Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner in Tucson, Arizona

July 4th Activities and Nightlife

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ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Things to do on the Fourth of July

06/30/2008 04:41 PM

Adrienne Lake

Full article Adrienne Lake Az Daily Star

The Fourth of July is a big one in Tucson. That's probably because its long-standing traditions are not only unifying, but are right out there in every neighborhood within firework-spotting distance for everyone to see and enjoy, instead of behind closed doors as with other, less neighborly holidays (Thanksgiving, I'm looking at you). It's one of the most social of holidays around these parts - families drag folding chairs out into the street or climb onto still toasty roofs in the Barrios, South Tucson or in the University area. They blast boom boxes that play Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" or perhaps just good old fashioned Norteño, dip into coolers full of beer and soda, and every burg is thick with the all-American scent of BBQ.

Personally, I can't imagine growing weary of this scene - where neighbors are neighborly and festive, where awestruck children and unashamed jaded hipsters stand side by side to ooh and aah at the display of exploding airborne chemicals. But just in case, here is a short list of 4th of July to-dos about town. Many are family friendly, but please%u2026 leave the pets at home, indoors with some nice mood music playing to soften the impact of what sounds like Armageddon descending to them. It's tiring constantly chasing down the inevitable pack of spooked mutts that break free every year.

OK, first things first - to those who don't have friends with homes with a good view of A Mountain's fireworks (set to begin at 9 p.m.), you have options: you can tailgate at the Tucson Convention Center, Parking Lot B (Granada & Cushing). It's $4 a car, but hey, there's food! A beer garden! Live music! It all starts at 7 p.m. Or you can cruise the West Side for businesses that allow people to gather in their parking lots for the festivities.

Caliente

Night life events

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 07.03.2008

Acacia at St. Philip's Plaza - 4340 N. Campbell Ave. Live jazz, 7-10 Saturdays; Ed DeLucia Trio, 6-9 Fridays. 232-0101.

Antonio's - 2231 S. Fourth Ave. DJ music, 9 Wednesdays; live waila music, 8:30-1:30
Fridays-Sundays. 884-8086.

TUCSON DELIGHTS

When arriving in Tucson, you will want to know how to get delicious food at reasonable prices. Atmosphere is another plus. Fortunately, the atmosphere of these three eating establishments is way above average.

Attention to detail usually separates those establishments that provide a first class experience from the run of the mill, or less, type operations.

We won't go as far as using phrases like "can't miss." Percentage wise, no restaurant is 100% foolproof from mishaps or unnecessarily long waits.

Restaurateurs have often experienced the excitement of suddenly being discovered, in large numbers, at the same time a highly favorable review hits. Without sufficient warning you're mobbed beyond anything you had reason to be prepared for.

Although all three establishments mentioned here are quite popular, they've dealt with this type of difficulty and made the necessary adjustments.

All three are as close to can't miss as I can imagine.

If I don't get to the eating establishments soon, you'll be paraphrasing Eliza Doolittle in MY FAIR LADY, "words, words, words, I'm so sick of words."

On to the recommendations.

For breakfast go to:

Phil's Café
2513 N Campbell Ave
Tucson, AZ 85719

All the basics at Phil's rate 5 stars from this patron.

Phil's is clean. The atmosphere is warm and comfortable. The decorations are charming and not overdone. They consist of many small knick-knacks, making for a cozy atmosphere.

The service is prompt and pleasant, provided totally by a family owned operation.

Most of all, the food is delicious, hot, presented beautifully and quite reasonably priced.

Even after my food arrives, I'm distracted as other food passes by; it's such a pleasure to take note of the presentation. Various Omelette combinations, are obviously very popular; they seem to be constantly parading by.

Because I'm a light eater, I usually select just 1 pancake $1.95, which is plate size. I can only eat about one-half each time.

The pancake is delicious, the best I can ever remember having.

On just one occasion, I tried something else, a scrambled egg with toast and coffee. The egg was tasty and again hot, ditto the coffee. Including tax, it came to less than $3.00.

My brother Bob's favorite is peach pancakes $2.50, also plate size.

Added to the regular pancake ingredient, is a delicious sweetened glaze, making it crispy around the edges.

Bob has used syrup on his pancakes for his entire life. When he saw this pancake the first time, it looked so good, he decided to try it without syrup.

He has not used syrup since.

Five stars *****

Phil's does not have a website.

Plenty of free parking.

Hours of Operation: Wednesday-Sunday 5:00 am - 2:00pm. Closed-Monday & Tuesday
(520) 207-4110

WE TAKE GUESTS T0 PHILS

Our most recent guests were former tax clients of mine back in New Jersey. Their son Mark works in Tucson, so the five of us went to Phil's. They were delighted with the whole experience.

Mark's father, Joe, had a cheese omelet $4.75. Like everyone at the table his pleasure at seeing the food when it arrived, was matched later by his positive comments and his obvious enjoyment of the whole experience.

A pity, omelets are too heavy for me; this golden, fluffy delight made me yearn for my digestive capabilities of earlier years.

Bob's description of the special glazed pancake caught the attention of Mark's mother. Besides Peach pancakes, Phil's offers this special version in pineapple--apple and cinnamon--and--banana and walnut. Kathy selected banana and walnut, which she thoroughly enjoyed.

She agreed that Bob had not overstated how delicious these type of pancakes are.

Young Mark also had the banana walnut pancake, ordering 2 large pancakes instead of 1--$2.50 each. He loved what he had but could not finish. He took the unfinished portion home, finished it later that day and later commented on how delicious it was, the second time around.

Mark has not only become a regular at Phil's, he now gets a double order each time he goes. One to eat in house; the other to take with him.

There is an organization about Phil's that is hard to explain. The whole operation functions in an easy, low key, efficient manner.

I have lived in Tucson for nearly seven years and have eaten at and enjoyed many breakfast restaurants during that time.

The breakfast at Phil's Café has moved very comfortably to the top of that list.

The specials are hearty, reasonably priced and include many items to choose from.

Five stars is still holding ***** Steady as she goes.

FOR LUNCH GO TO:

East Coast Super Subs
187 N. Park Ave.
Tucson, AZ 85719

Again stressing the three basics, delicious food, great atmosphere, reasonable prices. This recommendation however has one more dimension, great personality and personal attention to practically all who arrive.

36 year old Keith McNesby has become a minor celebrity in Tucson. This very personable young man and founder, operates this business, East Coast Super Subs, with a passion for delivering delicious food and getting it out "hot" to patrons. East Coast servers don't have to be told twice to deliver it hot, nor told to make sure the order from each customer comes back to the kitchen precisely the way the customer ordered it, with attention to every detail. McNesby then makes sure it heads back out with the same precision.

Whether he is on the grill with his equally dedicated colleague, Mark, or expediting, McNesby is out in the dining area, as soon as he can be, saying hello to every guest who stays long enough to receive a visit.

He loves talking to his customers socially and loves seeing that satisfied look on their faces, especially when accompanied by their complimentary comments about his food.

He has yet to speak ill of anyone bestowing those compliments.

Although cheesesteaks from Philly are slightly more famous in name, than those of Atlantic City, the AC style may be favored by just as many from the East, especially the way they are made at East Coast.

Italian subs (regulars) are especially hard to top in the AC tradition and the (Jim McKenna) grilled turkey with the cheese melted in on a browned, hot, crispy sub roll would not be receiving its due if it was described only as "delicious."

Price wise, except for super-sized subs, these 8 inch hearty delights are between $5.50 and $6.75. The selection is tremendous.
Menu East Coast Super Subs

East Coast Super Subs serves beer and wine.

187 N. Park Avenue
Tucson, Az
85719
(520) 882-4005
Open 7 days a week 11 AM To 8 PM
Closed Some holidays-Call Ahead

Free parking on premises

FULL DISCLOSURE:

Keith McNesby is my son, so I ask you to read a typical review rather than take my word for it. I also will give no rating in stars. That will be for you to decide. If you visit East Coast due to the above suggestion, I hope you'll let us know if Dad has been accurate.

Review By Tucson Citizen

The Decorations

East Coast sports and entertainment figures-make the atmosphere something that many marvel at. Colorful paintings on the walls, rows of T-shirts on the ceilings, rooms covered wall to wall with baseball cards, hats and helmets; scenes of championship outcomes, historical making sports snapshots all done in a most tasteful and well-ordered manner.

There may be no more loyal base in Tucson than the base found at East Coast Super Subs.

CUSTOMER COMMENT FROM TUCSON CITY SEARCH, MAY 2008

East really does meet West

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

05/04/2008 Posted by sweetbabygin

This place really does exceed expectations. The subs here are phenomenal, as I would expect the rest of the food to be for the owner is the chef who has brought a 45 year family business to our little valley. For those sports buffs, this place is jam packed FULL of memorabilia. There's not a bare spot on the walls, or ceilings! The only issue you may have is finding the bathroom among this vast collection. Everything Jersey, Philly, and NY can be found here wether it be sports, entertainment, or the best part....the food. Service here was beyond 4 stars, even the other wait staff would come check in and chat with us. And don't be surprised if the owner comes around and shares some his east coast charm. We left there feeling like one of the family. A place definitely not to be missed!

TRY NOT TO MISS IF TIME ALLOWS

My Top Recommendation For a Place You Should Not Miss While In Tucson:

Old Tucson Studios

To recapture the flavor of the Old West, enjoy beautiful scenery on the way, find much other enjoyable entertainment when arriving, Old Tucson Studios is a site that achieves all three and then some.

A look at their website will likely wet your appetite. It only gets better upon going.

Old Tucson Studios

My Stumble Upon

FOR DINNER GO TO:

Pinnacle Peak
6541 E Tanque Verde Rd
Tucson, AZ 85715
(520)

For dinner my choice is Pinnacle Peak on the east side of Tucson about 25 minutes from Wildcat Stadium and the University of Arizona main campus.
For a true taste of the Old West at Tucson's original cowboy steakhouse. This thriving complex and large but very atmospheric restaurant is part of Trail Dust Town.

During peak hours, especially in peak season-January through April, you will likely have a wait. My guesstimate would be a 15-45 minute average. There is plenty to see walking around, plus numerous shops in the old west tradition to visit and the Silver Dollar Saloon has plenty of comfortable chairs on the porch outside, if you prefer to relax and just take in the atmosphere of which there is plenty.

The atmosphere is also quite inviting inside if you care for a cocktail. The bartender's make good Manhattan's and Martinis. If you have a glass of wine, you'll get a full portion, not one of those cutesy little tureens, the kind that seem to hold little more than a shot, but found too frequently in Tucson. The price again is well worth the quality received.

Famous for mesquite-grilled steaks (Cowboy style), ribs, chicken or fish

The first several times, I dined at Pinnacle Peak I had chicken breast. It was as good as I've had anywhere. Our guests during these visits have eaten various type of steaks and given them very high grades.

Several weeks ago, relatives joined us in a group of nine, practically all steak eaters. Each one rated their meal quite highly. Steaks range from $11.95 for a Filet Mignon to $19.95 for The Big Cowboy, with plenty of other steak selections, priced in between these two.

I could not handle an entrée during this visit so I settled for an appetizer of sautéed mushrooms, $3.95 which were quite good. I also had a portion of the ranch beans, which I always look forward to. One might ask, how good can beans be?. I would have too, before eating these beans. Yes beans are only beans but these deserve special mention

My brother had the chicken entrée, $10.95 during our last visit and gave it an A rating.

Service is friendly and efficient.

Prices are quite reasonable.

Four stars ****

PINNACLE PEAK MENU

Plenty of Free Parking

Hours:
Monday through Thursday from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Friday through Saturday from 4:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Sunday from 4:30 PM to 9:00 PM

Pinnacle Peak
6541 E Tanque Verde Rd
Tucson, AZ 85715
(520) 296-0911

Tucson People
Population
(town and surrounding area) 841,728

Population change over time
(increase since 1990) 35.51%

Median age 35

Tucson Leisure & Culture

Movie theaters
(within 15 miles) 15
Restaurants
(within 15 miles) 1,765
Bars
(within 15 miles) 153
Public golf courses
(within 30 miles) 50
Libraries
(within 15 miles) 30
Museums
(MAA accredited; within 30 miles)

Tucson Education

Colleges, universities and professional schools
(within 30 miles) 2

Junior colleges and technical institutes
(within 30 miles) 6

Tucson Quality of Life

Personal crime risk
(100 is national average, lower is better) 150

Property crime risk
(100 is national average, lower is better) 184

Tucson Housing

Median home price $173,392

Home price gain
(2-5 year gain) 9.23%

Tucson Financial Statistics

Median household income
(per year) $42,499

Income change over time
(increase since 1990) 58.85%

Sales tax 7.53%

State income tax rate
(highest bracket) 5.04%

State income tax rate
(lowest bracket) 2.87%

Auto insurance premiums
(average for the state) $905

For more data on Tucson, visit Home Insight: More Tucson data HomeInsight

July 17, 2008

Chicken: Quick, Simple, Delicious

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

-1/8 cup olive oil
-1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
-1/8 cup diced onion
-2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
-1/2 to 1/4 cup fresh mushrooms-cut in pieces
-1/2 to 1/4 cup diced tomatoes, drained

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil, lemon juice and onion in a large skillet, or saucepan over medium heat. add mushrooms, chicken and tomatoes.
2. Cook over medium high heat for 6 to 8 minutes. Repeat after turning chicken on the other side. Stir as needed.

July 16, 2008

BAKED CHICKEN AND RICE

1 baking chicken-whole or cut-up
1 cup regular rice
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can water
1 tbsp. butter

Place aluminum foil in casserole dish. Place rice in dish, sit chicken on top. In separate bowl, mix one can of cream of chicken soup with 1/2 cup water. Mix in with chicken, add a small portion of butter. Cover casserole with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour.

July 15, 2008

CHICKEN ALFREDO

2 lbs boneless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste
1 lb fettucine

If desired, place chicken in zip lock bag. Pound chicken thoroughly with mallet or heavy object, for tenderizing.

Fry or bake chicken. Cut chicken breast into small pieces.

Sauce:

Melt butter in saucepan; add cream and cheese. cook over low heat, stirring constantly.

Cook fettucine in 2-3 quarts boiling water. Mix chicken and Alfredo sauce together. Put sauce and chicken over noodles.

6 servings.

July 11, 2008

Marinated Chicken

INGREDIENTS
* 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
* 1/8 cup Dijon mustard
* 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
* 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
* 1/3 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix all ingredients; Make sure both sides of chicken are fully covered. Place chicken on plate. Marinate at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
Grill, uncovered, over medium heat, turn as necessary. 10-15 minutes.

July 9, 2008

BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS

Ingredients:

6 chicken breast halves, skinned
1/3 cup white wine
1 can cream of chicken soup
6 slices Swiss cheese
1/2 tsp. melted butter
1 cup stuffing mix

Directions:

1. Place chicken into a lightly greased baking dish. Top with the Swiss Cheese slices.

2. Mix the wine and the cream of chicken soup together, pour over chicken.

3. Sprinkle herb stuffing on top then drizzle the melted butter over everything.

4. Bake at 350-375 F for 45 minutes.

July 8, 2008

Recipes

CHICKEN Francais

1 package chicken breasts
Flour with salt & pepper to taste
1 lemon
1 beaten egg
1/2 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
1-2 tbsp. olive oil

Tenderize chicken breasts with blunt heavy object. (Cut into smaller pieces if desired.) Dip chicken in beaten egg and then in flour. Brown lightly in olive oil. As pieces are browned, keep warm until all are browned. Return all chicken to skillet and add wine and juice from 1/2 lemon. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Very thinly sliced lemon slices and chopped parsley makes for an attractive garnish.

July 7, 2008

Recipes

CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS

* 1 cup soy sauce
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 1 tablespoon cooking sherry
* 3 tablespoons brown sugar
* 3 cloves garlic, crushed
* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

number of stars

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, mix soy sauce, vegetable oil, sherry, brown sugar, and garlic. Pour into a large resealable bag. Place chicken in the bag, and shake to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil grate.
3. Place chicken on the prepared grill. Cook 6 to 8 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink and juices run clear. Discard remaining marinade.

Hear Ray Charles sing America The Beautiful-Video below-Other great songs celebrating the 4th of July

Spectacular 4th of July Desserts!

FabulousFoods.Com

Link To See More Fabulous Foods Great 4th of July Recipes-Below

Satisfy a patriotic sweet tooth with a spectacular dessert. Using the classic combination of raspberries or strawberries and blueberries, it's easy to deck these desserts out in the colors of the day. The recipes are quick and easy to fix and feed a crowd for hassle-free Independence Day entertaining!

* Easy Flag Cake
* Strawberry & Blueberry Pavlova
* Blueberry & Custard Filled Star Puffs
* Trifle -- One Easy Recipe, Endless Variations
*

Red, White & Blueberry Cheesecake Pie
* 4th of July Lemon Bar Flags

Independence Day dessert recipes

Fabulous Foods

August , 2008

Wildcats Football-Biggest Offensive Threat

Best offensive player: Mike Thomas-Wide Receiver.

Although Mike Thomas stands only 5'8 inches tall, you would never know it by his impressive performances once he takes the field.

You have to be reminded of his height from time to time because of his danger.

Mike has a great attitude which has shown up consistently in successive years. He has caught at least 50 passes each season, topped by 83 for 1,038 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Quarterback Willie Tuitama to Mike Thomas could be one of the Pac 10'S most difficult assignments for defensive backs.

August 6, 2008

Wildcats Football-DEFENSE

In 2007, the Wildcats had plenty of experienced players returning for the season.

This year is markedly different. The team will be depending on young players who likely will see plenty of key playing time very early.

Fresh faces will have to play very well from day one, if the team hopes to make a serious run at a bowl game. There are only five players with more than one start. Only two projected backups have a game of starting experience.

It'll be an early Baptism for much of the defense, even before the worry of injuries.

The opener comes against Idaho before meeting some tougher opponents. Toledo comes next. The Wildcats could have their hands full in that game, then New Mexico, before an even tougher road against much of the PAC 10.

August 5, 2008

Wildcats Football

Willie Tuitama

Willie Tuitama has been a starting quarterback since his freshmen year. He has plenty of experience and plenty of talent.
With his experience, a good core of receivers, and good coaching, everything seems in place for him to lead a solid offensive unit. Staying healthy of course is the key and he has to be a little more consistent.

Since Willie's freshmen year, it has looked like he would shine. Much is in place for that to happen this year.

August 5, 2008

Mike Stoops is in the final year of his five year contract.

His record over the previous 4 is 17-29. The Wildcats have been to no bowl games during his tenure.

Fall practice officially started on Sunday August 3rd. Reportedly all draftees reported.

The program has been competitive the last two seasons seemingly on the verge of bowl bids only to fall short.

Last year, an experience defense looked most promising with plenty of returning starters.

The offense though was adapting to Sonny Dykes' offensive game plan. This year the reverse is true, with an experienced offense returning QB Willie Tuitama and much of the entire offense from last year. The offense might score plenty of points.

If the defense can perform well, maybe that turnaround for the Cats is finally here.

August 4, 2008

Wildcats' 2008 Quarterbacks

QB

7 Willie Tuitama 6-3, 220, Sr.

17 Bryson Beirne 6-3, 214, RFr.

12 Tyler Lyon 6-5, 220, So.

August 3, 2008

New Wildcats gear up for start of camp

JOHN MOREDICH

Tucson Citizen

Full article John Moredich Tucson Citizen

Excerpts:

Freshman offensive lineman Trace Biskin was first in line to get fitted for his equipment for the Arizona football team.

All-America cornerback Robert Golden arrived to try on his gear a couple of hours later as newcomers officially checked into the Wildcats' program on Saturday.

Although most already had taken part in voluntary workouts and met with coaches, they needed to complete one more important step before camp opens at 6:15 a.m. on Monday:

August 1, 2008

News Minute: Here is the latest Arizona news from The Associated Press

Associated Press - July 31, 2008 3:44 PM ET

News4 KVOA Tucson

Visit KVOA.Com

KVOA.Com

PHOENIX (AP) - The Arizona Court of Appeals has ruled that the state can prosecute people who arrange to have themselves smuggled into the country even when they made all the arrangements outside Arizona. The ruling upholds the conviction of a Mexico City man who told police that he arranged to have himself smuggled into Arizona while in San Luis, Mexico.

July 17, 2008

KVOA News 4

Lorraine Rivera

Drivers fueling up in Mexico

Full article Lorraine Rivera KVOA News 4

Gas is cheaper in Mexico than it is the United States and that's sending some American drivers south of the border in search of a better deal.

Robert is a Tucson businessman; he's headed to San Carlos but waited to fill up his gas tank in Mexico. "The last time I put $65 in and the needle wouldn't even go up all the way," he said. This time he's filling up at PEMEX, a government owned station in Mexico and he's getting a deal, "I'm putting about 500 pesos in which is about $48"

The Mexican government places a subsidy on fuel costs to contain inflation. Mexican drivers typically save more than $1 on every gallon. Francisco, one of the attendants at the gas station said he is seeing more American drivers, "Here they save like a dollar for one gallon." The gas is unleaded and 87 octane.

July 14, 2008

Interesting Sites

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
This site is all of the following:
A zoo

A Natural history museum

A botanical garden

Valuable and interesting information on the diverse flora and fauna of the Sonoran Desert.

Tucson Citizen

7-12-2008

Tucson Escapes Jalapeno, Cilantro Scare

Full article Tom Stauffer Tucson Citizen

For the last four months, tomatoes were all we were warned to worry about, and only certain tomatoes at that.
But with federal health officials struggling to confirm the sources of what has become the largest foodborne outbreak in more than a decade, the list of suspects now includes pretty much everything in fresh salsa and pico de gallo save the onions.
The latest advisory from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the salmonella saintpaul outbreak that has infected at least 1,090 people in 42 states, the District of Columbia and Canada, has added fresh cilantro and raw jalapeño and serrano peppers to the watch list