Thanksgiving dining!
Attention restaurants: We're looking for your Thanksgiving dining deals. Go to dailystarcalendar.com and enter your special under Holiday Dining. The deadline for our roundup is Nov. 11.
Chef planning own restaurant near UA
Ramiro Scavo has left as top chef of the Market Restaurant Group to open his own restaurant near the University of Arizona.
"This is the next step of my journey," said the 30-year-old Scavo, who started busing tables at the age of 15 and worked up - way up - to corporate chef. He's spent the last four years as a partner at Market Restaurant Group, which includes The Grill at the Hacienda Del Sol, two Zona 78s and Harvest. He remains an investor.
Scavo plans to open at 820 E. University Blvd., which previously housed Cafรฉ Paraiso, in early January. Scavo said he loves the location in Main Gate Square and its energy.
The space will seat about 115 after renovations that include an expanded patio and larger bar, along with a wood-burning oven and a taquerรญa-type station.
He's currently calling it The U. Kitchen and Lounge to reflect its location but says people are encouraging him to incorporate his name. Whatever it's called, Scavo said he wants to create a memorable destination where people will feel at home.
"I want this restaurant to feel like it belongs in Tucson," Scavo said.
To that end, look for an innovative menu that showcases locally grown produce and meats.
Scavo was born in Chicago and moved to Cave Creek when he was about 15. He helped open six restaurants with Fox Restaurant Concepts, including Montana Avenue, which brought him to Tucson.
Scavo said he felt he had the best job in Tucson with Market Restaurant Group, writing the menus for four restaurants, but owning his own place had always been his dream.
"This was the time to either do it now or be a corporate guy for the rest of my life."
Tucson Firefighters Chili Cook-off Friday
The 2010 Tucson Firefighters Chili Cook-off is 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday at El Presidio Plaza downtown.
Now in its 15th year, the event promises to be the biggest yet, with 34 booths each cooking up at least 30 gallons of chili - more than 1,000 gallons in all. Firefighters from departments throughout Pima County will serve up varieties ranging from spicy hot to veggie.
The cook-off is organized by the Tucson Firefighters 479.
The chili will cost $1 a cup, and all proceeds will benefit the Tucson Firefighters Adopt-A-Family program, which helps needy families with food, clothing and toys throughout the holidays. Last year's event raised more than $62,000.
There's also a full day's lineup of live music, starting with Pueblo Magnet High School's mariachi band.
Adding to the festivities is the fierce competition the teams bring to decorating their booths. Last year's overall winner, TFD's Station One C shift (organized by Capt. Jeff Huber), was a "Wizard of Oz" celebration complete with an Emerald City and flying monkeys.
"It was quite extraordinary," said Gerry Bowlin, the cook-off chairman.
El Presidio is at 160 W. Alameda St.
Inger Sandal
Contigo expands to Monday evenings
Contigo, 1745 E. River Road, is now open Monday evenings, offering half-priced wines and regional specials.
The restaurant, which opened in April, serves dishes from Latin America, South America and Spain.
It remains closed on Sundays. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 5 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Call 299-1730 for reservations.
Cafe a la Carte is now serving breakfast
Cafe a la Carte started serving breakfast on Monday.
The cafe, which is located at 150 N. Main Ave. across the courtyard from the Tucson Museum of Art, offers breakfast 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday.
Entrees average $6.50, said Judy Michelet, who owns the cafe with her son, Mark Jorbin.
The cafe is serving items such as multigrain pancakes with fruit, yogurt and local honey ($6.50), Scottish oatmeal ($5.50) and exotic coffees. There are build-your-own omelettes and frittatas ($8.25).
And just like at lunch, there are also house-made pastries, muffins and scones using seasonal ingredients.
Michelet said they've hired five employees to handle breakfast.
Cafe a la Carte, which opened 13 years ago this month, seats about 60 on the patio and 60 in the two dining rooms. The kitchen and office space will be getting a bit more spacious when the cafe gets another room from the Tucson Museum of Art. That will bring the square footage of the restaurant close to 2,000 square feet.
Michelet said she plans to start serving dinner and alcohol in about seven months.
Valerie Vinyard
4-diamond hotel, eatery in Marana
The Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain and its signature Core Kitchen & Wine Bar landed AAA's distinguished Four Diamond ranking - the first restaurant and resort in Marana to snag the rating.
AAA released its rankings Friday and included Core on a short list of six Tucson-area restaurants with four diamonds. The ranking means that service and food are world-class and the automobile club would recommend the restaurants as destinations for travelers.
AAA awards five diamonds to superior restaurants. There is only one five diamond in Arizona - Kai in Chandler - since Tucson's venerable Ventana Room closed in late 2009.
Core opened in late 2009 under the stewardship of Chef de Cuisine Joel Harrington. The seasonal menu of classic American cuisine (wild game, chops and seafood) changes monthly.
Harrington recently left the restaurant. Clayton Van Hooijdonk, executive chef of the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain, is overseeing Core until Harrington is replaced.
Core serves dinner from 6 to 9 p.m. daily. For reservations, call 572-3000.
Pan Asian fare coming to Coronado Market
A Pan-Asian restaurant called Yin Yang Express is opening next week in the Coronado Market at the southeast corner of North Stone Avenue and Fort Lowell Road.
In addition, Jerry Good, whose parents opened the market in 1946, has returned with an expanded selection of custom meats and house-made sausages.
Yin Yang Express is a gourmet Pan-Asian concept with dishes that span Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai cuisine. It's the creation of David Le, whose parents have owned the market since 1997.
Le plans to officially open on Wednesday, promising healthy ingredients.
Tinh and Maria Le bought the neighborhood market just a couple months before a devastating fire. The couple celebrated a grand reopening in 2003 by adding a fast-food deli and restaurant that dishes up American, Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine.
Jerry Good, the previous owners' son, worked as the butcher in the new market until semi-retiring a couple of years ago. He planned to return this week, David Le said.
Le said he stepped forward with Yin Yang Express because his parents needed help. He continues to manage Dragon's Palace at 8576 E. Broadway.
Yin Yang Express, at 3154 N. Stone Ave., is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Inger Sandal
