good eats: maya quetzal
I try not to shy away from eating out solo, especially when a reticence to do so might stand in the way of me enjoying some damn good food. The other day I had an hour to kill before work, so I headed up the street to have lunch at Maya Quetzal, a spot I’d had my eye on practically since the day I’d arrived in Tucson.
A lot of entrees at Maya Quetzal are battered and fried. They have pupusas (only my favorite goddamn food ever) and chile rellenos, as well as this ridiculous-sounding appetizer, called rellenitos de platanos, consisting of plantains stuffed with cheese, deep-fried, and served with chipotle mayonnaise oh my god does that not sound amazing!? I resisted it all and went with an option that wasn’t fried, or covered in cream, or stuffed with cheese: the chile rostizado. Was it healthy? Meh. Was it delicious? Most definitely. The chile rostizado is an Anaheim chile stuffed with a mixture of potato, onion, garlic, mushroom, and tomato; the whole thing is topped with a mild melted cheese and a smooth tomato sauce. Rounding out my plate at Maya Quetzal were black beans, short-grain rice, and a small salad of shredded green and purple cabbage.
I was surprised that the chile retained a bright flavor even after being cooked until it was soft and pulpy. The flavor of the chile was rounded out nicely by the earthy, fuller flavors of the mushrooms and cheese. The mushrooms also added a mouthy—almost meaty—texture and flavor to the filling. The potatoes were cooked until they were incredibly soft, and they were well-seasoned with garlic and onions. The tomato sauce was little more than a watered-down paste, but as a tangy complement to the flavors of the stuffed chile it worked well.
Like the tomato sauce, the sides were unremarkable. I hadn’t eaten much of the chips and salsa that had been delivered to my table as I’d sat down (not because they weren’t delicious—the salsa was spicy and the chips were crunchy—but rather to save room for the main course), and I was glad to have the salsa to pour over my beans—literally spicing them up. The beans and rice, once augmented by the addition of the salsa, were decent. The cabbage salad was bland, but its crunch and freshness offered a nice complement to the softer, richer textures and flavors of the rest of the meal.
I got the impression that the woman waiting my table was also the dishwasher and the chef; accordingly, the service at Maya Quetzal was brusque. The overall atmosphere of the restaurant was less cozy than I would have liked—the high ceilings and the cool, lime-green walls didn’t work for me. Perhaps at dinner time, when I assume the place is fuller with patrons, the space might seem more intimate and welcoming.
Overall, I enjoyed my meal at Maya Quetzal, and I’ll be back in the future to try out another one of their intriguing dishes (probably the rellenitos de platanos…).
The cool season has begun. It’s time to plant. Like crazy. You may let a few of those warm season crops that are still producing to linger – especially basil and peppers. Hopefully your bed of cucurbits (cucumbers, squashes, pumpkins, melons, etc) is separate and you can let them finish up as well. If your cucurbit bed is not separate, remember next year to keep them in their own space. They sprawl like crazy and are not the greatest companions for row crops.
For nearly 40 years, the Tanque Verde Swap Meet has been a place people can come, peruse, and leave with something fabulous and unexpected. Passing by the space during the week, it looks like a wide dusty lot with a few small trees; but Thursday through Sunday the lot on South Palo Verde Avenue comes alive with people browsing and hawking just about anything that can fit into over 800 booths. On the first ever “Super Sunday,” premiering October 21, patrons will see even more of the fabulous and unexpected.
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.
Back when Rory O’Rear began frequenting the Red Room, where bartender Luke Anable poured the drinks that helped Rory develop his appreciation for bartending, Rory mostly drank his spirits straight. Luke and Rory are now head bartenders at Wilko, where they preside over an impressive cocktail list, but back in the day “no one in Tucson did this ‘cocktail stuff’ that’s becoming so prevalent,” Rory explains. The revival of craft cocktails is undoubtedly a good thing, says Rory. However, this new direction in drink mixing is sometimes misunderstood.
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.
Food Truck Friday gears up as the weather cools down. Thirteen local food trucks amass into the Bookmans Grant parking lot to bring local foodies their mobile meals. Bookmans invites Tucson’s culinary connoisseurs to whet their palettes with yummy local fare from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 21 at Bookmans Grant, 1930 E. Grant Rd.
NoRTH, the La Encantada restaurant opened in 2003 by Fox Restaurant Concepts, has complete their make over. Now called NoRTH Fattoria Italiana, the restaurant will reopen on Wednesday, September 19 with a new menu and ambiance.
Cup Café at Hotel Congress has revealed a brand new menu that not only has updated food items, but a fresh new face.
by Rebecca Naylor-Sánchez
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