A co-op community for Arizona Fans
http://www.beardownwildcats.com/
wyo-cat wrote:El Corral and El Charro (downtown) may not be trendy, but they are Tucson classics.
I had those with the fried egg on top. F'in amazing.cats101 wrote:Had El Charro twice and I was just not impressed.
Had Poco & Moms about and week ago and the Green Hatch Chili Enchiladas blew my socks off.
Try the red chili as well, so good. I like the new location except for the loud mouth behind the bar who invites all her friends in for weekday drinkingcats101 wrote:Had Poco & Moms about and week ago and the Green Hatch Chili Enchiladas blew my socks off.
Went this past Saturday. One hour wait at 2pm and was well worth it.Longhorned wrote:I could really go some Mi Nidito right now.
I keep saying I'll go to La Botana as I live a half mile away tops but I have never heard of anyone eating there personally. What did you have?Zero wrote:Went this past Saturday. One hour wait at 2pm and was well worth it.Longhorned wrote:I could really go some Mi Nidito right now.
My new faves in town are La Botana on Ft Lowell and 1st, Proper downtown and Pizzeria Bianco downtown. Have had great meals at all of these recently.
Good God they do fried eggs on top.UAEebs86 wrote:I had those with the fried egg on top. F'in amazing.cats101 wrote:Had El Charro twice and I was just not impressed.
Had Poco & Moms about and week ago and the Green Hatch Chili Enchiladas blew my socks off.
Interesting.Jefe wrote:Try the red chili as well, so good. I like the new location except for the loud mouth behind the bar who invites all her friends in for weekday drinkingcats101 wrote:Had Poco & Moms about and week ago and the Green Hatch Chili Enchiladas blew my socks off.
My mom has been having fried eggs on top of her enchiladas forever. It's the way to go.cats101 wrote:Good God they do fried eggs on top.UAEebs86 wrote:I had those with the fried egg on top. F'in amazing.cats101 wrote:Had El Charro twice and I was just not impressed.
Had Poco & Moms about and week ago and the Green Hatch Chili Enchiladas blew my socks off.
I have had a ton of different things. I usually get a few tacos with different meats. Great margaritas as well.scumdevils86 wrote:I keep saying I'll go to La Botana as I live a half mile away tops but I have never heard of anyone eating there personally. What did you have?Zero wrote:Went this past Saturday. One hour wait at 2pm and was well worth it.Longhorned wrote:I could really go some Mi Nidito right now.
My new faves in town are La Botana on Ft Lowell and 1st, Proper downtown and Pizzeria Bianco downtown. Have had great meals at all of these recently.
Bingo!!!!! Their beef ribs are out of this world. Steaks are great as well. I went to El Coral for my birthday back in may. It had always been so good. However their food has gone down hill. It was horrible. Tasted like old people cafeteria food. I've spoken to a few friends that have been their recently and read some reviews and sadly this seems to be the norm now with them.UAdevil wrote:I've always been partial to 'Lil Abner's. Best beef ribs I've ever had, anywhere, and I've been to a lot of high end places around the world. Rarely do you get fall-off-the-bone beef ribs. They slow cook them and then finish them over an open mesquite fire. If you were to grab the end of one of the bones on your plate all the meat falls off. So damn good. Their BBQ sauce comes on the side (be wary of places that slather their ribs in sauce, shows they're not confident in their meat) and I rarely use any, though it's very good. Not too often can beef ribs stand on their own without BBQ sauce. These do. Every time.
I know a girl who is a server there. She is dumb as a bag of dirt but is smoking hot.Jefe wrote:Been to Reforma a couple times now. They specialize in Tequila but have amazing food as well all made from scratch apparently. Its in the old Vivace's in St Philips. Same owners as Union.
http://www.reformatucson.com/
Bar: https://tucsonfoodie.com/wp-content/upl ... G_1060.jpg
tried to ask her about the food and drinks there once but she had no clue...even though she works there.GIO just lowered all tacos to $2.50 to competeZero wrote:The new street taco and beer place downtown is legit. Blows Gio out the water. Check it out of you get a chance.
For whatever reason, I hadn't been here until last month. Been there twice now, blown away both times. Someone mentioned Calle Tepa on the first page, I go there for carnitas tacos every time I am on the east side. Best Sonoran dogs in town are at Aqui Con El Nene, flowing wells/wetmore. I can't count how many people I have converted from Gueros and BK's.ASUHATER! wrote:My new favorite thing is the machaca at Guadalajara grill.
Went to Poco and Moms last night, got the green chili enchiladas too. Good, good stuff. I will be going back, even though it's a long drive.cats101 wrote:Had El Charro twice and I was just not impressed.
Had Poco & Moms about and week ago and the Green Hatch Chili Enchiladas blew my socks off.
They didn't close on their own accord, the Landlord shut him down for not paying his bills. The same thing that happened to Abbey. I love the part about "some concepts simply dont work." You mean going into incredible amounts of debt to try to make it back $2.50 at a time?News came about mid-day yesterday via Facebook that the Metzger Family Restaurant group had decided to close Gio Taco. Located off at 360 E. Congress St., the taco joint had opened just 15 months ago in the heart of downtown.
"Our take on tacos, inspired by the dynamic culinary traditions of the Americas, didn't earn the level of support that it needed for the restaurant to survive on the corner of Congress and Fourth," Metzger said in a statement.
According to the statement from Metzger and MFR, the business had hoped to remain open until the end of the month, but the closing is effective immediately, despite trying to reach an agreement with their landlord.
"We aren't too proud to admit that some concepts simply don't work," the statement goes on to say.
If you have gift certificates for Gio Taco, those will be honored at other MFR restaurants like Jackson Tavern and Poppy Kitchen.
Jefe wrote:Metzger in trouble with another restaurant LOL. This time GIO Taco downtown.
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/ar ... -is-closed
They didn't close on their own accord, the Landlord shut him down for not paying his bills. The same thing that happened to Abbey. I love the part about "some concepts simply dont work." You mean going into incredible amounts of debt to try to make it back $2.50 at a time?News came about mid-day yesterday via Facebook that the Metzger Family Restaurant group had decided to close Gio Taco. Located off at 360 E. Congress St., the taco joint had opened just 15 months ago in the heart of downtown.
"Our take on tacos, inspired by the dynamic culinary traditions of the Americas, didn't earn the level of support that it needed for the restaurant to survive on the corner of Congress and Fourth," Metzger said in a statement.
According to the statement from Metzger and MFR, the business had hoped to remain open until the end of the month, but the closing is effective immediately, despite trying to reach an agreement with their landlord.
"We aren't too proud to admit that some concepts simply don't work," the statement goes on to say.
If you have gift certificates for Gio Taco, those will be honored at other MFR restaurants like Jackson Tavern and Poppy Kitchen.
When will people stop loaning this guy money? Hes now lost 2 restaurants, has 2 left and I bet Poppy isnt around in the summer of 2016
You're right, Abbey, GIO, and Jax. He has Poppy and Jacksons Tavern now. Havent been to either but I bet he is down to 1 soon.rgdeuce wrote:I thought this was at least his third restaurant shut down?
I live about a 5 min walk from Prep and Pastry and I have only been there twice...both within a month or two of it opening (it was awesome btw). That was over a year ago and since then I haven't been able to get near that place on the weekends. 8 am, 10 am, noon...didn't matter. There are always at least 20 people standing out front and hour plus wait times.Jefe wrote:You're right, Abbey, GIO, and Jax. He has Poppy and Jacksons Tavern now. Havent been to either but I bet he is down to 1 soon.rgdeuce wrote:I thought this was at least his third restaurant shut down?
He is losing valuable employees left and right as well. One of his former employees got out just in time and now runs Prep & Pastry. Might be the best brunch in town
Technically, The Abbey was owned and run by Metzger's ex-wife at the time of its demise, but did close for much the same reasons.Jefe wrote:You're right, Abbey, GIO, and Jax. He has Poppy and Jacksons Tavern now. Havent been to either but I bet he is down to 1 soon.rgdeuce wrote:I thought this was at least his third restaurant shut down?
He is losing valuable employees left and right as well. One of his former employees got out just in time and now runs Prep & Pastry. Might be the best brunch in town
But while he still owned it, it shut down for 3 days because he wasnt paying his rent. Then he lost it in the divorceReydituto wrote:Technically, The Abbey was owned and run by Metzger's ex-wife at the time of its demise, but did close for much the same reasons
In Spokane, "too spicy!" None of the decent Mexican places last.ASUHATER! wrote:True, I bet if you opened gio taco in Omaha or Milwaukee it would be hailed as an amazing restaurant.
Was ownership switched to her at some point though, maybe as things were looking bad???Reydituto wrote:Technically, The Abbey was owned and run by Metzger's ex-wife at the time of its demise, but did close for much the same reasons.
.
That actually happened while the divorce - and a Chapter 11 bankruptcy - was still in progress. Smart bit of business by him to let that sinking ship go to his ex in the divorce actually ... As always, there's more to the story, but it's not my place ...Jefe wrote:But while he still owned it, it shut down for 3 days because he wasnt paying his rent. Then he lost it in the divorceReydituto wrote:Technically, The Abbey was owned and run by Metzger's ex-wife at the time of its demise, but did close for much the same reasons
During a trip the the Oregon Coast, my wife and I ate at a "Mexican" restaurant. I regularly rag on her for being a wuss with spicy food and even she thought it was bland. I've had spicier toast.catgrad97 wrote:Omaha or Milwaukee requires potatoes in all their Mexican food.
They're really big on ground hamburger in their burritos in Nebraska. No idea why, they taste terrible.
The executive chef/general manager at McMahon's Prime Steakhouse is crossing the street on North Swan Road to become corporate chef for Metzger Family Restaurants — Jackson Tavern on North Swan Road and Poppy Kitchen at La Paloma Resort.
Gary Hickey, whose role will include overseeing developing menus for both restaurants and purchasing and vendor relations, will leave McMahon's in mid-April.
Hickey's arrival marks the departure of longtime and beloved Metzger executive chef Virginia "Ginny" Wooters, who is largely responsible for the menus at Jackson Tavern and Poppy Kitchen as well as Metzger's earlier restaurants Jax Kitchen and The Abbey.
Wooters three weeks ago was named executive chef at the three-month-old Pie Bird Bakery and Cafe, 177 N. Church Ave., downtown.
The owners of the popular midtown restaurant Prep & Pastry are opening a second restaurant this summer.
Commoner & Co. could open as early as June in the space that was once The Abbey, 6960 E. Sunrise Drive. It’s a place that Nathan Ares and his partners Brian Morris and William Meinke know very well after working for several years at The Abbey and for its parent company, Metzger Family Restaurants.
“There are so many of the guys and gals excited to get back in here,” said Ares. “We thought about making a run for this space because we were so tied into it. We love this space. I think this is the only project we would really touch in Tucson that wasn’t another Prep & Pastry.”
Ares and his partners — a fourth one, Brian Pracko, was not an Abbey veteran — are investing as much as $40,000 in renovations to the space including removing the old chalkboard wall and pulling back walls to open up the dining room.
The restaurant’s menu is still a work in progress, but it will borrow sensibilities from Prep & Pastry, 3073 N. Campbell Ave., a restaurant specializing in crafted modern comfort food that twists dishes as simple as a breakfast sandwich — sausage, egg and cheese between a biscuit or English muffin — to make it more complex: tri-tip subs for sausage and a house-made cheddar biscuit gets a slather of jalapeño jam to play off the peppery tones of arugula and buttery accents of scrambled eggs.
They’ll bring that sort of playfulness to Commoner’s menu, as well as a couple of signature Prep & Pastry dishes that will likely be reimagined. Ares said he anticipates a house-made pasta, a chicken entree and house-ground burger on a brioche bun made in-house to be among the offerings.
“We haven’t really dialed it all in,” he added.
But Ares said he and his partners have dialed in big plans for a weekday happy hour from 2 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
“I think we are going to do a really big happy hour up here. That’s really missing in this area,” said Ares, who tended bar at The Abbey, Lindy’s on Fourth and in clubs and restaurants in Vegas.
In addition to featuring local beers (Ten Fifty-Five Brewing from Tucson and Historic Brewing from Flagstaff), Commoner & Co.’s happy hour will include a sangria program curated by award-winning Tucson mixologist/bartender Matt Martinez from downtown’s Scott & Co. and its sisters 47 Scott and Eat.Drink. “I’m asking Matt to give us three different ones: a dry, a red and a white,” Ares said.
Commoner & Co. will serve lunch and dinner daily and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Prep & Pastry serves breakfast and lunch daily and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.
