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 to share the stories of the passionate restaurant owners in town, 2025 was a great year for a food writer in Tucson.
Here's a list of my favorite foods I ate this year:
Chocolate croissant from Hidden Hearth
67 S. Avenida del Convento
I knew this croissant was going to be life-changing the minute I walked into Hidden Hearth’s micro-bakery. The heavenly smell of warm, buttery croissants filled the kitchen, and all I could think about during my interview with owner 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. I still think about it to this day.
Hidden Hearth, 267 S. Avenida Del Convento, whose chocolate croissant we can't stop thinking about.
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 very favorite.
When I moved up to Tucson, I tried to find a place that came close to my beloved Finitos. Though there are 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.
Tres leche nieve from Nieve de Garrafa Rufino's.
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 with its tres leches nieve. Complete with a a Marias cookie on top, it is vanilla and cinnamon heaven, bursting with the creamy flavor that makes tres leches cake so tasty. The texture was fluffy and light, like I was eating spoonfuls of icy clouds.
The Rachel from Kneller’s Delicatessen
2545 E. Speedway
When it comes to sandwiches, I can be a bit picky. I’m not a huge fan of plain mayo, so my sandwiches tend to be a little dry and boring.
Kneller’s Delicatessen, 2545 E. Speedway #115.
That was, until I had The Rachel at Kneller’s Deli for lunch (of course, with two knishes, as well). This sandwich is made with their house rye, roasted turkey, coleslaw, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing.
The bread was soft and fluffy. The turkey paired perfectly with the tanginess of the Russian dressing. Then there's the nice, fresh crisp of the coleslaw. It was a flavor bomb.
Roasted cauliflower, red lentils and doro wat from Zemam’s
2731 E. Broadway
It’s pretty embarrassing it took me this long to head over to Zemam’s. Throughout my meal, I kept thinking to myself: Where has this been all my life?
The doro wat chicken dish is served with freshly-made injera at Zemam's.
I ordered its 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 them. The cauliflower was roasted to perfection and served as a great way to help cool down my taste buds 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.
Cuban tacos from The Cuban Corner
919 N. Stone Ave.
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. They're made with a blue corn tortilla, marinated pork, sweet potato fries and pickled onions.
The pork is marinated in bright, citrus flavors. 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.
The Cuban Corner.
It’s a must that you add its 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.)
Elote wings from Only Wings
Check Instagram for their schedule.
Only Wings, a local chicken wing food truck, has a lot of great flavors, but its 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, Tajín, cotija cheese, fresh-squeezed lime juice and sliced jalapeños.
The elote-style wings at Only Wings.
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 Tajín, 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
844 S. Sixth Ave.
You can’t go wrong ordering any baked good at Rosebud Bakery, but their crumb coffee cakes are in their own league. The featured flavor of these cakes changes each month. In September, it had a plum pecan crumb coffee cake that was magnificent.
Elena Gonzalez, a baker at Rosebud, where the plum pecan crumb coffee cake was a 2025 highlight.
The texture is moist, buttery and fluffy. Combine 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, adding a bright burst to the dessert.
I can’t wait to see what flavors that come up in 2026.
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 went to many local cafes and coffee trucks in 2025, trying out all kinds of unique flavors. While they were all great, there are three specific spots I return to.
Chappopin Café: I basically lived at Chappopin Café, a coffee truck at 640 N. Stone Ave. with amazing drinks and the kindest staff. My go-to drink is the Cubean, a latte with an Abuelita chocolate cold foam. On its winter menu, it also has a latte that has both Abuelita chocolate and horchata.
Espressoul Café: I’ve been Espressoul’s biggest fan for years now. Their new spot, 1525 N. Wilmot Road, is cozy and peaceful. In 2025, I was obsessed with their honey bear latte.
Cariño Coffee: This spot is a triple threat: super cute interior, great coffee, and two of the sweetest people in town own it. Cariño Coffee moved to a new spot, 901 S. Sixth Ave. I always go with its chocomil, which is like a Mexican chocolate latte. But lately, it's been all about the matcha latte for me.
