New: Tucson Food Tours
A new company is offering walking tours of Tucson restaurants. The owners of Tucson Food Tours held their inaugural tour last week, which featured stops at the Chocolate Iguana, Empire Pizza and Pub, Bumsted's, El Charro Café, Monkey Burger, Maynards Market and Kitchen, and Hub Restaurant and Ice Creamery. The tours take about three hours and include stops to take in various architectural details, local shops and other highlights. It looks like the company plans to hold numerous tours each week. The per-person price tag is $44, and includes tastings; foodtourstucson.com.
Going Gluten-Free
If you've gone gluten-free, consider checking out the newish Gourmet Girls Gluten Free Bakery and Bistro at 5845 N. Oracle Road. Susan Fulton and Mary Gibson opened the place in November and are currently offering both take-away baked goods and sit-down service from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Their goal? To replicate as many traditional baked items as possible using only gluten-free ingredients. They're working on expanding the number of egg- and dairy-free options as well; www.gourmetgirlsglutenfree.com.
New Local Beer
All five of the El Charro Café locations have a new signature beer on tap. 1922 Amber Ale is brewed by Barrio Brewing Co. and is described as "a premium two row malt with two levels of American crystal malt and touch of light chocolate malt, which gives the beer a slightly caramel taste, balanced with Columbus and Cascade hops for a great finish."
In other beer news, 1702 now brews its own beer. The menu says the brewery portion of the restaurant and brewpub at 1702 E. Speedway Blvd. is called The Address. The house-made beer available on our visit was a stout going for $2.50 per 5-ounce glass. If you're into craft brew, keep tabs on what they're doing; www.1702az.com.
New: Adobo Island
There's a new Filipino restaurant to check out: Adobo Island, at 2023 S. Craycroft Road. There, you will find homemade adobo dishes—which are traditionally made from a sauce containing soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves and other spices—pancit, soups and a variety of other authentic Filipino dishes. The big portions, and prices ranging from $4.75 to $6.50, are nice, too; 747-2233.
