For me, 2025 was filled with fun memories, big smiles, and lots of food… lots and lots of food.
There is no shortage of good food in Tucson, and I have the privilege of being able to go and explore all kinds of flavors.
Whether it’s eating the spiciest tacos ever, or getting the chance share the stories of the passionate restaurant owners in town, 2025 was a great year for food here in Tucson.
After much brainstorming, and deep thinking, I was able to come up with a list of all my favorite foods I ate this year. From silky iced matcha lattes to spicy red lentils, below are the meals that I fell in love with at first bite.
Tommy Ross, a baker at Hidden Hearth pulls a tray of fresh danish rye bread out of the oven during an afternoon shift, 267 South Avenida Del Convento, Dec. 2, 2025.
Chocolate croissant from Hidden Hearth
I knew this croissant was going to be lifechanging the minute I walked into Hidden Hearth’s micro-bakery. The heavenly smell of warm, buttery croissants filled the entire kitchen, and all I could think about during my interview with Alexander Phaneuf was the golden-brown pastries that sat in the oven.
Of course, I took home a chocolate croissant after the interview, saving it for dessert later that night. I had never seen a croissant with such beautiful, precise layers, each one perfectly thin and full of flavor.
It was buttery, flaky, and melted in my mouth. Everything about it was amazing and I still think about it to this day. It may truly be the best croissant I’ve ever had.
Tres leche nieve from Nieve de Garrafa Rufino's.Â
Tres leche nieve by Nieve de Garrafa Rufino’s
On the corner of East 22nd Street and South Country Club Road
Back in my hometown of Nogales, Arizona, there’s this shaved ice spot called Finitos that is my favorite thing in the entire world. The flavors and texture of each treat at this place are out-of-this-world.
When I moved up to Tucson, I was desperately trying to find a place that came close to my beloved Finitos. Though there are so many amazing ice cream and raspado spots here, I just couldn’t find something that mimicked Finitos snowy, pillowy texture.
After eight years, I finally found it.
Nieve de Garrafa Rufino’s, a truck that specializes in nieve- a frosty ice dessert, traditionally made in Mexico- blew me out of the water. One bite of their tres leches nieve, and I wanted to cry tears of happiness.
The scoops of the tres leches nieve, complete with a Marias cookie on top, was vanilla and cinnamon heaven, bursting with the creamy flavor that makes tres leches cake so tasty. The best part: the texture was fluffy and light, like I was eating spoonfuls of icy clouds.
The Rachel from Kneller’s Delicatessen
When it comes to sandwiches, I can be a bit picky. I’m not a huge plain mayo fan, so my sandwiches tend to be a little dry and boring.
That was until I had The Rachel.
Craving a really good sandwich, I went over to Kneller’s Deli to see what I could find. The Rachel jumped out at me, and I decided that was going to be my lunch for the day. (Of course with two knishes as well) This particular sandwich is made with their house rye, roasted turkey, coleslaw, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing.
Everything about this sandwich was perfection. The bread was so soft and fluffy, which meant I wasn’t ripping up the roof of my mouth. (My food pet peeve is when the bread is so hard it tears open your mouth) The turkey paired perfectly with the tanginess of the Russian dressing. Then, there's a nice, fresh crisp from the coleslaw. It was like a flavor bomb. Now I want to go to Kneller’s Deli every day for lunch!
Roasted cauliflower, red lentils and doro wat from Zemam’s
It’s pretty embarrassing it took me this long to head over to Zemam’s for a meal. Throughout my meal, I kept thinking to myself: where has this been all my life?!
When I went, I ordered their veggie and meat sampler, choosing the roasted cauliflower, red lentils, and doro wat- a chicken dish slowly cooked on the bone in a spicy berbere sauce.
I ripped off a piece of injera and dug in. The spicy red lentils were so flavorful and addicting, that even when my mouth was buzzing, I couldn’t stop devouring the lentils. The cauliflower was roasted to perfection and served as a great way to help cool down my tastebuds after all the spicy flavors.
The chicken was unbelievable. It was so rich and juicy, practically falling off the bone, and melting in my mouth. If I could make chicken and lentils that good, I’d never leave my kitchen.
The Cuban Corner by TA-PAS has brought authentic Cuban flavors to midtown Tucson.
Cuban tacos from The Cuban Corner
Obsessed is an understatement when it comes to these tacos.
I love everything at The Cuban Corner, but the Cuban tacos are a game-changer. These tacos are made with a blue corn tortilla, marinated pork, sweet potato fries and pickled onions.
First off, the pork used is some of the best I’ve ever had! It’s marinated in bright, citrus flavors that go perfectly with the subtle sweetness pork has. Mix that with the crispy sweet potato fries and the tangy onions, and you’re left with a zesty, flavorful taco that tastes like you’re on the beach somewhere.
It’s a MUST that you also add their cilantro salsa on top for added flavor. This salsa is so good I think I could drink a bottle of it.
(Also try an Iron Beer with your tacos, it’s a Cuban cream soda and it’s great)
The elote-style wings come with a spicy mayo sauce along with pieces of corn, TajÃn, cotija cheese, fresh-squeezed lime juice and sliced jalapeños.
Elote wings from Only Wings
Check their Instagram for their schedule.
Trust me, you’ve never had wings like this before.
Only Wings, a local chicken wing food truck, has a lot of great flavors on their menu, but their elote wings are a work of art.
Just like the elote you get from a street vendor in Mexico, these wings come with a spicy mayo sauce along with pieces of corn, TajÃn, cotija cheese, fresh-squeezed lime juice, and sliced jalapeños.
The wings themselves are crispy and juicy, but once they’re smothered in lime and spicy mayo, things are taken up a notch. They're spicy, and tangy from the lime and tajin, and they have a crispy outer layer that adds the perfect crunch to the sauce’s explosion of flavors.
Plum pecan crumb coffee cake from Rosebud Bakery
You can’t go wrong ordering any baked good at Rosebud Bakery, but their crumb coffee cakes are in their own league.
Each month, the flavor of their crumb coffee cakes change. In September, they had a plum pecan crumb coffee cake that was magnificent.
Their cake texture is always 100/10: it’s moist, buttery and fluffy. Mix that with the warm cinnamon flavors and crumbly topping, and you have a coffee cake that feels comforting, like a big hug.
The plum filling brought a slightly sweet, slightly tart flavor to the typical cozy coffee flavors, adding a bright burst of pleasantness to the dessert.
I can’t wait to see what flavors that come up in 2026!
A honey bear latte from EspresSoul Café.
Coffee round-up ☕
It’s no secret: I’m addicted to coffee and iced matchas. I always want a fun drink to start my day, so I’ve been to MANY local cafes and coffee trucks this year, trying out all kinds of unique flavors. While they were all great, there are three specific spots I go to on a daily basis.
If I wasn’t at home, there’s a high chance I’m in line at any one of these spots, waiting to get my caffeine fix for the day.
- Chappopin Café: I basically lived at Chappopin Café this year. This coffee truck, located at 640 N. Stone Ave., has the most amazing drinks and the kindest staff! My go-to drink is the Cubean- a latte with an Abueltia chocolate cold foam. (On their winter menu they also have a latte that has both Abuelita chocolate AND horchata. It is life-changing).
- Espressoul Café: I mean is this really a surprise? I’ve been Espressoul’s biggest fan for years now and that will never change. Not only is their new spot, 1525 N. Wilmot Rd., so cozy and peaceful, but every drink they make is absolute perfection. This year, I was obsessed with their honey bear latte; it's truly the best honey and cinnamon latte out there!
- Cariño Coffee: This spot is a triple threat: super cute interior, amazing coffee, and two of the sweetest people in town own it! Cariño Coffee moved to a new spot this year, 901 S. 6th Ave., but their flavors remain delicious! I always go with their chocomil, which is like a Mexican chocolate latte. But lately, I’ve been obsessed with their matcha. I think it’s the best matcha latte in town!
