Closed On Tuesdays 2003 BILLS OF $35 OR MORE Dine-In or Take Out $5 OFF Not Including Combinations Dinner Only Expires 6/30/21 Allison Young 2050 N. Alma School Rd., #36 • 480.857.4188 Second from p 30 Chocolate at Monsoon Chocolate 234 East 22nd Street, Tucson Not your average sweets shop, Monsoon Chocolate is a bean-to-bar operation in the historic Santa Rita Park neighborhood that serves up handcrafted confections using sustainably sourced cacao like you’ve never seen or tasted. The bonbons are sculptural, hypnotic gems infused with Southwestern flavors like chiltepín pepper, prickly pear caramel, and Sonoran sea salt that look almost too good to eat. But, man, when you do, they coat your mouth in a robust, velvety texture that makes regular, waxy chocolate seem flat. They also serve signature hot chocolates made with 62 percent “La Buena Blend” dark chocolate; fudgy brownies spiked with miso and with toasted sesames; cold-brewed horchata with roasted cocoa nibs; and a house-made ChocoTaco with sweet corn frozen custard dipped in chocolate. The modern-day, Willy Wonka-esque setting adds to this delightful experience. 32 Salsa at BOCA Tacos y Tequila 533 North Fourth Avenue, Tucson Make sure to order a taco to go with your salsa at BOCA Tacos y Tequila, where the declaration, “Our salsas are hotter than your wife,” says it all. Way beyond a side piece, executive chef and owner Maria Mazon, who’s also a 2020 James Beard Award semifinalist and Top Chef Portland contestant, takes salsa seriously. And she doesn’t think of it in terms of mere red and green, not when inspired ingredients can be turned into a carnal condiment. Think banana and habanero, pickled jalapeno and honey, chai tea and soy sauce, peanut butter and guajillo, watermelon wasabi, an ever-changing repertoire with no fewer than five flavors made fresh each day. Start with the chips and salsa flight and move to tacos, where you can choose from 19 creations ranging from Taco Dog inspired by the Sonoran hot dog and chipotle BBQ made with boneless pork ribs. The market special at Anello’s never disappoints. Pizza at Anello 222 East Sixth Street, Tucson Anello has strong Phoenix ties. Chef-owner Scott Girod, who’s from Gilbert, worked under Chris Bianco at Pizzeria Bianco, and also spent time in Italy as a pizzaiolo before opening Anello in Tucson’s Warehouse Arts District in 2017. But his pizza is all Tucson, built on naturally leavened dough that’s fermented over 30 hours, and wood- fired with Arizona’s native mesquite wood to a charred, bubbly finish. There are only four regular pizzas on the menu, including: the Bianco with fresh mozzarella, ricotta, garlic, basil, and local chiltepin peppers; and the Verde with smoked mozzarella, salsa verde, and pistachios. There’s also a standout market special made with seasonal ingredients (think local kumquats, smoked ricotta, rosemary, and chili oil). The minimalist space — mostly blonde wood with a bubble gum pink wall — matches the pared-down menu. Bread at Barrio Bread 18 South Eastbourne Avenue, Tucson Between Marco Bianco’s baguettes at Pane Bianco and Jason Raducha’s naturally leavened loaves at Noble Bread, Phoenix knows good bread. Yet we don’t see the lineups that exist at Barrio Bread, where diehards queue up in front of the small Broadway Village storefront before it even opens. Barrio is Spanish for neighborhood, and owner-baker Don Guerra’s bread is imbued with a lot of local love. Look for a blend of locally grown heritage flours/ grains unique to the Southwest, including white Sonoran wheat (one of the oldest surviving varietals in North America), and the cactus stenciled on the signature Heritage loaves. Get the Locavore show- casing three organic local flours, the Cinnamon Raisin loaded with Thompson and golden raisins, the Jalapeno-Cheddar with sharp cheddar and spicy jalapenos, or the Pan de Kino with its white Sonoran wheat. Just hope they don’t sell out. MARCH 10TH– MARCH 16TH, 2022 PHOENIX NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | NEWS | OPINION | FEEDBACK | CONTENTS | phoenixnewtimes.com FULL BAR!
