Martin says flavors of Spain, Italy and Mexico inspire his <em>tamal</em> creations.

Address and phone: 2545 E. Broadway, 305-4760

Meet Todd Martin, chef and owner of Tucson Tamale Co. The 50-year–old Martin is a self-taught chef who realized he had a passion for cooking when he was in the seventh grade.

The Denver native was chef for Union Station restaurant as well as Love Kitchen catering company in Colorado for three years in the 1980s. Martin moved to Tucson 13 years ago, but changed his career path – taking over as a director of technical support for a computer software company.

Realizing his true love would always be food, Martin opened Tucson Tamale Co., just before Thanksgiving. His goal is to change the way people in Tucson thought about tamales.

“I love tamales, I always have,” he says. “I realized there’s only two kinds of tamales and I wanted something different.”

Flavors of Spain, Italy and Mexico influence his tamal creations. Martin says his mission is to sustain, simplify and celebrate the food ecosystem.

“We look for the best products out there,” he says. “We want the best foods. We want fresh, organic, local products.

“It’s a goal.”

What’s your favorite restaurant in Tucson?

Feast. I really like the way chef-owner Doug Levy rotates the menu. He does great things.

What’s your favorite dish to prepare and why?

My smoked barbecue ribs. It takes me half a day to make them – so I can’t make them every day – but when I do, they’re outstanding.

What’s your favorite dish to eat and why?

A grilled rib-eye with pan-roasted sweet peppers – because I love beef. I try to eat very little of it, so when I do I want it to be a good piece of meat.

What’s unique about the Tucson restaurant scene compared to other cities?

It feels like a tighter bond among the restaurant tourists here. I’ve already had five restaurant owners come in since I opened. To me, that feels very supportive.

What’s your favorite or most used kitchen utensil?

Well, my knife.

What do you always have in your refrigerator at home?

Cheese – lots of different cheeses – and beer.

Why are you a chef?

When you fall in love, that’s what it’s like to cook. It’s my nonhuman love, not that it would ever replace my wife, but it’s love.

———

Tucson Tamale Co.

2545 E. Broadway, 305-4760

Emilie Arbaugh glides above the floor during an O-T-O aerial dance class.

Trapeze and aerial dancer Suke Estrada winds her way through a maze of out of control swinging trapeze at O-T-O Dance studio.

“There’s no risk, there’s only growth,” Estrada says to the five beginning trapeze students who twist, swing and hang on the four ceiling length trapeze. “Don’t be afraid.”

This is the beginning aerial dance class and the five women are practicing a piece choreographed by Estrada for the up-coming O-T-O student showcase Tuesday.

“The inspiration is how we experience so much interruption in life,” says Estrada, a trained modern and ballet dancer since the age of 5 and O-T-O dancer since 2005.

Whether trained dancers or interested Tucsonans, about 60 students will perform on the O-T-O showcase from the company’s beginning, intermediate and advanced aerial dance classes.

Dubbed the flying modern dance company, O-T-O has since 1985 provided a unique avenue for those in the industry.

It began with dancer-choreographer Annie Bunker, who employs dancers from all over the United States to contribute to the physically challenging performances.

In 1991, O-T-O began to incorporate teaching into its repertoire and opened up aerial dance classes for children, teens and adults curious about trapeze dance.

“Aerial dance is the combination of circus-type moves integrated with dance movements,” Assistant School Director and O-T-O dancer Aja Knaub says.

The ability to fly is an appealing characteristic for many participants and the reason students are willing to endure blisters, sore muscles and physically demanding trapeze moves such as the tear drop or tilt-a-whirl each week.

“I had always wanted to fly like a bird,” student Kim Clausen says. “It’s a great challenge. It makes you feel like a little kid.”

Clausen, a trained ballet dancer since 1966 and instructor of the dance at her local studio, Soul Dance, had always been enticed to try aerial dance and trapeze work. When she discovered O-T-O’s classes it awakened a new dance passion within her.

“I immediately called and gave them money,” she says.

The new form of muscle building and exercise are another reason students decide to take the class.

“The strength of my arms is definitely bigger,” O-T-O student Bethiah Rossa says proudly.

Rossa, a senior at the University of Arizona, wanted an alternative form of exercise and heard about the classes through her brother.

“I really wanted to get into this alternative scene,” she says. “The first couple of weeks I was sore, then sore again.”

Despite the physical challenges, Estrada touts the benefits of trapeze work.

“It’s functional strength,” she says. “It’s good for me.”

The ability to form, mold and create new movements is an organic process in the class. Though students do follow the instructor’s guide and choreography, they are encouraged to experiment with dance.

“It’s challenging,” says Knaub of the classes. “But fun.”

———

IF YOU GO

What: O-T-O Dance student showcase, featuring performances by O-T-O students. Event includes a silent auction, with all proceeds going to a scholarship fund for students who need help paying for aerial dance classes.

When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday

Price: $5

Where: The Historic Y Hall, 300 E. University Blvd.

TO SIGN UP

Aerial dance classes will resume again in January. No previous experience is needed. Classes are for all levels, and no reservations are required. If you want to take only one class, drop-in fees are $12. Everyone must sign a hold harmless agreement, which can be found at www.orts.org.

When and price:

• Children’s Aerial Dance II: ages 8-12, 4-5 p.m. Tuesdays, $140

• Aerial Dance I teens and adults: 5-6 p.m. Tuesdays, $140

• Aerial Dance II teens and adults: 4:45-5:45 Mondays, $130

• Aerial Dance III teens and adults: 5-6 p.m. Wednesdays, $140

‘Grape nuts’ can sample Tucson’s bounty

Cata Vinos Wine Shop &amp; Tasting Room has tastings Wednesday through Saturday each week.

The Old Pueblo may not be the hills of Tuscany or the vineyards of Napa Valley, but Tucson has an assortment of affordable and entertaining wine-tasting options throughout the week.

For a seasoned oenophiles or a new “grape nut”, you can get your vino fix and even learn a bit, thanks to local businesses ranging from a wine shop with a down-home feel, a lounge with a bar atmosphere, and even a national megastore.

CataVinos Wine Shop & Tasting Room

3063 N. Alvernon Way, 323-3063 www.catavinoswines.com

Wine tasting gets personal here.

“We offer a community environment,” says owner Yvonne K. Foucher.

The long dinner-style tables in the shop and on its patio provide an intimate experience that has attracted a steady group of regulars since CataVinos opened in September 2007.

“We encourage people to be friendly and socialize,” Foucher says.

“And even if you didn’t know anyone at the table, you’re meeting people you wouldn’t meet anywhere else,” adds Bonnie Lewis, a regular at the tastings.

From 4 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday through Saturday, Foucher and staff pour samples of as many as six wines for $10. The price is $8 if you buy a bottle of wine.

Each week’s tasting is based on a theme or region.

All of the 300 wines that occupy the modest shop are $15 or less per bottle. Foucher, a former architect, says she couldn’t find a good selection of such affordable wines, so she decided to open a shop focusing on them.

“The concept is that they’re great wines – not just good,” she says, explaining that her wines are seriously critiqued and can’t be found in supermarket liquor departments.

Foucher also takes suggestions and advice from her regulars.

“A lot of the customers are on (our) board of advisers,” she says. “They’re my eyes to the actual buyer.”

Starting this month, CataVinos will host combined tastings and events Saturdays, with a wine tasting and art opening first in the lineup. (See its Web site for details.)

“I don’t know if I would go anywhere else,” says Christopher Pray, who professes to be a longtime wine lover. “CataVinos is about community.”

Armitage Wine Lounge & Café

2905 E. Skyline Drive, 682-9740 www.armitagewine.com

Illuminated by candlelight and furnished with lounge sofas and a long front bar, Armitage may seem ideal for an upscale wine-tasting experience. Patrons say yes and no: yes to the atmosphere; no for putting on airs.

“It’s where people can enjoy wine, it’s not for the wine snob. . . . It’s pretty chill,” customer Jon Hanna says.

From 6 to 8 p.m. every Tuesday, with the help of a wine distributor or winery representative, Armitage offers tastings of four or five wines for $10.

“It’s almost a game trying to figure out what (the wines) are, especially with a quiz,” patron Greta Arendsen says.

She and other guests were working on a recent night’s tasting challenge in “The Color Red” theme. Tasters sample a selection of red wines then try to match them to the names on their list. Anyone who correctly identifies all the wines wins a $50 gift card.

“The idea is to create something different,” Armitage general manager Lisa Hanley says. “We team up with the distributors and we work with the wines that we have in house.”

Since Armitage opened in August 2007, Hanley says the tastings have steadily increased in popularity.

“I’ve been here a few times for wines tastings and I enjoy it,” customer Gregg Lindholm says. “I’m familiar with wines . . . and I really like the concept of the blind tastings.”

(For this month’s tasting schedule, see its Web site.)

Total Wine & More

4370 N. Oracle Road, 887-0174 www.totalwine.com

A penny doesn’t usually go very far, but it does at this new superstore.

“We have a bar license, so you can shop while you taste,” says Jesse Mason, wine manager. “That’s why we charge a penny.”

For that penny, Total Wine offers tastes of about nine wines noon to 6 p.m. every Friday and Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. The wines come from the store’s stock of about 8,000 wines (it also sells beers and liquor).

“There are plenty of tastings where you can pay $10 for four to five wines, but you’ll be hard pressed to find eight to nine tastings for a penny,” Mason says.

Total Wine’s staff of sommeliers seeks out customers’ tastes and opinions.

“The person pouring is definitely knowledgeable,” Mason says. “Usually we have winemakers pouring their own wine.”

Sisters Lane and Leigh Beck say they have been coming to Total Wines’ tastings regularly since it opened this fall. This particular Saturday, they were in search of Thanksgiving wines. They joke about trying to restrain themselves from visiting twice a week.

“It’s so wonderful to have a wider selection available that goes beyond some of the smaller specialty stores,” Leigh Beck says. “We do like that it’s a specific selection each time (for the tastings). It’s the learning process that we like.”

The two wine lovers say they are drawn to Total Wine’s large selection and the staff”s expertise.

Mason says that large selection makes the store accessible despite its size – nearly 22,000 square feet. “I think it’s just a great place to try seven to eight wines you’ve never had before.”

Tasting themes this month are:

• Saturday Tour of Bordaeux

• Dec. 13 Great Wines for Holiday Entertaining

• Dec. 20 Give the Gift of Wine

• Dec. 27 Celebrate with Sparkling

(From left) Sara Morris, Betty Ann Warfield and Marti Cotner sample wines during a recent tasting event at Armitage Wine Lounge & Café, 2905 E. Skyline Drive.

Alan Deardorff pours wine for customers during the wine tasting at Total Wine &amp; More.

———

MORE REGULAR TASTINGS

Wednesday

58 Degrees & Holding Co. 5340 E. Broadway, 299-5804 www.58degrees.com • 5-7 p.m. ($10 fee)

Every other Thursday

Hotel Congress 311 E. Congress St., 622-8848 hotelcongress.com • 5-7 p.m. ($5)

Friday

Pastiche Wine Shop 3025 N. Campbell Ave. 325-3333 www.pasticheme.com • 5:30-6:30 p.m. ($5)

Vila Thai Cuisine 972 E. University Blvd., 903-9777, www.vilathai.com • 5-7 p.m. ($5)

The Beverage House Oracle 6250 N. Oracle Road, 219-6424 www.beveragehouse.net • 4-6 p.m. ($2)

The Beverage House Broadway 8660 E. Broadway, 296-9933 www.beveragehouse.net • 4-6 p.m. ($2)

Vin Tabla 2910 E. Skyline Drive, 577-6210 www.vintabla.com • 5-6:30 p.m. ($10)

Saturday

RumRunner Wine & Cheese Co. 3131 E. First St., 326-0121 www.rumrunnertucson.com • 2 p.m. Saturday (free)

Primo (at JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa) (class) 3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd., 791-6071 http://primo.jwmarriottstarrpass.com • 3:30-5 p.m. ($25, plus tax and tip) Reservations strongly recommended.

Creole seasons Cuban chef-owner’s fare

Cartaya moved to Tucson in 1995.

Address and phone: 1160 E. Sixth St., 623-8020.

Meet Ramon Ignacio Cartaya, chef and owner of El Cubanito Restaurant.

Cartaya grew up in San Luis, Cuba. He says the criollo flavors of his country still have the greatest influence on his cooking. These creole flavors have much in common with African and Spanish cuisine, including heavy use of onions, bell peppers and saffron.

While in Cuba, Cartaya worked in administrative offices for ranches and sugar cane plantations, and also cooked in various restaurants until he moved to Panama in 1983. Within a year, he immigrated to Los Angeles. He says he headed for Tucson in 1995, seeking a more tranquil life and decided to open El Cubanito, which his wife Irene manages. He says he wanted to share the Cuban flavors he grew up with as a contrast to Tucson’s traditional Mexican restaurants.

Here is a translation of an interview he gave in Spanish.

What’s you favorite restaurant?

After Cuban food, it’s sushi. I also like the new Mariscos Topete’s Seafood, 3030 N. Oracle Road. It’s a different restaurant than anything in Tucson and has different flavors.

What’s your favorite dish to prepare and why?

Ropa Vieja, because it has the most traditional Cuban criollo flavors with onion, garlic and bell pepper.

What’s your favorite dish to eat and why?

Chicken and yellow rice because you can layer it like a lasagna. It’s very good.

What’s unique about the Tucson restaurant scene compared to other cities?

It’s very different. The food in general is Mexican and influenced by northern Mexico.

What’s your favorite or most-used kitchen utensil?

La Plancha (a metal plate) – it’s good for cooking steak.

What do you always have in your refrigerator?

The products to prepare the dishes: yucca, salsa, condiments, pork chops, fish.

Why are you a chef?

Since I was young, I studied the criollo cooking. . . . I always liked the flavors. I always wanted to cook.

The murder-mystery film "Imprint," which was produced by a UA media art alum, is among the feature films that will be shown during the Native Eyes showcase.

Filmmaker and actor Georgina Lightning was inspired by her personal demons to direct her first feature film, “Older Than America.”

“I have a responsibility to my community,” Lightning says. “How can I do more for them?”

Her answer was to create the movie about a woman’s visions that reveal the cover-up and atrocities by a priest at a Catholic Native American boarding school.

Tucsonans can see her production this weekend at the fifth annual Native Eyes Film Showcase. The event, sponsored by the University of Arizona, highlights the work of Native American producers, writers, actors and directors.

According to Lightning, the issue of forced assimilation of Native Americans into boarding schools affected her childhood and inspired the film.

“My dad went to boarding school and hung himself at 18. That moved me to make a feature,” she says. “I kept touching on boarding schools on other films I’ve worked on.”

An actor since 1990, Lightning, 45, co-founded her own production company, Tribal Alliance Productions.

She hopes that the film will reconnect Native Americans to their history.

“For Native Americans I hope that it provides a healing process,” she says. “We don’t have our culture anymore. All that stuff . . . been lost because of boarding schools.”

Lightning also wants her film to reach other audiences as well. “For non-Native Americans I want it to educate them,” she says. “Maybe some of the racism will drop.”

The Hanson Film Institute and the Arizona State Museum, in collaboration with the National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian Institution began the Native Eyes film showcase five years ago.

“Our primary goal is developing learning opportunities for emerging filmmakers,” says Vicky Westover, program director for the institute at UA.

“This year it’s more about the best in new independent films. It’s films that have gotten buzz somewhere else,” says Westover. “Then we bring them to Tucson, which is good because people can enjoy them.”

The three-day event will supplement the film screenings with meet-and-greets and discussions with the directors.

The two other feature films in this year’s showcase have already been making the rounds at national festivals and receiving accolades for the actors and directors.

“Four Sheets to the Wind” won a special jury prize at the 2007 Sundance film festival. It chronicles the journey of a young man after the death of his father.

Included in the film offerings from across the United States are movies with Tucson ties. The murder-mystery “Imprint” was produced by Chris Eyre, a UA media arts alum and the director of the widely successful 1998 independent film “Smoke Signals.”

Others were made by local youth as part of the Hanson Institute educational outreach programs that include seminars, workshops and classes.

This summer’s one-week session brought in 14 Native American teenagers to create two documentaries that will be presented during the “Family Friendly Screenings” of the showcase.

Sahuarita High School senior Jason Chavez wrote, edited and narrated the student documentary “A Better Life.” His film introduces the audience to the growing problem of trash left by border crossers on the Tohono O’odham Nation.

“I think the effect immigrant traffic has on the land is important,” Chavez says.

In 1998, Chavez moved off the O’odham reservation. When he returned, he found much more trash left by immigrants on the land.

“This is destroying it,” says Chavez. “I think that it (the film) puts an important message about the trash. People will be more aware of it.”

The other student documentary, “No Boundaries,” explores the historic Native American game of Toka.

Both shorts will be shown during the family-friendly screening at Culture Craft Saturday at the Arizona State Museum, 1-4 p.m. Nov. 15.

IF YOU GO

What: Fifth annual Native Eyes film showcase. Three days of feature films, documentaries and shorts from up-and-coming Native American filmmakers. Filmmakers and actors Georgina Lightning, Dustin and Velma Craig, Sterlin Harjo, Cody Lightning and Jon Proudstar will be available after the films for a meet-and-greet and discussion.

When: • 7 p.m. Friday, “4-Wheel War Pony” – Director Dustin Craig’s 8-minute short film shows how skateboarding on the White Mountain Apache reservation links past cultures with the present. “Older Than America” (102 minutes) by Cree director Georgina Lightning tells the story of how haunting visions reveal a Catholic priest’s sinister plot to silence the truth about the atrocities that took place at a Native American boarding school.

• 7 p.m. Saturday, “Female Rain” – Director Velma Craig (Navajo) presents a 2-minute short inspired by Navajo poet Laura Tohe’s meditation on rain. Director Dustin Craig screens a short film, “I Belong To This,” the story of a young man’s reflections on raising his children in their Indian traditions and his own relationship to his childhood community. In the 81-minute feature “Four Sheets To The Wind,” director Sterlin Harjo (Creek/Seminole) tells the story of a young Seminole Indian man dealing with his father’s suicide, who sets out on an offbeat journey of mourning and learning.

• 2 p.m. Sunday, “Benito’s Gift” – Director Rick Romancito (Taos) shows his short film about a young Pueblo Indian boy who fulfills a special promise that helps bring his family together. In Cheyenne/Arapho producer Chris Eyre’s feature-length film “Imprint,” a controversial murder trial brings on strange visions and ghostly voices that propel a prosecuting attorney into an unexpected journey.

Where: Grand Cinemas Crossroads, 4811 E. Grant Road

Price: Tickets are $4 and available at the box office starting on Nov. 12.

Info: www.statemuseum.arizona. edu/public/native_eyes/ index.shtml

———

IF YOU GO

What: Culture Craft Saturday: Pictures in Motion. In celebration of American Indian Heritage Month and the Native Eyes Film Showcase from Nov. 14-16, Arizona State Museum presents hands-on activities and screenings of shorts by Native filmmakers. Create a storyboard, flipbook, string figure and skateboard design based on your own movie idea. “Benito’s Gift,” “4-Wheel War Pony,” “Horse You See” plus two Tohono O’odham student-created shorts – “No Boundaries” and “A Better Life” – will be shown.

When: 1-4 p.m. Saturday

Where: Arizona State Museum, near the Main Gate on the University of Arizona campus

Info: 626-2973, www.statemuseum.arizona.edu

Crissy Burgstaler (left) is helped with a Old West Victorian dress by How Sweet It Was store owner Connie Lauth. Crissy is a sales person at How Sweet It Was.

Imagine transforming into a jazz-dancing 1920s flapper, an Arabian belly dancer or a 1970s hipster.

And imagine knowing that your get-up will be one of a kind, with no chance that three others just like you will show up at your Halloween party.

Do-it-yourself costumes make the Halloween experience more authentic. To help in that effort, Fourth Avenue boutiques and stores are stocking their racks with vintage clothing for thrifty shoppers looking for unique costumes and accessories.

Here are some options, just in time for your spook-night shindig:

Desert Vintage & Costume, 636 N. Fourth Ave., 620-1570

Kathleen Lauth worked in New York City in a costume shop and vintage clothing store and enjoyed it so much, she moved to Tucson and started Desert Vintage 35 years ago.

“I’ve been sewing and designing since I was a kid,” says Lauth. “It was just a natural evolution.”

Her 1,000-square-foot space houses vintage clothing from floor to ceiling – everything from poodle skirts to kimonos, Western hats and cowboy boots. Desert Vintage rents out most costumes for about $25 a day.

By late September, 75 percent of Lauth’s vintage clothing is moved out to make room for Halloween costumes ranging from the sexy referee, police officer and nurse to the exotic belly dancer, cave dweller and Southern belle, complete with hoop skirt, parasol and lace gloves.

Lauth is seeing costume trends this season. “I’m getting asked a lot about pirates and Greek draped dresses and togas and genies.”

Perennial favorites at Desert Vintage include flapper dresses and Disney characters.

Lauth carries an array of character costumes, ranging from Pocahontas and Alice in Wonderland to the Wizard of Oz’s Dorothy. “It’s people’s time to really live out some fantasies and do some fun stuff, ” Lauth says.

Desert Vintage also offers ever-popular flirty and sexy costumes. “We have a lot of costumes that are mini-skirted, like pirates, cowgirls, fairies – things like that that are really flirty and fun,” she says.

Movies inspire the costume trends, she says. Johnny Depp reigns supreme, with customers looking to dress as pirates and wenches.

“Pirates are fun ’cause you can pile on a lot of stuff, a little corset and mesh and a lot of the black boots,” says Lauth.

Her choice for an authentic costume this season is a black and gold belly dancer. “I just think this is awesome. It’s just fun to make noise.”

How Sweet It Was, 636 N. Fourth Ave., 623-9854

Inspired by her love of vintage clothing, freelance dress designer Connie Lauth began How Sweet It Was in 1974, with an emphasis on Victorian-era pieces.

“Our focus is on historic period costumes,” says Lauth. “Everything from classic Grecian, Cleopatra, Renaissance and then the most modern we go is the 1980s.”

With “several thousands” of outfits to choose from, the vintage shop is where many Tucson costume-seekers look for flapper dresses, gangster suits, ’70s disco and Old West apparel.

“We’re doing it out of love and when you love something, you have an aptitude for it,” she says.

Lauth, whose sister, Kathleen Lauth, owns Desert Vintage & Costume down the avenue, triples her inventory every Halloween to make room for three extra racks of costumes that she buys from customers or hand-selects from dealers. “We’ve educated people by now that we have the historic period covered. We wouldn’t be who you would go to to be a Disney character or the current movie thriller.”

For about $30 a day, How Sweet It Was offers traditional Mexican and folklórico dresses and exotic costumes, such as belly dancers. “The quality of the material is certainly greater,” says Lauth on vintage clothing. “And you would be more apt to be one-of-a-kind. It shows more creativity, more opportunity to express yourself.”

If you’re on a tight budget, check out the Halloween bins outside the store that offer separate pieces ranging from $4.95-$8.95.

Stacy Gallandt, Desert Vintage

Risha Druckman, Desert Vintage

Stacy Gallandt, Desert Vintage

Crissy

Burgstaler,

How Sweet

It Was

———

OTHER PLACES TO SHOP

When looking for Halloween costumes on Fourth Avenue, you can also check out:

Tucson Thrift Shop

319 N. Fourth Ave.

623-8736

Value Village Thrift Store

300 N. Fourth Ave.

624-3414

———

MOST POPULAR COSTUMES

Here are the 10 most popular Halloween costumes for adults, according to the National Retail Federation:

1. Witch

2. Pirate

3. Vampire

4. Cat

5. Fairy, nurse (tie)

6. Batman, political figures such as Barack Obama, John McCain, Sarah Palin or Joe Biden (tie)

7. Ghost

8. Angel

9. Clown, vixen/wench (tie)

10. Athlete, French maid, queen (three-way tie)

Marcela Davila (left) cooks with her dad, Luis "Papi'' A. Davila (center), 83, and sister Sandra Davila at the Little Cafe Poca Cosa, 151 N. Stone Ave.

Born into a family of restaurateurs, Marcela Davila, 37, her sister, Sandra, and her father Luis all cook for Little Cafe Poca Cosa. Luis and Belem, Marcela and Sandra’s mother, own the restaurant, the smaller, more homey and casual version of Cafe Poca Cosa, where Marcela and Sandra’s sister Suzana Davila is the chef and owner.

Born in the United States, Marcela Davila says her parents are from Guaymas, Son., where she says her father ran Sonora’s first drive-in restaurant.

In 1987, Suzana Davila and Luis Davila created Little Cafe Poca Cosa in a 400-square foot space on Scott Avenue south of Congress Street. Three and a half years ago, they moved the restaurant to its current location. The building where it had been was torn down.

Marcela Davila began to cook and work in the restaurant off and on in 1990, taking four years off to attend Eckerd College in Florida, returning to Tucson in 1995. She left again with her husband to go Boston, where she managed The Small Planet restaurant. She has been working at Little Cafe Poca Cosa full time since 1998.

Marcela Davila says all the flavors and dishes for Little Cafe Poca Cosa come from the food she and her family have grown up eating and that she and sister Sandra aren’t known for using recipes but rather creating dishes from what they know.

“We really don’t think of it as work,” she says.

Question: What is your favorite restaurant in Tucson?

Answer: I love The Dish Bistro & Wine Bar, and at Vivace you’re always guaranteed a nice meal.

What is your favorite dish to prepare and why?

Cocido. I have very fond memories of this.

What is your favorite dish to eat and why?

I love soup. Sandra makes the greatest cream soups and desserts.

What is unique about the Tucson restaurant scene compared to other cities?

I think there’s a good variety but you just have to look for it.

What’s your favorite or most used kitchen utensil?

A good knife.

What do you always have in your refrigerator at home?

I always have milk, Hershey’s chocolate syrup, tons of fruit and waffles.

Why are you a chef?

It just happens to be the family business. It’s fun and you get to feed people.

———

Little Cafe Poca Cosa

151 N. Stone Ave., no phone

Odyssey Larsen, 5, shows her mom, Jessica Shade, a tiara that is part of her princess costume as the two shop at Savers, 290 W. Fort Lowell Road.

You won’t need a crystal ball to find a great Halloween costume that fits your child – and your budget.

Despite a spiraling economy, the National Retail Federation estimates that $5.77 billion will be spent nationwide this year on Halloween costumes and merchandise, with people planning to spend $66.54 on average, according to Gannett News Service.

“Parents are down in the dumps over money worries and elections, so they want their Halloween to be a night off away from the regular stuff,” says Christina Vercelletto, senior editor of Parenting magazine. “It’s going to be a pretty festive Halloween this year despite the economy.”

But there are ways to save money when it comes to planning your children’s costumes

Start by looking around your home, to see what might work, with a few new accessories.

And since a costume is likely worn only once, you might want to consider shopping for a previously worn witch, wizard or pop star outfit.

Three Savers stores in Tucson sell used and new costumes for kids, as well as used clothing that can be made into costumes.

With at least 400 used costumes stocked since early September, the average price for a do-it-yourself children’s find is between $4 and $10, says Savers sales associate Crystal Chandler.

While princesses and witches are still the go-to costumes for girls, a prepackaged Miley Cyrus costume complete with a bedazzled vest and jewelry can also be found.

For boys, it’s all about the action movies. “Pirates are really big this year,” Chandler says. “Whatever the huge blockbusters are, that’s what they’re going for.”

Chandler says parents come to Savers to create their own Jack Sparrow and Indiana Jones costumes for their kids.

“We have a lot of people who want to make their own,” she says. “Like with corduroy pants, a ruffled shirt, throw a vest on and some eyeliner and you’re good to go.”

Savers also has all the blood and guts needed. Parents can find makeup kits for vampires and princesses as well as such accessories as masks, swords, groovy glasses, vampire teeth, Afro wigs and fairy wings.

Tracy Mullin of the National Retail Federation says it’s easy to whittle the cost of costumes of popular teen stars Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers or Britney Spears.

“A lot of these rock stars wear relatively normal clothes,” Vercelletto says. “Add a twist (think a blond wig for Miley Cyrus) to everyday ‘tween trends to keep it simple and inexpensive.”

Simple patterns can be used to create low-cost costumes for little ones.

“Creative parents trying to save money will make costumes that don’t require superincredible sewing skills,” Mullin says.

And think ahead. One of the best ways to save money on Halloween supplies and costumes is to look for sales at the end of the season and stock up for next year.

Gannett News Service contributed to this article.

Mechele Oihus and her son, Erik Oihus, 10, look for a Halloween costume at Savers.

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TOP 10 COSTUMES FOR KIDS

Here are the top 10 Halloween costumes for children, according to the National Retail Federation:

1. Princess

2. Witch

3. Hannah Montana

4. Spider-Man

5. Pirate

6. “Star Wars” character

7. Pumpkin

8. Batman

9. Disney princess

10. Athlete, ghost (tie)

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Think thrift

Check out used and new costume supplies at Savers:

• 5845 E. Broadway (571-2001)

• 290 W. Fort Lowell Road (292-6330)

• 3949 W. Costco Drive (297-3779)

Also selling used children’s costumes is Twice as Nice at:

• 4045 E. Broadway (881-2738)

• 7333 E. Broadway (298-7375)

• 3860 W. Ina Road (579-3031)

• 2038 E. Irvington Road (889-0081)

• 4343 N. Oracle Road (797-1214)

Annual festival raises funds for nonprofit Sun Sounds

Cindy (left) and Bill Shriver enjoy a toast with Cindy's daughter, Alisha Shelton, at last year's Great Tucson Beer Festival at Hi Corbett Field.

Organizers of the 22nd annual Great Tucson Beer Festival want Tucsonans to drink for charity.

Well not quite, but how about sampling from a healthy variety of more than 150 beers from 43 national and international breweries?

The annual event supports Sun Sounds of Arizona, a nonprofit that provides audio assistance to people in the Southwest who can’t read print because of disabilities.

All the profits from the event go to cover the roughly $150,000 in annual operating costs of its Tucson radio station.

So why a beer festival?

It’s simple, says Sun Sounds Advisory Board President Steven Auslander: “A beer festival attracts a large chunk of the population. We attract a crowd that appreciates beer in much the same way oenophiles appreciate wine.”

From Fat Tire and Big Sky India Pale Ale to Warsteiner Premium Dunkel dark lager, an abundance of styles and flavors appealing to beer enthusiasts will be on taps and in bottles.

Not only will beer be provided, but several Tucson eateries will be on hand to provide nourishment while Back for More and Descarga perform.

Nimbus Brewing Co.

3850 E. 44th St.

Producing about 6,000 barrels a year, Nimbus has won the following of Tucsonans looking for an ale-style beer.

“We deliver a high-quality consistent product,”says Nimbus owner Jim Counts. “Overall it’s a world class beer.”

Counts says the success of Nimbus beer is all in the water.

“The largest ingredient in beer is the water and the water in Tucson is outstanding for making beers,” he says. Tucson’s hard water is particularly suitable for ale-style beers rather than lagers.

Nimbus opened in 1996 and Counts, a former homebrewer bought it in 1999. Now Nimbus creates six beers. The most popular are Nimbus Pale Ale and Old Monkeyshine, an English ale with a “mildly sweet flavor” he says. It also is the only Tucson brewery that bottles its beer.

The ideas for its beers are influenced by customer feedback.

“We produce beers that we enjoy drinking and we offer them to our customers and our customers are actually the ones that choose,” Counts says.

This is the eighth year Nimbus has participated in the beer festival. It will serve its six regular beers and one “surprise” brew created just for the festival.

“If there is a cause and we can help and it makes sense to do it, we will help,” he says. “We will try and bend over backwards.”

Thunder Canyon Brewery

7401 N. La Cholla Blvd.

Steve Tracy had been a homebrewer for years when he decided to use what he made to open Thunder Canyon in 1997.

He is the lone brewer at Thunder Canyon, dedicating seven hours a day twice a week to the task. It adds up to 1,300 barrels produced each year.

With 40 recipes on hand and 10 to 11 original creations, Tracy says the brewery prides itself on unique flavor combinations.

“We like to do some unusual things too,” he says. “We have an Ornament Ale (with) nutmeg and cinnamon – it makes for a great holiday beer.”

Tracy says he has seen customer’s tastes for beer change over the years, thus Thunder Canyon’s philosophy is to keep a wide range of beers available.

“I try and have something for everyone,” he says. “We always want to have a couple of light styles.

“It’s as fresh as you’ll ever get beer. It’s a lot more flavorful. We use the best ingredients ourselves.”

Thunder Canyon will serve four beers, including its Deep Canyon Amber and a “light bodied, easy to drink” Sandstone Creme Ale, in this its 10th visit to the beer festival.

Barrio Brewing Co.

800 E. 16th St.

Once run out of Gentle Ben’s Brewing Co., on Main Gate Square, Dennis Arnold’s brewing operations moved to this 10,000-square-foot building a year ago.

Arnold took over Gentle Ben’s and put in a brewery in 1985, when he returned to Tucson from the San Francisco Bay area. It’s been at its current location, 865 E. University Blvd., since 1995.

In 1999, Arnold bought and gradually renovated the old Tucson Prime Meats and Tucson Warehouse and Transfer property at Toole Avenue and 16th Street, moving his brewing operations there and opening Barrio Brewing brewpub in September, 2007. The new brewery has enough capacity to keep 12 beers – ales and lagers – on tap year round at both locations.

The belief for Barrio Brewing is, “stay true to the customer (by) using quality ingredients (and) brew good beer that will challenge people’s tastes,” Arnold says.

“Brewing is like cooking; it’s all about taste, smell, feel and as you go through a dozen different malts . . . each of them gives you a different flavor profile,” Arnold says.

He touts Taylor Jayne’s Raspberry Ale as one of his most original brews, adding that its mild and sweet raspberry flavor is made for people who are not big beer drinkers. He also pointed to his Mocha Java Stout from last holiday season, with coffee and Dutch cocoa.

Barrio has been participating in the beer festival since 1990 and will pour five or six beers, including its most popular beer Tucson Blonde, an American lager.

Steve Tracy's Thunder Canyon Brewery will serve four beers, including Deep Canyon Amber, at the beer festival.

Dennis Arnold, brewer and owner of Barrio Brewing Co., scoops out spent grain during the brewing process. The mixture was barley malt mixed with water.

Jim Counts is owner of Nimbus Brewing Co.

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ON THE WEB

• Barrio Brewing Co.: www.barriobrewing.com

• Nimbus Brewing Co.: www.nimbusbeer.com

• Thunder Canyon Brewery: www.thundercanyonbrewery.com

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IF YOU GO

What: 22nd annual Great Tucson Beer Festival, with samplings of more than 150 beers from 43 national and international brewers, plus food from local restaurants served in the VIP area.

When: 6-10 p.m. Saturday

Where: Hi Corbett Field, 3400 E. Camino Campestre

Price: Tickets are only available for ages 21 and older. Designated driver options are available. Prices are: • General admission $40 in advance, $50 at the door; $25 for designated driver general admission at the door, includes a souvenir mug, sample tickets to exchange for beer samples, finger foods from local restaurants, one free hot dog served by the Tucson Downtown Lions Club and live entertainment • VIP admission (tickets available online only) $80 in advance; $90 at door; $40 designated driver at the door, includes 5 p.m. admission, access to VIP area with a catered dinner by Desert Diamond Casino’s Agave Restaurant, desserts from Marie Callender’s, with wine and coffee, too, with two how-to-play blackjack tables and one how-to-play poker table from Desert Diamond.

Info: azbeer.com

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WHERE TO BUY TICKETS

Advance tickets are available at:

• Sun Sounds of Arizona 7290 E. Broadway, Suite 166, 296-2400

• 1702 Craft Beer & Pizza 1702 E. Speedway Blvd., 325-1702

• Belushe’s Bar & Grill 1118 E. Sixth St., 903-9039

• Beverage Depot 4231 E. 22nd St., 323-6566

• Brew Your Own Brew 2564 N. Campbell Ave., 322-5049

• Gus’s Liquor Store 3350 N. First Ave., 293-6932

• Gus’s Liquor Store II 4302 E. Grant Road, 320-3779

• Magee Road Liquors 7980 N. Oracle Road, 297-9113

• The Beverage House 8660 E. Broadway 296-9933

• Nimbus Brewing Co. 3850 E. 44th St., 745-9175

• Plaza Liquors & Fine Wines 2642 N. Campbell Ave., 327-0452

• Rumrunner Wine & Cheese Co. 3131 E. First St., 326-0121

• Thunder Canyon Brewery 7401 N. La Cholla Blvd., 797-2652

Peter Wilke opened The B-Line with his brother David in 2002.

Address and phone: 621 N. Fourth Ave., 882-7575

Owner of the nearby Time Market since 1995, Peter Wilke opened The B-Line with his brother David in 2002. About 18 months ago, Peter bought out David’s part of The B-Line when David moved to Manhattan in New York City to attend the Natural Gourmet Institute.

A Denver native, 39-year-old Peter Wilke moved to Tucson 14 years ago. Wilke says he is completely self-taught and grew up cooking with his family. He says his brothers, sisters and especially his mom influenced him. He doesn’t usually cook at the restaurant, though he creates the dishes and menu.

The concept for The B-line came from Peter and David’s desire for food combinations that they couldn’t find in Tucson.

“We would constantly find ourselves wanting to get a perfect burrito or beer on tap . . . and we couldn’t find it so we decided to make it.”

What’s your favorite restaurant?

Vivace. Daniel Scordato has a great palate for food.

What’s your favorite dish to prepare and why?

Penne All’ Arrabbiata. It’s a penne with spicy red sauce and I like to eat it with arugula and crushed red peppers, a little indigenous flavor on top.

What’s your favorite dish to eat and why?

I like to eat a philosophy not a dish.

What’s unique about the Tucson restaurant scene compared to other cities?

I think there is a wide range of eager customers that are seeking out locally owned restaurants with organic ingredients and craft beverages.

What’s your favorite or most used kitchen utensil?

My beer bottle opener.

What do you always have in your refrigerator at home?

India pale ale beer, sharp, aged Canadian cheddar, hot salsa and all the other organic produce I can fit around those other three items.

Why are you a chef?

Great food gives me so much joy and I wanted to share it with other people.

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Be the Chef

The B-Line’s recipe for Four Berry Pie: www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/taste/96881