Renee's Organic Oven prides themselves on serving the best pizzas in all of Tucson. It starts with their organic ingredients, including staples like flour, eggs and olive oil. To top that off, their like to feature toppings that are sourced locally, including tomatoes and red bell peppers. Gluten-free pizza is also offered, as well as a selection of salads and homemade desserts. If you don't feel like pizza, pastas are also available and include selections like penne pesto and chicken and pesto lasagna.
The creation of award-winning Chef Kelly, Primo serves fine Italian cuisine with seasonal and organic hints, alongside domestic and regional Italian wines. Nestled inside the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa, this gem of a restaurant features relaxed yet upscale dining rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and a sun-drenched patio that overlooks the city. The spectacular views of the adjacent Tucson mountains provide the perfect setting to an already memorable dining experience.
Set against the backdrop of a Santorini mural that sums up the theme of this undiscovered gem, It's Greek to Me serves authentic Greek and Mediterranean delicacies. A dedicated delicatessen which is part of the restaurant offers regional sandwiches with fillings such as house-roasted turkey, pastrami, lightly fried chickpea, tzatiki and provolone cheese, among others. For a full meal, you can rely on their fantastic Flaming Tiri Saganaki that whets your appetite for what's to follow later. Main courses bring along food treasures from the Mediterranean coast that include Braised Lamb Shank, Spanakopita and Gyro Plates with broiled lamb and beef.
If you are growing tired of your normal burger place, take a tasty trip to Zinburger. All of their gourmet burgers are made with Certified Angus beef, and come in varieties like the Breakfast Burger with a fried egg, applewood-smoked bacon, avocado and american cheese. Their milkshakes are great too, as are their hand-cut sweet potato and truffle fries. As their name suggests, Zinburger also has a selection of wine pairings that go great with whatever burger you just ordered.
1702 is the place to head in Tucson for some great beers and hand-crafted pizzas. If you are looking for a hard-to-find brew, 1702 probably has it, along with 45 other selected microbrews and imports. The selection is constantly changing, based on what is available seasonally. 1702 also as an in-house beer shop, where they sell over 250 craft beers. For something to eat, try one of their great pizzas. Varieties include the Caseus Maxius, with mozzarella, provolone, ricotta, feta and Romano cheeses, or the Italia with spinach, basil, tomato, feta and garlic.
Don't plan on too many other activities on any Sunday that starts with brunch at The Canyon Cafe. Not only will the meal be the highlight of your day, but you're likely to be too full to function after wards. Start with Eggs Benedict, perhaps, then work your way through the carving station and be sure to stop off at the seafood spot. Put in your order with the pasta chef, but be sure to save room for a trip to the dessert station. This gourmet marathon is sure to be one of your most memorable meals in Tucson.
Serving wood-baked Napoli pizzas in an upscale, minimalist space is Falora. The creation of owner and Chef Ari Shapiro, this bright pizzeria also serves wine and beer with these low on gluten pies. Choose from their amazing Caesar, Kale or Butter Pecan salads as an excellent culinary warm-up. Then move on to their unique artisan pizzas, some of which include classic Margherita, Carni, Giardino and Cura, Falora's also encourages patrons to bring in their favorite vinyl record to spin on their stereo. As a return gesture, you can enjoy a free bottle of Chianti.
It's easy to miss this minute East African restaurant in a converted cottage on Broadway, but once you've tasted the exotic offerings, you'll want to mark it on your map. The menu is almost as limited as the number of tables (be prepared for a wait), but the sampler platters give you a good grasp of the gastronomic style of the region. Wats, Ethiopian-style stewed dishes, is the focus here. Choose from Doro (chicken), Yebeg (lamb), Zighi (beef), Yemisir (lentil) or several other exotically seasoned dishes, eaten in hand using the spongy Injera bread. No alcoholic beverages are served but, because of the size of the restaurant, you're allowed to bring your own wine or beer.
Chicago transplant and former rock musician, Rocco DiGrazia, brings a bite of the Windy City to Tucson at Rocco's Little Chicago. The choices include double-crusted pies and thin-crust, square cut options. With names like the Heart Attack—piles of meat and tons of cheese, and Fungus Humongous—mega-mushrooms, it's obvious this isn't health-conscious dining, but it's a delicious indulgence. A few sandwiches—also of mammoth proportions, are also offered and beer and wine are served. Quite likely, Rocco himself, will prepare your pizza.
At Bob's it seems like everyone knows everyone else here, which is to say that the place is always filled with locals. Bob's is kind of a dive, however with TVs on the walls, it does have somewhat of a sports bar vibe. During happy hour, the college crowd comes in for cheap drinks and filling appetizers. Bob's serves a decent amount of domestic swill like Budweiser and Coors, but oftentimes you will also find a craft beer or two. Moreover, when the weather is right, the two patios available for outside dining are perfect.
This is where the Rocky Horror Picture Show freaks liquor up on Saturday nights, among other theatergoers at the neighboring Loft Cinema. During the day, it is usually a local yokel joint. It's spacious, with typically southwestern wooden paneling, a jukebox, a few old video arcade games, torn leather booths and a few tables in the center of the room. A variety of burgers and sandwiches are available: bacon cheeseburgers, jalapeno burgers, mushroom swiss burgers, barbecue beef sandwiches and chicken melts.
Each pizza at this eatery on busy Speedway Boulevard is hand-spun, and you can watch the procedure from the counter. The crust is extraordinarily thick, but can be made thinner upon request. Limited seating is available near the counter and outside near the curb, but the main business here is takeout. Specialty pizzas come in four different sizes, ranging from 10-inches to 16-inches. A variety of salads is available, as are calzones and sub sandwiches. Pasta entrees like Linguini and Lasagna are a recent addition to the menu. Note the amazing choice of toppings you get on your pizza or in your calzone.