“Portions have gotten out of control. Really good, grass-fed beef has gotten very expensive,” says Ryan Clark, executive chef at Lodge on the Desert. Instead of larger cuts of inferior or genetically modified beef, he says, he prefers serving the best, smaller cuts and “bulking up with organic veggies. Just because it’s easy for us to eat bad food doesn’t mean we should.”

Shedding the “all-you-can-eat philosophy,” Lodge on the Desert won’t offer a Mother’s Day brunch this year, but will serve bay-leaf-crusted roast beef for dinner, sticking to highlighting its nightly specials. Throughout the summer a dinner special that includes a “chef’s whim” salad, 20-minute sous vide natural chicken and house-made gelato will be on the menu. For Clark, a new cookbook about “center-of-plate items” with the working title, “The Modern Southwest,” is also in the making. The book will be published by Rio Nuevo Press.

Although Sullivan’s Steakhouse is known for its beef, general manager Sean O’Brien this year stresses “a little more concentration on local, the freshest ingredients possible. If it’s tomato season,” he says, “we’ll go to the local farmers’ market for heirloom tomatoes rather than use hothouse tomatoes.” He’s also touting an everyday pre-fixe three-course menu with the choice of a starter, soup or salad served with a new house-made raspberry vinaigrette dressing, and an entrée. A new entrée is roasted chicken and heirloom caprese salad with warm couscous and honey-grain mustard vinaigrette.

Whether alongside beef or chicken, or in a starring role, salads and vegetables are clearly playing a larger part in Tucson cuisine. “I’m a farm to fork chef. I’ll be searching for farm-fresh food in Arizona. That’s my passion,” says Russell Michel of the Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa. “Sweet peas, asparagus, fava beans. I’ll be serving a sweet pea risotto with spring veggies. Vegetarian [dishes] can also be served as vegan,” he notes. “Everyone who comes to the restaurant should have something they really enjoy that tastes fresh and vibrant.”

Michel has provided kosher meals upon request. Recently, Westin La Paloma held a conference where some participants asked for kosher dining. “We utilized local kosher caterers,” he told the AJP.

On Mother’s Day, Michel is preparing a special brunch with everything from a “whimsical waffle station” with tangerine and white chocolate waffles to an entrée station featuring pan-roasted salmon with minted sweet pea emulsion, cherry tomatoes and fava beans.

At the Flying V at Loews Ventana Canyon, executive chef Ken Harvey offers a Blues, Brews and Barbecue brunch every Sunday. This year there’s “a new concept with a giant salad selection and 60 feet of barbecue grill where everything is cooked to order,” says Harvey. He’s also introducing in-house, climate-controlled dry aged prime New York beef, which “creates extremely tender beef. [Plus], we’re the only ones in town with pheasant.”

Starting May 24, the Flying V will begin a desert cooking class; the first session will involve harvesting barrel cactus and using the fruit to make a pineapple upside-down cake. The class is in collaboration with Tohono O’odham Community Action, whose representative will discuss cooking with cactus and lead the harvesting.

Joe Abi-Ad has been cooking dishes from his native Lebanon that have been in his family for generations; in fact he was born in his family’s restaurant kitchen. The owner and chef of Falafel King, he serves traditional Middle Eastern specials that keep customers returning. “People still enjoy coming here after 37 years in business” in Tucson, says Abi-Ad.

Sushi is king at Yuki’s Sushi but this summer “we’re going to focus even more on cold noodle dishes,” says Leona K. Watabe, co-owner with her husband, Yuki, who is the restaurant’s chef. “Sushi is very summer oriented,” says Leona, adding that Yuki’s Sushi is offering new appetizers and has updated their menu. One new item is called kiku’s yellowtail, a hashimi fish entrée, which is served with lemon zest and, she says, is “very light, very fruity.” On Mother’s Day Yuki’s Sushi will stay open on Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. “Every mother will get a rose that weekend.”

The Hilton El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort will host its annual Mother’s Day brunch, sporting a new menu, says Ronnie Collins, director of sales and marketing. Other changes are on tap, including a spring dining series at Epazote Kitchen & Cocktails, one of the resort’s four restaurants.

At the May 15 dinner, “locally sourced produce takes the center stage,” says Collins. “All our produce and beef is locally sourced. Arizona-based beers will be featured on June 12,” the last dinner in the series, close to Father’s Day. Epazote, which only serves dinner, has an ongoing special from Memorial Day to Labor Day. “Pick Two Dinners,” devised especially for locals, says Collins, features an appetizer to share, a choice of entrées and a dessert to share. “Up to 50 percent of our business at Epazote, which opened in August, has been local.”

Coralie Satta is the chef/owner of Ghini’s French Caffe. Her upbringing in Provence, France, informs her cooking. She’s working on a new menu and expects to have “more of the French items I grew up with,” says Satta. “I’ll go on a creative rampage and try 15 variations” of a dish for Ghini’s Friday night once-a-week dinner menu. Satta plans to add a basil-pesto version of croque monsieur but she doesn’t intend to stop there. One popular item Ghini’s serves every summer is lavender lemonade. Recently the winner of seven culinary awards from Tucson Lifestyle, Satta says her creative ambition doesn’t stop at cooking. “We’re in the process of creating a fresh, new look at Ghini’s.”

Harvest Restaurant is also changing its look for summer dining with a new patio, says co-owner Reza Shapouri, who bought the restaurant with his wife, Lisa, Harvest’s pastry chef, in October 2011. “Everything is made from scratch,” he says. “All soups, reduction sauces are made without preservatives. We only buy from local purveyors.”

To accommodate diners craving smaller portions, Harvest offers a special sunset menu from 4 to 5:30 p.m., which includes medallions of filet mignon. A new dinner menu item is pesto-crusted salmon, accompanied by tomato risotto and roasted vegetables. They’re also starting a lunch special. “We’re offering more Arizona wines. All draft beers are from Arizona,” notes Shapouri.

Café Desta’s cuisine hails from Ethiopia. Chef and co-owner Minet Abay, 32, came to Tucson as a refugee in 2009. Specialties include vegan stews, spicy meat dishes and coffee drinks made with Ethiopian coffee beans.When ordering two or more combination plates that typically include lentils and vegetables — or may be kicked up with chicken, fish or lamb cooked in a spice mixture called berbere — the dishes can be served family style. All entrées are served with salad on a soft sourdough bread, or injera. And how about coconut mango pie for dessert?

If variety is indeed the spice of life, the sheer number, sizes and types of restaurants in Tucson afford a wide range of dining experiences. The Sheraton Tucson Hotel & Suites features an outdoor dining area in midtown for a relaxing evening out. Their Fire + Spice Restaurant & Lounge menu blends traditional Native American ingredients, tastes of old Spain and the spices, peppers and cheeses of Mexico. Offering entrées of fire-roasted salmon, grilled skirt steak chimichurri and wild west filet, the restaurant has also added small plates for lighter dining.

“We rolled out a new spring and summer menu with more upscale service, a fine dining atmosphere,” says Michael Bujold, executive chef for the Desert Diamond Casinos & Entertainment Tucson property. Dinner at the Diamond Steakhouse starts with an amuse, or gift from the chef; intermezzo, or sorbet to cleanse the palate, is served prior to the entrée. A new menu item is deconstructed tamale quail, cornbread tamale stuffing with Mexican truffle. The steakhouse is now serving wagyu beef, which is the Australian version of kobe beef. “It’s 48 ounces and listed for two on the menu,” says Bujold. “We remove the bone and cut it for you at your table.”

In addition to using Western flair, “we’ve been putting urban, international flair into our entrees and sticking to traditional steakhouse fare. We want to make sure we cover everybody. We also cook off the cuff for our customers with special needs,” offering vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes.

Bujold, who hails from Lake Charles, La., says that Tucsonans will soon “see a lot of Cajun food” at the Desert Diamond restaurants. “We get a lot of international customers. We hosted the Swedish and Danish soccer teams, meeting their dietary needs,” he says.

And for Tucsonans, the range of dining-out experiences is expanding — from barbecue to steaks to small plates to pineapple/barrel cactus upside-down cake.

David Popovits, owner of Matzah Soldier, sits down for a meal at his upscale restaurant in Budapest, March 2013. (Cnaan Liphshiz, JTA)

BUDAPEST, Hungary (JTA) — On a corner in the heart of the former Jewish ghetto here, David Popovits sits down for some matzah ball soup and super-sized dumplings at his newly opened kosher-style restaurant.

A burly, 40-year-old Hungarian Jewish businessman, Popovits used to eat in the restaurant as a boy, when its former owners ran a “dirty little place that smelled like oil but had good Wiener schnitzel,” as Popovits puts it.

It wasn’t the memories but the location that convinced Popovits to gut the place and reopen it two months ago under the name Macesz Huszar, or Matzah Soldier, a gastronomic temple of Hungarian Jewish cuisine.

Planted in the now fashionable 7th District, the area draws enough traffic to provide a clientele for this upscale establishment boasting designer chandeliers, a VIP room and an ample bronze bar.

The restaurant has earned some flattering reviews, but the eatery’s budding popularity is more than good for business. At a time of mounting concern over the rise of Hungary’s far-right Jobbik party, Popovits sees the restaurant’s promising start as a testament to Hungarian Jewry’s return to normalcy after long years of communist repression, when Jewish cooking and culture was the sole province of the elderly and the hard-core religious.

Popovits intended Matzah Soldier “to occupy a unique niche.” Budapest, he says, has several kosher restaurants that serve the city’s small Orthodox community and kosher tourists. And there’s Rosenstein, which is something of an institution for Hungarian Jewry even though it serves pork.

“There was nowhere for people like me: nonreligious, kosher-conscious Jews with a bit of money, a refined taste and appreciation for tradition,” Popovits says.

The mix of old and new is a strong element of the bistro’s aesthetic, which marries the coziness of a living room with an attentive and professional staff, wireless Internet and other features that contribute to a business-lunch atmosphere.

Since the fall of communism, Hungary has seen a cultural revival driven by people like Popovits who are in sync with contemporary cultural trends yet still want to carry on the Jewish traditions of their grandparents. The group is key to the success of Limmud Hungary, a Jewish learning event that draws hundreds every year, and a bewildering array of other Jewish cultural and social offerings serving Budapest’s estimated 80,000 Jews.

“There are five synagogues within half a mile of us,” Popovits says. “Those synagogues used to be rather empty but are now packed thanks to people like me, who are not religious but are connected to tradition. It showed me a business like Matzah Soldier could take off.”

The name Macesz Huszar — an antiquated taunt meaning something like “little Jew boy” — was chosen as a symbol of the modern Hungarian Jew.

“It has one leg planted in the Huszars, the 19th century Austro-Hungarian cavalrymen, and another in that most Jewish of foods and traditions, the matzah,” Popovits says.

Some patrons come for nostalgic reasons.

“I eat pork, no problem,” says Regina Szabo. “I came here because my brother told me the matzah ball soup tastes like our grandmother used to make it.”

Others, like Zsoltan Nagy, don’t even notice the words “Jewish bistro” emblazoned on the large window.

“Now that you mention it I see it, but I come here for business meetings cause it’s a cool place,” he told JTA.

But the Jewish element was not lost on local and even international media. Earlier this month, Time magazine opened an article about Hungarian Jewry with a scene from Macesz Huszar, which the publication described as “delicious proof of the renaissance of Hungary’s once vibrant Jewish culture.” And the Nepszabadsag daily’s food critic praised the restaurant for “reinventing simple Jewish foods as delicacies.”

The daily was critiquing the stuffed goose neck, the duck breast filled with chopped liver and creamy cholent. But Popovits is most proud of the matzah ball soup and the brisket, which is smoked especially for the restaurant according to an old Eastern European Jewish recipe unavailable commercially anywhere in Hungary, according to Popovits.

“[We] try to reinvent the old recipes without departing from the tradition upon which they were based,” says Popovits, who operates two bars in addition to Matzah Soldier. “I often just buy a fresh piece of lamb, bring it to the kitchen and then we begin to experiment while consulting the old recipes until we get it just right.”

The next step for Popovits is compiling a cookbook of his own, which he says he may well name after the restaurant.

“Writing this book would be making a statement, reaching a milestone that says this is where we are,” Popovits says. “I would like to stake that claim: This is the place that Jewish East European food occupies right now, in the great culinary democracy of our times.”

Everything is “fresh, homemade” at Tavolino Ristorante Italiano, says owner and chef Massimo Tenino. “Coming from Italy, I take for granted that every day we bake fresh bread in our pecan wood-burning oven.” Tavolino also grills chicken and other meats on their open-fire rotisserie and prepares fresh pasta daily. “We’re a from-scratch kitchen. I see how much people appreciate that, especially the bread,” he adds, which is made with sea salt and fresh herbs, served with extra-virgin olive oil.

Tavolino’s new fall menu includes a dish made with zucchini and smoked mozzarella cheese, topped by tomato sauce, much like eggplant parmesan, says Tenino. Looking ahead to Thanksgiving week, the restaurant will serve special pumpkin gnocchi with butter and sage, as well as butternut squash soup.

Andreas Andoniadis, co-owner of Opa! Greek Cuisine, told the AJP that everything is made fresh daily at his family-owned

operation. Opa! is “a mama and papa restaurant. My father-in-law is here every morning at 5 a.m.”

After catering many private parties with requests for gluten-free Greek dishes, Opa! will add them to their regular menu. As for all their Greek cuisine, says Andoniadis, “people can feel the difference. Let me put it this way: we care.”

Whether dining on steak or seafood at Sullivan’s Steakhouse, the quality is top-notch, says executive chef Jonny Ricketts, who hails from London. “The first thing that hit me when I came in here was that it reminded me of back home. It was simple. You got a great cut of meat on a plate.” With its fall menu update, Sullivan’s will offer more seafood, flown in fresh from Boston.

Ricketts harks back to the changing food scene in London in the late ’80s: “It had been ugly and stagnant for years. It became more of a melting pot with a blending of French and American cuisine. We don’t need to be so traditional,” he adds. “We don’t need 10 glasses at a place setting. You don’t need to be all dressed up to enjoy good food. Everyone enjoys eating.”

More vegetarian and vegan options, along with considerations for religious dietary restrictions, will be offered on Sullivan’s fall menu. “We’re not just a steakhouse,” says Ricketts. “It’s so unfair to be stuck in a party of eight people at a steakhouse if you don’t eat steak.”

Tucson Originals has more than 50 member restaurants promoting local, independently owned dining choices — from Mother Hubbard’s Cafe to Tavolino to Café 54. The Originals also collaborate on special events. Rocco DiGrazia, president of Tucson Originals and owner of Rocco’s Little Chicago Pizzeria, notes that this year’s Tucson Culinary Festival Margarita Championship will be held at the Tucson Museum of Art on Oct. 26. “We’ve outgrown other venues. There will be more consolidation of space on the museum’s beautiful patio,” he says, adding that “we’re still growing.”

This year, the Originals are splitting up the organization’s culinary festival events, holding them at different times of year and at new locations. The Copper Chef Challenge and Barbecue, which drew 460 people last year, will take place in the spring. “We’re still looking for the right venue,” says DiGrazia.

Lodge on the Desert, another Tucson Original, “is one of the first restaurants in Tucson to roll out a new fall menu,” says executive chef Ryan Clark. “It’s very exciting.”

One of their new dishes is duck breast with roasted heirloom pumpkin risotto. “We’ll have a new fall harvest salad with roasted pumpkin and seeds, goat cheese and confit apple-shallot vin. We’re spicing it up this winter with some new cocktails too,” says Clark. “We’re having a special ‘Halloween Offals + Brews’ tasting dinner on Nov. 1. The dinner will have a spooky theme, with weird real beer labels like Angry

Orchard, Rogue Dead Guy and Freaktoberfest. I got the last two cases of that beer in Arizona.”

Falafel King owner Joe Abi-Ad has been in Tucson for more than 35 years. “My family has been involved in food preparation for the last 800 years” in Lebanon, says Abi-Ad. “Many Mediterranean restaurants have come and gone over the years. I’ve closed and opened new ones myself, but I’m still here, making the same authentic dishes. I don’t modernize them.”

And he adds, “If you’re around Campbell and Fort Lowell at lunchtime, stop by for our $1.99 falafel special. You can’t beat that anywhere.”

Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort boasts a choice of four restaurants, from the Sundance Café to the La Vista Café at the golf club, to casual poolside dining at Desert Spring, to dinner at Epazote Kitchen & Cocktails. Under the direction of executive chef Jan Osipowicz, menu selections represent cultural cooking styles and regional influences of the Southwest, with an emphasis on indigenous ingredients.

The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa runs the gamut of dining opportunities for relaxation and enjoyment of its panoramic views of the Catalina Mountains. Guests may opt for quick and casual family meals, more elegant dining or Sunday brunch. Tucsonans can head to the resort for a power lunch.

For a contemporary dining experience, Westin La Paloma’s AZUL Restaurant prepares small plates influenced by the flavors of the Mediterranean coast: Spain, France, Italy and Greece. The resort also offers organic and sustainably grown choices.

The Flying V Bar and Grill at Loews Ventana Resort will soon roll out its fall menu, which executive chef Josh Willett is now putting together, says Mark Lindsey, director of sales and marketing. “Josh is famous for his ribs, which have a Spanish/Mexican influence. We’re known for our margaritas and guacamole prepared tableside. Buffalo sliders, which were very popular last year,” will return to the fall menu.

“We’re featuring over 60 tequilas,” says Lindsey. “We’ve reopened the fire pits on the patio. It’s gorgeous, overlooking a negative-edge waterfall. It’s the best location in Tucson.”

As Tucson temperatures soar to a sizzle point, local restaurants are marking the change in seasons by offering menus with lighter fare.

Pizza is perennially popular but Rocco’s Little Chicago Pizza on Broadway has added gazpacho and lighter beers to its menu specials. “We make everything from scratch,” says Rocco DiGrazia, owner and current president of Tucson Originals, which includes more than 50 local, independently owned restaurants. “We’re a favorite of young people and crusty old Midwesterners, people who remember living in Chicago in the 1940s,” DiGrazia told the AJP.

Tucson Originals continues to focus on local ingredients. And although many area restaurants still specialize in fine dining, “we keep evolving. Smaller and more homespun eating establishments keep popping up,” notes DiGrazia.

Lodge on the Desert, a Tucson Originals member, is the first restaurant in Tucson to serve wine on tap, which, says Executive Chef Ryan Clark, adds a fresher taste to the wine and is also good for the environment, saving on the use of corks and bottles.

The restaurant holds a monthly wine dinner featuring local wineries and is planning a beer dinner promoting local breweries in the next few months, notes Clark. For summer imbibing, “we’re excited about our new organic bar drinks with five different infusions,” he says.

Lodge on the Desert changes its menu every month. They’re so committed to using local ingredients, says Clark, “I’ve had the experience where prairie dogs ate all the radishes at one farm we use. We had to change the menu.”

Spiffing up fare may be accompanied by restaurant renovations for the new season, which was the case at Le Rendez-Vous. It was time to do something new, both inside and out, says owner/manager Gordon Berger. “We’ve added 10 small plates to the menu, including a mini Beef Wellington,” he says, adding, “it may be a surprise to many diners that the dish is probably French.”

Berger, who spent three years cooking at the Palais Royale in Paris, says that Le Rendez-Vous will continue to serve traditional French dishes such as coq au vin and bouillabaisse. But the small plates are “something the younger crowd would appreciate, something new that’s fun.” And people “don’t want huge portions anymore,” he says. “They also want reduced prices.”

Many local restaurants offer sumptuous Mother’s Day brunches. Tavolino Ristorante Italiano, usually closed on Sundays, will be open this year to celebrate with a price-fixed menu, says Larissa Capizzano, assistant manager and events coordinator.

Tavolino, which has been open for 10 years, specializes in holding private functions on their back patio, including engagement parties and happy hour functions, which Capizzano plans with customers. The restaurant’s wine director helps pair wines with selected dishes.

The backyard view of the Catalina Mountains at the Flying V Bar & Grill, Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, is always a draw, says Jennifer Duffy, public relations director. Matching the food with a Southwestern ambiance is a tradition at the grill, with guacamole prepared tableside. Another amenity they offer is two choices for their Sunday brunch, says Duffy. “Most people go to both. The one on the outside patio is funky and casual” with a local blues band, locally brewed beer and a barbecue. The one inside is a more elegant brunch.

Cool, lighter dishes will highlight the Flying V menu this summer. New items will include watermelon gazpacho, California halibut ceviche and tepary bean vichyssoise. The tepary beans are from the Tohono O’odham Community Action nonprofit dedicated to native foods, says Duffy, adding that “it’s unusual to serve the tepary beans in a cold soup.”

Oro Valley’s Harvest restaurant has had new owners, Reza and Lisa Shapouri, since October. “Our entire menu is homemade and we do all our shopping locally,” says Reza. “We make our own mozzarella cheese, our own pasta, all our sauces and dressings. We serve all-natural, hormone-free chicken, grass-fed beef and wild, not farm-raised, salmon.”

His wife, Lisa, a Tucson native, is a self-taught pastry chef. The month before the couple bought Harvest, the restaurant sold around 160 desserts, says Reza. “Last month, we sold nearly 1,200 desserts. Our food speaks for itself. There’s not a day that goes by when a diner doesn’t say, ‘this is phenomenal or outstanding,’” he says.

Ethnic restaurants abound in Tucson, from Campbell Avenue to Oro Valley. Tourists from across the United States, Israel, Egypt and Lebanon have told Joe Abi-Ad, owner of Falafel King, that he serves “the best falafel, hummus and tabouli they’ve ever had. They’re the authentic dishes,” says Abi-Ad. “I don’t modernize them.”

His family has been “involved in food preparation for the last 800 years,” and Abi-Ad has been doing the same in Tucson for the past 35 years. “Many Mediterranean restaurants have come and gone over the years,” he says. “I’ve closed and opened new ones myself but I’m still here.”

Another ethnic restaurant on Campbell Avenue is Yuki’s Sushi and Japanese, run by Leona Watabe. In its casual dining atmosphere a wide range of Japanese dishes are served, including spicy seafood ramen and kamikaze rolls. “We offer a unique dining experience with a combination of traditional Japanese dishes” and modern takes on others, says Watabe. “We have some of the freshest fish available.”

Sullivan’s Steak House has 20 locations around the United States, with Tucson’s on Campbell Avenue and River Road. With nine different types of steak and several choices of sauces, including bourbon peppercorn and Madeira mushroom, the restaurant is a meat-lover’s paradise. For vegetable lovers, there’s an asparagus bisque.

And for a Mother’s Day treat, Tucsonans still have time to “Show Mom Some Love” at Sullivan’s with one of their steaks and a “Momosa.”

With a wide array of Southwestern, ethnic and seafood dining experiences in Tucson, there’s no shortage of restaurants at which to celebrate Mother’s Day with family and friends on Sunday, May 13.

Although restaurants that cater to new trends are always popping up in Tucson, many diners still crave traditional Italian, Mexican or French cuisine. Luckily, whatever the dining preferences, Tucson restaurants satisfy myriad tastes.

After travels to Paris or Montreal, locals can come home to enjoy paté or chateau briand with bearnaise sauce at Le Rendez-vous. The classic French restaurant was established in 1981, and its owner/chef Jean-Claude Berger was born in France. “We smoke our own mesquite salmon. Very little is store-bought,” says Gordon Berger, the owner’s son and manager of Le Rendez-vous.

“Our Grand Marnier soufflés are made to order. We feature a romantic setting with tableside flambées” that are quite dramatic, says Gordon, 32, who lived in France studying its cuisine for three years, and he sometimes does the cooking at Le Rendez-vous. “I grew up working in the restaurant, wearing every hat,” he says.

Tucson’s restaurants go beyond varied cuisines; they also contribute to our city’s history of diversity. “I’ve been part of Tucson for over 35 years,” says Joe Abi-Ad, owner of the Falafel King. “With the economy still bad we’re continuing our lunch and dinner values for the Tucson community.”

Abi-Ad, who hails from Lebanon, offers “good bargains” of falafel in pita bread, and chicken or beef shawarma. Although the fare at Falafel King may be considered fast food since it’s prepared quickly, all dishes are “homemade and made fresh with the finest Mediterranean ingredients,” says Abi-Ad.

Italian cuisine is ever-popular in Tucson, “and now that the weather is getting cooler people are looking for pastas, which are around 75 percent made in-house,” at Tavolino Ristorante Italiano, says Larissa Capizzano, assistant manager.

“Our lasagna is the best I’ve ever had and that includes my mom’s,” she told the AJP, adding that she hopes her mother doesn’t get mad at her. “I come from a very Italian family.”

Tavolino has a wood-burning rotisserie fired by mesquite, notes Capizzano. “We’ll have a new fall menu next month,” she says, which will bring back the most popular specials of previous seasons. Tavolino also boasts a happy hour with all drinks and appetizers priced under $8.

Mexican food is a staple in Tucson, and La Salsa Fresh Mexican Grill owner Ron Yaeli notes that the locally owned La Salsa restaurants are celebrating their 16th birthday this year. “We’re featuring dinner for two with steak or chicken fajitas and two beers or fountain drinks for $16,” Margie Fenton, La Salsa’s marketing coordinator — and Yaeli’s mother-in-law — told the AJP.

“We’re fast casual, but our food is made to order. I’m proud that my family has offered this good food in Tucson for 16 years,” she says. La Salsa’s success is also about customer and staff loyalty. “I’ve know some of the people who work for us since they were kids,” notes Fenton.

The 52 members of Tucson Originals independently owned and operated restaurants also strive to promote loyalty among Tucson diners. “We were the first city in the nation to come up with this concept of grouping local restaurants” for everyone’s benefit, says Colette Landeen, executive director of the Tucson Originals. “We started out with just a handful [of restaurants] in 1998. We now run the full gamut from casual dining to white tablecloth.”

The organization started out as a “financial buying group creating a level playing field with the chains,” explains Lan­deen. “It’s become more altruistic, giving back to the community.”

One way Tucson Originals contributes to the community is through the annual Tucson Culinary Festival, which will take place Oct. 27-30 (tucsonculinaryfestival.com). The organization provides volunteers for three nights of eating events, and “a major portion of the ticket sales,” says Landeen, will benefit New Beginnings for Women and Children, research at the Diamond Children’s Medical Center and Arizona’s Childrens Association.

Todd Martin, co-owner of the Tucson Tamale Company, with his wife, Sherry, recently joined the board of Tucson Originals. Part of the bigger picture of belonging to Tucson Originals, says Martin, “is supporting local businesses. Even when the economy is booming, around 70 percent of the money stays in the community. It helps all of us. I really believe in that.”

Promoting Tucson’s beauty also contributes to the success of local restaurants. At Loews Ventana Canyon’s Flying V Bar & Grill, the motto is about enjoying Tucson’s “fresh mountain air and delicious Southwestern cuisine.”

On the site of the former Flying V Dude Ranch, the Flying V grill touts its tableside guacamole, beef tenderloin, seared salmon and seasonal vegetarian dishes. Whether sitting on the grill’s patio or indoors, diners can partake of the nightly happy hour.

Shlomo & Vito’s New York Delicatessen hopes “to bring back the mentality of the family dinner” this fall, says co-owner Matt McKinnon. Shlomo & Vito’s will offer more dishes for diners to share, such as “an antipasto platter for the table. We’re going to have a more extensive appetizer menu, including jumbo fried ravioli and jumbo fried pickles.”

Although the fried pickles are a Southern favorite that McKinnon and co-owner Dean Greenberg fell in love with in New York City, of all places, they’re focusing on Jewish and Italian food people remember growing up with, or “comfort food. The recipes we use are almost exclusively from Dean’s family,” says McKinnon. “We’re sticking with the best ingredients. We use Boar’s Head meats, which aren’t cheap. We’re not substituting cheaper products” because of the economy; “that’s not who we are.”

“We’re introducing Northern Italian dishes that are light and fresh, like pappardelle pasta with green beans and basil-dominated pesto,” says Larissa Capizzano, Tavolino Ristorante Italiano event coordinator. “Our pasta is made in-house. Our dishes are not the heavy chicken parmesan that people often think of as Italian food.”

Tavolino Ristorante Italiano is locally owned, although the chef and manager hail from Italy. “We have a welcoming Italian atmosphere with personality and charm,” Capizzano told the AJP.

A different kind of old-world charm is evident at Falafel King. Owner Joe Abi-Ad has a long family history of food preparation — around 700 years in his native Lebanon. “Everybody tells me I make the most authentic, best-tasting falafel in Tucson” at affordable prices, says Abi-Ad, who traveled to Lebanon last summer. “I try to educate people about Middle Eastern food,” he says. He got the idea for a new eggplant salad on his trip, but, he adds, “it’s labor intensive, has to be made fresh and sell that day.”

Abi-Ad also caters for private parties and fills special orders, especially for lamb dishes. “I don’t use domestic lamb but only the best lamb, which comes from New Zealand.”

Guiseppe’s Ristorante Italiano takes similar pride in its ethnic food preparation. “Everything is homemade at Guiseppe’s,” says Joshua Velderrain, who co-owns the restaurant with his brother and chef, Israel. “Our prices are very low with good-sized portions and a really affordable wine list. Our food and service are much better than at any chain restaurant.” Homemade desserts change every other day and often include fresh fruit.

With summer and warmer temperatures coming, Guiseppe’s will offer more salads, lighter fish entrees, and a new menu item — cold cucumber soup. For Mother’s Day the restaurant will serve a special petite filet mignon, Tuscan style.

Shlomo & Vito’s New York Delicatessen will offer a Mother’s Day brunch this year with a buffet that uses its whole courtyard, including meat-carving stations and Jewish specialties such as kugel and blintzes.

“Our customers are looking for consistency,” says owner Dean Greenberg. “They want a knish or pastrami sandwich just like you get in the best New York delis. We’ve got the Jewish concept, the Italian concept and the diner concept.” People can come in at 7 p.m. and get an omelet or pancakes for dinner. “We have lots of choices, like a diner, and serve everything all day,” he says. Then there are the desserts: “We make them all in-house. My favorite is the key lime pie,” he says.

“People eat with their eyes. Make it big, make it tasty so they want to come back for more,” says Greenberg.

Tucson Originals, a marketing association of 48 locally owned restaurants, capitalizes on the uniqueness of the Old Pueblo’s independently owned eating establishments. Currently, with the growing move toward healthier eating, Tucson restaurants are “anxious to put spring veggies on their menus,” says Norma Gentry, owner of Proventures Marketing, Networking & Creative Talent, which represents Tucson Originals. “Farmers are now producing much larger organic crops, so there’s more competition.”

Renee’s Organic Oven, formerly Eclectic Pizza and one of the Tucson Originals, now uses only organic ingredients, serves organic wines and offers gluten-free pizza, says Gentry. Vero Amore has also started to make gluten-free pizza. And other Originals such as Lodge on the Desert, Acacia, Kingfisher and Maynard’s Market & Kitchen use sustainably raised beef and chicken “whenever possible,” she says. Chad’s Steakhouse, Pastiche Modern Eatery and Frankie’s Philly Cheesesteaks use Certified Angus Beef, although it’s not local. In addition, many of the Tucson Originals are “trying biodegradable take-out containers,” adds Gentry.

Tucson Original restaurants “have raised awareness that there’s a brand of places to go that are unique to Tucson,” says Pat Connor, co-owner of Pastiche and president of the restaurant association. “Chain restaurants are a dime a dozen. You can find them in any city. Consumers here have choices” of among the Tucson Originals that support community events. Last year alone, says Connor, “Pastiche did 46 charity events.” The Originals’ summer initiative will begin on June 1, with every member restaurant promoting an item or meal for $20.11.

Tucson’s resort restaurants also want to cater to local diners throughout the year. Azul Restaurant and Lounge at the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa serves lunch and dinner, offers happy hour specials, free valet parking, and live outdoor music. And their menu is always changing. “When people return we want to give them something new to enjoy,” says Richard Brooks, director of marketing.

The Flying V at Loews Ventana Canyon has a new deck and has added fire pits for outdoor dining or cocktails, adding to the ambiance, which includes a waterfall, says Mark Lindsay, Ventana Canyon director of sales and marketing. Their gazpacho is made with Willcox tomatoes, and local citrus is used in salads, says Geneya Sauro, director of food and beverage.

Delicious cuisine is important at local restaurants but the dining-out environment also draws customers. Accomplished high school musicians, who play jazz every Tuesday and Saturday, have a following at the Sheraton’s Fire + Spice: An Arizona Grill. “Flavors inspired by the Sonoran Desert and the Southwest are our specialty,” says Damen Kompanowski, general manager. “Our fish tacos are very popular because they’re grilled, not deep fried, and are served with a distinctive Arizona rice and grilled veggies. Our jalapeño snake bites are amazing.”

Ginza Sushi co-owner Diana Raiman says her husband and chef, Jun Arai, enjoys personalizing dishes for their regular customers. If people sit at the sushi bar “Jun will offer omakase, or chef’s choice, [that means ‘it’s up to you’ in Japanese], says Raiman. “I recommend that people try new things, tell Jun their [food] likes and dislikes. Be adventurous.”

Fire + Spice: An Arizona Grill at the Sheraton Tucson Hotel and Suites prides itself on its western fusion specialties, combining Spanish, Mexican and Native American cuisines. With local chorizo rolls and fish taco entrées, and cilantro-lime butter, jalapeno jelly and spiced olive oil accompanying each bread basket, the two-year-old establishment has a burgeoning clientele. One of its signature dishes, says hotel general manager Damen Kompanowski, is sweet potato chiles rellenos, which especially appeal to vegetarians.

But the menu isn’t all that interests Kompanowski. “We believe in giving back to the community,” he says. The restaurant hosts talented local teen jazz musicians three nights a week and has partnered with schools. Last year, Fire + Spice assisted Ft. Lowell Elementary School, where 95 percent of students participated in the subsidized lunch program, says Kompanowski. “Our staff members helped in the classroom with reading [activities], did manual labor like painting rooms and fixed up the playground.”

Flying V Bar & Grill at Loews Ventana Canyon connects with the greater Tucson community through its menu, which includes ingredients from its adopt-a-farmer program. The resort has joined with 12 local farms to provide fresh and often unique ingredients, says head chef Ken Harvey. Not only do the resort’s five eateries use local honey and tortillas, they purchase mesquite flour, white beans, Saguaro seeds and syrup from Toca Farms, part of the Tohono O’odham Community Action program. And, Loews Ventana Canyon goes beyond buying local ingredients and creating local dishes, says Harvey; staff members “actually have classes with and harvest [ingredients] with the farmers.”

Although the Flying V Bar menu boasts entrees as varied as root vegetable lasagna and bison burgers, it’s the tableside guacamole that Harvey touts. The traditional and not-so-traditional ingredients vary by season, include mangoes in the summer and pumpkin, squashes and roasted corn in the fall. Reliance on local food sources, as well as only purchasing seafood from sustainable fisheries, says Harvey, “is what sets us apart.”

What’s unique about the Italian cuisine at Guiseppe’s, says chef/owner Joe Scordato, is that “we make everything from scratch — meatballs, sausage, bread, all our sauces and desserts. We give people fine dining at an affordable price, and you don’t have to spend half your paycheck if you’re not rich.”

Many of Guiseppe’s original Italian recipes come from Scordato’s mother, the late Ann Scordato. “We enjoy feeding our customers. We’re more than just a restaurant,” says Scordato, whose family moved to Arizona in 1963 from Paterson, N.J., because of his brother Daniel’s severe asthma. The family opened Scordato’s in 1972.

At Guiseppe’s, “we have a huge following; some people eat here two or three times a week. That’s the best part,” says Scordato, “seeing people who return again and again. Locally owned businesses make Tucson a really nice place to be.” Restaurants contribute a lot to Tucson’s economy, he says, adding, “We don’t have a million dollar advertising budget like the big chains. We care about quality food and building relationships.”

Classic American dishes with a Southwestern twist are Bistro 44’s specialty, says Rick Siegler, who co-owns the restaurant with his wife, Sara. “We use Red Bird free range chicken from Colorado for our very popular chicken and dumplings. Very few restaurants go to the added expense to use it. We also use all Certified Angus Beef.”

Bistro 44, which opened in January 2007, “goes for traditional quality. We don’t skip any steps,” says Siegler, adding that the kitchen staff prepares fresh mashed potatoes eight to 10 times nightly, rather than leaving potatoes sitting under heat lamps.

“We take a lot of pride in serving quality food,” he says. “People are pleasantly surprised that we’re not overly pricey.” And, says Siegler, “We serve a diverse menu. Bistro 44 is family friendly, a great place for everyday eating out or for celebrating a special occasion.”

While Vivace Restaurant has been a mainstay of elegant Italian dining, owner Daniel Scordato opened Pizzeria Vivace at St. Philip’s Plaza in 2009. “It’s not your typical pizzeria,” says Daniel. “I always wanted to do more casual Italian food. I was a big fan of Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix, which may have been the first one in America to make artisan-type sophisticated crust. I thought it would be fun to do that in Tucson.

“It’s all about the crust,” notes Daniel, adding that you’ll see thinner crusts in New York City, while in Chicago, deep-dish crusts rule. Neither are like pizzas prepared in Naples, Italy, with crusts “that get that bubbliness, and have very simple artisan toppings, [most often] mozzarella cheese, basil and tomato sauce,” he says. “We use Kalamata olives, not canned California black olives.”

Daniel is passionate about his pizza making: “Our crust takes two days to make. We use biga, or starter in Italian, to develop the flavor. We use hand-made artisan cheeses. You can’t judge pizza by what you’ve eaten your whole life,” he says. “I thought Tucson diners are more sophisticated and would appreciate something a little different.”

The Westin La Paloma Resort has also made a recent change, converting its 25-year-old Desert Gardens restaurant into the Azul Restaurant Lounge last November. “We went for a more modern, Mediterranean theme,” says Richard Brooks, director of sales and marketing. “We even have a charcuterie station for specialty meats. We wanted to be more of a destination restaurant for the local population.” In addition, the new Azul rewards program features monthly e-mail specials and discounts on future meals.

Azul offers a happy hour nightly from 4:30-7:30 p.m. On Thursday nights Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa personnel give free chair and hand massages, and Azul hosts Friday Night Live with acoustic guitar music. Terrace dining around the restaurant’s two newly installed fire pits, says Brooks, “contributes to the great ambiance.”

Tucson’s world-class resorts draw visitors from all over the world. Tourists from across the United States, Israel, Egypt and Lebanon have told Joe Abi-Ad, owner of Falafel King, that he serves “the best falafel, hummus and tabouli they’ve ever had, the authentic dishes. I don’t modernize them.”

Abi-Ad has been preparing Mediterranean dishes in Tucson for 35 years, but he notes that his Lebanese family has been “involved in food preparation for the last 800 years.” When he first settled in Tucson it was hard to find all the essential ingredients, but now they’re all readily available.

“When I first came here there were only 300,000 people,” says Abi-Ad. “Many Mediterranean restaurants have come and gone over the years. I’ve closed and opened new ones myself but I’m still here. My daughter Mary will graduate from culinary school in Scottsdale in 2011. I hope she’ll take over the business.”

For a traditional Japanese dinner, Tucsonans can head to Ginza Sushi, which opened in 2007. The restaurant serves izakaya, which are similar to Spanish tapas, offering diners small portions of different sushi to try, says co-owner Diana Arai. She’s particularly fond of the ceviche sushi roll concocted by her husband, co-owner Jun, combining her Mexican heritage with the Japanese favorite. The roll includes albacore tuna with spices and lime juice.

La Salsa Fresh Mexican Grill offers an authentic tacqueria, or neighborhood Mexican dining experience, with a constantly changing menu. “We serve healthy fast food, free tortilla chips and have a salsa bar with eight varieties of salsa,” says Margie Fenton, director of marketing. “All our food is cooked to order” and changes with the season, including a cranberry salsa around Thanksgiving that customers will start asking for soon. And, she adds, “When you see the snow on Mt. Lemmon, it’s time for chicken tortilla soup.”

American Southwestern, Mediterranean, Jamaican and even Irish fare comprise the “hodgepodge of cuisines that we favor” at Pastiche Modern Eatery, says Julie Connors, who has co-owned the Tucson restaurant with her husband, Pat, for 12 years. The Connors’ propensity for inclusion extends to their customer base: “We have our regulars in the community,” says Connors. “There’s a bond, like an extended family in a way.”

Besides their award-winning cuisine, Connors says that “philanthropic involvement, giving back to the community” is important to her and Pat, who initiated the “Philanthropy with Phlavor” promotion in which other Tucson restaurants participate. Throughout the months of October and June, patrons can designate 5 percent of their check to a nonprofit of their choice.

Pastiche offers specials such as Tuesday steak night, when customers can enjoy a $15 steak dinner with a full salad and two sides. The restaurant also offers customers smaller bistro-size portions. “The reduced prices,” says Connors, “help their pocketbooks as well as their tummies.”

New York-sized portions are what owner Dean Greenberg has in mind at Shlomo & Vito’s New York Delicatessen — as well as evoking memories of the Big Apple. “I have a passion to bring the New York experience to Tucson,” he told the AJP.

As for the name of his deli, Greenberg says, “growing up in New York, Jews and Italians were interchangeable.” During the 1950s, his family and their Italian neighbors would cook a special Jewish-Italian meal to cheer everybody up, he says, if the Brooklyn Dodgers lost.

Recently, Greenberg, who also runs a money management firm, visited the Stage and Carnegie delis in New York. “I was surprised and disappointed,” he says. “I wanted to find out what they were doing better than us.”

Instead Greenberg discovered “our corned beef and pastrami that we get from Sy Ginsberg [from Detroit] beat theirs.” And in New York, he adds, “they don’t even give pickles anymore.”

Restaurants come and go, as do food trends. This spring, Tucson restaurants are extolling their use of the freshest ingredients, locally grown produce — and their place in Tucson “dining out” history.  

Papagayo Mexican Restaurant and Cantina, says owner Bryan Mazon, is a family affair that was started by his great-great-grandfather Alexander Levin as a brewing company in 1866. “We believe we’re one of the oldest restaurant families in Arizona.” 

The Levins were the third family to settle in Tucson between 1864 and 1866 after the Civil War. Levin, who was a Jewish pioneer from Bahn, Prussia, met and married Zenona Molina in Sonora, Mexico, and the couple moved to Tucson, says Mazon. Molina started a small Mexican restaurant inside the brewery situated at the end of Pennington Street, in what is now the Arizona State office building. “We are Tucson history,” says Mazon.

To appeal to today’s dining needs, Mazon’s wife, Maria, who is one of Papagayo’s chefs, created a gluten-free menu that is served daily after 5 p.m.

“Our food is 100 percent healthy,” says Mazon. Although the menu includes cheese and fried dishes, he says, “it doesn’t have the chemicals you find in other fried foods. We’ve been using canola oil since 1975.  

“We were the first Mexican restaurant to move into the Foothills” at Papagayo’s present location at Swan and Sunrise, says Mazon. “My grandfather [Rene A. Perez, Sr.] always wanted to have a destination outside of town, which proved correct when he opened on Fort Lowell in 1973. There are no outskirts now.” 

When it comes to Italian food, the name Scordato has long been synonymous with fine cuisine in Tucson. “We make everything from scratch,” says Joe Scordato, who recently opened Guiseppe’s Ristorante Italiano. “We make all our own sauces, butcher our own meat, and make the sausage ourselves. We offer reasonable prices with the best quality food.” The new Guiseppe’s also offers Telero white and red wine imported from Italy at a good price. “We don’t want people to have to spend their whole paycheck to have a nice dinner out,” he says.

A native of Paterson, N.J., where his father operated an Italian restaurant, Scordato came to Tucson with his family in 1967. They opened the original Scordato’s in 1972. “Our family life has played out in the restaurant business,” says Scordato. “My brothers and I worked in the kitchen. One sister played the piano.”

At Guiseppe’s, “our prices are special year-round. We have the absolute best food you can get for reasonable prices,” he says. “We have happy hour all day.”

Daniel, another Scordato brother, owns Vivace Restaurant at St. Phillip’s Plaza.  His latest venture, Pizzeria Vivace, which opened a year ago, serves specially created thin-crust “artisan pizza,” using Locatelli Pecorino Romano cheese, which he refers to as “Italy’s finest.” 

Daniel Scordato wanted to “do something more casual” than Vivace, a Tucson landmark in Italian fare since 1993. When the space next door to Vivace became available it seemed like a win-win situation, allowing him to easily check on whatever is cooking.

Amereno’s Little Italy, at a new location on Grant Road, prepares authentic Italian food, including such appetizer favorites as antipasto, fried mozzarella, and bruschette, as well as traditional Italian entrees, such as homemade cheese ravioli and eggplant parmigiana. The restaurant also serves Italian wedding soup — a festive dish with or without the accompanying nuptials. In addition, Amereno’s offers a catering service for outside events.

There’s an array of Japanese restaurants in Tucson, but Ginza Sushi & Izakaya, which opened in 2008, is different from most; it serves more than the usual sushi and tempura. The establishment invites diners to share tapas-style small plates, such as Bibimbap Chirashi, consisting of assorted seafood with spicy Korean sauce served over sushi rice, or Japanese fried eggplant.  As in Japan, Ginza Sushi is a place where family and friends can meet to socialize — and try something new.

La Salsa Fresh Mexican Grill is celebrating its 30th year of operation in Tucson. With its constantly changing menu, La Salsa provides a tacqueria, or neighborhood restaurant, with healthy fast food, free tortilla chips, and a salsa bar with eight varieties. Everything is cooked to order at the restaurant’s open grill; the restaurant is currently promoting its green-chili chicken burrito. 

Another Tucson landmark is the Flying V Bar and Grill at Loews Ventana Canyon, which has been in operation at the same location for 25 years, says executive chef Ken Harvey. The Flying V is named after the original ranch located about a mile north of the hotel.

Touting their new spring/summer menu, Harvey says the restaurant carries sustainable seafood that’s flown in daily, is a natural product raised in ocean pens [not farm-raised] and isn’t derived from over-fishing.  “It’s eco-friendly,” he says.

“Instead of appetizers, we’re calling our small plates ‘things you share.’ The small plates are lighter, [and we’re] getting ready for hotter weather,” says Harvey. The Flying V has paired up with the Tohono O’odham nation for mesquite flour and with suppliers in Strawberry, Ariz., for goat cheese, and from Willcox for produce such as squash and tomatoes.  

“Street foods” — little tacos, hot dogs, locally made tortillas are also on the new menu, he says. “We’re also known for our amazing guacamole prepared tableside and our margaritas. 

“The Flying V is one of our most uniquely local restaurants,” says Harvey. “We want to be a leader, not a follower, with what’s new in the food world. We’re always evolving. We want to be known as cutting edge.”

Harvest Restaurant prides itself on its “seasonally inspired cooking.” The restaurant concocts seasonal cocktails using only fresh-squeezed juices and on-the-spot muddled ingredients. Harvest serves grass-fed beef and handmade pasta, including ravioli, gnocchi and fettuccine. Their new summer prix-fixe dinner menu with three courses will run from June 1 to Sept. 30. In addition, Harvest’s Sunset Menu offers seven entrees at a reduced price. 

The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa, “a premier Southwest destination” since 1986, is nestled on 250 acres at the edge of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The resort — with its spectacular view for Tucsonans and guests alike — will offer a gourmet Mother’s Day brunch on Sunday, May 9. In support of local growers, all its menus offer organic and “regionally responsible” dishes.

Emphasizing the use of indigenous ingredients from the Sonoran Desert, Dos Locos Restaurant and the Sundance Café at the Hilton El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort focus on Southwestern cuisine.  The resort has been situated in Oro Valley for 27 years. “If you’re local and you haven’t been out here you’re really missing something,” says Julia Hansen, director of marketing. “What could be better — at any time of year — than sipping the house specialty, a prickly pear margarita, while watching the sunset over Pusch Ridge?”