Restaurant news

Seems Tucson is always getting Phoenix restaurants opening outposts here, but it’s not often one of ours goes north.

This summer, folks on the west side of Phoenix will find out the sinful joy of a decadent Sonoran hot dog prepared by one of the masters when El Güero Canelo opens its first Valley of the Sun restaurant. It’s expected to open in early summer near 51st Avenue and West McDowell Road, which is an easy slip off Interstate 10 if you’re heading to Jobing.com Arena or University of Phoenix Stadium.

El Güero has three Tucson locations, including its first, which owner Daniel Contreras opened in 1993 at 5201 N. 12th Ave. on the south side. Others: 2480 N. Oracle Road and 5802 E. 22nd St.

Cheba Hut returns after 4-month absence

Cheba Hut, the unabashedly cheeky marijuana-themed sandwich shop that labels its toasted sandwiches nubs (pot-parlance for bud) and blunts (that’s a marijuana cigar), is back in business in Tucson.

Back in December, in what the owners Steve and Colleen Bigelow called “unforeseen circumstances,” the restaurant at 1820 E. Sixth St. closed. It had been open since 2003 and the Bigelows had owned it for its last six years.

Now the family that originally opened Cheba Hut in Tucson is returning to the same location.

“We’ve gotten a lot of engagement online so we are really excited to see the shop back up and operating,” said DJ Lenz, whose father, Dorian Lenz, opened the Tucson restaurant in 2003.

The family has a lock on the state, operating three restaurants in the Phoenix area and a restaurant in Flagstaff.

“Tucson wasn’t on our agenda but it came up. My father was from Tucson, went to Canyon del Oro High School,” the younger Lenz said. “We opened that store initially ... so we were glad to have the opportunity to put it back.”

Lenz said he hopes to have it open by April 1. Hours will be 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 1 or 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Caffe Torino gets bigger, adds pizza oven

Caffe Torino in Oro Valley is now serving pizza and breakfast after a 1,200-square-foot expansion project that included increasing the bar area and the patio.

The restaurant, open since 2000 at 10325 N. La Cañada Drive, also added a bar that opens to the patio, which now has a large screen TV — just in time for this week’s NCAA tournament. (The Wildcats are on TNT at 11:10 a.m. Thursday.) There’s room for 18 people when you include the spillout from the bar to the patio, according to a press release from owner Daniela Borella.

The restaurant is now open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. A “1-2-3” happy hour ($1 off drinks, $2 off glasses of wine and $3 off appetizers or for Peroni on draft) is from 3 to 6 p.m.

Caffe Torino’s sister restaurant, Caffe Torino in the Foothills at 5605 E. River Road, serves lunch and dinner. Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays, and brunch is offered from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. Details: caffetorinotucson.com

Pizzeria Bianco featured in new book

Craig Whitson and Tore Gjesteland love pizza, so much so that they devoted their whole book to its history and recipes.

The authors take us behind the scenes of some of the country’s finest pie-throwers, including Tucson’s own Chris Bianco and his internationally lauded Pizzeria Bianco.

More than 60 pizzerias are featured in the first half of the pair’s “Passion for Pizza: A Journey Through Thick and Thin to Find the Pizza Elite,” released last week. The second half is devoted to recipes and secrets for creating the perfect pie.

The book is available in hardcover or e-book through Amazon.com or other book outlets.

Chef challenge to
benefit Felicia’s Farm

A Farm to Table Chef Challenge event is slated to take place Sunday at Felicia’s Farm, 3761 E. River Road.

The event, which runs 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. includes the following chefs: Maria Mazon from Boca Tacos & Tequila, Jon Wirtis, from Caridad Community Kitchen and Albert Hall from Acacia Real Food & Cocktails.

Chefs will have 45 minutes to prepare a dish using ingredients grown at the farm like peas, fava beans, beets, carrots, greens and onions, plus one protein item (most likely goat cheese and eggs from the farm along with a secret ingredient to be announced), organizers said.

The winning dish will be judged by Chef Ryan Clark, from Agustin Kitchen along with two “guest” judges selected from people attending the event.

The family-friendly event will include lunch, farm tours showing off the new solar lit “chicken mansion,” workshops on soil testing and basic composting techniques, as well as craft projects for kids.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Izi Azi Foundation, doing business as the Felicia Ann Cutler Farm. Its mission is to feed the hungry, one person at a time, and also to teach people to feed themselves.

The Farm to Table Challenge will be the first such benefit at the farm, which opened in 2010 and provides 350 pounds of produce and 60 dozen eggs to Casa Maria Soup Kitchen each week.

Advance tickets are $20 per person, $30 per couple or $40 for a family of six or less. Add $5 if purchased on day of the event.

Buy tickets at www.facebook.com/feliciasfarm or call 886-6981.