If we didn’t know better, we’d think that Food Network star Guy Fieri has a soft spot for Tucson.
He hit restaurants all over town while visiting the city in January, spotlighting everything from our deep-dish Chicago-style pizza to nopal tacos from a midtown vegetarian Mexican restaurant for his popular show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” — aka “Triple D.”
Several episodes featuring Tucson have already aired, including segments with Renee’s Organic Oven at 7065 E. Tanque Verde Road, Zemam’s at 2731 E. Broadway and Cafe Tumerico, 2526 E. Sixth St.
This weekend, it is Inca’s Peruvian Cuisine’s time to shine.
Fatima Campos’ nearly decade-old Foothills restaurant at 6878 E. Sunrise Drive had Fieri gushing over her Seco de Carne con Frejoles, a dish made with Peruvian canary beans, beef tenderloin, aji amarillo paste and the fragrant Peruvian black mint.
The show debuts on Friday, April 6, and repeats Saturday, April 7; check local listings for times. Inca’s will air the show in the restaurant at 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 8, and they will offer free food tastings throughout the weekend.
Fieri was a fan at first bite into Rocco DiGrazia’s signature “kitchen sink” deep-dish pizza at Rocco’s Little Chicago Pizzeria, 2707 E. Broadway.
“He enjoyed our food. He seemed like he had a good time,” DiGrazia said.
Also on Fieri’s radar during the mid-January visit: Rocco’s twisted-up breadsticks, made with pizza dough and hot wings sauce. The episode airs May 4 and 5.
The Food Network will be airing the previous episodes featuring Tucson spots in April and May. Renee’s Organic Oven will air April 14 and 15; Zemam’s on April 27 and 28; and Cafe Tumerico on May 18 and 19.
