Author Archive: Jon D Auria

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El Rio Vecinos

September 10, 2013 |

A New Organizational Benefactor for El Rio Community Health Center

The inaugural El Rio Viscinos.
photo: Jon D’Auria

For 43 years, El Rio Community Health Center has been serving Tucsonans by providing remarkable health care for one in 12 residents while also assisting the homeless and citizens lacking insurance with vaccinations, treatments, dental care, education and general check ups. It has grown to become the 14th largest community health center in the United States. Now, thanks to the vision of El Rio Health Center Foundation Board of Directors member Dan Chambers, the center is welcoming a new extension to their already impressive array of services with the newly formed young professionals group called the El Rio Vecinos.

Chambers founded the group in late 2012,  putting together his lifelong passions of mentoring and community service to create a legacy that benefits young business people who are driven, community-minded and looking to enhance their city with generosity through strong leadership and virtue. As a long-standing member of the Conquistadors and organizations all over the country, Chambers is the perfect overseer to mobilize such a diverse assemblage.

“It’s been a long-standing tradition for my family to help mentor and enhance the lives of young professionals in Tucson,” says Chambers. “I had always been interested in doing some form of mentoring and helping young people get connected, find jobs, teach them to write resumes and give them a push to help them along, so I knew that I would start a young professionals group once I retired. But the one thing I didn’t know was which organization to pair it with. Once I learned more about El Rio, I just knew that it would be the best organization for us to join forces with.”

In no time, Chambers had already accumulated a strong base of members who were striving in their own professional fields and were hungry to dedicate their time outside of work to the service of others.  The main goal of the Vecinos, under the tutelage of El Rio Health Center Foundation, is to raise money for the center that will help contribute to the center’s long list of community health programs; the money raised from the group’s multiple yearly events will be donated entirely to the health center.

“The uniqueness of this group is that it is directly linked to El Rio Community Health Center and our our sole mission is to be a fundraising entity that supports their various programs. It’s not so different from how the Centurions operate with St. Mary’s Hospital,” says Vecinos President Jon Davison. “There’s a lot of camaraderie amongst the group and that comes from rallying around the mission and working together. It also provides an opportunity to interact and meet with other motivated and successful professionals and it creates a culture of collaborative effort.”

The name is Spanish for neighbors, and was chosen by the group with the goal of having a name that went with community and unity. The Vecinos meet twice monthly with one session serving as a business meeting for the board and the members and the other taking place in a social setting of a local restaurant or bar. The members get a chance to experience the benefits of networking and connecting with like-minded young professionals. But for many, the best part of the experience is bonding together in the name of charity for their community by putting their organizational skills and fundraising efforts to good use.

“We’re developing a fellowship here, and we’re a very diverse group and we have people from all walks of life and all of them are successful and have a lot of success ahead of them in their futures,” says Chambers. “The way people get successful in this town is by getting to know a lot of different people. When people first get started in this town or move here after college it can be hard time for them to meet others and make connections. That’s where we come in to help.”

The next big steps for the Vecinos are organizing their launch party for 2014 and their “Black Tie Block Party” fundraiser for El Rio that will be taking place in September 2014. The next recruiting event for the Vecinos is at Hotel Congress’ Copper Hall on Friday, Sept. 20 at 5:30 p.m. It is open to anyone who is interested in joining the group.

“This is our first social meeting of this operating year and it’ll be a chance for our current members to get together to relax and an opportunity for our recruited prospects to get a feel for our group,” says Davison. “We’re always excited about doing recruitment events that coincide with our social meetings that really let people check us out to see what we’re all about.”

For information on joining the Vecinos, contact Dan Chambers at danchambers6314@comcast.net or ring him at 909-6821.

Festival En El Barrio Viejo

March 22, 2013 |

2012 Festival en el Barrio. photo by David Olsen

Calexico and other great bands join together to support KXCI and celebrate the beautiful Barrio of Tucson and its community

Sunday, March 24th marks the Fourth Annual Festival En El Barrio Viejo, which is taking place downtown in the streets of the El Presidio neighborhood. This year’s festival boasts three stages filled with amazing bands from Tucson and beyond, local food and spirits including the restaurants and storefronts of the Old Town Artisans, booths for shopping and crafts and a chance to support one of Tucson’s greatest resources–KXCI Community Radio.

Making their fourth consecutive appearance headlining the festival will be the celebrated native-Tucson band Calexico, who have gained a global fan base and have received widespread notoriety for their 2012 album Algiers. Currently on tour in Europe, the band always makes Tucson their first priority and this great festival is no exception.

“I love Tucson, why wouldn’t I want to give back to the town that inspires us?” says Calexico lead singer Joey Burns. “Plus it’s a great way to get together and celebrate. Any way to get people together in the barrios and neighborhoods is a good thing. Combining that with good food, drink, music and activities for all of the family members makes this a special spring time occasion. Helping out our local community sponsored radio station is also another movement that we should all get behind. We love KXCI.”

Along with Calexico, this year’s festival includes an exciting line up featuring the Grammy award winning New Orleans outfit Rebirth Brass Band, Tucson’s own Sergio Mendoza Y La Orkesta, Heartless Bastards, Brian Lopez, Mariachi Aztlan, The Cordials and many other great acts. The bands will be spread out among the main Barrio stage, the Telles stage and the Mariachi Aztlan stage beginning at 1:00pm.

“It’s a great street party and we have a really killer musical lineup this year,” says Executive Director of the Rialto Foundation Curtis McCrary. “I’m really excited about Rebirth Brass Band. We had them at Rialto in 2008 and they were really terrific and put on a great show. Now they’ve been on the show Treme, and they have a lot of notoriety and we’re really excited to have them on the bill. Each year it seems to get better and more refined with more food and beer offerings and it’s a great thing to do on a nice afternoon.”

The proceeds from the festival will go toward funding for KXCI, who are loved by the Tucson community for their support of local artists and their tireless quest to keep independent radio alive in our city. The programming of KXCI largely benefits local bands and musicians and they have done much to boost the popularity of such artists, including Calexico.

“KXCI has always been supportive of local artists and bands,” says Burns. “They have been there for us since the beginning and continue to help out local bands and bring in interesting touring acts to their station. They have a lot of diversity in their programming and shows that I admire and can’t find anywhere else.”

“By sharing eclectic commercial-free music with our audience, we’re able to introduce songs and artists – old and new – that you simply don’t hear anywhere else on the radio dial,” says General Manager of KXCI Randy Peterson. “And because we’re locally based and community-driven, we’re able to reflect the interests and values of our community while at the same time championing those things we love about it.”

The beautiful setting of the festival is nestled in the Barrio of downtown Tucson on Alameda between Main and Church in El Presidio neighborhood, which contains beautiful historic houses, the Old Town Artisans complex and the Tucson Museum of Art.

“We’re really grateful for the support and willingness of the Presidio neighborhood, because if it wasn’t for them allowing us to bring this event to their doorsteps we wouldn’t be able to do this,” says McCrary. “It’s the perfect place to have an event like this and they’re all really supportive of our efforts and do everything they can to accommodate us and make us feel welcomed.”

“My favorite part is probably the incredible behind-the-scenes effort that it takes to make it all happen” says Peterson. “Putting on a multi-stage live outdoor event requires a lot of cooperation with the neighborhood (who are always wonderful), the musicians, the vendors, the organizers and city officials. A lot of people think this is “just” a KXCI event – but it wouldn’t happen without the incredible team at the Rialto Theatre and at Stateside Presents.”

Tickets cost $24.00 in advance, $27.00 at the door and can be purchased at the festival gates or prior at www.rialtotheatre.com. Special VIP tickets are available that include seating in the area closest to the stage, a private bartender and private bathrooms. Children under 10 are admitted free with a paid adult.

“It’s a great day of great music, first and foremost, but it’s also a wonderful opportunity to gather as a music loving community,” says Peterson. “On top of that there’s wonderful food, great drinks and a great time to be had by all. And if the attendees are smart, they will plan to take the following Monday off of work.”

The festival is located at 166 West Alameda Street. Visit www.rialtotheatre.com or www.kxci.org or call 520-740-1000 for more information.

 

Loco for Local

December 9, 2012 |

December 12th is a special day on the calendar and not only because the numeric date reads 12-12-12, but also because TucsonNightOut.com is presenting Go Loco 4 Local Day in Tucson. The event is bringing together 18 local restaurants with more signing on as it approaches that will be offering $12 specials on their menus all day to commemorate the significant date and to raise awareness about the local eateries in the area.

“Supporting local restaurants goes well beyond the monetary value, although the more money we spend locally, the more that stays here in our economy,” says the event organizer and TucsonNightOut.com owner Jerry Heintze. “But for me, supporting local restaurants is about supporting the mom and pops who put their heart and soul and everything they have into what they do and they’re all part of our community. It’s important that we support them and keep them successful so they can continue on.”

Participating restaurants include: La Cocina, Diablo’s, Grumpy’s, Chad’s Steakhouse, Frankie’s South Philly Cheesesteaks, Boca Tacos Y Tequila, Bumsted’s, Risky Business, La Madrina, Tony’s Italian Deli, El Saguarito, Renee’s Organic Oven, Mama Louisa’s, Pastiche, Acacia, Rocco’s Little Chicago and Harvest Restaurant and even more signing up as the event approaches.

“The long-term goal is that we get more people acquainted with who these local businesses are and spread the awareness,” says Heintze. “The more we can show people how amazing the local dining scene is here, the more likely they will be to switch their dining habits from fast food and big national chains to the wonderful establishments we have in our own backyard. We’re very lucky to have such a special dining scene here in town.”

For more information visit tucsonnightout.com

3 Degrees of Strangers

December 6, 2012 |

Bill Mackey (left) and participating students, Zola Zermeno, Myra Pixler, Claire Mirocha, Mariah Hoffman, Jessica Schulte, Nate Sema

Downtown Tucson is a hub of diversity where you’ll find all walks of life: business people, lawyers, executives, artists, students, travelers, the homeless and many others.  While the people you encounter Downtown may take up very little of your consciousness, there is an interesting juxtaposition of strangers and community that can either connect us to everyone or isolate us entirely. This is what sparked Strangers Anonymous and Associates (SAA) to create their 3 Degrees of Strangers: Connections in Downtown exhibit that will be taking place on Saturday, December 8th from 6:00PM-10:00PM at 245 E. Congress St. #171.

The exhibit, which is created by a group of honor students from the University of Arizona (SAA), was spawned from a class project that challenged the students to take a large concept, research it and turn it into an interactive exhibit that the public will participate in. “The students brought in concept ideas and one of the themes they came in with is the idea of strangers,” explains Bill Mackey, the instructor of the class. “We tried to define it together and in the context of Downtown one of the first things you think of for strangers is the homeless. It morphed from that more into the idea that Downtown is a specific place in Tucson where one can simultaneously be connected to the community and can also be anonymous.”

The attendees will play a strong role in the events of the evening, as different interactive pieces will require audience participation to illustrate our connectivity. Other multimedia pieces, including audio recordings, images and interviews, will illustrate how we perceive strangers and how they affect our daily lives and shape us as individuals.

“One of the pieces that is going to be in the exhibit is what the students are calling the ‘Connections Board’,” says Mackey. “When you come into the exhibit we will take a picture of you and give you the picture to put up on the wall along with an index card that says who you are and other basic facts about you. We’re going to have you put it on the wall and see if there are people up there who you know. Then we’re going to have you connect your photo to other people’s that you know with a different color string to signify your relationship. Then you’ll see the people you’re connected to and whom they’re connected to. We don’t know what the results will be, but that makes it pretty exciting for us.”

The twelve students that have planned and organized the exhibit were very adamant about the focus being on Downtown and have spent many hours collecting interviews, data and research for the event throughout the semester. “Downtown is a place where you typically find the most diversity in a city. It’s where the homeless people have as much of a place as high-powered lawyers,” says honors student Stephanie Brunson. “This project wouldn’t have been as interesting or in depth if we’d focused on a bubble of a neighborhood or a certain class of people, and Downtown is the opposite of that. Everyone impacts each other down there whether they know it or not.

“People are so linked into things like the Internet, Facebook and their phones and that can desensitize them to what’s surrounding them in the physical world,” says Brunson. “It’s easy for people to interact behind a computer screen, but we really looked into how we treat each other and coexist in the real world beyond that.”

The event will take place on Congress Street in the empty space next to Sparkroot and admission is free to the public. Snacks and beverages will be provided as well as a rare chance to see how connected Tucsonans really are to one another.

Visit www.facebook.com/events/113587635467739/ for more information.

BICAS Art Auction

December 1, 2012 |

Local non-profit organization Bicycle Inter-Community Art & Salvage (BICAS) will be hosting their 17th annual Art Auction and Celebration on December 1st and 2nd at Whistle Stop Depot (177 W. 5th St.). The two-day weekend event will merge the strong local communities of Tucson artists, cyclists and art lovers who will be gathering to view and bid on over 300 pieces handcrafted by local artists.

The wide array of art will include everything from metal art and sculptures, to paintings, photography, quilts, printmaking, fiber arts, video installations, illustrations, ceramics, and many other mediums. The only requisite for the art submitted is that they’re bicycling themed, portray the cycling lifestyle or that they include bicycles parts.

Saturday, December 1st is the art preview segment from 6-10pm. It will feature music and family friendly entertainment and attendees will be able to preview the art that will be auctioned and meet the artists to discuss their work. Sunday, December 2nd is when the silent auction will take place. There will be a DJ, a puppet show, catering and entertainment. This event goes from 6-9pm.

Last year the auction raised $11,400, which goes directly back to fund BICAS’ community programs. “The initial art auctions were much smaller in scale and were fundraiser events where the community would get together and bid on around 100 pieces of art,” says BICAS Art Coordinator Casey Wollschlaeger.

“The amount we’ve brought in has steadily increased and the caliber of artists we’re getting are amazing. It’s been a really beautiful evolution within the community and we keep having to get larger spaces for it. Last year we had 350 pieces donated for the art auction. It just keeps getting better and better.”

For more information visit www.bicas.org 

Pedal Posters

November 7, 2012 |

“Velo Tucson” by Matt McCoy

Twenty-five local artists will showcase their bike-inspired prints at this year’s Velociprints Show on Saturday, November 10th at Borderlands Brewery. The prints on display will all be limited edition runs of bike-inspired art that were created exclusively for Velociprints. The artists will be on hand to discuss their work and join in on the bicycled centered festivities.

“Velociprints is really a very simple concept: we asked about 25 artists to express their love of the bicycle in a piece of art and gave them no more restrictions or prompting than that,” says Velociprints founder and Borealis Art Studio owner Nathan Saxton. “The only condition is that the resulting piece of art had to be a print in an edition of 25, and every print would sell for $40.  So bottom line is on opening night, there will be about 25 different print designs all celebrating the bicycle, created exclusively for this show.”

The event made its debut in November of 2011 and was met with immediate success, as over 2,000 attendees visited the three locations where it was held to view and purchase the artwork. This year the organizers are expecting even larger crowds. To help orchestrate the event, Saxton has paired with the local organization BICAS (Bicycle Inter-community Art & Salvage) who puts on an annual bike art auction (see page 10.)

“Last year was wonderful and it was an overwhelming success,” says BICAS art coordinator Casey Wollschlaeger. “The whole place was packed, there was art everywhere, the walls were lined with exhibitions of beautiful prints and all of the artists were there so it’s a great way to meet the artists. People love sampling the drinks, networking and sharing their combined love of cycling and art.”

A portion of the sales will be donated to BICAS as well as El Grupo Youth Cycling and the rest will go back to the artists who participated. This year the event is bringing a variety of new merchandise and art that will be available to those who attend.

“We’ve also created a small line of exclusive pint glasses, water bottles, and tee shirts that will be available on opening night,” says Saxton. “In addition to the print art, there will be a few works that are premium for serious art collectors. There will be the ArtHeadz, which are helmets painted or sculpted by some of Tucson’s established artists. There will also be one large original painting, created in honor of Gary Fisher’s October visit to Tucson, signed by Mr. Fisher.”

While this event is perfectly tailored for Tucson, with our extremely strong cycling and art scenes, it was initially inspired by a trip to Minneapolis that Saxton took where he observed a similar event that merged his two passions.

“All good art is inspired by something, and I was inspired by a similar art event called ARTCRANK that started in Minneapolis about 8 years ago,” says Saxton. “The moment we walked in the door, we knew Tucson would love an event like this.  Our original intent was to bring ARTCRANK to Tucson.  Logistically, we just couldn’t make it work out. Amazingly, the organizers at ARTCRANK believe so strongly in promoting bikes and art, that they gave us their blessing to follow their model and considerable advice in creating our own event.”

The art show will take place at Borderlands Brewery, which is located at 119 East Toole Avenue and will kick off at 12:00pm and will run until 9:00pm. Local food trucks will be at the event to provide options for dining.

“The main characteristics of the show are simplicity, accessibility and inclusiveness, which just happen to be the things that make the bicycle so special,” says Saxton. “Bicycles are simple machines, available and embraced by all segments of society and they open the doors to greater fitness, mobility, economic growth and pure fun. Prints and poster art are often simply designed, clear in their message and open the doors to starting an art collection.”

For more information visit www.velociprints.com

Tucson’s First Coffee Crawl

November 1, 2012 |

 

Sparkroot. Photo by Ryan Trayte

Much like a fine wine, coffee is a complex concoction that contains hundreds of flavor profiles that can be detected by a refined palate and appreciated in a way that most morning drinkers overlook. The sheer process of roasting the beans that go into your mug is an exact and often strenuous science that takes many years for a roast master to perfect.

To shine light on this process and the first rate coffee scene here in the Old Pueblo, Saturday, November 10th welcomes the inaugural kick off of Tucson’s Coffee Crawl. The event will showcase six local roasters who will open their doors to unveil the process of roasting beans and cupping coffee to the public.

“I’m self-employed, so I often work out of various coffee shops around town. I realized that while I love coffee and drink it regularly, I know next to nothing about it and what goes into roasting it,” says event organizer and creator Laura Adams.  “Befriending baristas, I became really aware of the specifics of coffee and how much goes into the science of crafting it and the world of flavors that exist within coffee. I decided it would be neat to learn more about it and I assumed that others would have a similar interest in it as well.”

The event will feature six local coffee makers that are all located within a five-mile radius of each other. Cartel Coffee Lab (2516 N. Campbell Ave.), Café Luce (943 E. University Blvd.), Sparkroot (245 E. Congress St.), eXo Roast Co. (403 N. 6th Ave.), Yellow Brick Coffee (cuppings served on the back patio of 47 Scott), Adventure Coffee Roasting (who will be cupping out of Brewd, 39 N. 6th Ave.) will all be part of the celebration.

“This event is really going to revolve around coffee education in a very similar way that wine tastings are conducted,” says Adams. “These tastings can open people up to new blends and flavors that they might not have known they liked. We’re going to have a lot of cuppings, which is the proper way to compare coffees against each other and get a feel for their flavor profiles. We’re going to have demonstrations and workshops on all things coffee. Each shop will have at least three scheduled events for the day.”

The event is free with the exception of a $1.00 cupping fee per shop, but the educational showcases and samples of pastries and goods are offered to all that attend. Attendees are asked to RSVP on the event’s website to secure a place. The cuppings will last 45-minutes to an hour each and will be staggered so that participants can enjoy the unique showings from each coffee house in order to build their palettes.

“I have a lot of friends who are transplants to Tucson from places like Austin, Portland, New York and other places and they started raving about the coffee scene here and saying that it rivals the scenes where they’re from,” says Adams. “It’s great because we have many local coffee shops all so close to each other, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to open Tucson’s eyes to this amazing scene in their own backyard.”

With the exception of Cartel Coffee Lab, all of these coffee houses are located within the downtown/university area of Tucson, so attendees are encouraged to ride a bike or park in a central location in order to walk to each venue. A map will be posted on the event’s website to show the best area to arrive to get the most out of the day’s events.

“A lot of people still go to Starbucks or chains and might not necessarily know that we have such amazing local coffee. These coffee aficionados at these shops all geek out over coffee and they take great care in how they roast their beans. They even have recommendations on how to brew their coffee at home. Their passion is very contagious.”

Photo by Ryan Trayte


CARTEL COFFEE LAB

9:00am Cupping: taste and compare Cartel’s different roasts (45 min)

10:30am Home Brewing Class: a hands-on look at how to brew Cartel’s coffee in your own home (45 min)

1:00pm Comparative Tasting: In this class, you’ll take 1 kind of bean and brew it several different ways to taste how different brewing methods effect the coffee. (1 hour) 

SPARKROOT

10:15am Home Brewing Class: a hands-on look at how to brew coffee using the pour-over method

11:45am Blue Bottle 101: Sparkroot is the only coffee shop outside SF and NYC that serves and sells Blue Bottle Coffee. Listen to baristas chat about what makes Blue Bottle’s beans special.

1:00pm Cupping: taste and compare Blue Bottle’s different roasts

YELLOW BRICK COFFEE (@ 47 SCOTT RESTAURANT)

11:30am, 1pm, & 3pm Cupping: taste and compare Yellow Brick’s different roasts (45 min)

EXO ROAST CO

10:00 am: Comparative extraction analysis between two metal filtration systems, the French press and the Synesso, using the same single origin coffee.

1:00pm Cupping: Terra Coffee cupping; comparative taste analysis of grade 1 Arabica Typica coffees of similar roast profiles from three continents.

2:15pm Lecture: Ethical sourcing of EXO’s bean portfolio: roasting to accurately represent the high quality green coffees of the developing world.

CAFFE LUCE 

TBD

RAGING SAGE COFFEE ROASTERS

Coffee samples: From 9am-2pm, Raging Sage will feature samples of freshly-roasted coffees from various regions (India, Indonesia, Africa).  Each bean is roasted to bring out the best characteristics of that particular bean, from full-city (their lightest roast) to french (their darkest roast).

Adventure Coffee Roasting (@ BREWD)

9:00am Home Coffee Roasting: an interactive session using a vintage hot-air popcorn popper to roast small batches of coffee (45 min)

10:45am Aeropress demo: learn how to use the Aeropress to brew an awesome cup of coffee at home (30 min)

12:45pm Cold Brewed Coffee demo: learn the secret to making perfect cold brewed coffee.  Samples provided! (30 min)

Visit www.tucsoncoffeecrawl.com to RSVP for the event or visit them on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TucsonCoffeeCrawl

A Slice of Innovation

October 3, 2012 |

Downtown Tucson welcomes an elegant new addition to its already impressive culinary family with the opening of Reilly Craft Pizza & Drink located on the Northeast corner of Pennington and Scott. The historic building that was built in 1906 now boasts lavishly modern décor, a warm atmosphere and some of the best pizza and Italian food in the region. But don’t go into it expecting the same dated menu that you’d find at traditional pizza digs, as Reilly places innovation and execution as the impetus of their vision.

“We took the traditional concept of a pizzeria and then elevated it,” says chef/owner and operator Tyler Fenton. “But we kept it familiar enough to where people can still enjoy it even if they aren’t as adventurous in their dining. We use high quality ingredients and better techniques to enhance the food. We offer traditional, regional Italian food, but we didn’t fully follow the rulebook on the dishes.”

Offering eclectic menu items such as zucchini chips, squash blossoms, shrimp and grits, soft polenta and pizza that boasts ingredients such as Yukon potatoes and rosemary, speck and eggs and a take on pepperoni pizza that features roasted red peppers and Calabria salami on it (Fenton debated seven different types of salami before deciding), Reilly is quickly becoming a hot spot in town for foodies and pizza lovers alike.

“I went to a lot of different pizzerias to research techniques and awhile back I went with Daniel Scordado on a trip to Seattle when he was opening up his Pizzeria Vivace and that really inspired me,” says Fenton. “I’ve cooked my whole life. My mom’s side of the family is a big Italian family, so I grew up eating and learned to love cooking. I always liked that a meal brought people together. Community is so important to me, so it feels great to have a place where people can gather to enjoy themselves.”

Fenton, who has accomplished a tremendous amount for a 22-year chef, came up with the initial concept for Reilly while he was daydreaming through one of his classes at the University of Arizona. But while Tyler is responsible for the main vision, he credits the success and execution of the restaurant as a family affair.

“My dad bought the building in 2007 and gave us a tour of it and I thought it was really cool,” says Fenton. “My freshman year at U of A I was bored in one of my classes and I drew up a concept and a floor plan of the place. From there my brother helped me raise the finances and build the business plan. I’m the creative side and operations, my brother is on the financial side and my dad is the landlord.”

The timing couldn’t be better for Fenton to bring his confectionary prowess to downtown, as the recent revamping of the area is attracting more people than ever. And while Reilly sits next to some hard competition, Fenton doesn’t seem to view them as rivals at all.

“We’re thrilled to be members of the downtown community and are happy that we can add something new to it. Even just on that corner of Pennington and Scott, we have a little community with Café Poca Cosa and 47 Scott. We don’t view them as competition, because we all have different niches and we’re fans of their food. We all share a parking garage across the street and it’s perfect. I love it over here.”

Fenton is preparing to unveil the final phase of Reilly, as he is expanding the back patio into an indoor/outdoor beer garden with ample seating and a drink menu that offers over 40 draft beers. While that addition will be completed in the coming months, make your reservations to dine in today, because if the line from the waiting room to the street is any indication, it is well worth the wait.

For reservations to Reilly Pizza & Drink call 520-882-5550. Visit them online at ReillyPizza.com

A Festival Celebrating Tucson Dining

October 3, 2012 |

Pull out your dapper dining clothes and build up a healthy appetite, as the 2012 Tucson Culinary Festival is returning this month featuring exciting new events and delicious new dishes from Tucson’s finest restaurants. While the cuisine, wine and margaritas that have defined the event for so many years will make their usual appearance – the setting will be changing to two stunning new locations for this year’s festival events.

The Reserve Tasting and The Grand Tasting, which were formerly held at Loews Ventana Canyon for the previous seven years, will be taking place at Casino Del Sol Resort on Saturday, October 6th and the World Margarita Championship will be making the move from Maynard’s Market to the Tucson Museum of Art on Friday, October 26th.

“We have so many new and exciting elements this year, starting with the venues,” says Tucson Culinary Festival Director of Marketing Melissa Colosimo. “You can expect a more spacious and open layout, making for a better flow and feel. The venues are gorgeous with their own unique Tucson charm. The pool area at Casino Del Sol is stunning and will provide the perfect backdrop for the more up-scale Reserve Tasting.”

The event kicks off with the Reserve Tasting, which is sure to tempt even the most novice wine enthusiast by giving them the opportunity to taste small-production and boutique wines accompanied by dishes crafted by Tucson Original Chefs. This tasting will take place from 5:00-8:00PM, where guests can take in a beautiful sunset along with their wine while mingling at the stunning oasis pool area of Casino Del Sol resort.

Then cleanse your palette and head over to the Grand Tasting (admittance is included for those who purchased a ticket to the Reserve Tasting), which will be held in the Grand Ballroom. Here guests will be treated to over 100 wines from the top growing regions of the world, a large selection of micro brews and beers and a sampling of signature dishes from over 40 Tucson Original Restaurants. If you need to rest for a breather, guests are invited to the Comcast Lounge where there will be cocktail demonstrations and spirit tastings throughout the evening. This portion of the event lasts from 6-9pm.

“There are a lot of new interactive and hands on activities for the attendees this year,” says Colosimo. “We will be offering wine seminars for the first time during the grand and reserve tastings as well as a new, more efficient wine-buying system that will make it easy for guests to purchase the wines they taste at discounted prices.”

And last but not least is the World Margarita Championship, which is conveniently placed 20-days from the initial events to give ample time to burn off that wine and food and to prepare yourself for a truly unique spectacle. The Tucson Museum of Art is hosting exciting competitions from Tucson’s top mixologists who will be fighting to win the title of “World’s Best Margarita.” Sample each margarita and taste original dishes by local Tucson Chef’s and place your vote for the 2012 People’s Choice Award. Local celebrity judges include former UA Basketball star Joseph Blair, noted food mavens Jennifer English, Edie Jarolim, and renowned mixology expert Robert Plotkin.

“No other event showcases the wide variety of culinary talents and specialties of Tucson like the Tucson Culinary Festival,” says Colosimo. “Guests will taste a variety of dishes from Tucson’s best locally owned restaurants – from gourmet creations to simple classics and delectable guilty pleasures. Southern Arizona’s top wineries will be showcasing their new and prized vintages and Tucson’s top mixologists will prove that Tucson is as progressive as the country’s biggest cities in the field. Plus each event is priced at varying levels to accommodate a wide demographic of attendees.”

This year, the Tucson Originals have partnered with Cox Charities and will be donating the funds from the festival to Tucson Values Teachers and the Tucson Hispanic Chamber Foundation, which supplies scholarships to Tucson’s youth.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.tucsonoriginals.com

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