We’re right smack dab in the middle of Sonoran Restaurant Week, when around 100 (!) restaurants in Tucson and surrounding cities offer special prix fixe menus for $25, $35, or $45 (plus tax and tip). The price often includes several courses that would regularly cost more.
The idea is to encourage diners to try restaurants they haven’t been to, as well as revisiting old favorites. You many need to ask for the Sonoran Restaurant Week menu if you’re at a participating place and don’t see one. Find participating restaurants and menus on TucsonFoodie.com.
View of the city from inside the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tucson.
[My sister-in-law Dinah always gives such fun gifts and beautiful handmade cards. I’m excited that today she’s sharing some of her ideas here with you! –S]
I enjoy giving presents under normal circumstances, but during 2020, I felt it was more important than ever to send fun surprises in the mail for my friends and family – for birthdays or just because – since I wasn’t able to see them as often (or at all).
A birthday card made by Dinah.
Craft Beverages + Food
I try to seek out local companies here in Arizona or, at least, small businesses.
Derek is a teacher and a father of 5, who lives in Tempe, Arizona. He loves coffee and decided to start roasting beans himself as a side business. We shipped out bags of his coffee to several family members this year (and also to ourselves)!
Ucayali River, Peru 70% Cacao bar. Via Stonegrindz Chocolate.
For my chocolate-loving friends, I discovered this company located in Scottsdale. They specialize in small batch, single-origin craft chocolate that’s beautifully packaged. I love how they come up with new flavors regularly.
The original Cartel Coffee Lab location is in Tempe. I was pleased to see that they offered this “Stay at Home” blend, which was perfect for my friend Robin, who is coffee-obsessed and works from home. Plus, 10% of the profits go to a Navajo Nation COVID-19 relief fund.
Six Shooter olive oil gift set. Via Queen Creek Olive Mill.
This company is located in Queen Creek, Arizona. I purchased some bottles of flavored olive oil for my brother’s and sister’s birthdays this year. It was a useful gift for them, as they like to cook, and it lasted awhile. I enjoyed hearing which foods they paired the olive oils with!
In addition to standard olive oil offerings, Queen Creek Olive Mill has unique flavors like vanilla bean and dark chocolate. There’s even a set called “Quarantine Essentials!”
My husband Daniel did part of his Navy training near Saratoga Springs, New York, where this company is located. They offer a holiday pack of different kinds of peanut butter. I can’t wait to try more of their flavors in 2021!
For several birthdays this year, I put together boxes full of goodies of the same hue.
I sent my brother a “box o’ sunshine” with yellow items, since his birthday falls right after Christmas, the dreariest time in Montana’s winter. My sister-in-law’s birthday is right before St. Paddy’s Day, so she received all green gifts. And a few people received some “Out of the Blue” birthday boxes.
Hopefully, I can try it out with some other colors this coming year!
We received a lovely gift in our mailbox of pre-measured mix to make Dalgona coffee drinks from a friend. We loved the idea so much that we copied it, making our own Dalgona coffee mixes send to other friends and family.
Once you have the dry mix, all you have to do is add boiling water and beat in the mixer until it turns into coffee-flavored whipped cream! Drink it with ice and your milk of preference.
This was a great way to make a “fancy” coffeehouse-style drink, while staying safe at home.
Lately, I can’t seem to ignore this charming yellow hue that’s a bit more orangey than mustard and more opaque than just plain honey. I’m calling it “honeycomb.”
You can find this sweet shade on artisan goods, as well as things you can make, wear, or eat.
1. Honeycomb with fresh nectar reflecting the tree canopy. Photo by Max Westby, a beekeeper and honey producer in Burgundy, France. (CCL)
While COVID-19 has thrown us all off balance, people are helping each other get back on their feet in some lovely ways – sharing their art, connecting people with resources, checking in on family and friends, donating where they can, helping the “helpers” on the front lines, and buying from their local mom-and-pop shops and restaurants. (All from a safe distance, of course!)
I’ve rounded up a list of various goodies to help you stay well, support independent artists and businesses, and give back.
Courtesy of Saywells Design + Why I Love Where I Live.
Backgrounds for your phone or Zoom meetings by Tucson-based Saywells Design, including mask-wearing cacti.
Lisa Congdon sketchbook via CreativeBug
Workshops
Debbie Allen Dance Academy: Founded by Debbie Allen of Fame fame, DADA is a non-profit organization with programs to expand young people’s access to dance + theater.
$3 dance classes on weekdays (signup via Zoom required).
Knitting Tree – Sale on discontinued and overstocked items.
Wildflower Studio – Shibui Knits Maai $14/skein (regular $17.50) + free digital pattern for M.1 scarf by Shelli Anderson with purchase of 4 skeins.
Zoe’s Knit Studio – Free shipping (or curbside pickup) on select kits. Email info@zoesknitstudio.com for details.
MAST (at Mercado San Agustin): Free shipping on U.S. orders with promo code MARCHON. Or 25% off any one item made by Mellow, Sofie, or Tasha with code LEANON.
Make a donation to help them provide hot coffee to overnight hospital workers.
Republica Empanada, Mesa: $2 beer or $10 mix-and-match six pack with any order.
Tucson To Go: Reforma
Tucson
Several Tucson restaurants are offering $30 takeout meals for two, as part of Tucson To-Go! Even though it’s presented by Sonoran Restaurant Week, this deal is ongoing.
Agustin Kitchen (at Mercado San Agustin): Burgers and sandwiches (a.k.a. “handhelds”) are buy one, get one free from 2-4pm daily. Walk-up or call-in orders.
Beaut Burger (at MSA Annex): Buy one, get one free vegan burgers weekdays from 4-5pm. Walk-up orders only.
Mesa’s annual holiday celebration, Merry Main Street, includes concerts, an arts and craft market, food trucks, visits from Santa, and – most surprisingly in an Arizona desert city – an outdoor ice skating rink.
O Christmas Market
While there are Merry Main Street activities throughout the downtown, the centerpiece of the celebration is the 40-foot-tall Christmas tree and market that takes over Macdonald on the north side of Main Street.
What you’ll find here…
Mesa’s official Christmas tree – this is where you can see Santa Friday and Saturday evenings.
Mesa Christmas Market – 30 local vendors selling handcrafted items, food and gifts in booths set up around the Christmas tree.
Most of the time, you’ll only find an ice rink in Arizona inside a large, air-conditioned building. So, the temporary Winter Wonderland Ice Rink installed for the holidays in Mesa City Plaza is a downright novelty. It’s really fun to watch people skating around there, even if some of them are wearing shorts.
Speaking of Arizonans’ winter apparel (or lack thereof), Winter Wonderland just assumes you don’t own ice skates (and you probably don’t), so they automatically include skate rental in the ticket price.
Free Rides
You can ride the mile stretch of the Light Rail between Country Club and Mesa Drive free on December weekends from 5-10pm.
This weekend (December 13-14), there will also be special decorated “Polar Express” light rail trains with Santa, elves, cookies, and singing on board. Pajama-wearing is encouraged. No tickets are required.
Pioneer Park
The weekly Mesa Feastival Forest in Pioneer Park turns into Jack Frost’s Food Truck Forest on Friday and Saturday nights during the holidays. Check their Facebook page for updates on the food truck lineup.
Also in Pioneer Park…
The Mesa Farmers Market and Flea will continue to be held in the park on Saturday mornings – with a few extra festive touches like additional vendors and photos with Santa from 9-11am.
Kiddos can ride the trackless Main Street Express Train there for free during food truck or farmers’ market hours.
Merry Main Street’s little train (at its old City Plaza location).
In past years, you could sometimes hear the choir singing outside the LDS Temple across the street. This year, however, the annual Christmas Lights display and concerts have been suspended due to major renovations of the buildings and grounds, which are scheduled to be completed in 2020.
The Space Between
Like a microcosm of the City of Mesa itself, Merry Main Street is a bit sprawling (although it’s gotten less spread out than in previous years).
Activities are just close enough together that you’re not sure you want to wait for even a free light rail ride, but far enough apart that you have time to regret it as you traverse the vast, vacant expanses of sidewalk between things.
How to Merry Main Street
The the best approach might be to enjoy different parts of Merry Main Street throughout the season, instead of thinking of it as all one event. Stop by the food truck forest before heading over to a performance at the MAC. Have an ice skating night. Do some holiday shopping and take some photos in front of the tree (or in the selfie stations or with Santa).
Why not go multiple times? There’s no admission cost, parking is free, and each time the weather will probably be so nice you could wear shorts to go ice skating.
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