Le Delice has new name, new home, same menu
Six months after it closed, Tucson's Le Delice French restaurant and deli is being resurrected with a new name and a new home.
Cafe Français & Patisserie is expected to open the weekend of Nov. 10 in Plaza Palomino, 2970 N. Swan Road, said owner Nicole Cochard. She and her husband, Maurice, are partnering with pastry chef Michael Cohen on the new venture.
Nicole Cochard said the new restaurant will pick up Le Delice's menu and will expand the pastry offerings. Like the original Le Delice, which closed at its East Tanque Verde Road location last May, Cafe Français will have a French deli offering meats and cheeses, as well as takeout pastries.
The Cochards opened Le Delice in 2001 and ran it for five years before selling in 2006. They reacquired the eatery in 2008 and ran it for a year before selling it a second time in October 2009. A year later, the couple was once again at the helm, returning from France to reclaim the restaurant after the owners abandoned it.
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But Nicole Cochard said that business had fallen significantly. They decided last May that they couldn't make a go of it at the location across from Udall Park, so they closed. She said the new spot gets more traffic and will breathe new life into the eatery.
Cohen, who has been in the restaurant business 30 years, said the pastry menu will be beefed up to include classic French pastries and some innovative desserts.
Located in the most recent home of Maribelle Cakery, the restaurant also will offer weekly baking and cooking classes.
When it opens, hours will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, with later dinner service on Fridays and Saturdays; 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays.
restaurants, send us your Thanksgiving plan
Attention restaurant owners and managers: We know you're cooking so we don't have to.
Help us share your Thanksgiving dining options in our annual roundup. Submit your information at dailystarcalendar.com and enter your information under "holiday dining."
The deadline to be included in the roundup is Nov. 5, and it is scheduled to run in Caliente on Nov. 15.
enjoy pork dishes at mercado party
Local food trucks and Mercado San Agustin restaurants are pigging out - in the best sense of the term - Friday to celebrate National Pork Month.
Vote for your favorite pork dishes by Planet of the Crepes, Agustin Brasserie, Jones Street Bistro, Mexico City Kitchen, Taqueria El Pueblito, MaFooCoo and David Solorzano, formerly of the Animal Farm food truck.
First, pick your pork: Each tasting plate is $3 - a pork pass for samples from all competitors is $21. After you've sampled, vote for your favorite dish by secret ballot. The competition's winner will receive an artisan-made cleaver.
Rockabilly band El Camino Royales will perform.
The pork party begins at 6 p.m. Friday at Mercado San Agustin, 100 S. Avenida del Convento, west of Interstate 10. Call 461-1110 for more information.
Margarita competition to mix it up Friday
Go find your lost shaker of salt - The World Margarita Championship is happening Friday at the Tucson Museum of Art.
From 6 to 9 p.m., 16 mixologists - 15 from Tucson Originals restaurants and one from Mexico - will be mixing up the tequila-based beverage. Several local restaurants will be providing dishes throughout the night, too.
Admission is $45 per person in advance or $60 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at www.tucsonculinaryfestival.com before Friday.
tavolino hosting wine presentation
Italian winemakers Lorenzo Mattoni and Marco Scapagnini will discuss wines from the Marche region, 5-7 p.m. Friday, at Tavolino Ristorante Italiano, 2890 E. Skyline Drive.
Appetizers will accompany the wine. Cost is $15 and wines will be available for purchase at a discount. Call 531-1913 for information and reservations.
Devil's Night Dinner at Maynards Kitchen
In the season of mystery and magic, Maynards Kitchen, 400 N. Toole Ave., has conjured up a Devil's Night dinner Tuesday with The Brothers Macabre.
Magicians Kenny Stewart and Nate Anderson will perform in the Maynards Drawing Room, which is rumored to harbor a host of ghosts. Chef Addam Buzzalini will present a four-course meal.
The performance and dinner begin at 7 p.m. Cost is $100 for dinner with wine pairings and the show. It's limited to 30 people. Make reservations online at maynardsmarket.com or call 545-0577.
'Night of magic' at Hotel Congress
Hotel Congress transforms into a Magic Castle on Halloween night as magicians and illusions share the space with the hotel's resident ghosts during the family friendly "Illusions: A Night of Magic."
Among the attractions:
• Mentalist/illusionist Michael Howell will be on the Club Congress stage. As the finale, he will conduct a séance in Copper Hall, attempting to channel hotel ghosts and employees of the past.
• Magicians Apolino and Bibi, and Nate Anderson perform in the Copper Hall.
• A Ouija table in the lobby, and Wizard Kenny Stewart in the VIP Parlor.
• Cup Café will also present a menu of Illusion: Is it meatloaf or frosted cake? Pizza or a fruit tart?
The event runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday. Admission is $10 in advance, $12 at the door. VIP tickets are $20 and include champagne in the second floor parlor. Get tickets at www.hotelcongress.com
Hotel Congress is at 311 E. Congress St. 622-8848.
fundraiser set for Mother's Oasis
"Out of the Blue," a fundraiser that celebrates the first year of Mother's Oasis, Center for Emotional Wellness, is set for 5:30-7:30 p.m. next Thursday at the Sheraton Tucson Hotel and Suites, 5151 E. Grant Road.
Greg Curtis of 94.9 MIX-FM will be master of ceremonies. The night includes a demonstration of healing through dance, the Jim Howell Band and build-your-own nachos and chimis. Cost is $35 ($20 is tax-deductible). Go to mothersoasis.org information or call 296-8126.
dinner will benefit angel gift program
The McCulloch-Wagner American Legion Post 109 family is serving a baked chicken dinner Nov. 2 to benefit local schools' Christmas Angel programs that provide gifts for low-income students.
The full-course meal - complete with peach cobbler for dessert - is $8. The post is at 15921 S. Houghton Road, Corona. 762-5652.
Ra Sushi holding its Boo Bash party
A costume contest, food and drink specials, and a DJ spinning a haunting mix are in the caldron for the Boo Bash that Ra Sushi Bar Restaurant is stirring up Wednesday beginning at 7 p.m.
Its Boo Bites menu include Voodoo Crispy Chicken ($6), Vampire Shrimp ($8) and the Spider Roll ($10). Ra, at La Encantada, 2905 E. Skyline Drive, also will be mixing and pouring Potent Potions ($8 each).
Details: Call 615-3970.
Seen in passing …
Sign on the front door of Panda Buffet at 2419 E. Broadway: "Due to economy we have to close our doors for good. Thank you for two years of business!"
Compiled by Ann Brown, Cathalena E. Burch and Kristen Cook
