Yvett R.'s Profile

I attended tonight's Food Truck Round-Up which I'm told was the second of these events. Tonight's round-up was held at Dinnerware Artspace, but I decided to review the event rather than the location in case the round-up is ever held at another location.
So, pretty much every Tucson food truck I've heard of was here . . . Planet of the Crepes, MaFooCo and Jamie's Bitchin Kitchen as well as some other ones I hadn't heard of . . . KBork, Guero Loco's Bubba-Que, Cyclopsicle, Pin-up Pastries, Dragoon and others.
Overall, we ate from Jamie's, Bubba-Que, and Pin-Up. I couldn't eat another bite, but have to say that my curiosity is certainly piqued by MaFooCo (Mexican/Asian tacos you say?!?!). This event is perfect all of us who really just want to try these vendors but can't drive around all over the city trying/hoping to find them. They're all in one location helping each other out. I think they should run with this since pop-up eateries are so in right now!
There was seating inside of the artspace but plenty of people were just standing around eating. I saw one heat lamp outside and people sort of crowding around it. I realize that Tucson has a pretty mild climate, but maybe for about three months (assuming this will be a monthly event), they should consider renting (or asking to borrow) a few heat lamps. I'm sure more people would be out there.
I really do hope that this turns into a recurring event. I love the concept and am sure others will too. For now, you can like the Tucson Food Trucks facebook page for information on locations.
http://www.facebook.co...

One word . . . whoopie pies.
OK, I suppose that's two words, but nevermind the words, just try them! We found Pin-Up Pastries at tonight's food truck round-up. After we were done with dinner, the kiddies were looking around for something sweet. We decided on Pin-Up (honestly, I think the pink truck lured my daughter like a siren). My son chose a vanilla creme filled chocolate whoopie pie while the rest of us chose one with a salted caramel creme filling. Oh my gah, it was delicious! The chocolate cakey part was moist and soft and like a pillow of chocolaty goodness while the salted caramel added the exact right amount of creaminess with a dash of salt. Perfection. While we were waiting for our order, people were stopping by to order by half dozens.
Looking at their website, I guess they also cater events and sell gift boxes. I will definitely keep them in mind! Once again, this is food truck (or mobile pastiserie) so be sure to like them or follow them to see where they'll be next!

We found Jamie's tonight at the food truck round-up. We looked around for a while and the various options and decided that Jamie's just sounded the most appetizing. Wow, I'm glad I tried it! My daughter opted for their Cuban sandwich (which as a rule, of course I had to taste; it was delicious!) and I tried the Sonoran hot dog.
Now, these Sonoran dogs are different than what you may have tried before. The hot dog is all beef and is topped with a jalapeño/bacon aioli, black beans, and cheddar cheese. Yum, yum. My husband also had the Sonoran dog and had a bit more a mess. In other words, you will need napkins.
I want to see them again to try their jerk chicken and maybe a Cuban for myself. Now, I'm not sure if the round-up at Dinnerware Artspace is going to be a a monthly thing, but you can follow Jamie's on twitter  or facebook to see where they'll be located.
@jbitchenkitchen

If you want a nice, organized and predictable shop, this isn't the place for you. If you pretend you're going through a cool attic with a lot of things to choose from and no one really there to help you, you'll be set. Each time I go here, no one really helps and if you have a question, they don't know the answer. I know better to just look around on my own now. That said, you can find some really nice things by exploring.
This place is a must-go if you're stuck on ideas for small gifties or stocking stuffers. You can find all the things you want for a theme basket including the basket. There's a variety of bath supplies to choose from as well as accessories, wines, foods, candies, etc.
This year, I have an "infusions" theme going and I was able to find the bottles for a very reasonable price. Their prices are already low, but if you sign up for their email club, you get even more of a discount. They have a lot of three hour sales in which one category of items will go on sale for 50% off (baskets, wines, candles). It's worth looking in to. This store really is a place to go if you feel like browsing or have time to kill. You'll end up finding something you want.

After hearing nonstop about their table-side salsa, we finally decided to try Guadalajara Grill. We stopped by for lunch on a Saturday and it wasn't very busy at all. FIrst off, I can say that seeing a place decorated up like this makes me very nervous. There are soooooo many knick knacks on the walls and ceiling. My inner Robert Irvine wants to tear down so much of it. The reason I say that it makes me nervous is because I can just imagine how much dust you can collect on that many items . . . think plates and luchador masks and other Mexican kitsch decor. Ugh, I'd take everything down, hang a couple of nice Diego Riveras and some tall vases with calla lilies.
Anyway, I'm sure you don't want to hear about my redesign ideas. The table-side salsa was the highlight. The salsa lady was very pleasant and asked us how we'd wanted our salsa. My husband likes spicy, I like mild, so we compromised on medium. It was perfect and fresh and tasty. We were left to look over the looooong menu (which in my opinion also need some editing) and ended up choosing an enchiladas plate and a chimichanga plate. The food was alright. It was not spectacular but wasn't terrible. It certainly wasn't something that I can't wait to go back for. The portions are huge, so a to-go box was needed. Our waitress was nice and checked up on us a few times. I have to admit, though that I was a bit surprised at the total of the check. It's a bit pricier than I would have expected and that I felt the quality to be. From what I understand, the fresh salsa isn't made at the table during weekday lunch, so beware before you go.
I wish them luck, and I might go again, but as it stands right now, I'm not in a rush to go back.

I've never had a bad experience with Tuller Trophy. Whether I've ordered sports trophies or something school related, they've always had what I needed. I've looked around at different places, but Tuller has always had the best prices for what I'm looking for. The place is small, but has a large assortment of trophies, gifts, medals, plaques and awards. Plus, they have about a million catalogs so you can find exactly what you're looking for.
Don't think you need to visit a trophy store? Think again, it might be a great gift. You don't have to place a bulk order. Looking around, I realized that some things here might be nice gifts for graduations or anniversaries or even just a random trophy for a theme party.
The people here are friendly and super easy to work with. I've called with questions, stopped by to look around, and have had my quotes and ready notices emailed to me. They have always had a quick turn-around and are open on Saturdays which is very convenient.
Each experience I've had here has been hassle-free and easy.

We came for the first time this past Saturday on opening night. Yes, in the five years living in Tucson, this is the first time we went to Winterhaven. Shame on me. It helped that this time I knew the schedule. This was a walking night, the evening was mild, we had no plans . . . everything was perfect!
So, late Saturday evening, we grabbed a few cans of non-perishable food to donate to the community foodbank, drove into midtown and enjoyed the show. Parking is interesting at best, but I suppose that's just the way it will be for a while. There are horse-drawn carriage rides for those that are interested. We opted to walk. Check their website for the "driving days" if you're planning on that instead.
The houses are all done up in Christmas lights, some themed, some not. We saw a Disney princess house, a gingerbread tragedy house, a house with a karaoke machine, and a house with snow and bubbles (among many others, of course). In the middle of the neighborhood, there are stands that sell hot chocolate and I believe it was kettle corn, so bring cash if your kids (or you) want some treatsies.
A news crew showed up while we were there and things got a little crazy for a bit. People were yelling out various football teams that are #1 and/or suck and really trying VERY hard to be on camera. We just happened to be there (no sports yelling or hand gesturing from me or my clan) and my son ended up on the news.
Overall, I plan to go again this year. I'll be taking me parents when they come into town later this month. This really is a must-see ESPECIALLY for kids. You just don't ooh and ahh that much once you reach a certain age.

My furry child has only had one brand of dog food his entire life. Unfortunately, it's not carried in big name stores. We decided to check out this store when it opened, and were pleased to see that the same brand, same size bag is about $3 less expensive. While you don't get a hole punched in a punch card, it still works out.
Each time we've been here, the staff has been really friendly. They've always offered help even if we're only there for a couple of minutes. Leashed pets are welcomed which always makes my furry child feel better.
For a small store, they sure carry a variety of things from treats to manuals. If you, like us, buy a special brand, you should come check it out. Yes, the aisles are sometimes a bit crowded with food bags, but it's nothing major that can't be overlooked.

I'm outdoorsy in that I like to hang out in restaurant patios and this patio is great! I've said before that each Yelp event has a definite "feel". The feel for this one was cozy and laid-back. We were greeted and started playing a game of Yelp-o which I really enjoyed. There was certainly more mingling at the event than at previous ones. After I won (and I suppose some other people did too), we were divided into two groups . . wine and cocktails. I was in the wine group and got schooled by our host Jonathan about Shirah/Shiraz, grapes, regions, flavors and undertones, really all things I don't know about wine but would love to. In the wine section, we sampled blackened chicken which really did change the wine flavor completely.
Then we went to the other side of the room to get a cocktail lesson from Jeff. I had my first taste of gin in a cocktail called the Aviation. Whoo, wee I'd been missing out. We took our seats and had some magic burger disguised as romaine lettuce, a slider and creamy mac & cheese. Good, solid, no-nonsense food.
Something that really stood out to me was just how long all the employees said they've been working there. Jonathan and Colette must be splendid bosses. We were finishing up the event and Jonathan came around and passed out bags of almond roca. Oh my! I actually waited until I got home to try it. I think I may very well be buying some of those as gifties for the holidays. Plus, Jonathan said his roca may be featured in a Hub ice cream flavor. I hope so.
Overall, it was a great evening and I'm glad I made a new find! I have to say that as we were leaving, we chatted with Corey for a while and he had me crying with laughter. As I was driving home, I would sporadically laugh to myself like a dork.

PS: I saw a sign-up for grilling classes on the Jonathan's Cork website. Hmmm . . . .

I wonder if I was at the same event as the rest of the ladies who reviewed? For me, getting to spend an afternoon with lovely ladies (and Corey), get invited to try the new lunch menu items from one of my favorite restaurants, have abundant food and drink, a custom adorable printed menu made specifically for the event and have the restaurant's owner come hang with us and talk about the concept and chat about the restaurant is pretty much as good as it gets. Maybe I'm not as Elite as the rest of you guys, but to me, these kinds of things don't just happen every day.
Brian and Co. graciously invited us to an impromptu "Ladies Who Lunch" event to have us try their new lunch menu which had just been launched that week. We showed up decked out in our best socialite lunch attire (I don't have a good hat, but I wore heels and pearls) and were shown to our table. One thing I adore about Brian and Corey is their attention to detail. I know I've said this before, but you guys don't know how much I appreciate when I see things like tiaras and specialized event menus on the table. It's something I'd do for my own guests at home, so I love when people do the same for me. It's not lost on me guys, you know it.
On to the most important part . . . food and drink. We had appetizer samples: baked goat cheese with olive tapenade, spring rolls, and duck confit tacos with corn salsa. All were pretty tasty. The rolls included avocado which I don't eat, but have made it a rule to try it if it is on a tasting menu. I realize that just because I may not like something, doesn't mean that others won't.
I chose the raspberry gimlet for my drink and loved it! It was the perfect blend of lip smacking tartness and flavor.
We were given three choices for our entree . . . salmon, soup & salad and pulled pork sandwich. I chose the soup & salad. I think I was the only one. The salad was delicious with shaved prosciutto, manchego, figs, and vinaigrette. The soup was a warm, comforting bowl of bean soup with bacon. I had to remember that I was a "lady who lunches" and not kick off my heels, curl my feet up underneath me, lean back and eat the bowl of soup cupping it in my hands from about one inch away from my face.
Brian came over and chatted with us for a while from everything to their whole restaurant concept, changes, decor, menu . . . pretty much everything you'd ever wanted to ask the owner of your favorite restaurant. We've always loved how Brian and crew are just always so approachable and available. As we were listening to Brian, the dessert boards came out. Oh my, I felt like I couldn't have another bite, but you know I made room. We had apple pie, butterscotch pudding and red velvet cake. Yum. Yum. And yum.
It was a lovely afternoon (which I later followed up with dinner at The Abbey celebrating their 1st birthday). I'm very happy that Jax is once again open for lunch, although jealous that I work on the other side of the world. Now to continue spreading the word . . . .