No Joe, no Mama, but grill is coming
First things first: There is no Joe and there's no Mama at Joe Mama's Grill, the breakfast and lunch counter set to open Friday at North Oracle Road and West Limberlost Drive.
"Joe" in the name refers to coffee, which owners Sean and Krista Kanter will get from a Cave Creek roaster. Sean Kanter said the restaurant is an alternative to sit-down chain breakfast joints and the quick-fix coffee and pastry shops that dot Oracle near the Tucson Mall.
"We wanted to go against that. The only quick service they had was Starbucks, and everyone is sick of muffins," he said, ticking off the menu that includes an omelette with goat cheese and organic baby spinach ($8.49), a Southwest take on eggs benedict ($6.99) and cinnamon apple crepes with walnut butter ($6.49). Lunch includes grilled burgers, grilled tuna sandwiches and fish tacos, priced between $5.99 and $9.49.
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"We consider ourselves a step up from greasy spoon," Kanter said, noting that he and his wife drew their influences from a couple of their favorite places in Southern California.
The couple learned about food-service running a Jersey Mike's Subs franchise in California, which they ran for just over a year before moving to Costa Rica to get into the real-estate game. When the demand for second homes on tropical islands went south, the Kanters returned to Tucson, where Sean spent part of his childhood. He left Sabino High School to live with his father in California.
The couple, who have two young children, settled in Oro Valley and took restaurant jobs while they shopped for a place to open their own restaurant. When the short-lived Mexa closed in December, they snagged the space at 4230 N. Oracle Road, behind the Walgreens at Oracle and Limberlost roads.
The Kanters renovated it and dressed up the dining room with stone veneer, which they used to manufacture in Costa Rica. Folks will order their meals at the counter for eat-in or take-out. Because there's no tableside service, you need not worry about tipping, Kanter said.
Joe Mama will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.
Cathalena E. Burch
Daggwood Cafe has new owners, new look
The Daggwood Cafe at 736 E. Fort Lowell Road has new owners, an updated menu, a Facebook page and a celebration planned on June 5.
Donn Brouhard and Sheila Rasmussen fulfilled a long-held dream when they took the helm May 1.
The pair met in 1991 when both worked at the Apache Lake Resort near Phoenix. Brouhard, 47, who grew up working in his family's restaurant in Indiana, was managing a BJ's Restaurant & Brewery in San Bruno, Calif., before he took the general manager's job at Ruby Tuesday on North Stone Avenue to get back to the desert.
When they saw the Daggwood Cafe up for sale on Craigslist, they jumped at the opportunity to own their own place. "It's what we've been wanting to do for a long time," Brouhard said.
The cafe opened in 1996, and they are the fifth owners.
Brouhard said they've spiffed up the place and made a few adjustments. The cafe, for example, is now the home of what he calls the ultimate sandwich: The Daggwood is a triple decker, piled high with ham, roast beef, smoked turkey, salami, pastrami and pepperoni, layered with cheddar, havarti, muenster and provolone cheeses, then stuffed with sprouts, lettuce, tomato and onion with spicy mustard and mayonnaise (and served with a pickle spear on the side). A whole sandwich is $8.99 and a half is $5.79.
"It's the most popular sandwich right now," he said.
The celebration will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 5 and include live music with Loren Dirks on acoustic guitar. "We're introducing Sheila and I to the community, and we've got a little surprise for everybody who comes in," Brouhard said.
The pair have also started a text club with weekly specials (info on how to sign up is on the counter and the menu). The cafe's website, www.thedaggwoodcafe.com, also has Facebook and Twitter info.
Inger Sandal
