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1. Janos
3770 E Sunrise Dr, Westin La Paloma Resort, Tucson, AZ 85718 · 520-615-6100
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FOOTHILLS. Janos Wilder, award-winning chef and owner of this lovely restaurant, offers spectacular views and spectacular food to match. Focusing on Southwestern cuisine created with a decidedly French flair, meals here are prepared with local ingredients at the peak of freshness. Every dish is a complex yet rewarding combination of flavors – try lobster with papaya in champagne sauce or green tea smoked duck with stir-fried bok choy and spiced plums. Savor each with a complimentary wine and you have what many call the best dining experience in Arizona.
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NORTHEAST. The focal point at McMahon's is a glassed-in wine room, filled to capacity with over 25,000 bottles. The decor is upscale, contemporary Southwestern, bolstered by local art, an abundance of dark woods, and a stylish cigar bar. Beef is king, and McMahon's steaks are regarded by many as being among the best in Tucson. Even the burger is high-end, topped with Gruyere and porcini and morel mushrooms. Sides range from caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, and creamed spinach to regionally influenced dishes like scalloped potatoes with green chiles and tumbleweed onions. Desserts are made in-house and are very, very good.
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3. Vivace
4310 N Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ 85718 · 520-795-7221
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FOOTHILLS. Vivace is Italian for "lively," and this midtown restaurant lives up to the name. With a spacious, inviting dining room, an open kitchen and a separate wine bar, there is plenty of room to accommodate groups. A smaller dining room is suited to intimate dinners or special occasions. Chef Daniel Scordato, highly regarded in Tucson for his fantastic Italian cuisine, has created a stellar menu full of favorites like crispy crab cannelloni, linguini with grilled salmon, and veal osso bucco.
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4. Cafe Poca Cosa
88 E Broadway Blvd, Santa Rita Hotel, Tucson, AZ 85701 · 520-622-6400
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DOWNTOWN. Chef / owner Susana Davila creates her own unique spin on Mexican cuisine, featuring techniques and ingredients borrowed from several regions. Poca Cosa began across the street from this location, and the tiny original is still open for breakfast and lunch on weekdays. At this location, the menu changes daily, but the specialties include fantastic chicken with spicy-rich mole sauce. If you can't decide, order the Plato Poca Cosa and the chef will choose one beef, one chicken and one vegetarian entree for you to sample, each one more delicious than the next.
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DOWNTOWN. The original El Charro, founded in 1922, is the oldest Mexican restaurant in Tucson; the original owner, Monica Flin, is said to have invented the chimichanga. That heritage remains strong today with a commitment to fresh, authentic Sonoran cuisine. Stop by the adjacent cantina, with its pleasant outdoor seating, and enjoy one of the finest margaritas in town. Then, have classic meals such as carne asada or carne seca – beef marinated in lime and garlic. A small gift shop inside sells an assortment of Southwestern gifts. Reservations suggested on weekends.
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NORTH TUCSON. Tucked away in an old house, Blue Willow is renowned for its comfortable, home-style cooking and its charming patio. Shaded in the summer and heated in the winter, it's the perfect spot for a fun weekday lunch with friends or a relaxing weekend breakfast. The menu is chock full of omelettes and other filling morning meal favorites, all accompanied by fresh fruit and potatoes or rice. Lunch and dinner options range from soups and salads to delicate crepes and vegetarian dishes. The place is equally famous for its desserts, particularly the chocolate confection of the day, which never fails to impress and satisfy.
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MARANA. Li'l Abner's has been around for years, and it's easy to see why. The casual, Western-themed atmosphere is augmented by decades worth of graffiti scrawled on the walls – mostly things like "John Rules" and "Amy loves Mike," with the occasional proverb or bit of restaurant praise (and yes, you're welcome to add your own John Hancock or words of wisdom). And the steaks, well, they're the stuff of legend. Grilled over huge open mesquite fires out back, the steaks (and ribs and chicken) are big and juicy, whether you opt for the diminutive 7-ounce filet or the gargantuan 2-pound Porterhouse. The accompanying beans and salsa give the meal a Southwest flair, but for even more regional flavor, come on a Friday or Saturday night when there's live country-western music and dancing!
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FOOTHILLS. Owned by 20-something brothers Josh and Aric Mussman, Vero Amore makes what is possibly the best pizza in Tucson. Adhering to the standards set forth by the Verace Pizza Napoletana Association (arbiters of fine Neapolitan pizza), the restaurant bakes in a brick, wood-burning oven, using fresh mozzarella made in-house and roma tomatoes imported directly from Italy. This is pizza for grownups, the object of almost irrational cravings. In keeping with the high quality of the pies, salads and dressings are all super fresh and homemade, and the couple of pastas on the menu are divine.
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9. Mi Nidito
1813 S 4th Ave, Tucson, AZ 85713 · 520-622-5081
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SOUTH TUCSON. For authentic Mexican cuisine, Mi Nidito is a top choice. Locals and visitors line up to feast on Sonoran classics in a festive cantina environment. Start with simple but delicious cheese tostadas, and then move on to tostados, tamales, and the popular enchiladas – rolled or flat, and stuffed with your choice of fillings. The brightly colored interior is casual and pleasant, but it's the food, not the decor, that has made this a local institution.
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WEST TUCSON. Oaxaca, Mexico, is not a region that is frequently represented in American restaurants, so it's a treat to have breakfast at Teresa's Mosaic Cafe. Specialities include Huevos en Salsa and Huevos Divorceados (that's eggs with two sauces, not divorced eggs), in addition to Sonoran and Mexican items. On the near West side, the cafe overlooks the city and the mountains.
10Best announces our latest Best of the City results. Well-informed consumers like you have spoken out, votes have been tabulated, and winners determined. Chosen businesses are designated with a special seal – select any one, and you’re sure to get a best bet. Thanks to so much user input, there’s no way you could go wrong!
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