To anchovy or not to anchovy? That is the question, and those of you who know me are well aware of where I stand on this issue.

But where do you stand?

In my Inside Tucson Business column this week, I took on this topic with a Tucson pizza pioneer who has a dedicated following of anchovy activists.

Check out my story here and let me know your thoughts!

When I purchased my first Masterbuilt smoker more than 10 years ago, little did I know that I would one day be appointed as a Masterbuilt national brand ambassador.

My interest in this company and its products came from a place of trust. It was my belief in a promise that convenience and confidence can co-exist on the BBQ smoking scene. I watched far too many people fight with fire and tussle with temperature in pursuit of perfectly smoked brisket, ribs, pork butt, chicken, and other foods. I found myself beginning to buy in to the myth that the fight would be mine to take up if I wanted to succeed. That the struggle would never cease. That surrender would be my only play.

But surrender has no place in BBQ (other than those beautiful moments when the meat ultimately surrenders to the smoke, of course) and I wasn’t about to add my voice to the false narrative that BBQ always comes with frustration, pain, and sacrifice.

That’s what drew me to the peace of mind that Masterbuilt offers. The ability to produce an exceptional BBQ experience, fueled by real wood, that yields real smoke, in a way that gives me full control over time and temp. A modern expression of an age-old practice.  So I bought a Masterbuilt Smokehouse, who I named Sally, and she’s faithfully served my family to this very day.

Convenience and confidence, and Sally, for the win.

Most of my BBQ comrades know that my loyalty to this brand has been unyielding ever since. And today, in celebration of BBQ’s tradition and spirit of bringing people together, I’m excited to share that I’ve just been appointed as one of Masterbuilt’s national brand ambassadors.

It will be my honor to represent a company, a community, and a culture that I’ve supported for more than a decade.

It’s true that I’m a regular fixture at BBQ joints across Southern Arizona and beyond. There are many pit masters whose artistry is worthy of celebration. But when I’m home, and when I want a sensational smoke, I know that I can do it and do it well.

Why? Because I have Masterbuilt on my side.

Thirty-seven years ago this week, I was preparing for my Bastille Day performance at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

This memorable moment in the City of Lights was part of America’s Youth in Concert, an orchestra, band, and choir comprised of high school students from across the United States that toured Europe during the summer of 1982. I was a percussionist. I practiced for months before my audition. And when the notification came that I had made it, I realized that I would soon be performing in Carnegie Hall, in London and other European cities, and, yes, steps away from the altar inside the Notre Dame Cathedral. In Paris. On Bastille Day.

About to board the buses for our Bastille Day concert.

This stop on our 11-city tour was my introduction to French cuisine, culture, and, truth be told, Champagne. That we were all in our teens didn’t seem to stop us as we sipped alongside the local celebrants later that evening at the base of the Eiffel Tower.

As I boarded the bus the next morning en route to concerts in Florence and Rome, my memories of croissants, baguettes, Camembert, and Brie went right along with me.

Thankfully there’s a way to celebrate the traditions of Bastille Day in Tucson, and Coralie Satta, who hails from Marseille, has everything covered at Ghini’s French Caffe.

This Friday and Saturday from 3:00 – 8:00 pm, her Le Jour de la Bastille will feature a special three-course menu with delicious options to choose from. Some of the dishes that caught my eye include the Soupe A L’oignon, Boeuf Bourguignon, and the Bleu Blanc Rouge Shortcake. Ghini’s will also feature $6 French Mimosas all weekend long. You can make reservations by calling 326-9095.

Coralie and me! Yes, I kept my yearbooks.

It seems fitting that my first experience with French culture was during high school. That’s because Coralie Satta and I went to high school together!

While the record isn’t clear, it’s entirely possible that we may have sipped some Champagne together as teens nearly four decades ago. Sorry, mom.

A votre sante!

Brewer Kyle Jefferson has loved coconuts ever since his first Mounds bar as a kid, and now he’s celebrating the nostalgic nature of this tropical tree nut in his taproom on a fairly regular basis.

In my Inside Tucson Business column this week, I crack open this story about what these island flavors bring to one of Tucson’s hottest breweries.

Check out my story here and let me know your thoughts!

Iconic foodie, adventurist, and best-selling author Anthony Bourdain would have celebrated his 63rd birthday tomorrow. Though his passing last year continues to take its toll on many a Tucson tastemaker, my friends at Ten55 Brewing and Sausage House will be marking the day with an ode to this man whom the Chicago Tribune once called “a lovable rogue.”

Inspired by Bourdain’s widely chronicled love of the Provincetown Seafood Cookbook, Chef Zach Ghidotti will be serving a Portuguese kale soup that he created with wisdom drawn from one of the recipes in the book.

The star of the soup will be a hand-made linguica sausage from the gifted hands of Tucson butcher Ben Forbes of Forbes Meat Company. It will be served with fresh bread made by Tucson baker and international carbohydrate celebrity Don Guerra of Barrio Bread, who used some of Ten55’s spent grains in his doughy diapason.

A portion of the soup’s sales will support suicide prevention awareness at the National Alliance on Mental Illness Southern Arizona, and some of Bourdain’s most beloved broadcasts will be screened at Ten55 throughout the day as well.

This Ghidotti-Forbes-Guerra collaboration is the kind of thing that Bourdain would have loved. He often said that “you learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together,” and when tastemakers share their gifts so that we can share a meal, the true spirit of togetherness shines.

Let’s get together for some Portuguese kale soup on June 25 and raise a few pints to this lovable rogue!

The dust has settled after the annual BBQ battle among local food journalists, and this year’s protein, beef brisket, was prepared and plated in distinctly delicious ways by the three competing teams.

In my Inside Tucson Business column this week, I give you a behind the scenes look at their strategies!

Check out my story here and let me know your thoughts!

Just days after releasing its first whiskey, Tucson’s newest distillery is already making news. I guess that’s what happens when you bottle fermented blue corn and chocolate, at 95 proof!

In my Inside Tucson Business column this week, I caught up with the two people behind this spirituous story who call their business Town Under Black.

Check out my story here and let me know your thoughts!

There was great wisdom in the prescription by Greek physician Hippocrates when he said, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” Though he spoke these words thousands of years ago, their relevance remains at the newest restaurant to come from the Flores Concepts family, Charrovida.

I sat down with Ray Flores, the Chief of the Charrosphere himself, at a pre-open dinner last night. And just seconds into his story about this new concept, it was clear to me what he and his team were collectively embracing.

This is a place where love lives.

This love story weaves its way from the spirit of Salamanca, Spain, where family and cultural traditions were forged by Old Spain’s proud charros, to the soul of Sonora, Mexico, where inspiration was drawn from the blessings of the land. Food was life. Food was love. And food was the connection to health.

You might say that Charrovida’s thoughtful menu is a modern-day prelude to this love story. Its Food Por Vida (Food for Life) promise allows us the opportunity to love on ourselves, and our families and friends, just a little bit more. The chapters of this story highlight the benefits of plant-based eating, the ideal and sustainable proteins and their intentional preparations, the natural fats that our hearts crave, the most suitable of sweeteners, and other examples of foods that maximize the body’s inherent potential for self-healing.

The chapters of this love story are conveniently organized by category, including:

Viva Vegetales tapas (try the chile-charred cauliflower al pastor with grilled pineapple)

Comerjuntos for sharing (try the tableside avocado hummus with plantain tostones)

Bowls y Mas (try the frida salad with arugula, watermelon, and quesa frida)

Entrees (try the salmon de la costa with charred Brussels, hummus, pepitas, and chimichurri)  

Dulces y Cafe (try the yes we did with vegan and gluten-free chocolate chip, peanut butter, and sugar cookies with ice cold almond milk)

Joining this loving lineup are a host of side dishes, organic and biodynamic wines, beers, cocktails, and a colorful array of alcohol-free refrescos.

You can take great comfort knowing that a group hug awaits you at the place where love lives.

Located in Casas Adobes Plaza on Ina and Oracle Roads, Charrovida opens its doors to the public today and will serve guests daily from 10:00 am – 9:00 pm.

Viva Vida!

National Bubbly Day is the first Saturday in June!

In my Inside Tucson Business column this week, I sat down with two of Tucson’s sparkling celebrities who had much to say about bubbly and the myth that you need a special celebration to pop the cork.

Check out my story here and let me know your thoughts!

It’s a culinary competition of epic magnitude.

While reigning Iron Chef of Tucson Brian Smith of Maynard’s Market & Kitchen is preparing to defend his title at the 2019 Iron Chef battle on June 29, a slate of challengers hoping to unseat him is taking shape in preparation for the qualifying round that will take place on May 19 at Casino Del Sol.

This Meet the Chefs event is open to the public, and for just $10 you can meet the challengers and taste their dishes, each of which will be blind-judged by a panel of experts who will reveal their top three finalists. These finalists will advance to a public vote over the following few weeks, and the winner will share the Iron Chef Kitchen Stage with Brian Smith in a battle for this year’s belt. Oh, and I’ll be pleased to return as Iron Chef commentator for the big night, providing play-by-play during a pretty intense 60 minutes!

The challengers include:

Chef Adam Puckle of The Cafe in Sonoita
Chef Robert Ramos of R & R Family Kitchen & BBQ
Chef Mary Steiger of Gourmet Girls Gluten Free Bakery/Bistro
Chef Kenneth Foy of Dante’s Fire
Chef Wendy Gauthier of Chef Chic
Chef Javier Martinez of The Glowbal
Chef Kyle Nottingham of Prep and Pastry/Commoner & Co
Chef Alan Lambert of DoubleTree by Hilton Tucson at Reid Park

Attend Meet the Chefs on May 19, support our local culinary community, and get ready to lock in your votes in the countdown to Iron Chef Tucson 2019!