Judi Friedman and Jerry Lankin
We’re two SaddleBrooke foodies forever seeking great places to eat! We’ll review two restaurants each month for taste and presentation, service, price, value, and ambiance. If you have a favorite eatery and would like to spread the word, please send us an email at [email protected].
Wildflower
7037 N. Oracle Road, 520-219-4230
www.wildflowertucson.com
A mainstay of great food, service, and ambiance, along the Oracle corridor, is Wildflower restaurant in the Casa Adobes Center at Ina and Oracle. Both indoor and outdoor dining is offered in a beautiful setting. Joining us this evening was our sophisticated gourmand Jack, sharing our foodie experience. Jerry’s opening cocktail was the Blood Orange Paloma: tequila, blood orange juice, sweet and sour, and grapefruit soda—a real winner. Judi had her standard martini with lots of olives. What can you say about a martini? For the appetizer, we all shared in the crispy calamari. It was, without a doubt, the best calamari we’ve ever tasted. Crispy and tender, covered with greens and a yuzu emulsion, it was a great start to the meal. Jack ordered the short rib ravioli in a truffle cream sauce, Swiss chard, roasted mushrooms, red chili flakes, and breadcrumbs. It was generous and well flavored, and he really enjoyed it. Of course, we tasted it, and he was spot-on.
Judi ordered the grilled shrimp and avocado bowl with black rice, quinoa, bok choy, onion, snap peas, heirloom carrots, and a sesame ponzu sauce. The shrimp were moist and tender. All of the vegetables were perfectly cooked, and the sauce was outstanding. She also had a glass of Albariño wine to accompany the main course, which matched perfectly with the seafood. Jerry had the braised short ribs with glazed carrots, celery hearts, roasted cippolini onions, truffle potato puree, and a bordelaise sauce. The meat was exceptionally tender and flavorful, vegetables done perfectly, and the sauce divine. He even had enough left over for lunch the next day. Overall, it was a great dining experience that we all enjoyed. Judi forgot her leftovers, and when she returned to the restaurant, they had already disposed of it, so they made her another half order to take home. Now that’s great service! As an aside, we walked up the street to Frost and had some great gelato. Don’t miss it!
Taste & Presentation *****
Service *****
Price Range $$$$
Value *****
Ambiance *****
Wildflower is highly recommended.
Mi Tierra
16238 N. Oracle Road, 520-825-3040
Your Cooks have been hearing very positive comments about Mi Tierra and decided to visit this nearby restaurant. Along with our friend Mary Ellen, we went there on a Thursday night. The parking lot was almost full—always a good sign! As soon as we were seated, out came a heaping bowl of warm, crunchy chips. We ordered a pitcher of margaritas and started reading the extensive menu. There were all the usual dishes you’d expect to find in a Mexican restaurant with some interesting surprises! Our pitcher of margaritas came, and when we poured some in all the glasses, it didn’t seem to have any tequila in it. This was very strange to us, as well as to our server. We decided to pour everything back into the pitcher, stir it up, and pour, holding back the ice. It was perfect! Turns out, the new server, who was being trained, did not bring the long spoon that is supposed to come with the pitcher. We ordered guacamole and asked for more chips. The guac was very tasty—just the right amount of chunkiness, along with a smooth texture. Mary Ellen wanted the fish dish with pineapple mango salsa but asked to have salmon in place of the fish of the day. They were most accommodating. Jerry ordered the chimichanga with guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, cheese, grilled onions and bell pepper, rice, and beans. He said it was excellent and was glad he would have leftovers for lunch the next day! Judi ordered the camarones ranchero with a delightful ranchero sauce, rice, beans, and light tortillas. This was perfectly flavored with just the right amount of tasty sauce. All the dishes were excellent. Live listening music is offered regularly, with Criag Plotner on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; Ted on Sundays; and David Rychener on the first and third Wednesday. On Tuesdays, $2 tacos and enchiladas are offered. After we ate, we had the distinct pleasure of meeting Carolina, the new owner and chef of Mi Tierra. She explained they were training new staff—hence, the lack of a spoon to mix the margaritas. She does all the cooking, and her family has been in the restaurant business for many years. We are so glad we went there!
Taste & Presentation ****
Service ****
Price Range $$
Value ****
Ambiance ***
Mi Tierra is highly recommended.