15 cheesy Tucson dishes to break your diet for
- Updated
From colossal drowned tortas to mac and cheese burgers ... The cheese does not stand alone!
Torta ahogada at Tortuga's
- Andi Berlin / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The torta ahogada, or drowned sandwich at Tortuga's Tacos and Tortas, 20 N. Sarnoff Drive, is smothered in a thick layer of melted cheese and chile sauce.
Papancha at Aqui Con El Nene
- Andi Berlin / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
You say potato, I say papancha. And then I take a nap ...
Taco quesadilla at Cocteleria La Palma
- Andi Berlin
- Updated
It's a little looser than a quesadilla but a little cheesier than your typical taco: the taco quesadilla, $5.50, at the Cocteleria La Palma Mariscos y Mas food truck on the northeast corner of South Sixth Avenue and 22nd Street.
Nachos at RoadHouse Cinemas
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The Nacho Libre, $8.95, at RoadHouse Cinemas, with Cheddar-ale cheese is a cut above your regular movie theater nachos, with fresh avocado, sour cream, jalapeño, and add-ons like steak for $2.95.
Grilled cheese from newly-opened Ermanos
- Andi Berlin / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Ermanos Craft Beer and Wine bar, which just opened April 1 at 220 N. Fourth Ave., makes a killer grilled cheese by shaving whispers of Parmigiano-Reggiano over brioche from Small Planet Bakery. Housemade sweet onion jam cuts the richness of the four-cheese mix inside. The sandwich, $8, is served with Chinese five spice ketchup and hand-cut fries that have been brined for 24 hours.
Cheese board at Wilko
- Andi Berlin / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Check out the cheese plate at Wilko, 943 E. University Blvd., for West Coast artisan cheeses and high quality charcuterie.
Buffalo Chicken Mac at The Fix
- ARIZONA DAILY STAR
- Updated
A "minor" size helping of the Buffalo Chicken Mac, $7.49, at The Fix in Main Gate Square, 943 E. University Blvd.
Bagel and lox at The Bagel Joint
- Andi Berlin / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The Bagel Joint does an everything bagel and lox, with tomatoes and veggie cream cheese, for $6.50.
Cheese plate at Noble Hops Gastropub
- Ron Medvescek/Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Noble Hops Gastropub serves high-end cheeses and meats. Aric Mussman, one of the owners, won’t even try to put a label on a cuisine that includes burgers and bangers alongside ahi, escargot, squid and beef carpaccio. “It is high-end bar food. It is the best quality stuff we can find, cooked to order,” he said.
Manchego quesadillas at Calle Tepa
- A.E. Araiza / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The Manchego quesadilla is a favorite menu item at Calle Tepa, with gooey, delicious sheep cheese for $5.99.
Stack of grilled cheese at 47 Scott
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
47 Scott's stack of grilled cheese, $10, was rated 10 out of 10 by Esquire magazine's Food for Men blog in 2013. Here's what they had to say: "47 Scott offers a leaning tower of gooeyness made using a trifecta of cheeses — yellow cheddar, fontina, and house-made mozzarella — pressed together between toasted sourdough bread kissed with garlic oil."
Sausage pizza at Humble Pie
- Andi Berlin / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The Schreiner’s Sicilian Sausage with housemade mozzarella and crispy sprigs of roasted fennel, $14.95 at Humble Pie.
Grilled Cheese at Beyond Bread
- Andi Berlin / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Grilled cheese in all its gooey glory is a fixture on the menu at Tucson's sandwich chain Beyond Bread, where you choose between sharp cheddar, Swiss or provolone for $5.25 with choice of side. The kid's version costs $2.99.
Lindy's on 4th
- Ron Medvescek / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Lindy’s on 4th, which has been featured on the Food Network and Travel Channel, didn’t make it out of Burger Madness’ first round.
Cheesecake at Renee's Organic Oven
- Updated
Goat cheese cheesecake, $7, from Renee's Organic Oven, 7065 E. Tanque Verde Road.
Torta ahogada at Tortuga's
The torta ahogada, or drowned sandwich at Tortuga's Tacos and Tortas, 20 N. Sarnoff Drive, is smothered in a thick layer of melted cheese and chile sauce.
Taco quesadilla at Cocteleria La Palma
It's a little looser than a quesadilla but a little cheesier than your typical taco: the taco quesadilla, $5.50, at the Cocteleria La Palma Mariscos y Mas food truck on the northeast corner of South Sixth Avenue and 22nd Street.
Nachos at RoadHouse Cinemas
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
The Nacho Libre, $8.95, at RoadHouse Cinemas, with Cheddar-ale cheese is a cut above your regular movie theater nachos, with fresh avocado, sour cream, jalapeño, and add-ons like steak for $2.95.
Grilled cheese from newly-opened Ermanos
- Andi Berlin / Arizona Daily Star
Ermanos Craft Beer and Wine bar, which just opened April 1 at 220 N. Fourth Ave., makes a killer grilled cheese by shaving whispers of Parmigiano-Reggiano over brioche from Small Planet Bakery. Housemade sweet onion jam cuts the richness of the four-cheese mix inside. The sandwich, $8, is served with Chinese five spice ketchup and hand-cut fries that have been brined for 24 hours.
Cheese plate at Noble Hops Gastropub
- Ron Medvescek/Arizona Daily Star
Noble Hops Gastropub serves high-end cheeses and meats. Aric Mussman, one of the owners, won’t even try to put a label on a cuisine that includes burgers and bangers alongside ahi, escargot, squid and beef carpaccio. “It is high-end bar food. It is the best quality stuff we can find, cooked to order,” he said.
Stack of grilled cheese at 47 Scott
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
47 Scott's stack of grilled cheese, $10, was rated 10 out of 10 by Esquire magazine's Food for Men blog in 2013. Here's what they had to say: "47 Scott offers a leaning tower of gooeyness made using a trifecta of cheeses — yellow cheddar, fontina, and house-made mozzarella — pressed together between toasted sourdough bread kissed with garlic oil."
Sausage pizza at Humble Pie
The Schreiner’s Sicilian Sausage with housemade mozzarella and crispy sprigs of roasted fennel, $14.95 at Humble Pie.
Grilled Cheese at Beyond Bread
- Andi Berlin / Arizona Daily Star
Grilled cheese in all its gooey glory is a fixture on the menu at Tucson's sandwich chain Beyond Bread, where you choose between sharp cheddar, Swiss or provolone for $5.25 with choice of side. The kid's version costs $2.99.
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