PHXfoodnerds

Bax, I know what you mean- I went to UA in the '90's and the downtown food scene wasn't much. There's a lot of great food and drinks in the area- I really recommend another trip.

This past week we enjoyed re-visiting some of our favorites in Tucson and Green Valley, including some of the following places.

• The original El Guero Canelo is now a substantial building with a roof-top terrace that provides views in 360 degrees. 5201 S 12th Ave, Tucson, AZ 85706

• I also want to mention in passing the Basquería Tapas y Sangria as a place with great dishes and desserts. 350 E Congress St #150, Tucson, AZ 85701

• The Lotus Bistro / Kebabeque in Green Valley serves cheap, hot, good Indian food, including their fries and Masala dip that is a huge hit for all of us.

The main event:

Holy Focaccia is a new one for us, and it is in a craft brewery in the industrial district just north of South Tucson. The long, low building starts in a kind of kitchen / bar / bakery front, and runs back away from the street front, past brewing stations and through various pleasant seating areas to terminate in a beer garden all the way at the back. The many indoor plants, low tables, and games / puzzles make me think that there must be a very nice ambience here, and even when relatively empty, there were still a few groups of folks chatting and eating throughout.

The menu is written on a board and seems to include daily specialties that rotate day to day.

The mortadella panino sandwich contains the ingredients of a typical mortadella sandwich like you might get at Fabio's on Fire, but on a thick focaccia bread that nearly gave me lockjaw to get into my mouth. It was well worth the effort, however.
We also enjoyed a sort of chimichurri egg sandwich with a savory sauce, also on focaccia, called the Egg and Fontina Sandwich. This was a huge favorite of the girls, who barely let me sample it, but might be a daily special.
And finally, we had two items from their pastry selection, including a cookie and a type of orange cardamom ricotta tart cream cheese tort that didn't hurt our feelings to consume, either. The sesame and date cookie was very much the kind of item that we often get at Valentine in Phoenix, for reference.



831 E 17th St
Tucson, AZ 85719
https://holy-focaccia.com/