were good, the rice was unremarkable.  I’d certainly come here again.  The sign outside puts a special emphasis on seafood, I might explore that section of the menu next time.

Our server was friendly, and our food came in a timely manner. 

And then dessert came.  Today, I learned that I do not like flan.  Not that the flavor was bad, there’s just something… grainy… in the texture that doesn’t quite sit right.  I’m told it’s an acquired taste.  Perhaps so! 

Anybody want my flan?

My closest Fry’s Foods grocery store just finished remodeling, and they have a spectacular produce section now.  As I walked into that section, they had a whole row of fresh chiles, with the vibrant greens and yellows and reds, made my eyes water a bit from the bite in the air the chiles were producing.

Around the corner I spotted nopales:

Nopales are pads of the Prickly Pear cactus.  Note the grocery store provides tongs so you don’t have to pick them up with your bare hands!

I’ve never made nopales, but I’ve eaten it several times.  You’ll find it mixed in with eggs, in soups, or otherwise as part of a filling.  The flavor has been described as a “lemony cross between asparagus and green beans” and “somewhat tart green bean flavor.”

If you don’t prepare it properly, it can be, well, a bit slimy.  That, and they come with cactus spines attached, so removing those can be a bit of a chore, or so I’m told.  You can buy them sliced and canned in the local grocery stores, but you loose a lot of the flavor.

But aren’t they beautiful?  Those are sitting beside chayotes, by the way, a kind of squash.

Okay, one more food post and then we’ll go back to Tucson related Real Estate.

Chick-fil-A has it’s grand opening tomorrow at the El Con Mall, just North of Bank of America at Broadway and Randolph Park.  I’ve been watching the progress as I drive by on the way to my office: transitioning from an old Krispy Kreme building into a fancy new Chick-fil-A.  I got my special invite in the mail yesterday - I’ve got a coupon for a free chicken sandwich, if anyone wants it!

The tents were out and the line started this morning - the first 100 qualified participants in line at the Grand Opening of a new Chick-fil-A each get a Grand Prize: one Chick-fil-A combo meal per week for a year.  To be qualified, you have to be over 18 years of age with a photo ID and have remained in line until the store opens (exceptions made for short bathroom breaks.) 

Let the parking lot chaos begin!  I had trouble just finding a spot to park to take this photo of the line - the In-n-Out Burger drive-through line cuts right in front of the Chick-fil-A building. 

 If you’ve read this blog for more than about a week, you’ll notice I talk quite a bit about food.  Mexican food, in particular - my favorite.  If food isn’t spicy, it probably isn’t worth eating.  I nearly had to fire a client the other day because he said he didn’t like jalapenos.  I’ll forgive him though, as he is from Houston and accustomed to that nasty Tex-Mex stuff.

So today, I present the Guadalajara Grill, at 1730 E Prince Road, in Tucson.

Worst part about this place is the parking - it’s a little awkward, but they’ve now got a parking lot attendant to help things out.  Okay - and the building is a bright yellow and looks like a revamped convenience store from the front.  Trust me - go park, sit down, and eat.

As the popularity of the place grows, so does the seating area.  There’s a huge patio now, and a little bar area around the corner, which is where we were seated last weekend.

Soon after you’re seated, the salsa lady will come by with her cart-o-salsa-fixin’s.  Mild, Medium, or Hot?  We go medium, as it has nice flavor and a decent level of spice, not too overpowering.  No onions for us though, Hubby doesn’t like them.  She’ll create salsa at the table for you.  Don’t like cilantro?  Want more tomatillo?  Just ask, and your wish is her salsa command.  The fresh, tableside salsa is one of the best parts to this place.

The menu has grown over the years as well.  It’s not your typical taco/tostada/burrito place.  There’s an excellent green chile pork dish, lots of seafood, intricate moles and sauces.  The Guadalajara Grill is a great place to move out of your food comfort zone, try new things. 

This is Pop’s meal, the three item combo meal.  No fancy sauces for him, no sir.  The mark of a good Mexican food restaurant is always either in the enchilada sauce (atop the tamale here) or in the chile rellenos.  So Pop always orders those items.  At Guadalajara Grill, he is not disappointed.

Place gets busy on weekends and Friday nights, so call ahead.  The mariachis come around in the evenings as well, serenading customers during their meal.  The tableside salsa is excellent, but try not to fill up on the chips and salsa at the start - you’ve got a fabulous meal coming!

Well, I finally did it.  It took a long time, but now I, too, have joined the masses of Tucsonians who have eaten at the local In-N-Out Burger.

Floyd and I stopped on our way home from the vet.  Since it was still early, the typical 20 car line hadn’t yet formed, so we breezed on through.  A good portion of the drive through line is covered, which is a nice touch.

The lady on the intercom asked me if I wanted to eat my meal in the car.  It took me a while to answer that question, because I started wondering why they were asking and how many people, after getting a drive through meal, stop in the parking lot and eat.  And finally, how does that change my food order?  Apparently, you don’t get a bag if you want to eat in the lot.  Go figure.

Turns out - it’s pretty much just a burger.  Although the lettuce was fresh and crispy, which was nice.  The fries were woefully undercooked.

But for the rest of the day, I have my status symbol to carry around: the distinctive In-N-Out cup, to let the world know exactly how cool I am.  Who me?  Been there, done that.

I was at a wedding over the weekend near Long Beach and ate at a fabulous Greek restaurant, which reminded me that I hadn’t visited any of the great Greek places here in Tucson recently.  An oversight that will soon be remedied.

After all, any restaurant that will set fire to a wedge of cheese as a routine part of their service is a place I ought to be eating.

My favorite Greek restaurant in town is Athens on 4th.

Athens on 4th is a nice little place with both indoor and patio dining near downtown and the University, at 500 N 4th Avenue.  I like Athens because it’s a nice place with friendly service, and a very casual comfortable atmosphere.  You get a good meal with the tablecloth and linen napkin and all of that, and you can dine there in jeans and be completely comfortable.  Parking can be difficult at times, especially if there is an event happening on 4th Avenue, but hunting down a spot to park will be well worth it.

Someday, hubby and I will break out of our rut and order something other than the saganaki, dolmathes, and the gyro platter.  But every time we look over the menu, those are our favorite items, and they’re just too good to pass up.  I’m not a sweets girl, but I hear the baklava is excellent there too.

Have a good Labor Day Weekend!

Coming soon to Tucson:

Chick-fil-A!

The old Krispy Kreme building in front of El Con mall will be Tucson’s first free standing Chick-fil-A restaurant.  The sign says coming soon, but there’s no mention of this Tucson site on the corporate website.

I wonder if it will be open in time for Thanksgiving.  I’m hosting the family at my house this year, and I’ve got a young niece and nephew that are ga-ga for their chicken nuggets.

Sign up now for a Free Chicken Sandwich and Coke before it’s too late!

If you’re a true devotee, you’ll be one of the first 100 in line when the store opens, to receive a free combo meal every week for a year. 

The “Fil-A” is right across from the recently opened In-N-Out burger (evidently, a location that attracts restaurants with hyphens in their name…).  The In-N-Out drive through line has been known to snake around this Chick-fil-A building during prime meal times.  Let the parking lot chaos begin!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of dining with some friends at the Cup Cafe in Hotel Congress, in downtown Tucson. 

It was my first visit to the Cup, much to the amazement of my friends.  If you believe them, I may be the last person in Tucson who hasn’t eaten there.  Even Rachael Ray has been there.  Who knew?

It’s an eclectic place - the floor of our dining room was covered, every square inch, with pennies.  I’m not sure if they were lacquered in place or what, but there was some kind of clear coat holding them all in place.  I wonder how many days and weeks it took to place all of those pennies individually?

The Cup sits in the ground floor of Hotel Congress, which is also home to Club Congress, which describes itself as a rock club and a “must stop” for the incorrigibly hip.  The Hotel was built in 1919, with 40 rooms that have been renovated, but they pride themselves on maintaining the original ambience (read: no TV, but they do have wireless internet access).

Back to the Cup.  This is my Tuscan Salad, which was excellent.  After mortifying my friends by taking a picture of it (evidently, not a “hip” thing to do), I dug in.  Delish.  The menu said there were white beans in this salad, but happily, I found none.  Next time, I’m going to have to try the Thompson Automatics appetizer: shredded chicken marinated in Frank’s original red hot sauce, wrapped in an egg roll with gorgonzola and deep fried until crispy.  Sounds like heaven to me!

My friend had the Club Vegan, which is 3 layers of pita, stacked with hummus, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, kalamata olives, and radish.  I didn’t want to embarass her by taking a picture of her sandwich, but it was enormous and, I’m told, very tasty.

The service was fine.  My water glass was dirty, but was replaced quickly.  There were several other items on the menu that looked interesting, and I’m told I have to try the feta garlic dressing.  All in all, it was a nice lunch, and an interesting place to dine. 

There’s a lot of road construction going on right now in the area, with the rebuilding of the 4th avenue underpass.  Normally, you can just head West on Broadway onto Congress and you’re there, but it’s not so easy right now to come from that side.  Parking is mostly at meters, so bring a couple quarters.