Terra Cotta first launched as Café Terra Cotta at St. Philip's Plaza in 1986 and was an instant hit with Tucson foodies at the time, appearing on the PBS series "Best of the West" shortly after opening.
Launched by Don Luria and his wife, Donna Nordin, the restaurant moved to East Sunrise Drive in 2001, but wasn't able to survive the economic downturn and closed its doors in 2009.
Luria and Nordin opened and closed several other restaurants in Tucson, including Los Mayas and Prima Donna, according to Star archives.
