Morsels

Two of the three Las Cazuelitas restaurants will be going by different names, as each will be run by different family members.

All are owned by Hilda Frisby, whose family opened the Las Cazuelitas in the former El Zarape on South Sixth Avenue near East 36th Street in 1998. Her son, Avelardo Frisby; his son, Eric; and his niece, Erica, started running it in 2000 and later added two other locations.

Avelardo Frisby said he will run the restaurant and event center at 1365 W. Grant Road, which will remain Las Cazuelitas.

The location at 234 E. 22nd St. will be La Buena Cocina and Tortilleria and operated by Erica Frisby, he said.

Eric Frisby will run the eatery at 3535 E. Fort Lowell Road, which will be called La Buena Cocina Mexicana.

Inger Sandal

Downtown gains neighborhood bistro

47 Scott celebrated its official grand opening during downtown's first 2nd Saturday, a free monthly event that features music, arts and entertainment.

"It was a great turnout," said Travis Reese, who owns the restaurant at 47 N. Scott Ave. with Nicole Flowers.

Reese described 47 Scott as a neighborhood bistro, serving modern comfort food or new American cuisine. That means diners will find mac and cheese and hamburgers on the menu, as well as seared arctic char. Most entrees average $12.

47 Scott's owners have extensive restaurant experience. Reese says he has worked at restaurants all over the country, and most recently managed B-Line.

Flowers had been the general manager of 58 Degrees and Holding Co.'s restaurant and retail shop.

Thanks to her background, Reese said, 47 Scott's wine list includes "some amazing picks for the price."

The chef, Dave Baker, has worked in a number of kitchens in Tucson, most recently at Maynards Market and Kitchen.

47 Scott actually opened May 5 in the space that formerly housed Motzi Nouvelle Patisserie, a kosher bakery and eatery.

It's open from 11 a.m. to about 10 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and from 4 p.m. to midnight Saturdays.

"We knew we wanted to be downtown," Reese said.

Inger Sandal

Monkey Burger to expand downtown

Monkey Burger is expanding. A second location of the restaurant, at 5350 E. Broadway, will open in summer, said Matt Stricker, Monkey Burger's corporate chef.

Graffiti artist Rocky Martinez, aka Cyfi, is spraying his art on the walls of the former Burger City, 47 N. Sixth Ave., and final remodeling is being completed, including a 25-foot bar.

Monkey Burger co-owner Roy Schaefer had been the managing founder of Burger City.

The restaurant will be open for lunch at 10:30 a.m. Mondays through Wednesdays. It will remain open until 11 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays. Live music is planned for one of the nights, Stricker said.

Like the Broadway location, the menu will feature $6.50 to $9.50 specialty burgers, including Chef Mattie's Monkey ($9.50) with roasted poblano peppers, sautéed mushrooms and onions, lettuce, tomato, bacon, cheddar and Swiss.

Valerie Vinyard

Bobby Flay in Tucson

Food Network golden boy Bobby Flay spent the day in Tucson Monday throwing down at Teresa's Mosaic Cafe.

Food Network officials wouldn't confirm reports that Flay was filming a segment of "Throwdown With Bobby Flay." The show pits Flay against chefs who profess to have a culinary specialty. Flay attempts to beat them at their own game in their own backyard.

We hear that Flay and Teresa's, under executive chef David Matias, carried out the chorizo challenge.

In a phone call, Matias, whose family owns the restaurant, would not comment on his restaurant's involvement in the show except to confirm that the Food Network "came to visit us."

Matias said he was told the Tucson visit will air in two months.

Matias, son of the restaurant's founders, runs the kitchens of the Silverbell Road restaurant and a four-year-old Los Angeles outpost; the family has another restaurant across from the Foothills Mall on the northwest side.

Meanwhile on Sunday night, Flay wandered in alone to the downtown location of El Charro Café.

El Charro President Ray Flores said the TV host and noted chef ordered a quartet of the restaurant's specialties, including the traditional burger patty taco and flat enchiladas.

"Now we'll probably see it end up on one of his menus," Flores joked.

Flay operates restaurants in various cities, including Mesa Grill, which has locations in New York, Las Vegas and the Bahamas.

Cathalena E. Burch