Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
American Regional Stars
157
Janos
Blazing a Trail in Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
It's a good thing that the atmosphere at
Janos is so affable and relaxed, because
you may need to ask your server a
lot
of
questions. (You may even get to ask chef
Janos Wilder himself, as he regularly greets
guests.) For instance, what is this spice
called
piloncillo,
rubbed on the New York
strip steak? What is an avocado serrano
sorbet? An ancho-prickly pear vinaigrette?
Piquillo peppers? Oaxacan
barbacoa
?
That's before you even get around to ask-
ing how you make a popcorn bisque
soup, or decipher the names of all the
local orchardists and ranchers whose
products are featured by name, items
such as Fiore de Cabra chèvre cheese,
Briggs and Eggers apples, or Tohono Old-
ham squash.
This French-trained California chef has
been opening locals' eyes to new flavors
from their own southwestern backyard
ever since he first opened his eponymous
restaurant in 1983, in a historic adobe on
the grounds of the Tucson Museum of Art.
From the very start, he showcased exotic
local ingredients such as mesquite flour
and blue cornmeal, and not in humble Tex-
Mex dishes but in sophisticated dishes
executed with classical French flair. It was
a radical approach indeed in 1983, when
California Cuisine was the latest gourmet
buzzword, and Santa Fe's New Southwest
cooking wasn't even a dream.
With the passing years, despite count-
less awards and honors, Wilder's enthusi-
asm for local Arizona ingredients hasn't
diminished. He has long kept his own gar-
dens, where he plants ingredients that
have captured his imagination, and a net-
work of local farmers, fishermen, foragers,
and ranchers vie to see their foods fea-
tured on his menus. He's now located at
the Westin La Paloma Resort, in a free-
standing hacienda overlooking a sweep-
ing view of the Tucson Valley. Decorated
in deep desert colors, with Oriental rugs
and chandeliers overlaying the adobe
simplicity, it manages to be welcoming
and luxurious. Whether you go for the
five-course tasting menu or à la carte
selection, you'll sample cooking of a very
high order, where disparate elements like
foie gras, truffles, figs, rabbit, salmon,
corn, chipotle, and chilies somehow coex-
ist in glorious harmony.
3770 East Sunrise Dr. (
&
520/615-
6100;
www.janos.com).
(
Tucson International (16 miles/26km).
L
$$
Catalina Park Inn,
309 E. First
St. (
&
800/792-4885
or 520/792-4541;
www.catalinaparkinn.com). $$$
Westin
La Paloma Resort & Spa,
3800 E. Sunrise
Dr. (
&
800/WESTIN-1
[800/937-8461] or
520/742-6000; www.westinlapalomaresort.
com).
