Tucson - American Southwest - page 368

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dog, wrapped in bacon and slathered with beans and salsa, is good, but it isn't nearly as
memorable as the restaurant scene itself. For a slice of authentic Tucson culture, this place
is not to be missed. The original El Guero Canelo is at 5201 S. 12th Ave. ( & 520/295-
9005 ).
2480 N. Oracle Rd. & 520/882-8977. www.elguerocanelo.com. Reservations not accepted. Main
courses $2.50-$6.50. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Sat 7am-midnight; Sun 7:30am-midnight.

Lovin' Spoonfuls VEGAN Chili dogs, turkey sandwiches, tuna melts, bacon cheese-
burgers. The menu at this casual little place may not sound too interesting until you
realize that not one of those dishes actually has meat in it. This is a vegan restaurant, so
there are no eggs or dairy products to be seen (or tasted). If you're already a vegetarian or
vegan, you may not want to eat anywhere else while you're in Tucson. Oh, and there are
organic beers and wines to accompany your meal.
2990 N. Campbell Ave., Ste. 120. & 520/325-7766. www.lovinspoonfuls.com. Main courses $5.75-$11.
DISC, MC, V. Mon-Sat 9:30am-9pm; Sun 10am-3pm.

Tucson Tamale Company Finds MEXICAN Tamales, stuffed cornmeal dumplings
steamed in corn husks, are a staple among the Southwest's Hispanic population, but the
owners of this restaurant are hoping to take tamales to a broader audience. To that end,
the tamales here are made without lard and sometimes include some very nontraditional
ingredients. There are vegan tamales (one with spinach and mushrooms), as well as a
grilled Wisconsin-cheese tamale. However, the more traditional offerings made with pork
loin and green chilies, chicken and tomatillos, and beef sirloin and chipotle peppers are
all hard to resist.
2545 E. Broadway. & 520/305-4760. www.tucsontamalecompany.com. Reservations not accepted.
Main courses $3-$6.50. DISC, MC, V. Mon and Sat 10am-5pm; Tues-Fri 10am-6pm.

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Yoshimatsu Healthy Japanese Eatery JAPANESE Not only does this restau-
rant have a long menu of health-conscious Japanese dishes, but the decor in this ultraca-
sual place is also truly outrageous, with little glass cases displaying all manner of Japanese
toys and action figures. The okonomiyaki, sort of a Japanese pizza, is unusual, delicious,
and filling. The green-tea milkshakes are also tasty. There's a stylish little sushi bar
attached to the restaurant.
2660 N. Campbell Ave. & 520/320-1574. www.yoshimatsuaz.com. Reservations not accepted. Main
courses $7.50-$17. MC, V. Sat-Thurs 11:30am-2:30pm and 5-9pm; Fri 11:30am-2:30pm and 5-10pm.

EAST TUCSON
Moderate
Zona 78 Finds PIZZA Maybe it's the big stone oven they use or maybe it's all the
locally grown organic produce, but whatever it is, this place does pizza right. Try the
Tuscany, which is covered with Italian sausage, mozzarella, kalamata olives, fennel, garlic,
onions, and mushrooms. This pie is just bursting with flavors. To really get the most out
of a visit to Zona 78, you need to bring enough people so that you can order the big
antipasti plate or the cheese-and-fruit plate, which has lots of great imported cheeses. If
you're not that hungry, try the Tuscan bean-and-spinach soup.
There's a second Zona 78 on the west side at 78 W. River Rd. ( & 520/888-7878 ).
7301 E. Tanque Verde Rd. & 520/296-7878. www.zona78.com. Reservations accepted only for parties
of 8 or more. Main courses $9-$20. AE, DISC, MC, V. Daily 11am-10pm.