I like Lococo's Pizzeria, and I've got some pretty good reasons for it:

• They've got great super-thin crust pizza. I mean, it's really thin. Like tortilla thin. But it's crispy and stands up to their hearty sauce. The cheese actually has flavor and texture, unlike many of the chain places. It's cheap, too. A 16" cheese pie is $12.95. If you want a double crust, add a dollar.
• They've got the cheapest beer imaginable. A 48oz pitcher of Bud/Bud Light will set you back $4.00. Bud too swanky for you? A bottle or can of PBR will set you back $1.25. Still too rich for your blood? A can of Old Style can be had for a buck.
• They're just nice folks. It's a family-run place, and they seem to genuinely want their customers to leave happy.

When you add on free delivery (not to my house, but still), live music on Friday & Saturday (9pm until whenever on Friday and 7-9pm Saturday), and a pretty broad menu, I think you've got yourself a winner.

Lococo's is in the Bashas' Plaza at Thornydale & Cortaro. They're open 11am-9pm Sun-Thurs, Friday 11am until they're not open anymore, and Saturday 11am - 10pm. Got questions? Visit lococos.net or give them a call at 520-744-7136.

Kevin
-TFD

I realize that this may be considered cheating by some blogging purists, but I'm sick. Below you'll find the press release that I just received about Arizona Restaurant Week coming up here very soon. It's a great time to get out and try some of the places you might not otherwise. I'm really looking forward to it!

So enjoy the press release, and contact the folks listed if you have any questions!

-Kevin (TFD)

Arizona Restaurant Week to Showcase Tucson Restaurants

Tucson, Ariz. (September 10, 2009) – The many celebrated chefs and restaurateurs in Tucson are anticipating the Old Pueblo’s debut in the second annual Arizona Restaurant Week.

The eight-day culinary event, which runs from September 19 through September 26, 2009, is designed to spotlight the diverse culinary scene throughout the state of Arizona. Each restaurant will offer a three-course dinner menu of signature dishes for $29 per person, excluding beverages, tax and gratuity. In addition, a few restaurants will be offering three courses for two diners for $29. Dining enthusiasts can try a new restaurant they otherwise might not be able to afford or visit their favorites.

Over 30 restaurants are participating in the Tucson market serving a plethora of signature dishes, like Pastiche Modern Eatery’s Baked Mac and Cheese or NoRTH’s Flank Steak with Warm Tuscan Kale dishes, with the aim of attracting both new guests and frequent diners.

However, several restaurants are taking a more adventurous approach to the prix-fixe menu. At the midtown gem, Feast, Chef and Owner Doug Levy will offer his entire menu of international flair during the acclaimed Restaurant Week. Guests can favorably choose any appetizer, entrée and dessert combination to create their own three-course dinner.

Or at Jax Kitchen two diners can each enjoy a three-course dinner for $29. The menu of classic comfort foods features a variety of seasonally-fresh salads and sandwiches with Jax’s signature baked cookies and bourbon-spiked milk for dessert.

Sullivan’s Steakhouse changes up their traditional chop shop menu of family-style side dishes for Arizona Restaurant Week. The modern steakhouse will offer both asparagus and mashed potatoes – normally at an additional cost – with its entrées of either steak, chicken, salmon, or crab-stuffed shrimp, as the second course of the prix-fixe menu.

The entire list of participating restaurants, prix-fixe menus and links to book online reservations can be found at www.ArizonaRestaurantWeek.com. Restaurant Week updates can also be found on Twitter @azrestaurantwk.

Advanced reservations are encouraged during Arizona Restaurant Week, as dining availabilities will fill up quickly through the eight-day event.

For more information contact Sara Anderson, marketing and events manager of the Arizona Restaurant Association, at 602.307.9134.

Arizona Restaurant Week is an exciting event developed to showcase the outstanding culinary scene throughout the state of Arizona. Playing off huge success in 2008, Arizona Restaurant Week will include both the Phoenix Metro and Tucson markets in 2009. The Arizona Restaurant Association, in partnership with Absolut Vodka, US Foods, Crescent Crown Distributing, Coca-Cola, Brown-Forman Wines, The Scottsdale Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, azcentral.com, The Arizona Republic, Phoenix Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, 99.9 KEZ, Phoenix Magazine, OpenTable, Fox Restaurant Concepts, Olson Communications, Many Hats Advertising, Tucson Newspapers, Tucson Lifestyle, KVOA TV, The Mountain, KNST Radio, have come together to create this event, which will showcase Arizona as a premier dining destination for food lovers.

Arizona Restaurant Association is dedicated to educating Arizona’s restaurant industry as the leading resource for information regarding the industry’s latest trends, management techniques and regulations. The Arizona Restaurant Association serves as the legislative liaison for Arizona’s restaurants representing the interests of more than 11,000 food service establishments at the state legislature, county governments and municipalities.

Contact:
Cyndy Neighbors
Many Hats Advertising
520.325.0940
cneighbors@manyhatsads.com

Sara Anderson
Arizona Restaurant Association
602.307.9134
sara@azrestaurant.org

I spent a good portion of my day on the University of Arizona campus yesterday. I was a little hungry and trying to figure out what restaurant to head to for lunch when I decided to just go to the student union to see what's changed since I graduated oh so many years ago.

Turns out a lot's changed. It's a whole new building, in fact. Louie's Lower Level is gone, The Cellar is still there, but the main attraction is now Dance Dance Revolution. The selection in the food court is a little different with the exception that On Deck Deli is still there: Burger King has replaced McD's, and there's now Chik-fil-a, Panda Express, Papa John's, and a place called IQ Fresh that does wraps and smoothies. I didn't make it upstairs to check out the cafeteria, but I hear that it's a bit different as well.

IQ Fresh had the most appeal to me. The concept and restaurant itself are acutally an outgrowth of a student project in the Business College. Kinda cool. They had a wide selection of smoothies with the usual add-ins (protein, vitamins, etc), and with yogurt or sherbet. You do your ordering on a piece of paper and then take that up to the counter. Pick your wrapper (whole wheat, chipotle, spinach, white, etc), and type of wrap. I went with the Thai Chicken Lettuce in whole wheat: grilled chicken, lettuce, carrot, cuke, and bean sprouts with a peanut sauce. I would have ordered extra of the sauce, as it was a little dry inside. Overall, it was very tasty. The standout of the meal, though, were the sweet potato fries. Very crispy outside, light and creamy inside, and not greasy at all. They were really, really good, and worth the trip there.

So where's that nostalgia that I mentioned? It sounds like everything's changed, right? Well, yes and no. It was being around all of the students that really did it. Thankfully, there weren't as many as during the semester, but still enough to cause a buzz everywhere. There was also a mix of college students, admin types, and middle/high school students there for summer programs. It was a lot of fun just being around that energy and excitement, and I was glad I went by there.

If you find yourself near campus around lunchtime, stop in at the student union for a bite. Even if you're not an alum, it's a great atmosphere for a little recharge.