When Tucson "eats itself" this year, it's going straight for the hot dog pasta and and futuristic gelato dessert. You might think it's fusion, but most of the items on this list are actually common foods in their respective countries. They just seem obscure because we haven't tried them in a restaurant.
So without further ado, here are five new dishes to seek out this weekend at our favorite fall festival Tucson Meet Yourself. For a printable map, go here.
Spaghetti gelato
Frost Gelato Shoppe, J9 in Jacome Plaza
Spaghetti gelato looks like something you'd eat in space, but it's actually made fresh to order.
If you've ever eaten gelato and thought, "Man I wish I could slurp this up like a noodle and then have some meatballs made out of chocolate," this dish needs to be on your radar. Frost will have a special press onhand that squeezes their gelato into bouncy Bucatini tubes. The "meatballs," or frostbites as they call them, are simply chocolate gelato balls that have been dipped in dark chocolate. Then the whole thing gets strawberry syrup on top. Mamma Mia! ($7)
Filipino spaghetti
Filipino American Students, J20A in Jacome Plaza
Filipinos like their spaghetti sweet, with possibility of hot dogs.
Continuing with the spaghetti theme, this is a beloved culinary mashup in the Philippines: sweet spaghetti, "traditionally" made with hot dogs and a special Filipino ketchup made from bananas. Since the banana product is hard to find stateside, this Filipino student club is using sugar as a substitute. Their recipe is actually taken from the spaghetti at the well-known Jollibee restaurant chain (creator of the "chickenjoy"). May have cheddar cheese on top. ($5)
Peruvian salchipapas
Don Pedro's Peruvian Bistro, J28-29 in Jacome Plaza
Salchipapas are a Peruvian street food with French fries and hot dogs.
French fries are actually huge in Peru, home of the potato. This takes it up a notch: Hot dogs (salchicha) + French fries (papas) + a bunch of condiments like mayo, mustard, ketchup and Peruvian aji verde chile sauce = salchipapas. It's usually sold on the street, and very popular with under 10-years-old crowd. ($5)
Purple Cow ice cream float
Mama Joy’s Catfish & More, J10A-B in Jacome Plaza
I took this photo myself because I was excited to try it out.
Rhonda Grigsby is from Amarillo, Texas, where this unique float is a popular treat. It's pretty simple: two scoops of vanilla ice cream and grape juice, which adds a sweet tang to the rich cream flavor. Some people make it with grape soda for a spritz, but Rhonda is sticking to juice. Because that's how she likes it. ($3)
Spanish gazpacho
Club España de Tucson, E35-36 in El Presidio Park
It's a stock image, but you get the idea ... Gazpacho is yummy!
Come for the paella, stay for the ... gazpacho: the famous chilled soup from southern Spain that features fresh tomatoes, cucumber and herbs blended up into a creamy slurry. Madrid-native Paquita Fernandez developed this recipe, with nine ingredients including onions, peppers, garlic and croutons to thicken it up. ($3)
