Chicken anyone?

Lunchtime can be a great time for some tasty eats around Tucson – or a hurried grab at Cheetos from the cafeteria vending machine.

One reader sent in a host of great ideas for the new site, one of which was a feature on lunch spots in different areas around town.

The newsroom is stuck on South Park Avenue and Irvington Road, a seemingly 200 miles from anything edible.

Unless you really dig vending machine Cheetos.

One South Side restaurat was reviewed by Tom Stauffer, former Citizen staffer and awesome food writer.

But he said Hacienda del Mar lacks a major commodity: taste.

(Read review below).

Anyone know of any tasty lunch spots on the South Side?

Hacienda del Mar suffers severe flavor shortage

TOM STAUFFER

I had a pleasant introduction to this South Side restaurant in August about a month after the owners took over the estatelike building, the former home of Parrilla del Rey.

It’s downright palatial, with impressive rock work, hardwood floors, rough-hewn beams and roomy, nicely done dining areas.

I ordered the Camarones con Crema Chipotle ($10.95) and was impressed. The large shrimp were cooked to a tender texture, the cream sauce was rich and savory, and the plate was generously accompanied by rice, steak fries, a small salad and fresh tortillas.

Since that time, the kitchen at Hacienda del Mar has apparently been outfitted with a new piece of equipment – a flavor extractor.

They had it set on high on a recent visit.

My companion and I started with the Tostada Ceviche ($2.99) and the Botana Marinera ($12.95). As with everything else we ordered, the large tostada came with a large helping of ceviche, which was primarily composed of shrimp. Seeing as how ceviche is, by definition, cold-cooked in lime juice, we were somewhat perplexed by the addition of what was either mayo or some type of liquid dairy product. The resulting marriage was odd, to say the least. It came off as an accident, as if someone carrying an overly bland bowl of ceviche collided with someone carrying an overly bland bowl of cole slaw.

The botana appetizer was an even bigger disappointment. The large plate was laid out with a good 15 or so cold, tailless shrimp and 30 or 40 nickel-sized wafers of sliced octopus. My companion and I were nothing less than astonished by the complete lack of flavor in the seafood. It was like eating rubberized air.

We didn’t fare much better with the entrees.

The Tampiquena ($10.95) was a thin slab of rather tough steak. It not only lacked the traditional topping of sautéed onions and bell peppers, but also the chile seasoning that’s normally imbued in the steak. It came with a large order of refried beans and rice, both of which were similarly lacking in soul.

My companion’s Enchiladas Suiza ($9.95) was composed of two large enchiladas stuffed with chicken. The enchiladas were topped with melted cheddar and a greenish cream sauce. They looked nice, but were as flavor-challenged as the rest of the meal.

The desserts were not half bad. The flan ($2.75) was respectable, a version that blended both variants, the cakey and the custardlike. The cheesecake ($2.75), while not overly notable, had a pleasant tang and subtle sweetness.

On my first visit, the server informed me that the people who own Hacienda del Mar also own La Fresita and The Taco Shop Co., fast-Mexican joints in town. I’ve eaten at both, and found them to be of decent quality.

If they served food even remotely as lively and fresh-tasting at their estate on South Nogales Highway, the uncommonly beautiful Hacienda could become a signature destination. The service is professional and prompt, the menu has something for everybody, the portions are huge and the prices are reasonable.

They just need to do something about that giant sucking sound in the kitchen.

AT A GLANCE

What: Hacienda del Mar

Phone and address: 807-5600, 5358 S. Old Nogales Highway

Specialty: Michoacan-style Mexican

Price: Appetizers from $2.99 to $10.95; soups $6.95 to $10.95; burritos $3.95 to $6.49; entrees $8.25 to $10.95.

Bar: Full

Vegetarian options: All soups, salads and entrees can be prepared without meat.

Desserts: Tres Leches Cake, Flan, Chocolate/Chocolate Cake, Cheesecake, (all $2.95) and Ice Cream ($1.95)

Currency: Cash and credit

Latest health inspection: Passed its opening inspection Oct. 4. Has yet to undergo its first unannounced inspection.

Friday is National Pizza Party Day, as if you needed a reason to go for pizza on Friday. Honor the day by supporting these fine local purveyors of pie:

ANGELINA’S

12152 N. Rancho Vistoso Blvd., Suite 170, 742-9595, 11 a.m.-midnight Sundays -Thursdays, 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays

BROOKLYN PIZZA COMPANY

534 N. Fourth Ave., 622-6868, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-2:30 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays, noon-10 p.m Sundays

GRANDMA TONY’S PIZZA

7878 E. Wrightstown Road (886-4461), 9040 E. Valencia Road (663-1936), 7010 E. Broadway (885-7117), 2451 S. Harrison Road (721-6600), 11 a.m.-9 p.m Sundays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays

MAGPIES GOURMET PIZZA

4654 E. Speedway Blvd. (795-5977), 105 S. Houghton Road (751-9949), 605 N. Fourth Ave. (628-1661), 8295 N. Cortaro Road (572-4300), 7315 N. Oracle Road (297-2712), hours vary

MAMA’S FAMOUS PIZZA & HEROES

7965 N. Oracle Road (297-3993), 4500 E. Speedway Blvd. (319-2537), 696 E. 22nd St. (750-1919), 50 S. Houghton Road (751-4600), 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays

MARIO’S PIZZA

3157 N. First Ave., 622-3668, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays

PIZZAZZ! PIZZA BISTRO

1763 E. Prince Road, 325-9040, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays

ROCCO’S LITTLE CHICAGO PIZZERIA

2707 E. Broadway, 321-1860, 11 a.m.- 10 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays

SAUCE

5285 E. Broadway (514-1122), 7117 N. Oracle Road (297-8575), 2990 N. Campbell Ave. (795-0344), 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays

VERO AMORE

3305 N. Swan Road (325-4122), 12130 N. Dove Mountain Blvd. (579-2292), 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.- 10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays

ZACHARY’S PIZZA

1028 E. Sixth St., 623-6323, 4-10 p.m. Mondays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 2-10 p.m Sundays

ZONA 78

78 W. River Road (888-7878), 7301 E. Tanque Verde Road (296-7878), 11 a.m.-10 p.m daily

The Spring Lunch Features are: • Soup and Salad • Salad with Wood Grilled Chicken • Sliders and Fries • Grilled Shrimp and Strawberry Salad • Penne Pasta with Mixed Greens • Colorado Chicken Salad • Wood Grilled Cheeseburger • Firebirds Double BLT • Bleu Cheese Sirloin

They’re available 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, but not on takeout orders.

It's officially time to celebrate bread pudding, which comes in many different flavors and varieties.

The first week in May is National Bread Pudding Recipe Exchange Week, a great time to sample the dessert at these local eateries, though you may have some trouble getting the chefs to divulge their recipes.

BLUEFIN SEAFOOD BISTRO

7053 N. Oracle Road, 531-8500, 11 a.m. -9 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays

Sourdough Bread Pudding with kiln-dried cherries and bourbon crème anglaise.

ECLECTIC CAFE

7053 E. Tanque Verde Road, 885-2842, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Sundays

Old Fashioned Bread Pudding

ELLE WINE COUNTRY RESTAURANT

3048 E. Broadway, 327-0500, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 4-9 p.m. Sundays

Warm Bread Pudding with cinnamon and golden raisins, topped with a bourbon cream sauce.

FLYING V BAR & GRILL

7000 N. Resort Drive, 615-5495, 5:30-9:30 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 5:30-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays

Raspberry Croissant Bread Pudding with butterscotch ice cream

JONATHAN’S CORK

6320 E. Tanque Verde Road, 296-163, dinner from 5 p.m. nightly

New Orleans-style Bread Pudding

O’SHAUGHNESSY’S STEAKHOUSE & PIANO BAR

2200 N. Camino Principal, 296-7464, 5:30-10 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays

Signature Bread Pudding with bourbon sauce

MONTANA AVENUE

6390 E. Grant Road, 298-2020, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays

Kentucky Bourbon Bread Pudding with spiced sour cherries and candied pecans

VIVACE

4310 N. Campbell Ave., 795-7221, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays

Warm bread pudding made with croissants and apples in a Tuaca caramel sauce

The Rock Shrimp Ceviche is a fresh, clean appetizer with subtle, balanced flavors.

elle plays it close to the vest, from the lower-case moniker to its subtle teaming of French, Italian and California-fresh fare.

There’s an unpretentious yet elegant sense of place at work here, a harmony of the historic Broadway Village confines and the casually graceful atmosphere, service and fare that give elle a quiet yet distinct signature.

Tucson’s only Wine Country Restaurant, it offers not only an extensive selection of wines but also goes to considerable lengths to optimally pair them to a menu that draws a bead on simplicity and classic technique, tweaked with clever, imaginative notes and themes.

We started a recent visit with the Rock Shrimp Ceviche ($10), a great introduction to the subtle power that exemplifies elle at its best, a measured commitment to teaming flavors and textures that mirrors the effort spent in pairing just the right wine to just the right food. The large bowl was generously portioned with medium-shrimp that were cleanly fresh and nicely stiffened by an elegant ceviche. The teaming of cantaloupe and meticulously sectioned ruby red grapefruit and navel oranges took the ceviche’s lime to a new and different place. The lack of overwhelming acidity and spicy heat provided a refreshing, more open canvas with which to savor the sweetness of the shrimp and fruit.

Our other starter, the elle Antipasta ($12.75) was a well-balanced collection of hot coppacola, green peppercorn salami, marinated artichokes, bell peppers and mushrooms, rounded out with three thick slices of house-made mozzarella and goat-cheese stuffed peppadew peppers that were surprisingly sweet and tangy. The mild, dense mozzarella made for a good counterpoint to the salumi, which also included a sultry pile of prosciutto that wasn’t listed on the menu.

The Portuguese Short Ribs ($22) entree has long been a favorite here. A generous serving of two large ribs cut from the bone and served flat, they were sided by mashed red potatoes and braised cabbage. The braised ribs were thick and tender, trimmed to include a good payoff of fatty richness, and had notably enduring notes of cinnamon, mint and red wine, which just as pleasantly accented the potatoes and cabbage.

My companion’s Gnocchi entree ($13.25 for the petite version) initially struck us as anomalously aggressive compared to most of elle’s fare, as the salmon was strikingly pungent and husky to nose and mouth. A few bites into the dish, the supporting cast began to resonate, with a rich, French-evoking meld of red onions, roma tomatoes and roasted pine nuts in a sweet pesto cream sauce catching up with the salmon. While my companion decided the dish was a bit too bold and fishy (we switched entrees), I found myself appreciating the pedal-to-the-metal dose of rich salmon against the pillowy, ethereal gnocchi and sweet sauce to the very last bite.

A nice feature of elle is that petite versions of most of the menu selections are available, even with desserts, a break in prices and portions that I wish more eateries offered.

We finished with petite versions of Warm Gingerbread ($5.50) and Warm Bread Pudding ($5.50). The gingerbread was dense and moist, not bashful with the ginger but not overbearing, topped with a caramel sauce and sided by banana gelato. The bread pudding had an engaging degree of crisp sizzle but was still soft and supple enough to merit true bread-pudding status, unlike other versions that amount to not much more than glorified cinnamon rolls. Served with a delicately rich bourbon cream sauce, this is the one dish we should have ordered full-size rather than the petite version.

The Tagliatella Pasta with House-made Italian Sausage ($17, $12.25 petite) is a no-brainer for fans of elle’s Italian slant, and may be my favorite entree here. Also popular is the Butternut Squash Ravioli ($16.25, $13 petite), served with spinach and sliced mushrooms in a sage brown butter sauce.

While elle may not knock your socks off with bravado and bluster (the salmon gnocchi being the notable exception), it just as impressively slides them off with a smooth, sultry motion in keeping with its soft, stately surroundings.

Tucson's only Wine Country Restaurant takes as much care with its flavor pairings as it does with its wine pairings.

———

AT A GLANCE

Address and phone: 3048 E.

Broadway, 327-0500

Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays – Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 4 to 9 p.m. Sundays

Prices: Appetizers from $7.75 to $13.50, soups and salads from $4.25 to $9.75, pastas and risottos from $11.75 to $18.25, entrees from $13.50 to $30, desserts from $5.50 to $9

Bar: full

Vegetarian options: Many, including Caponata with Garlic Bruschetta ($10.75), Butternut Squash Ravioli ($13 or $17.75), Spaghetti with Broccoli Rabe ($11.75 or $16.25) and Risotto with roasted corn, haricot verts, grape tomatoes, parsley, lemon zest and goat cheese ($12.75 or $17.25)

Desserts: Warm Gingerbread ($5.50), Chocolate Pate ($6), Crème Brûlée Duo ($6), Warm Rustic Apple-Cranberry Tart ($7), New York Caramel Cheese Cake ($6), Warm Bread Pudding ($5.50), Gelatos and Sorbets ($4.50) and CheesePlate ($9)

Latest health inspection: An “excellent” rating Nov. 16, 2006. No critical violations were reported.

During June, eegee’s customers can donate $5 to CareGiver and receive a coupon card good for 50 percent off purchases for the next 12 months, a potential savings of $72 over the course of the year. The promotion, started by eegee’s in 1992, has raised more than $1 million for local charities.

The not-for-profit institute educates compassionate, quality, certified caregivers and certified nursing assistants to work in nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, hospice centers and private homes.

All expenses for the promotion are underwritten by eegee’s so that all funds raised this year, including change collected in coin canisters at eegee’s 21 locations, will go to the institute’s programs and services.

During the week of Sept. 19-26, participating restaurants will offer a three-course dinner of signature dishes for the fixed price of $29 per person or $58 per couple. Those rates exclude beverages, tax and tip.

About 100 restaurants participated in last year’s inaugural event, a Phoenix-only affair; 125 Arizona eateries are expected to take part in this year’s event.

Of participating restaurants, 90 percent reported increased reservations during Arizona Restaurant Week, and 75 percent attracted new, first-time diners, according to event organizers.

More than 25 other U.S. cities hold similar restaurant weeks, including New York City, Washington, D.C., and San Diego.

For more information, visit arizonarestaurantweek.com.

• • •

Agua Linda Farm will celebrate its second annual Garlic & Onion Festival from 5 to 9 p.m. June 19-20.

The free event will feature live music, hayrides, onion rings, roasted garlic and other “scrumptiously stinky treats,” as well as the chance to stock up on all natural, locally grown garlic and onions.

Most of the garlic available in the U.S. is shipped from China and is often a year old by the time it gets to your local grocery store, notes Agua Linda co-owner Stuart Loew.

Agua Linda Farm is in Amado (take Interstate 19 south, Exit 42, south on East Frontage Road). For more information, call 520-398-3218, or visit agualindafarm.net.

Kenney D's manager Gregg Hamann piles the toppings on a Chicago-style hotdog, one of many offerings with the authentic flavors of the Windy City.

What: Kenney D’s Chicago Style Sandwiches

Address and phone: 8060 E. 22nd St., 722-8900

Hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays

What was ordered: Original Italian Beef ($6.25), Italian Sub ($5.90), one small lemonade ($1.75), and one medium soft drink ($1.90) for a total of $17.97, including tax, well within our Cheap Eats goal of a meal for two for less than $20.

Comments: They don’t call it the City of Broad Shoulders for nothing.

Make too much of a habit of this Chicago-style sandwich shop and everything on you will be broad, especially your mid-section.

That’s because Kenney D’s not only serves gargantuan sandwiches, but also darn good ones, particularly the Original Italian Beef.

Picture those round-top lunch boxes that blue-collar workers have, the kind that allowed Johnny Cash to take home his Cadillac one piece at a time. The Original Italian Beef here might not stand quite that tall, but it’s in the ballpark.

Served authentically soggy, this thing was heavy enough to use for curls and get a decent burn. We ordered it with hot and sweet peppers and received a generous supply of veggies that didn’t come from a jar, including an entire bell pepper cut in half.

Thing was, the 8-inch sandwich roll and pound or so of beef made the bell pepper halves look like pepperoncinis. The thin-sliced roast beef was well enhanced with the combination of sweet and hot peppers, carrots and celery, and necessarily held in a fresh yet adequately dense, old-school sub roll. A roll of any lesser constitution would have been rendered the texture of wet toilet paper given the staggering portions of juicy meat and veggies.

They sell a $5 Junior version of the Italian Beef, and I have a strong feeling that Junior applies to its size the way Little applies to Little John in Robin Hood. Unless you’re just coming off the maple syrup, lemon juice and cayenne pepper diet, Junior will be all you need and then some to hit the spot.

The Italian Sub was slightly more polite, but impressively outfitted with good-quality ham, mortadella and Genoa salami. Finished with leaf lettuce, pepperoncinis, slices of provolone and tomato, and just the right amount of oil and vinegar, it had a good balance of acidity to match the meat. In a nice, little touch, they toasted the insides of the same, excellently chewy sub roll they used for the Italian Beef.

I’d never had a Thelma’s Frozen Lemonade, and found it to be along the lines of a Dairy Queen Mr. Misty, a lopsided affair that had sweet prevailing over tart the way the Bears prevailed over the Patsies in Super Bowl XX in January 1986.

That sandwiches this respectably good are served in portions this big at prices this reasonable is impressive. You’ll get less than a third of the meat and the flavor for the price at the chain sub shops.

Kenney D’s also serves dogs, burgers and specialty sandwiches, including the Kenney D’s Ribeye, BBQ Ham and KTO Turkey Melt.

They don’t bowl you over at the counter with kindness here, which is just as it should be in characteristic Chicago style. They’ve got work to do. So do you. If you expect to finish your sandwich and not be late back to work, you don’t have time for pleasantries.

Bring your own roll of paper towels if you’re opting for the Italian Beef, or plan on sequestering a stack of napkins the height of a Jenga tower. Which is also just as it should be.

Service: Order at the counter and the food is brought to your table.

Bar: no

Children’s menu: no

Web site: no

Most recent health inspection: An “excellent” rating Oct. 30, 2008. No critical violations were reported.

Harvest, in Oro Valley, features organic and locally sourced food.

The 2009 Art in Oro Valley Competition & Exhibition runs through April 30 at Ventana Medical Systems, 1910 E. Innovation Park Drive, with viewing hours from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays.

The exhibit features work from more than 80 local artists in three competition themes: Water, Oro Valley and High School Open Subject. If you hurry, you can still check out the exhibit with your favorite starving-artist friend, then treat her/him to a big meal at one of these five nearby eateries. Or just skip the exhibit and go straight for the food.

ANGELINA’S RISTORANTE

12152 N. Rancho Vistoso Blvd., Suite 170, 742-9595, 11 a.m.-midnight Sundays -Thursdays, 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays (late night menu after 10 p.m.)

Features a nice variety of 27 upscale tapas and award-winning artisan pizza.

CIBARIA CUCINA ITALIANA

12985 N. Oracle Road, 825-2900, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 4:30-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays

Try the Polenta Capponata, sautéed Italian sausage, eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, red onions and mushrooms in a marinara sauce served over creamy polenta.

DRAGON VILLAGE RESTAURANT

12152 N. Rancho Vistoso Blvd., Suite 180, 229-0388, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, noon-9 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays

Specialties to try include Westlake Shrimp & Beef Soup, Bacon Shrimp Roll and House Lettuce Cups, with shrimp, chicken, beef, onions and peppers in a spicy sauce.

HARVEST RESTAURANT

10355 N. La Cañada Drive, 731-1000, 3-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursday, 3-10 p.m. Fridays, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturdays, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays

Handmade Gnocchi is a great way to start the meal at this newbie, which emphasizes organic and locally sourced food

SPICE BISTRO

10325 N. La Cañada Drive, 297-3777, 5-9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays

Linguine Allo Scoglio features a generous collection of well-prepared shrimp, scallops, mussels and clams, and the calamari starter is excellent.

Crown Imports LLC has announced the arrival of Negra Modelo and Modelo Especial on draft in Tucson, one of only three cities to offer the beers.

Th drafts will make their Tucson debut at a Pour Party featuring an evening of drink specials and giveaways Friday from 6-8 p.m. at El Charro Ventana, 6910 E. Sunrise Drive.

Negra Modelo and Modelo Especial on draft will specially priced at $2.09 per pint at the event.

Complementary food pairings for each beer will be served.

Crown Imports’ Matt Henry will also be on hand to talk about the distinctive attributes of Modelo, described as a Vienna-style lager, and Especial, a golden, pilsner-style beer.

Giveaways at the Pour Party will include special branded glassware, hats and other items.

The Modelo draft also will be available at the original El Charro downtown, 311 N. Court Ave., and at El Mercado, 6310 E. Broadway.

Daglio’s Cheesesteaks & Hoagies, 250 N. Pantano Road, is offering 2-for-1 cheesesteaks and hoagies from 2-4 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Buy one cheesesteak or hoagie, two drinks and an order of fries and get the second cheesesteak or hoagie at no charge.

Daglio’s also has added salads to the menu, including the Buffalo Chicken Salad made with grilled Red Bird chicken for $6.35.