A fresh seaside scent in the middle of the desert

The last couple of weeks have been hard for us Tucsonans. We cheered up by sticking together, comforting one another, and reviving our sense of belonging to this beautiful community. Which includes getting some comfort from comfort food of course. On one of these blue days we went to Mariscos Chihuahua for lunch. I love the fresh seafood they have here, even in the very hot Arizona summer the seafood is always fresh and delicious.

Do not expect the fancy/romantic seafood restaurants with a wine list and candles! This is prominently a lunch place, where you can also have an informal dinner. Your waitress will welcome you with a basket of delicious Mexican chips and salsa. Beware! You can get filled up just with those. On the other hand, why resist them? Especially if you have ordered a Mexican beer or, even better, a "michelada", which is a beer mixed in with tomato juice and lime; this turned out to be delicious, the best drink for a hot day, or a thirsty diner, or to nurse your hangover! Lemonade is also good. I personally don't like their margaritas because they come from a mix, but the tequila selection is good and you can have a "tequila a la bandera" if you are so inclined. Stay clear from the wine (just one or two choices of mini bottles, you can do better on a plane).

Now on with the food. Order freely from the menu, there is not a single bad item there (I sampled most!) In winter order fresh oysters, followed by a "caldo de mariscos" or seafood soup. It is really heavenly, spiced just right, and fulfilling with its side of real tortillas. If you are hungry, order instead one of the "platos". The seafood "a la veracruzana" is fantastic, so is the "pulpo" (octopus), and the whole fried fish (you can have it small, medium, or large!) Most "platos" are accompanied by rice, fries, veggies, and tortillas.

In summer do not hesitate and get the shrimp ceviche. I took several friends here, and the verdict is unanimous: best ceviche in this hemisphere! Enjoy it on top of the tostadas, or just by the spoonful if you are a purist. Ceviche, a north-pole cold beer, what else do you need on a hot Tucson day? I like everything on the menu, go several times and do a tasting, and discover your favorite. I also like the "ceviche bucket" you get when your order to take out, an ideal lunch for two for a slow summer aftrenoon by the pool.

Now for the ambiance: this place is very simple. Booths or tiled tables, bright and clean look, no fuss. The clientele seem to speak both English and Spanish, all waitress are bilingual. On Sunday you see many dressed-up families eating here after the Mass. A comforting, cozy, easy place to eat excellent seafood. When you are all done and you walk out you will be very surprised not to see a seashore, and fishermen mending their nets. This is the feeling of the place.


Mariscos Chihuahua
356 E. Grant Rd
Tucson, AZ (520) 884 3567
(other locations as well, see webpage)
http://www.mariscoschihuahua.com/Home_Page.php
open for lunch and (early) dinner every day
$

Downtown in the desert

You are in Tucson and spent some quality time downtown, and now you like a cocktail or a bite. Or maybe you are driving back from the airport and your appetite does not quite hold until you go back home. Or, you just want a good meal and you like the Tucson skyline. I personally like to drive south on Stone at sunset, when the (few!) tall buildings of downtown have a special glare. Or, finally, it is late at night and after a show you want to listen to good live music (Thu-Sat only) with your favorite wine. Now finally you have a place to eat and drink that matches your expectations, go to Downtown kitchen and cocktails and you will be happy.

The setting is a open space with kitchen in view. Maybe too much in view? I prefer to seat farther from it. The bar goes on forever and it is a good-looking bar at that. Hostess and waiters are kind and well trained now, and the noise level conversation-yileding. The music only starts around 10 pm, and by that time you had finish dinner and, possibly, exhausted most of the interesting topics of conversation, so it is a welcome change of pace.

The place is vegan-friendly. On my last visit I had a main course of delicious Asian noodles with a fantastic mix of raw and cooked veggies, and nuts, filling and especially tasty. On other visits I extensively asked if they could veganize some dishes, and they could. My companions were thrilled by the Chinese duck and a cheese appetizer with mushrooms. We also had African soup, and ahi ceviche. I tasted this last one and it was just about the best chevice I even eat. The mix of tastes in each dish was complicated and spicy, but never tasted like a mess, it always stopped short of too much. The chef-owner, Janos, knows his craft, obviously.

The wine list is good, not great. The good think is that they sell a lots of good wines by the glass as well, so you can easily ask for a taste if you are not sure before ordering a bottle. We tasted a couple before ordering our Argentine Merlot, which was very good. On another visit I had a cocktail, a Manhattan, which was top of the shelve. The bar is an ideal spot also to dine solo, it is informal and looks bright and safe. The reason why I attach the lone dollar sign to this place is not because it is super cheap (you can read the prices in the restaurant link below) but because the quality-price ratio is so high that it almost seems inexpensive. I highly recommend this place. You will relax, enjoy, eat well, feel well afterwords, and you will contribute to bring some business to downtown Tucson, which is sorely needed.


Downtown kitchen and cocktails (Janos)
$
135 South 6th Avenue
Tucson, Arizona
(520) 623 7700

Open Monday to Sunday
late night Thu-Sat, bar open until 2 am
http://downtownkitchen.com/