We Like: The Garden of Gethsemane

Never heard of it? Neither had I, until a couple years ago. Since then, I’ve been trying to puzzle out where this mysterious garden is located.

To find the Garden of Gethsemane, head down Congress, go under the freeway, and turn right immediately onto Bonita. The Garden is located on the riverbank, guarded by some metal gates. This hidden place features the religious sculptures of Felix Lucero, a war vet who lived under the Congress Street Bridge back in the 1930′s and 1940′s. There are sculptures of a crucified Jesus, Jesus’ sepulchre, and the Last Supper. They seem to crumble before your eyes, and Tucson residents have been repairing the unique sculptures for 60+ years. Even if you aren’t religious, its an interesting spot with a very unique atmosphere.

We Like: The Bean Burritos at Maico

Seriously, yum. Maico, located on 22nd Street just west of Park Ave., is a small and unassuming Mexican food restaurant that I’ve always driven by but never stopped at. On Thursday afternoon, I had a huge craving for a bean burrito and decided to give it a try. The man at the order window was incredibly friendly and funny. When he handed me my giant Diet Coke, he exclaimed “Here’s your tequila!” The burrito featured a warm, just-chewy-enough tortilla and delicious homemade beans. It was a simple lunch that was simply delicious. And at $4, it was affordable as well.

We Don’t Like: UA Tuition Surcharges

It’s already tough enough to be a student, and now the Board of Regents has voted to ignore the “free as possible” clause in our state constitution. In-state students will see a $795 increase, and out-of-state students will shell out $965 extra. For an informational article on the topic, check out this Daily Wildcat article: http://media.wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2009/05/01/News/Regents.Approve.Surcharge-3734425.shtml

How much is $795?

Now the burning question is, will students on scholarship see an increase in their awards or will they be forced to absorb the added cost?

We Like: Ike’s Coffee and Tea

Unequivocally the best coffee shop in Tucson in terms of ambiance, quality of food, and spacious work tables. A friendly staff serves up tasty drinks however you like them. Ike’s is also vegetarian and vegan friendly. They offer soy and rice milk, if you ask nicely. The music and wi-fi can occasionally be spotty, but its worth the risk. We like the big table in the center of the cafe, but be prepared to fight for it – its the best seat in the house!

For all of you night owls, Ike’s is also open until 12 Midnight. It is a fabulous place to do homework, study, or browse the internet.
** We hang out at the Speedway location – there is also an Ike’s downtown, but its hours are very limited**

Natural Luxury: Welcome to Alchemista

A new retail store is creating quite a stir these days – Alchemista Aromatherapy makes luxury organic and all-natural personal care products that harness the power of essential oils. Located on 4th Avenue just south of 22nd Street, you’ll have to ring the doorbell to get inside but when you do your senses will be overcome. Everything smells great, and the store itself is cozy and boasts an old-world charm.

Alchemista has a rotating selection of handmade organic olive oil soaps that are a joy to wash with and a pleasure to look at. My favorites are Margarita Lime (with sea salt on top!), Orange Spice (smells like christmas!), Amber (oh so sensual), and Seaweed (moisturizing and detoxifying). There is a complete lineup on the company website.

Alchemista also offers shampoos, conditioners, facial products, sea salts, organic incense, and everything you could ever need to live a naturally healthy and beautiful life. And if you’re an aromatherapy buff, there is a selection of over 150 all-natural essential oils from around the world.

Alchemista is open Monday through Saturday, and you can check out the website here.

We’re still around.

The blog isn’t dead, I promise. Brian and I have both been busy than ever at the U of A and with our combined total of 5 jobs.

We will do our best to update whenever possible.

However – an exciting piece of information – we’ve been working on a big project that will benefit anyone in Tucson with a laptop computer. Brian and I have been working on testing all of the wifi hotspots in Tucson, benchmarking them by ease of connection, speed, and number of peers on the network during a typical day. We’ve even broken it down by Mac and PC.

So keep an eye out for this exciting post! Its been weeks of work in the making.

The perfect compliment to a warm summer day: an ice cold eegee

Ask almost any Tucsonan to name a uniquely Tucson restaurant, and you’re to hear eegee’s as one of the first, if not the first thing on their list. Lemonade, Ices, Sandwiches, and a history as intriguing as the iced beverages of the same namesake are on the menu.

To begin with, eegee’s name is derived from the names of its creators, Edmund Irving and Robert Greenberg. The restaurant chain as we know it today began out of a simple vending truck business serving iced lemon fruit beverages in 1971. As the popularity of these vending trucks and demand for the unique fruit-flavored beverages grew, the eegee’s Tucson tradition took hold. Customers began demanding something to compliment their iced beverages, and the subs and sandwiches we know today were gradually born out of enthusiastic necessity.

Fast forward to today; 21  locations, everything-you-can-put-between-bread, and 3-foot long party subs later, we have eegee’s as we know it today. A 5″, 8″, or 12″ grinder or its cousin the deluxe grinder (which sports black olives and pepperonis) along with a “flavor of the month” eegee’s makes the perfect Tucson summertime lunch.

Each eegee’s location sports some of the same unique elements: long eegee’s lemon-yellow tables, a simple laid-back atmosphere, tons of Tucsonans during lunchtime, an open kitchen, and of course the fruitful slushed drinks that made it all possible.

Xoom, Xoom

In my opinion, there is nothing more refreshing than an icy cold smoothie on a hot Tucson afternoon. The problem? Most smoothies these days are chock full of sugar and sorbet. You might as well chow down on packets of C&H or Sweet’n'Low. I was disenchanted with smoothies until I tried Xoom Juice. This local Tucson chain specializes in healthy, delicious, natural smoothies that highlight fresh fruit and veggies rather than sickly sweet additives.

My favorite smoothie (Xoom offers more than 40, and all are fully customizable) is the Maximus Cactus, a purplish delight comprised of mango juice, peaches, blueberries, and prickly pear. It is the best smoothie I have ever had in my life. No joke. And prickly pear?! What more could a desert dweller ask for?

Xoom has three Tucson locations… At Speedway and Wilmot next to Bookmans, at Speedway and Tucson, and my personal favorite on Campbell near Fort Lowell right next to Chipotle. The shops themselves are quite stylish – the bright colors and use of metal are ultramodern and lend a rock-and-roll atmosphere. There is a wide selection of magazines to entertain visitors in the smoothie queue. Plus free, fast Wi-Fi is a bonus.

Check out Xoom Juice’s informative website here.

Unique Tucson cuisine phenomenons; more the rule than the exception

There’s a lot more to Tucson fare than many give it credit for. Sure, we’re home to the same corporate chain-eateries that dot the US like an unwanted case of freckles, but Tucsonans have created an assortment of distinctive flavors and chains of our own over the years. The city’s location 45 minutes from the Mexican border has imparted obvious latin influences, but there is an even deeper, more traditional part of your average Tucsonan’s diet.

These are the distinct and matchless chains which we are all familiar with: Baggins, eegee‘s, Beyond Bread, Frost (and the entire Fox Restaurant Concepts chain for that matter), Xoom Juice and El Guero Canelo, just to name a few.

Over the next week or so, we’re going to be talking about each one in detail, giving you some examples of why they’re unrivaled and authentic Tucson style, and take you on a journey you can savor. That way, when you’re either sick of the same drab McSubwayStarbucks you’ve been having for the last eternity, or you just want to try something new, you have some idea where you can get real Tucson fare.

The death of the independent coffee shop

Today is a sad day for Tucson coffee lovers. Local hotspot Crave Espresso Bar (located on Broadway just west of Swan) is closing its doors today, with really no hopes of reopening them. Owner Kim cites tough economic fluctuations, high overhead costs, and overdominance by corporate coffee shops (such as Starbucks) as the reasons behind Crave’s demise.

Crave has been, for well over a year, a friendly and colorful escape for Tucson’s caffeine addicts and wifi junkies. Sporting bright, comfy chairs, a heavenly purple couch, yellow and purple decor, and wacky baristas, it was a great place to meet friends for coffee or a game of Pokemon cards.

RIP Crave. I’ll miss you and thanks for the great memories.

Crave’s official site