Breakfast, coffeehouses
Cafe Jasper — 6370 N. Campbell Ave., Suite 160. It serves only breakfast and lunch, but those meals are so filling that you'll skip dinner anyway. Tucson casual. Open: 6:30 a.m. daily. 577-0326. $$ FH
Jethro's Little Café — 917 W. Prince Road. If ever a restaurant looked and felt like its name, it's Jethro's Little Café. Tucson casual. 888-1091. $ NW
The Cereal Boxx, a Cereal Cafe — 943 E. University Blvd. This isn't what Mom had in mind when she said breakfast was the most important meal of the day. But this University of Arizona-area restaurant is a kick. Free Wi-Fi. Open: 7 a.m. Mondays-Saturdays; 9 a.m. Sundays. Tucson casual. 622-2699 ¢ C
The French Twist Cafe — 10110 N. Oracle Road, Oro Valley. For the most part, French Twist is a breakfast and lunch spot; it serves dinner on Friday and Saturday nights only. On a recent Friday soon after the cafe added dinner service, the intimate space in the unremarkable strip mall was jumping. Casual. 797-1127. $ NW
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Sunny Daze Cafe — 4980 S. Campbell Ave. The breakfast and lunch cafe doesn't stray far from the norm when it comes to its breakfast selections of hot cakes, country ham and eggs, French toast and various omelets. The restaurant gets a little more adventurous at lunch. Open: 5:30 a.m. weekdays; 6 a.m. weekends. Tucson casual. 295-0300. $$ S
Le Buzz — 9121 E. Tanque Verde Road, at Catalina Highway. A coffeehouse that's quite popular with the cycling set. At night it morphs into a bistro with a smallish but thoughtful menu. Only five entrees grace it, but there are an equal number of creative salads that would make for a lovely light summer dinner. For dessert, it has plenty to satisfy a sweet tooth. Open: 6 a.m. Tucson casual. 749-3903. $$-$$$ E
Special settings
Cuvée World Bistro — 3352 E. Speedway. An eclectic menu with a hip ambience and some of the tastiest food around. Tucson casual to high casual. 881-7577. $$-$$$ C
The Dish — 3200 E. Speedway. This small, intimate restaurant is a date-night kind of place, so the kids might want to stay home. Dressy. 326-1714. $$$-$$$$ C
Red Sky Café — 2910 N. Swan Road, Suite 100. Steve Schultz dishes up oversize servings that expertly combine French, California and Southwestern cuisines. High casual. Reservations recommended. 326-5454. $$-$$$ C
Pastiche Modern Eatery — 3025 N. Campbell Ave. Chic bistro serves a range of good stuff, from elegant dishes to comfort food. Tucson casual. 325-3333. $$-$$$$ C
58 Degrees and Holding Co. — 4280 N. Campbell Ave. This restaurant and wine bar in St. Philip's Plaza recently opened for lunch, serving a menu of salads, paninis and large plates. 299-5804. $$ FH
The Bistro at Las Candelas — 427 E. Limberlost Drive. The restaurant is wildly eclectic. Italian-influenced dishes. A touch of French, Indian and Mediterranean. But the menu is small and well-chosen — it isn't trying to be all things to all people. Tucson casual. 696-9100. $ NW
Rockin' Baja Lobster — 7131 E. Broadway. They serve almost everything in buckets and give you a bowl to toss the carcasses of tender lobster tails, sweet snow crab legs and fat, tender shrimp. Tucson casual. 721-2252. $$-$$$ E
Luxor Café — 3699 N. Campbell Ave. A Mediterranean-style restaurant. Try the appetizer sampler. But there is so much more to try — cucumber salad, vegetable sambosa, Za'atar Mana'ish (personal pita pizza) and shawerma beef wrap. Tucson casual. 325-3771. $$ C
American and grills
Café Ramey — 1661 N. Swan Road. The servings are hefty here, and the ingredients are bursting with freshness. If the lamb shank is offered as a special, order it. Tucson casual. 319-2600. $$-$$$ C
Claim Jumper — 3761 E. Broadway. Huge portions of American-style favorites. And don't forget the amazing desserts. Tucson casual. 795-2900. $$ C
Dakota Café — 6541 E. Tanque Verde Road, in Trail Dust Town. The fish is swimmingly fresh and perfectly prepared, but it's the sour-cream chocolate cake that has captured our hearts. High casual. 298-7188. $$-$$$ FH
Tucson Racquet & Fitness Club — 4001 N. Country Club Road. Eat in or take out — even if you're not a member. There are salads, build-your-own-entree plates and healthful side orders. Tucson casual. 795-6960. $ C
Risky Business — 10515 N. Oracle Road, 531-0202; 6866 E. Sunrise Drive, 577-0021; 250 S. Craycroft Road, 584-1610. Family-friendly restaurants with burgers, salads and sandwiches. Tucson casual. $ NW, FH, C
Ziggi's — 3225 N. Swan Road, 322-7042; 2500 N. Silverbell Road, 624-0020. A fast, casual restaurant with homemade food and daily specials. A glance at the menu will make you wonder how this place will be able to sustain such an extensive selection. Tucson casual. $$ C, C
Border crossings
Chago's Mexican Food — 9190 N. Coachline Blvd., off Silverbell Road. Sonoran-style Mexican food. The restaurant also serves breakfast burritos and a few vegetarian options. Tucson casual. 572-8031. $-$$ NW
El Charro Café — 311 N. Court Ave., 622-1922; 6310 E. Broadway, at El Mercado, 745-1922; 100 W. Orange Grove Road, 615-1922; 4699 E. Speedway, 325-1922. Carne seca is the thing here at Tucson's oldest family-owned Mexican restaurant. Tucson casual. $$ D, C, NW
Teresa's Mosaic Café — 2455 N. Silverbell Road. Specializes in Oaxacan dishes such as lomo adobado (a succulent, spicy, marinated pork loin) and pollo en molé, along with the standard Mexican fare. Tucson casual. 624-4512. $-$$ SW
Zivaz Mexican Bistro — 4590 E. Broadway. The bistro puts a twist on the usual staples, such as enchiladas with pumpkin-seed sauce. Fresh seafood, too. Tucson casual. 325-1234. $-$$ C
The Original Hideout — 3000 S. Mission Road. Sunday brunch includes Mexican dishes, omelets and menudo. Except for drinks, brunch is serve-yourself, all-you-can-eat. Tucson casual. 791-0515. $ SW
Blanco Tacos + Tequila — 2905 E. Skyline Drive, in La Encantada. The menu, which covers everything from guacamole to cheese crisps to tacos and enchiladas, is basically Mexican, but — there's always a "but" with a Fox restaurant — with a contemporary twist. The dessert menu is short and sweet. Tucson casual. 232-1007. $ FH
Casa Don Carlos — 1103 W. Prince Road. The heat in many Mexican restaurants comes from the chiles. Here it comes from the flaming desserts — as in cherries jubilee and bananas flambé. Tucson casual. 207-0008. $ NW
International
Lani's Luau — 2532 S. Harrison Road. The next time the trade winds blow you through the Southeast Side, relive the tastes and flavors of that Hawaiian vacation you took with a trip to Lani's. Tucson casual. 886-5828. $ SE
Rio Cafe — 2526 E. Grant Road. Flavorful, but its food is more fusion than Brazilian. The name conjured up dreams of those smoky skewers of beef, churrasco or a crispy risole stuffed with sweet corn. Tucson casual. 323-5003. $$ C
Zemam's — 2731 E. Broadway. Exotic spot serves Ethiopian cuisine to eat the Ethiopian way (no forks, folks). No alcohol; BYOB. Tucson casual. 323-9928. $$ C
Vegetarian-friendly
Feast Tasteful Takeout — 4122 E. Speedway. Feast has an ever-changing menu, but there always seems to be something for the veggie lover. Check online to see the latest: www.eatatfeast.com. Tucson casual. 326-9363. $- $$ C
Gandhi Cuisine of India — 150 W. Fort Lowell Road. Check out the navarattan, a mixture of vegetables and paneer in a sublime curry sauce. Heck, try most any vegetarian meal and be happy. Tucson casual. 292-1738. $$ C
The Garland Bistro — 119 E. Speedway. This has long been a veggie hangout — we mean the food, not the people. From vegetarian curry to a wide variety of salads. Vegan options are available. Tucson casual. 882-3999. $-$$ C
Gentle Ben's Brewing Co. — 865 E. University Blvd. A variety of options. The Peggy-O is pretty amazing vegetarian fare — a grilled veggie burger topped with guacamole, Jack cheese and creamy horseradish. Tucson casual. 624-4177. $-$$ C
Sandwiches
Austin's — 6129 E. Broadway. To-scream-for ice cream, with extra-thick shakes. Tucson casual. 514-5132. $ E
Beyond Bread — 3026 N. Campbell Ave., 322-9965; 6260 E. Speedway, 747-7477. Combination sandwiches are generous; fresh-baked breads are stellar — with different daily choices. Tucson casual. $ C
Ted's Country Store — 2760 N. Tucson Blvd. A casual place for good deli sandwiches in this specialty market with a small-town flavor. Tucson casual. 325-3122. $ C
Bison Witches Bar & Deli — 326 N. Fourth Ave. Sandwiches are big, and bread bowls of soup terrific. Take-out might be easier because of the lack of dining space. Tucson casual. 740-1541. $ C
Daggwood Cafe — 736 E. Fort Lowell Road. Huge sandwiches in a variety of choices — including retro meat like liverwurst. Tucson casual. 903-9663. $ C
Sausage Deli — 2334 N. First Ave. Lots of sandwich choices, and for only $1.99 you can add a side salad, chips and a drink. Tucson casual. 623-8182. $ C
Bumsted's — 500 N. Fourth Ave. Bumsted's is all about good food, and its vast menu is divided into "affairs" — "A Hot Affair" for hot sandwiches, etc. — and items with amusing names. Tucson Casual. 622-1413. $-$$ C
Cattletown Steakhouse and Saloon — 3141 E. Drexel Road. A country-style steakhouse with Texas-size tables. No checks. Tucson casual. 295-1141. $$ S
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar — 6360 N. Campbell Ave., No. 180. The noise level is high, but the satisfaction level is even higher. Reservations recommended. Tucson casual to dressy. 529-5017. $$$$ FH
McMahon's Prime Steakhouse — 2959 N. Swan Road. Upscale restaurant with glassed-in wine room features meats and seafood. High casual. 327-2333. $$$$ C
Taste of Texas — 8310 N. Thornydale Road. Serves dinner daily in an old-town, family-style atmosphere. Tucson casual. 572-5968. $$ NW
Sam Hughes' Place — 446 N. Campbell Ave., Suite 150. Championship dining — try to find a classier sports bar anywhere. Tucson casual. 747-5223. $$-$$$ C
Sullivan's Steakhouse — 1785 E. River Road. It's worth the indulgence. High casual. 299-4275. $$$$ FH
Firebirds — 2985 E. Skyline Drive, at La Encantada. Steaks here are aged, thick and juicy. Tucson casual. 577-0747. $$$-$$$$ FH
OK Corral — 7710 E. Wrightstown Road. Cowpokes love it here. It's casual, it's Western, and it has mighty fine steaks cooked over a mesquite fire. Tucson casual. 885-2373. $$-$$$ FH
Pinnacle Peak — 6541 E. Tanque Verde Road in Trail Dust Town. Ol' West hullabaloo can put you in the mood for a thick, juicy steak cooked just the way you want it over a mesquite fire. Tucson casual. 296-0911. $$ FH
Daisy Mae's Steakhouse — 2735 W. Anklam Road, serves certified Angus steaks, cooked on an open flame fueled by mesquite whose fragrance seeps into the meat. The menu also offers chicken and seafood. Tucson casual. 792-8888. $-$$ NW
Rod's K.C. Barbecue — 601 N. Fourth Ave. Friendly dining spot with a down-home ambience serves savory, lean and tender ribs. No alcohol. Tucson casual. 623-0182. $ C
El Paso Bar-B-Que Co. — 5510 E. Broadway. It's a solid choice for barbecue and other rib-sticking food. But the spirit of its happy-hour specials is as big as the state of Texas. Tucson casual. 745-2000. $ C
El Taco at 2825 N. Country Club Road — the last one in Tucson — serves enduring and affordable comfort food.
