Close

When Michael Elefante was bussing tables at his family’s Italian restaurant at the age of 5, virtually every dish on the menu was ladled with red tomato sauce. These days, as executive chef at the same eatery, he’s pushing culinary boundaries in a way that honors the traditions of old school Italia while exploring the potential that seasonality can...

644

Bellissimo Ristorante Italiano is scheduled to open at Casino Del Sol on Monday, March 2. “We are eager to open Bellissimo and share our love for freshly made pastas, breads, sauces, and desserts with our guests,” said Ryan Clark, executive chef at Casino Del Sol. “We didn’t want to open just any Italian restaurant. We wanted as much as possible to...

704

Just shy of seven years ago, Ari Shapiro opened Falora in midtown Tucson with a minimalist menu showcasing Neapolitan pizza. The restaurant has maintained its New York-neighborhood vibe with hardly any menu changes over the years. However, it quietly announced the addition of house-made pasta and a new partner in the business—baker Travis Evans. Af...

648

Italian soprano Federica Lombardi made her American opera debut last year with New York Metropolitan Opera. This weekend, she makes her American orchestra debut with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. The singer, who has sang in some of Europe’s most prestigious opera houses from La Scala in Milan to Berlin’s Deutsche Oper, will perform the arias from...

829

It’s a tale nearly as old as time: Girl meets boy, falls in love, and so on and so forth until it all ends either tragically or “happily ever after.” But this time around, it’s a story that’s persevered in the hearts and minds of opera lovers across the globe for over 100 years—and is making its way to Tucson. Originally composed by Giacomo Puccini...

735

Contigo Latin Kitchen partners Deborah Tenino and Nicholas Kreutz announced plans to open Locale at 60 N. Alvernon Way. Tenino and Kreutz hope to open the restaurant in Spring 2020. The 8,000-square-foot space previously housed Abuela’s Cocina Mexicana, which opened early 2018 and closed approximately 10 weeks after opening. Before that, the space...

937

This one's for my hoagies. As you may know, I've been eating a lot of sandwiches lately so I can create an ultimate guide to Tucson's best meals between bread. So far I've taken on hot chicken, Vietnamese bánh mì and veggie sandwiches for a cleanse.  I'm back in gear now, and decided to go whole hog with one of the best sandwiches ever created i...

849

In Italian culture, mealtime isn’t just about eating—it’s about the experience. Friends and family gather together, often enjoying food, wine, and one another’s company until late in the evening. This shared sense of community is one of the reasons that owner and chef Fulvia “La Fufi” Steffenone decided to open Caffé Milano back in 2013 in downtown...

579

There is one box longtime Tucson restaurateur Daniel Scordato has not checked in his 47-year career: fast food. That changes early next month when he opens Posto Sano Foods, a fast-food Italian restaurant in the 1,800-square-foot space at 6370 N. Campbell Ave. that was home to Cafe Jasper. “I just thought I want to start over and try something a li...

1110

Main Gate Square gained a new restaurant when Bacio Italiano opened on Friday, September 6 in the former Red’s Smokehouse & Tap Room. Bacio’s interior features a variety of modern art from local artists ranging from mounted paintings to marker-scribble-style doodles made of metal on the wall. The western windows and garage doors let in natural ligh...

508