The Barrio Restaurant in downtown Tucson is a gem for fabulous southwestern food in the historic city center
With friends in town last week for the Tucson Gem Show, it was a perfect excuse to show off Tucson's dining scene. We discovered a real jewel in the Barrio Restaurant, where we polished off a fantastic feast of southwestern-style cuisine.
This restaurant is one of the best spots downtown for both atmosphere and cuisine. It's located on Sixth Avenue on the edge of the Barrio Historico, Tucson's 19th-century historic district of brightly painted, thick-walled adobe homes. Just half a block off Broadway, it's convenient for theatre, art and convention center events. There is off-street parking on the restaurant's north side, and parking meters are free after 5pm.
Set in a spacious brick building, the Barrio Restaurant is lively from lunchtime till late. With cozy booths and long tables that can accommodate large parties, it's a cross between a trendy bar and grill and an intimate bistro. Many regulars never move beyond the comfortable swivel chairs and upbeat mood of the long wooden bar that stretches along one wall. They just order a plate then and there.
Our friend Jolica is a jewelry designer and over a round of killer margaritas we admired her haul of gems and polished stones that she'll turn into Something Charming
Then we shared a plate of antipasto and tucked into Anaheim chilis stuffed with roasted garlic, black beans and goat cheese in a red bell pepper cream sauce.
The Barrio menu features some of the most creative southwestern dishes I've seen in the region. Although many dishes contain an unusual range of chilis and seeds, they're not too hot or spicy. Even the simpler, lighter dishes, such as fish tacos or the jalapeno burger, have a creative flare.
It was a hard choice, but I finally settled on the pork tenderloin cooked in an achiote and pumpkin seed recado and served on a bed of spinach with a chipotle and orange marmalade. It was an amazing blend of flavors, and truly memorable.
My husband couldn't resist the pan-seared venison, rubbed with a dry barbecue and finished with an ancho chili aioli. It was served on a bed of "voodoo" shoestring potatoes.
"There's nothing mystical about it," Chef Stephan Waid assured us. "They're prepared with Cajun blackening spice."
Waid has been with the Barrio for nearly all of its 10-year existence and has created many dishes that have his customers coming back for more. A current favorite is his Fruit Salad, made with strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, Mandarin oranges, pineapple, roasted pistachios and gorgonzola cheese, served with Tahitian vanilla bean coconut milk vinaigrette.
If you have room, the dessert menu is equally tempting. And there's a great wine list, too. Be sure and check out the huge wine rack, made from local sandstone, that doubles as an impressive artwork on the east wall.
The Barrio is located at 135 S. 6th Avenue in downtown Tucson. Tel: (520) 629-0191; www.barriofoodanddrink.com. It's a popular place, so reservations are recommended for dinner. Lunch hours are 11am-5pm Mon-Fri, 12pm-5pm Sat. Dinner hours are 5pm-9pm Sun-Mon, 5pm-10pm Tue-Thur, 5pm-midnight Fri-Sat. Price range: Moderate.
