The Chilled Seafood Platter was a delightful surprise, with fresh shrimp, mussels and crab, and an innovative presentation of calamari.

Casino restaurants are notorious for serving decent food in large portions and pleasant surroundings to people who have striking it rich at the top of their lists and dining a distant second.

But given Tucson’s paucity of steakhouses, this upscale offering at Desert Diamond Casino is worth the trip without the chips, particularly because it may be the Tucson area’s best tweener steakhouse.

The prices are more reasonable than the upscale a la carte steakhouses, while the fare, service and surroundings are notably superior to the kitschy, Wild West joints.

The clinchers for us were the starters and the desserts – both of which are common shortcomings at steakhouses.

The Chilled Seafood Sampler ($14.95) was impressive enough to hold its own against any freestanding restaurant, steakhouse or otherwise. The hubcap-sized platter featured four large shrimp, four large mussels, four crab claws, a good 8 ounces or so of bay shrimp ceviche, and a similarly large serving of calamari salad. The shrimp, mussels and crab were of excellent quality and freshness, and would have been worth the price of the platter. We were expecting the ceviche and calamari offerings to be little more than gestures, but they were our favorite parts of the plate. The bay shrimp were kept in the lime juice to an exacting finish, as they were nicely supple and delicately acidic.

The orange-hued calamari strips were cleverly camped in a light sauce of ginger, sesame oil and citrus, and were teamed with julienned peppers and vegetables in a vibrant, delicate Asian motif. It was one of the more innovative presentations of calamari we’ve encountered, good enough to be an appetizer all by its lonesome.

Next to arrive were generous dinner salads and a flatbread foccacia that struck us as a delicately sweet lavosh. Both of these came with the entrees.

The Rib-Eye Beef Brochettes ($19.95) entree featured 10 medallion-sized cuts of rib-eye skewered with red onion, tomato and mushrooms. The meat had been expertly charred to carry a good payoff of grilled flavor without bringing any of the bitterness from too much charring. There was an extra rich, roastiness to the meat that had us thinking truffle oil may have been in there.

We chose the middle-of-the-road sized Prime Rib as our second entree – the 12-ounce steakhouse cut ($18.95). If the cut we were served was 12 ounces, we’ve been getting ripped off at other joints, because the slab seemed notably bigger than the standard median offering. It was a good 2 inches thick, was nicely stopped at medium rare, and was delicately imbued with natural juices, rather than ratcheted up with beef stock or other enhancements. The interior pink was dense yet supple, while the gray, outer perimeter beyond the ring of fat was softer, richer and saltier – all in all, a respectable and well-roasted prime rib. The 10-ounce English cut goes for $16.95, while the 16-ounce Desert Diamond cut is $18.95.

The beef here is Sterling Silver Premium – they tell you so with little, black plastic sign skewers that the server thankfully removes tableside. It’s a status I’ve encountered at a couple of other steak joints with good but not spectacular results. This was the best Sterling Silver beef I’ve encountered, and it doesn’t hurt that they grill it with precision and serve it in impressive portions.

Rather than sautéed until limp and flavor-challenged, the seasonal vegetables that sided both entrees were colorful and firm, the zucchini a little too much so, as it was a tad bitter.

We had little room for dessert and weren’t overly enthralled with the choices until they arrived.

The two wedges of Chocolate Hazelnut Cake ($6.25) looked impossible to finish, but we nearly did just that. Two layers of cake sandwiched a light cream layer and topped with ganache, the cake came off much more sophisticated and diversely flavored than its hulking demeanor led on.

Rather than an overpowering sweetness, it was airy and ultramoist, with a mellow, milk chocolate theme and a faint but pleasing note of pungency from cream cheese (or possibly mascarpone). The Streusel Baked Peach Cobbler ($6.25) was dominated by a scoop of vanilla ice cream the size of a softball, but the skillet of cobbler beneath had me steering around the ice cream to get at the ideal match of toasty, crumbly pastry and mild, fresh peaches.

With two coffees and a club soda, the tab for the whole deal came to $73.85. If that sounds like a lot, you haven’t loaded up at a steak place lately, as that’s $30 to $50 less than what I’d expect to pay at an upscale steak joint and not much more than I would at a cowboy joint with foil-wrapped baked potatoes, store-bought dinner rolls, canned green beans and middling steaks.

You may have never ventured to a casino just to dine, but if you’re looking for a good steak and an excellent appetizer, it’s a safe bet you’ll come away from Desert Diamond’s steakhouse feeling like a winner.

If you order the Streusel Baked Peach Cobbler, work around the ice cream to get to the crumbly sweet cobbler underneath.

———

AT A GLANCE

Address and phone: 7350 S. Old Nogales Highway, 294-7777

Prices: Appetizers $8.95 to $14.95; side orders $3.25; entrees $16.95 to $28.95; desserts $6.25

Hours: daily 4 to 10 p.m.

Bar: Full

Vegetarian options: Colossal Onion Bloom ($8.95), Flambéed Garlic-Cremini Mushroom ($3.25), Broccoli Florets & Gruyere Cheese or alla Polonaise ($3.25)

Desserts: Several, including Chocolate Hazelnut Cake ($6.25), Tiramisu Cake ($6.25) and Streusel Baked Cobbler ($6.25)

Sonora Querida Asadero is reminiscent of a hidden treasure of a restaurant in San Carlos or Rocky Point.

What: Sonora Querida Asadero

Address and phone: 4749 S. 12th Ave., 889-0923

Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily

What was ordered: Ceviche Tostada ($3), two Marlin Tacos ($3 each), Carne Rajas Tacos ($3), Caramelo ($2), Limonada ($1.50), and Jamaica ($1.50) for a total of $18.38 including tax, within our Cheap Eats goal of a meal for two for less than $20

Comments: ¡Que suave!

My 10-year-old daughter keeps telling me to stop using the word cool, because these days, cool stands for “constipated, out-of-touch, out-of-style loser,” she says. If I’m impressed with something, rather than calling it cool, I should call it sweet, she says.

I can’t call something sweet. It just sounds too cute and cuddly to be uttered by someone as jaded and misanthropic as me. Fortunately, there’s an excellent Spanish alternative – suave – which is more literally translated as smooth, but covers the same ground as cool.

And this South Side taco joint is very cool indeed.

The fare is authentically coastal Sonoran, with a nice selection of beef and seafood tacos, tostadas, tortas and sopas.

The Ceviche Tostada was probably my least favorite selection on a recent visit, which is saying something, because it was one of the better ceviche tostadas I’ve had on the South Side. Though the portions of seafood were moderate, the octopus, shrimp and fish were fresh and bouncy, the pico was mild and unassuming, and the corn tortilla was fried to order.

My companion had high praise for the Marlin Taco, noting that it was “exquisitely infused with the sensation of standing at a taco stand on the beach at Guaymas.” The marlin chunks were reddened by a tangy, zingy sauce, and the thick, flour taco shell was nicely grilled yet slightly puffy.

My favorite was the Taco Rajas. The teaming of good carne asada, fresh roasted peppers and melted Mexican white cheese had the kind of roasty, salty, slightly greasy payoff that so many beef tacos lack.

All six selections we devoured came to the table somewhat mild and unassuming, which made for ideal customization with the diverse condiment tray delivered to the table. The tray included red and avocado salsa, cilantro, onions and limes, allowing us to trick out and crank up the flavor profiles as we saw fit.

The look, feel and service here are no-nonsense. They don’t have to try to sell you on the authenticity with trinkets, decorations and other trappings. The food supplies all the authenticity you need to be transported to that little off-the-beaten-track place in San Carlos or Puerto Peñasco, the place you seek out even before you unpack the car at the hotel.

And that’s very cool, and maybe even sweet.

Service: Tableside service was friendly, prompt and bilingual, which comes in handy for gringos, as the menu is in Spanish.

Bar: no

Children’s menu: no

Web site: no

Farmer Stewart Loew, co-owner of Agua Linda Farm, has local produce at farmer's markets and at the farm in Amado.

If you’re dedicated to seeking locally sourced food when possible, your market basket will be decidedly green this week.

Get your fill of local mixed greens now, because the onset of triple-digit temperatures will see their demise, said Laurel Loew, co-owner of Agua Linda Farm in Amado.

“We still have them, but when the temperatures get to 100 degrees, they start bolting and get bitter,” Loew said.

Agua Linda sells every Sunday at the Tucson Farmers’ Market at St. Philip’s Plaza, 4280 N. Campbell Ave., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its Farm Store in Amado. Currently available are lettuce, cabbage, kale, swiss chard, Asian greens, turnips, snow peas and sugar snap peas.

A trek the other direction from Tucson to Our Garden in Catalina will have you choosing from radicchio, kale, chard, spinach, bok choi, turnips, radishes (white and red), lettuce, onion thinnings and asparagus. Open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon, Our Garden is about 10 miles north of Tucson at 16500 N. Stallion Place.

In another month, Our Garden will be harvesting onions, garlic and 40 rows of corn, said Jesse Petty, whose family owns and farms Our Garden.

Back in town, the Food Conspiracy Co-op, 412 N. Fourth Ave., features produce from a variety of local farmers, including Leo Mercado of Tanque Verde Gardens, whose location allows him to stretch his harvest of fragile greens, said Torey Ligon, outreach coordinator for Food Conspiracy.

“He’s way out in this little bowl in the Tanque Verde Wash, so he gets cooler temperatures,” Ligon said. “Last year, he was growing lettuce into June.”

Four different farmers are still bringing greens to the co-op, with grapefruits and some oranges and lemons also still available, Ligon said.

“We’re kind of right at the change point where the seasons start shifting,” she said. “We’ll be getting carrots, turnips, beets and radishes, and once you get into June, that’s when you start to see onions and garlic.”

Roasted Kale with Sea Salt

Tougher than most greens, kale is usually stir fried or boiled. This easy recipe, comprised of just three ingredients, yields kale with a crispy texture and salty flavor.

4 cups firmly packed kale

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon good-quality sea salt, such as Maldon or Cyprus Flake

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Wash and trim the kale: Peel off the tough stems by folding the kale leaves in half like a book and stripping the stems off. Toss with extra virgin olive oil. Roast for five minutes. Turn kale over. Roast another 7 to 10 minutes until kale turns brown and becomes paper thin and brittle. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings.

Source: healthycookingsuite101.com

Sauteed Swiss Chard

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Pinch of dried crushed red pepper

2 large bunches Swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips

Melt butter with oil in heavy large pot over medium-low heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chard; stir to coat. Cover; cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to bowl and serve.

Source: Epicurious.com

———

LOCAL PRODUCE SOURCES

• Agua Linda Farm, I-19, Exit 42, south on East Frontage Road in Amado, 520-398-3218, agualindafarm.net

• Our Garden, 16500 N. Stallion Place, Catalina, 825-3861, ourgardencatalina.com

• Community Food Bank Farmers’ Market, 3003 S. Country Club Road, 622-0525, Tuesdays 8 a.m. to noon.

• Farmers’ Market at the University of Arizona, Main Gate Square on University Boulevard between Park and Euclid, 319-9868, Fridays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Santa Cruz River Farmers’ Market, 1352 W. Speedway Blvd., 622-0525, Thursdays 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

• Tucson Farmers’ Market, St. Philip’s Plaza, 4280 N. Campbell Ave., 918-9811, Sundays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Food Conspiracy Co-op, 412 N. Fourth Ave., 624-4821, foodconspiracy.org, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

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.

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.

Richard Laguna, 42, shops for milk at Food City, 3030 E. 22nd St., on Wednesday afternoon. According to the Arizona Farm Bureau, food prices have dropped for the second consecutive quarter. A gallon of milk is down 20 cents, to $2.87.

Raid the dairy section, stock up on O.J., and favor fowl over the hooved proteins.

Those are three ways to save on your grocery bill based on the latest survey by the Arizona Farm Bureau Federation, which does quarterly assessments of 16 common grocery items.

Orange juice showed the greatest decrease, with the average price down $1.40, to $2.49 for a half-gallon container. Shredded cheddar cheese was down $1.31, to $3.65 a pound; a 5-pound bag of flour dropped 50 cents, to $3.19; and milk was down 20 cents to $2.87 a gallon.

The largest prices increases were deli ham, up 70 cents a pound to $5.28; ground beef, up 30 cents a pound to $3.99; and toasted oat cereal, up 24 cents an 8.9-ounce box to $3.23.

“What’s happened with dairy is we’re oversupplied, and milk prices should be staying low through a good chunk of this year,” said Julie Murphree, spokeswoman for the Gilbert-based Arizona Farm Bureau Federation.

Local shopper Stephanie McKerchie said she has seized on lower milk prices.

“My fiancee and I have three gallons of milk in the fridge, because we drink a lot and use a lot for cereal, and I have noticed that it’s gotten a lot cheaper compared to last year,” said McKerchie, 20.

The substantial drop in milk prices will come at an eventual cost to the consumer, as milk producers will most likely pull back on their production, resulting in an eventual uptick in prices that could come as early as this fall, Murphree said.

“Given the suddenness and severity of the plunge in farm-level milk prices, a significant number of farmers won’t survive much longer with the milk prices they’re receiving,” said Paul Rovey, chairman of the board for United Dairymen of Arizona.

Farm-level prices for milk were down almost 50 percent in February from the beginning of 2008 due to the economic downturn, growth in world supplies of dairy products, and lower international and domestic demand, Rovey said.

McKerchie noted that her savings on milk and cheese is canceled out by rising beef prices.

“I buy steak for dinner, and that’s been really hurting our pocketbook,” she said.

For Norm Peterson, the only reasonable prices he sees on beef these days come in quantities too large for him to buy.

“To get a decent price, you have to basically buy the family pack, which is about a dollar per pound cheaper. But unless you’re going to buy that much, it’s up,” said Peterson, an 86-year-old retired contractor. “Milk prices have definitely come down, but overall, if anything, I think I’m paying more.”

Peterson’s 62-year-old daughter, Carol, said it’s not just higher prices that steer her away from beef.

“Don’t even get me started on beef,” she said. “I don’t know where the heck all the good meat is, but they must be shipping it out of the country, because all we get is the weird stuff.”

Most of the savings that warehouse worker Mark Lopez sees when shopping come with a caveat, he said.

“When the prices are really good on milk and other stuff, it’s usually because of the expiration date, because it’s about to go bad,” said Lopez, 40. “Most of the other stuff I buy, like cereal, vegetables and meat, that’s all gone up.”

The bureau compares prices on a quarterly basis for the Marketbasket survey, but comparing the first three months of 2009 to the last quarter of 2008 has been complicated due to a change in six of the items used in the survey, Murphree said.

The Farm Bureau looked at the institute’s data on shopping trends over the last two years and based on that data, updated the 16 Marketbasket items to better reflect consumers’ current buying habits, said Jim Sartwelle, an American Farm Bureau economist.

Based on the former 16 items used in previous quarters, the first quarter of 2009 was down 32 cents from the previous quarter, Murphree said. That’s the second consecutive drop, as the last quarter of 2008 was down $2.71 from the third quarter of 2008.

Arizona’s total price on the Marketbasket was $7.02 higher than the U.S. average of $47.41 for the same 16 items.

The state’s food prices are generally less favorable than the national average because there are a lot of basic foods that are brought into Arizona rather than produced and processed here, Murphree said.

“If you’re in the Midwest, you’ve got the whole integrated supply chain working for you, but here, the middleman-handling and transportation costs increase the prices,” Murphree said.

Arizona also has a lot of rural areas served by single grocery stores, which aren’t under the same pressure to lower prices as those in urban areas with more competition, she said.

The bureau seeks to identify the best in-store prices, excluding promotional coupons and special deals, so shoppers can often find better prices than those listed in the Marketbasket survey if they seek out in-store specials, Murphree said.

The bureau advises shoppers wishing to stretch their dollars to focus on basic food items over processed ones, and when possible, modify their eating habits, Murphree said.

“With that box of corn flakes, the actual corn in the box is not more than 5 to 8 cents, but the box costs you $3.50, so you’re paying for the middleman,” she said. “It might not be as convenient, but instead of cereal every morning, if you have eggs one morning and fruit and milk on another morning, that will make a difference. Eggs are about 16 cents a piece.”

The price of all-purpose flour fell an average of 50 cents for a 5-pound bag.

The cost of Red Delicious apples has remained steady over the past quarter, at an Arizona average of $1.46 a pound.

———

Item AZ change over U.S.

average pvs. quarter average

Red Delicious Apples, lb. $1.46 down $.01 $1.35

Russet Potatoes, 5 lbs. $3.69 no change $3.05

Ground Chuck, lb. $3.99 up $.30 $2.94

Sirloin tip roast, lb. $4.99 up $.14 $3.99

Sliced deli ham, lb. $5.38 up $.79 $4.94

Bacon, lb. $3.88 up $.19 $3.26

Boneless chicken breast, lb. $4.75 down $.04 $3.38

Whole milk, gallon $2.87 down $.20 $3.15

Shredded mild cheddar cheese, lb. $3.65 down $1.31 $4.24

Eggs, dozen, large $1.99 up $.20 $1.50

All-purpose flour, 5 lbs. $3.19 down $.50 $2.51

Orange Juice, half gallon $2.49 down $1.40 $3.00

Vegetable oil, 32 oz. $4.29 down $.03 $2.79

American Salad mix, lb. $2.99 up $.10 $2.63

Toasted oat cereal, 8.9-oz. box $3.23 up $.24 $2.91

White bread, 20-oz. loaf $1.59 no change $1.77

Source: Arizona Farm Bureau Federation Marketbasket Survey

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MARKETBASKET SURVEY

FIRST QUARTER 2009

SAM FOX

Tucson-born restaurateur Sam Fox recently was inducted into the Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame.

Fox received the Culinary Ambassador Award given “influential industry promoters elevating tourism and hotel and restaurant properties in Arizona.” He was a semifinalist in 2008 and 2009 for the James Beard Foundation Outstanding Restaurateur Award.

Fox serves on the board of the Arizona Cancer Center. He also is a member of the Young President’s Organization and the philanthropic Thunderbirds, an Arizona nonprofit group that assists children and families in need.

Fox launched Fox Restaurant Concepts here in 1997 and moved its headquarters to Scottsdale four years later. The company employs more than 1,300 people in four states. Twenty-two of its 27 restaurants are in Arizona, with three in Colorado and one each in Texas and Kansas.

His 12th concept and 28th eatery – Modern Steak – is slated to open this fall in Scottsdale Fashion Square.

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More blogs

See more blogs at tucsoncitizen.com/blog.

The addition

of shrimp makes

the Double L's

chile relleno pop.

This venerable South Fourth fortress has a reputation as one of those “safe” Mexican eateries, the kind of place you can take everybody in the office or family, even the ones who give the hard G sound to saguaro and agua.

What started as a drive-in in 1948 has grown into a compound that has a bulletproof, somewhat restaurant-at-the-hospital look and feel. I prefer the north dining room to the other two, as it’s a little more festive, has a little more color and lets in a little more light.

It had been a while since I passed through the double doors at Double L, and I was pleased to encounter a new menu that comes with the old one. The addition features a comprehensive array of seafood entrees, cocktails and soups and new traditional entrees such as Calabacitas, Chilaquiles, Chicken Mole, Milanesa, Sonoran-style Barbacoa and tortas.

Let your “hard G” companions order off the old menu, but if you want Guillermo’s best, go with the new one.

We started a recent visit with the Campechana (assorted seafood cocktail ($10), a parfait glass loaded with shrimp, scallops, abalone, a pair of larger oysters and ceviche-style fish in a gazapacho-ish bath with fine-diced cabbage, celery and onions.

We initially found the spicing on the cocktail base to be overly mild, but later realized it was well-gauged to showcase the generous and diverse array of good quality seafood. The sultry scallops and near-crunchy shrimp were notably impressive, and though we split the small version of the cocktail (the large goes for $12), it was more than enough for both of us.

We weren’t up for a cheese crisp or a quesadilla, so we ordered the Calabacitas entree ($7.95) for a second starter.

The zucchini, onions and bell peppers were nicely sautéed, but rather than the cream sauce we’re used to with Calabacitas, this one came with an Italian-dressing-style sauce that we found off-putting and overly piquant.

The Milanesa ($8.95) entree off the new menu also came out a little different than versions to which we’re accustomed, as the breading had the grit of cornmeal. Rather than a floppy, elephant-ear cutlet, this one was a little bit stiffer owing to the breading, but the beef itself was moist and flavorful.

The breading was kept thin enough to not steal center stage from the beef, and though we’d have preferred the texture of the breading to be more along the lines of a thin, chicken-fried steak, the added cornmeal did add a bit of pleasant sweetness to the dish.

Our other entree, the Chile Relleno de Camaron ($13.95), delivered a payoff every bit as flavorful and impressive as the Campechana. The relleno batter had just the right sizzle and crispness of egg whites and was stuffed to burrito size with medium-sized shrimp, a well-roasted, carefully seeded Anaheim chile, and good, mild Mexican white cheese. The sweetness and pull of the shrimp added a flavor and texture to the relleno without taking away from what would have been a first-rate relleno all by its lonesome.

Beans and rice that came with both entrees were above average by “safe” Mexican standards, as the beans had a husky flavor and were topped with melted Queso Fresco, and the fluffy rice had soft notes of chicken stock and tomato rather than the overbearingly salty and soggy versions one often encounters.

Desserts brought the only real disappointment of the night, but it was a big one. The Flan ($3.25) was altogether inedible. The caramel sauce was burnt to such a degree that it rendered the whole affair into one that tasted like we were eating an ash tray. I gave the flan a second chance on a follow-up visit. This time, the lack of ash-laden sourness revealed the custard for what it was – a thin, flavor-challenged version that tasted a lot like the little Jell-O-sized boxes of powdered flan mix you get for 59 cents at Food City.

We fared much better with our other dessert, a generous cube of Almendrado ($3.25). The spongy, gelatin meringue was layered in the colors of the Mexican flag and generously slathered in a blond almond sauce with lots of tiny bits of minced almond. Almendrado is an uncomplicated treat, the meringue itself offering not much more than pillowed sweetness and the almond sauce an equally simple teaming of almond flavoring and condensed milk. While this somewhat one-dimensional enterprise is not for everybody, there’s a quiet appeal in the tender, puffy affair that I’ve always been a sucker for, and Guillermo’s Almendrado is one of the better and more generously portioned versions I’ve encountered.

The icing on the cake, or Almendrado as it were, at Double L is the service, which is as professional as you’ll get at a restaurant, Mexican or otherwise. The servers know all the regulars and the menu backwards and forwards (even the new one), swoop in as soon as a glass or the chip bowl empties and couldn’t be more attentive and prompt.

These are not your itinerant, uncaring loafers in a holding pattern while they finish school, or glorified busers who don’t know their cabezas from holes in the ground. They’re career servers, lifers who have raised their families off the tips you leave at these sturdy wooden tables, and they, as much as anyone or anything at Double L, are the reason this restaurant has prospered for 68 years.

While the old menu is all most people need to keep coming here, the new one has infused this local institution with a considerable dose of energy that separates it from sleepier “safe-Mex” standbys.

Guillermo's Double L is a mainstay on South Fourth Avenue.

Almendrado, a light gelatin meringue topped with almond sauce, is a great ending to a meal.

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AT A GLANCE

Address and phone: 1830 S. Fourth Ave., 702-4583

Hours: 11 a.m-10 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays

Prices: Appetizers from $5.75 to $8.25, soups and salads from $1.95 to $9.50, entrees from $6.95 to $18.50, desserts from $1.45 to $3.95

Bar: full

Vegetarian options: Several, including Calabacitas ($7.95), Chilaquiles ($7.95), Chilango Burro entree ($7.95) and Vegetarian Topopo Salad ($8.50)

Desserts: Sopapillas, Flan, Almendrado and Choco Taco

Latest health inspection: A good rating Feb. 12. A critical violation was reported for potentially hazardous foods not held at proper cooling temperature.

Once you get past the beans and rice, the food at Rodolfo's is uninspired.

What: Rodolfo’s Taco Shop

Address and phone: 1708 W. Ajo Way, 741-1831

Hours: 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 7 a.m.-9 p.m Sundays

What was ordered: Fish Tacos Plate ($6.58), Steak Ranchero Plate ($6.58), side of guacamole (63 cents) medium lemonade ($1.37) and medium drink ($1.37) for a total of $17.87 including tax, well within our Cheap Eats goal of a meal for two for less than $20.

Comments: So much for the bean-ometer.

There’s a longstanding belief among local foodies that you can judge the quality of a Mexican or fast-Mex eatery by the quality of the beans. If they’re clumpy, overly dark brown, and the taste of them has you visualizing someone twisting a can opener, the rest of the food will probably be similarly uninspiring.

But if the beans are smooth to nearly runny, have that certain gray pallor, and bring to mind a big pot of pintos soaking overnight, you’re probably in for good eats, no matter what the eatery looks like.

Rodolfo’s passed the bean test with flying colors and also did pretty well with the rice. The beans were home-cooked and nicely textured, and the rice was slightly crispy and not laden with salty stock. Both sides had us thinking we’d found a diamond in the rough, as this Southwest side taco shop is most definitely rough in the looks department.

The dining area is a mass of dingy white with fast-food booth units and nothing in the way of furnishings or enhancements. It’s just the kind of no-nonsense, no-effort atmosphere, hole-in-the-wall that can sometimes blow you away with authentic, vibrant fare. Given the quality of the side dishes, we were expecting to be impressed.

Boy, were we in for a letdown.

The Fish Tacos plate sported a pair of medium size, store-bought variety corn tortillas, stuffed with finger-sized breaded fish planks and topped with a dry, largely unseasoned pico de gallo. There was no Baja-style mayo or sour cream sauce, no salsa, no lime, no sprinkling of Cotija or Queso Fresco, nothing to jazz up the diced veggies and blander-than-bland fish, which had a preponderance of breading and not a lot of cod, if it even was cod. As the corn tortillas were merely warmed rather than fried, they sealed the whole deal on what was an exercise in nothingness. We tried to spruce the tacos up with the side of guacamole we ordered, but it was a mild, watery disappointment more along the lines of avocado salsa than serviceable guacamole.

The look of the Steak Ranchero plate made us a little more hopeful. It featured a good 6 ounces or so of cubed steak, covered with melted cheddar, diced onions and tomatoes. While it did sport at least a little bit of a flavor profile, the beef underneath the toppings was devoid of any payoff of charring, nor did it carry any notes of marinade or seasoning to speak of.

On previous visits, I’ve had a decent carne asada burro at Rodolfo’s and an above average bowl of Albondigas.

A steady crowd of folks come in for something to go, and there are probably some things on this menu that get done pretty well. Then again, lowly Los Betos gets a steady crowd and even does at least one thing somewhat well – the Carnitas gut-bomb burrito – for those so inclined.

Ask a regular what’s good, and you may get something that measures up to the beans and rice at Rodolfo’s.

Either that or order a beans-and-rice burrito.

Service: Order and pick up your food at the counter.

Bar: no

Children’s menu: yes

Web site: no

Most recent health inspection: A “good” rating July 7, 2008. Critical violations were reported for potentially hazardous foods not held at proper cooling temperature and for foods not correctly date marked.

A good set of knives is a must in Tony Lopez's kitchen.

Address and phone: 75 E. Pennington St., 622-1000

Meet Tony Lopez, chef and kitchen manager at Dizzy G’s Restaurant, a downtown destination for breakfast and lunch since 1983.

Born in Hermosillo, Son., Lopez got his start in the restaurant business as a dishwasher at an Hermosillo resort. He moved up the ladder to pantry cook, line cook and sous chef, then moved to the U.S. in 1996.

The 38-year husband and father of three has cooked at a dozen local restaurants, including City Grill, Marie Callender’s, Mimi’s Cafe, Macayo’s Mexican Kitchen and El Parador.

He’s run the kitchen at Dizzy G’s since 2004.

Question: What’s your favorite restaurant in Tucson?

Answer: I like Mi Nidito Cafe for Mexican, and for American food, I like Metropolitan Grill.

What’s your favorite dish to prepare and why?

My favorite, let’s see, I guess that would be Fettuccine Alfredo.

What’s your favorite dish to eat?

I really like a good steak. For me, it’s rib-eye.

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

There is a nice variety here, a lot of very good restaurants.

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

You’ve got to have a good set of knives.

What do you always have in your refrigerator?

I have a family, so we always have meat, eggs, milk and vegetables, and there are always tortillas around.

Why are you a chef?

I’ve always like cooking for other people. When you get nice comments from your family or your customers about your cooking, it keeps you going.

A man holds acai berries at the market in Belem, Brazil. Acai juice suddenly is a global "super food," riding high on claims it fights cholesterol, is an anti-aging elixir and a natural Viagra.

The latest weight-loss craze has generated more than 140 complaints to the local chapter of the Better Business Bureau about a seller of acai berry capsules.

According to the latest BBB report, a company doing business as Nature’s Acai Berry has collected 147 complaints since Jan. 8, with 16 more complaints pending, said Kim States, president and CEO of the Southern Arizona BBB.

A weight-loss and health supplement sold through the company’s Web site, the product is derived from the berries of the acai (A-sigh-EE) palm.

The complaints have been filed by customers throughout the U.S. but are handled at the local BBB because the company lists Tucson as its headquarters, States said.

Nature’s Acai Berry’s local address – 5425 E. Broadway, Suite 282 – is a postal drop box at a UPS Store, which makes it difficult to tell if the business has a physical presence in southern Arizona, States said.

“They’re not very forthcoming with their information,” she said. “We seem to have tracked some association to companies in California and New York.”

Only two complaints relate to the nature of the product itself. Nature’s Acai Berry advertises a “14 day risk-free trial” that scores of consumers have found to be anything but risk-free, States said.

Of the 147 complaints, six were listed as resolved for a settlement percentage of 4.08. Based on the number of complaints and the low settlement percentage, the bureau gives the company its lowest rating of “F,” States said.

The majority of the complaints – 115 – concern issues related to billing (67), refunds (29), and sales practice (19).

Some complainants said that after the free trial ended, they were automatically sent more supplements without their consent, resulting in charges of up to $200, States said. Complainants also reported that they were automatically enrolled in additional memberships without their knowledge and that credit card statements and direct debits from bank accounts were made under various names, including Fit Factory, Cost Match, XM Labs and Nature’s Best Acai Berry.

Many complainants, including Tucson resident Jim Lombard, noted that the clock on the 14-day free trial apparently starts when the product is ordered but that customers don’t receive a shipment for days or even weeks after the order is placed.

In Lombard’s case, he had $79.76 automatically deducted from his bank account without his consent. States said the bureau did not receive a response from the company regarding Lombard’s complaint, so it was closed as unanswered, which was the case with more than 95 percent of the complaints about Nature’s Acai Berry.

The company has apparently attracted many customers through advertisements on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, she said.

“When people go to the links to the product, they see all of these logos from trusted news outlets that imply consent,” she said.

The stories and endorsements from those news outlets are for the purported benefits of the acai berry, but in no way endorse the company’s product, States said.

“For a while, there was even this great big picture of Oprah staring you in the face, though they have since pulled that off,” States said.

On the company’s Web site, a “Terms of Offer” page tells those dissatisfied with the product to return it to Amir and Sanchez Nutraceuticals in Torrance, Calif.

Repeated calls to Amir and Sanchez Nutraceuticals yielded no comment from company officials. One call was transferred from a customer service representative to a customer service supervisor who identified herself as “Wendy.” That call was disconnected during the reporter’s conversation. Another call was transferred from a representative to a supervisor to a floor manager who identified himself as “Bernard,” and who said someone from the company would make a return call with a statement. No return call or message was received.

“What you encountered is also what some of the consumers have referred to in their complaints, that they either can’t get through to cancel, or that they do get through but that they continue to be billed for the product,” States said.

A local nutritionist said that benefits of complex sugars, including those of acai berries, are real, but noted that many acai supplements are heavily augmented with other ingredients, which quite often include large amounts of caffeine.

“Complex sugars are wonderful, but instead of getting something from the other side of the Earth, I would encourage people to look at local sources,” said Dr. Michael Stone. “Aloe vera, for example, is very similar to acai berry, though not exact, and its available right here.”

Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard said his office has received complaints from people who signed up for free or nearly free supplements of acai berries and other products, only to be charged later for additional monthly shipments at full price.

“The Internet opens up many opportunities to deceive consumers who invest their money and their trust in a company,” Goddard said in a statement.

Fraud victims can contact the attorney general’s Consumer Information and Complaint Division at 800-352-8431.

To file a complaint or get information from the Southern Arizona BBB on a company, call 888-5353 or visit tucson.bbb.org.

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Most complained about

Here are the 10 “Most Complained About Industries” and 10 “Most Complained about Companies” to the Southern Arizona Better Business Bureau from Jan. 1-April 23.

Inclusion on this list does not necessarily mean a company is doing bad business, as evidenced by the assigned letter grades, States said.

“We have to look at the number of complaints relative to the volume of business they’re doing and how are they responding to those complaints,” she said. “If a company has a settlement percentage rating that’s high, that can actually be a positive, because it’s showing that they’re resolving their complaints to the satisfaction of the consumer.”

10 Most Complained About Local Industries

Description Complaints Settlement%

Health & Medical Products 147 4.08

Auto Dealers-Used Cars 25 76

Computers Software & Services 25 88

Auto Repair & Service 21 76.19

Auto Dealers-New Cars 20 95

Television-Cable, CATV & Satellite 18 100

Furniture-Retail 15 93.33

Youth Organizations & Centers 14 50

Air Conditioning Contractors & Systems 13 76.92

Plumbing Contractors 13 61.54

10 Most Complained About Local Companies

Description Complaints Settlement% Grade

Nature’s Acai Berry 147 4.08 F

Intuit Inc. 20 100 A+

Southwest Youth Sports 14 50 F

Cox Communications 12 100 A+

tvdvdcollection.com 10 0 F

ALLTEL Communications, Inc. 9 100 A+

Cummings Plumbing Heating Cooling 7 57.14 D+

Sam Levitz Furniture Company, Inc. 7 100 A+

Blindsparts.com 6 66.67 F

Comcast of Arizona Inc. 6 100 A+

CashKrazy.com 6 0 NR*

ARS/Rescue Rooter 5 100 A-

BRAKEmax Car Care Centers 5 100 A-

ElectroGear.net 5 40 F

*Company has no rating (NR) because BBB has information indicating it is no longer in business.

Source: Southern Arizona Better Business Bureau

———

On the Web

Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona

http://tucson.bbb.org

Nature’s Acai Berry

https://www.trynaturesacaiberry.com

The food at Primo doesn't come cheap, but it is worth it. But it's only open for dinner, so plan your visit carefully.

Some guy from Peoria who is here for the National Association of Hose and Accessories Distribution conference probably knows more about one of the best restaurants in town than the average Tucsonan.

Sure, it’s cloaked in a resort with three other eateries way out on the West Side, only serves dinner, is not a member of the Tucson Originals, and is a chain of sorts, though it’s a chain with just three links.

Still, with a chef as celebrated as Melissa Kelly at the helm and a menu this dedicated to local sourcing, organic produce and overall excellence, it’s a little surprising that Primo has flown under Tucson’s collective culinary radar for most of its four years at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa.

Kelly, who among other accomplishments, won the James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef: Northeast in 1999, shuffles among Primos in Maine, Florida and Tucson. That she has out-localed the locals in dedication to organic, locally produced ingredients and the way they’re showcased at her Mediterranean eatery speaks to her lifelong dedication to rustic, family-style food and her considerable résumé in fine dining.

Primo doesn’t just talk the local talk, sprinkling a few herbs from the chef’s garden and calling it good. That was clear from the onset on a recent visit with the arrival of the Salad of Roast Beets ($10). Thin petals of beets cloistered a mousse-like core of Black Mesa Ranch goat cheese topped with a crunchy fresh, bright green frisée and studded with meticulously sectioned blood oranges.

This is one of those dishes that arrives in such an artful form you’re convinced it couldn’t possibly taste as good as it looks. It didn’t. It tasted even better. It wasn’t so much the superior quality of the beets, goat cheese and other characters or their flawless preparation – though that certainly didn’t hurt matters – as much as the truly inspired way they were teamed. That beets and goat cheese would have me waxing this rhapsodic is a testament to the excellence at work here.

Our other starter, the Antipasti Misti ($14), featured Pancetta, Mortadella and Genoa Salami sliced paper-thin, juxtaposed to quarter-inch thick wedges of artisan cheeses, and rounded out by a smattering of sweet peppers and diminutive olives.

The Braised Lamb Ravioli ($25) was emblematic of a recurrent theme at work here, a seemingly contradictory marriage of rustic, family-style comfort and five-diamond-level precision and presentation.

The lamb in the trio of large house-made ravioli had an uninhibited, earthy piquancy that was set off by the sweetness of roasted red peppers and fresh pea shoots, the pungency of roughly crumbled feta, and the smokey, near meaty pay-off of thick-sliced roasted eggplant. This was an aggressively flavored entree, one that proved that showcasing organic elements doesn’t always have to be a delicate dance.

Our other entree, the Grilled Mahi Mahi ($28) was equally rustic yet refined, with the grilled fish possessing an elegant luster and delicate flakiness. That polish was intriguingly countered by a pair of rustic Italian comforts, panelle and pepperonata, the former a crisp chickpea polenta cake and the latter a melange of stewed peppers, onions, tomatoes and garlic in olive oil. Grilled artichokes and crisp arugula nicely rounded out the affair.

We kept to the Italian classics with desserts – Hand made Cannoli and “Zeppole” (both $8.50). The pair of large cannoli dipped in chocolate were considerably upgraded over the traditional versions, as the sweet ricotta filing was studded with pistachios and served with tangy, purple Amarena cherries. Zeppole are Italian doughnuts that lack holes but more than make up for with an eggy, briochelike interior and a fritterlike exterior. We were expecting a small collection of diminutive Zeppole, but were served a bowl of 10 hand-ball-sized gems.

There are three other eateries at Starr Pass, which take some of the pressure off Primo to appeal to what can be an overly wide demographic of guests. That allows it to have a decidedly nonresorty menu. At the same time, the eatery takes advantage of the pluses a resort can provide – a great view, a dining room with lots of room between tables, and a notably intimate, soft-sounding space dampened with thick carpet, a refreshing departure from the norm of stained concrete and the din it creates.

Anyone who has shopped for organic food knows it isn’t cheap, and consequently, neither is Primo. Even by resort standards, moderate-size entrees that round to $30 may be off-putting to some, particularly given the times. A restaurant that does as earnest and masterful a job at walking the locally sourced, organic walk as this unsung gem is worth those prices and then some.

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AT A GLANCE

Address and phone: 3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd., 792-3500

Prices: Appetizers from $9 to $14, pizza from $13 to $16, entrees from $24 to $34, desserts $8.50

Hours: 6-9 p.m. daily

Bar: full

Vegetarian options: Porcini Tagliatelle ($24), Pizza Blanca ($15), Pizza Margherita ($13), Pizza Funghi ($16), Salad of Roast Beets ($10), Panzanella Salad ($11)

Desserts: Several, including Hand- made Cannoli, “Zeppole” (Italian doughnuts), Black Mesa Ranch Goat Cheese Cheesecake and Rustic Apple and Walnut Tart with cranberry compote and Vanilla Gelato.

Latest health inspection: An “excellent” rating Dec. 5, 2007. No critical violations were reported.

Jessica Lehman, 13, of the Red Hot Chili Peppers team, works on her food creation.

Beginner’s luck?

Maybe, but it’s just as likely that Amber Otero has a natural talent for making smoothies, and that Jessica Hernandez has a natural talent for organizing events.

Amber’s fruit smoothies and her teammates’ two sandwiches and a wrap took the top prize at the Teen Iron Chef competition held Saturday at the John Valenzuela Youth Center, 1550 S. Sixth Ave.

What started just two months ago as a brainstorm to steer kids toward more healthful eating culminated in an event in which teens showed their culinary skills. Sixteen tweens and teens working in five teams crafted sandwiches, wraps and smoothies from food donated from several grocery stores.

Also donated were prizes awarded the winners by a panel of five judges.

Hernandez, a graduate student in the University of Arizona’s School of Information Resources and Library Science, even managed to get donations for decorations and secure the pièce de résistance – a full-sized gong a la the “Iron Chef” television series.

“We were really pleased at how people responded with donations, and I think the judges were really impressed at how creative the teams were,” Hernandez said.

By design, common grocery items – none costing more than $3 – were used in the competition, Hernandez said, adding the mystery ingredient was cream cheese.

Getting kids to realize that they can make healthy lifestyle choices with foods around the house and come up with easy, tasty combinations was the goal, she said.

creations in T”I never ever made a smoothie before, so I was kind of nervous,” said 11-year-old Amber of the South Tucson Kids team. “It came out good. I would drink it.”

A team of three Tucson High School students showed the most flair in presentation skills, serving their wrap as a multisectioned insect that sported tiny dabs of sour cream and black beans for eyes.

In the end, the South Tucson Kids’ organizational skills and well-crafted fare won the day, said Mardi Burden, one of five judges.

“They had the biggest team, and we were really impressed at how they had every person on the team working in a really productive manner,” said Burden, a chef and owner of Cuisine Classique cooking school.

Nine-year-old Wesley Bell wanted to enter the competition, but was too young. Hernandez found a way to get him involved, making him one of the five judges.

“All the food was pretty good. It was pretty hard to pick,” Wesley said. “I liked the smoothie from the Red Hot Chili Peppers team.

“And that wrap that looked like a bug, that was really good,” Wesley added.

Joining Burden and Wesley on the judges panels were Tucson Unified School District board member Adelita Grijalva, Miss Native American UA Candace Begody and South Tucson Police Sgt. E.W. Cajas.

Smoothies, like the one made by the winning team, can be as simple as throwing some ingredients in a blender and seeing what comes out. But if you’re not quite that adventurous, here are a couple recipes to use as starting points.

Strawberry-banana smoothie

1 1/2 cups unsweetened frozen strawberries

2 small bananas, broken into chunks

1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch salt

In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.

Start to finish: 5 minutes

Servings: 2

Blueberry-pomegranate smoothie

1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries

1 cup pomegranate juice

1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch salt

In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.

Start to finish: 5 minutes

Servings: 2

South Tucson Kids team members (from left), Amber Otero, 11, George Smith, 15, Angel Crowell, 15, Alex Otero, 13, and Lizette Varela, 17, work on their winning snacks for the Teen Iron Chef contest.

Jackie Ward prepares a sweet crepe at Cafe Zope Creperie and Espresso Bar.

What: Café Zope

Address and phone: 344 N. Fourth Ave., 623-3700

Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, with extended hours Fridays and Saturdays for as long as customers come through the door.

What was ordered: Ham & Brie Crepe ($7.25), Roasted Chicken & Lingonberries Crepe ($7.25), Italian Soda ($2.95) for a total of $18.86 including tax, well within our Cheap Eats goal of a meal for two for less than $20.

Comments: Fourth Avenue has seen its share of postage-stamp-sized cafés come and go, but this little creperie and espresso shop is something special.

There’s a meticulous, artful quality in the simplicity of Café Zope, which seems to capture all of the elements of a European cafe save the cigarette smoke.

What you see is what you get, as the clean lines and airy, calming layout are mirrored in the precise, quietly profound fare.

Don’t settle for the small, yet comfortable interior seating if there is a free table in the rear patio. The small herb garden and wood tables, chairs and fencing give off a vibe not unlike that of a Japanese rock garden, an ideal setting in which to savor the savory crepes.

The Ham & Brie crepe floored us. The teaming of the thin-sliced ham, mild brie, roma tomatoes and organic baby spinach leaves surrounded in the expertly crafted crepe was a mesmerizing melange. The crepe itself was expertly crafted, with just the right crisping and browning on the exterior and a delicate, spongy pull to its interior. Even the sprinkling of fresh ground pepper was impressive, as if the grains were individually counted to complement the crepe with just the right heft of heat. It’s the kind of culinary experience that puts the brakes on the frenetic, workaday pace you take for granted, slowing every part of your routine to a crawl.

At first glance, the post-card-size crepe would seem to be underportioned for the $7.25 price, but as with the best that Europe has to offer, it’s not about quantity, but rather quality. Though you finish the crepe wanting more, you feel as though you’ve gotten every penny’s worth of value and then some from the experience.

My companion was equally enamored with the Chicken & Lingonberries crepe. Though the chicken breast had a redeeming depth indicative of slow, careful roasting, I found the lingonberries to be teamed with the chicken in a ratio that somewhat overwhelmed the chicken and the crepe with its tangy, jammy power. As my companion noted, if you’re not fluent in lingonberry, this creative coupling may not be the crepe for you.

We couldn’t leave without sampling the scones, and both varieties held to the standard this four-month-old café seems to set with every part of its operation. The Nutella and Chocolate Chip variety had a clean glaze that gave a fritterlike appeal to the scone. The Nutella was judiciously incorporated, contributing a carefully gauged essence of sweetness that nicely played off the chocolate chips, with the texture of the scone itself riding a good balance that was ever-so-light crumbly yet not dry.

Similarly, the Orange Cinnamon scone had just enough of its advertised ingredients to make their presence known without compromising the easy charm of the scone itself.

Café Zope features a variety of sweet, Swedish and savory crepes ranging form $3.25 to to $8.95. A savory variety with smoked salmon, scallions and cream cheese served with dill sauce is on my short list. Another savory crepe with curried garlic shrimp, spinach and tomatoes drew a rave review from a friend.

This is not just another cute, little café on Fourth Avenue. This is one of those places you take those friends of yours who are so hard to impress. If they’re not overly impressed with Café Zope, I’m not overly impressed with your choice of friends.

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

Bar: no

Children’s menu: no

Web site: cafezope.com

Most recent health inspection: A “good” rating Jan. 13. Critical violations were reported for food separation, packaging, segregation and substitution methods not preventing food and ingredient contamination, and for foods not correctly date marked.

Server Alejandra Morales Bunker brings food to customers (from left) Maria Bejarano, 1-year-old son Isaac Bejarano and Jorge Bejarano at El Merendero Restaurant.

What: El Merendero Restaurant

Address and phone: 5443 S. 12th Ave., 294-1522

Hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays-Thursdays, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays

What was ordered: Chicken Flautas lunch special ($5.99); Combination #10, Chicken Tostada, Ground Beef Taco and Cheese Enchilada ($7.50); and two limonadas ($1.50) each for a total of $17.87 including tax, well within our Cheap Eats goal of a meal for two for less than $20.

Comments: The parking lot at this South Sider rarely has more than one available spot at lunchtime for good reason.

El Merendero serves dinner-grade Mexican fare in a pleasant though boisterous setting at notably lunch-grade prices.

Though the seafood selections drift out of the Cheap Eats ceiling, a host of generous combination plates can be had for 7 or 8 bucks, and the daily lunch special at $5.99 is the choice of many.

Chips, two types of salsa (one a purée and the other a pico de gallo) and limes arrive at the table soon after you sit down, and the breakneck servers are quick to refill the chip bowl and drinks.

In what works as an excellent way to help the servers more quickly expedite the orders flying out the kitchen, you pay your bill in a little cubby near the kitchen.

We went with the Wednesday lunch special – Chicken Flautas – and were immediately impressed by the moist chicken, the thin, delicately fried tortillas and the portions, which are uniformly generous here. Also of note were the sides of refried beans and rice. A nice topping of good Mexican cheese works good pungent and sweet flavor into the smooth refrieds. As for the rice, my companion hailed the fluffy, canary-hued offering the “best Mexican rice I’ve ever had.”

Our other plate, Combination #10, was equally impressive. The chicken tostada served on a medium-sized fried corn tortilla rather than a small one, and was built along the lines of a Topopo salad, with a faint smear of beans and lots of lettuce, avocado, onions and chicken of the same quality as came in the flautas.

The ground beef taco was also larger than the standard offering and had a nice tang of tomatoes and Mexican cheese to complement the beef. Rounding out the trio was a decent cheese enchilada and the aforementioned excellent rice and beans.

South 12th has some good Mexican eateries, but most are more of the fast-Mex variety – El Gorrion, Los Jarritos, El Potrero, Güero Canelo and BK’s. With a dining room that features tiled floors and comfortable booths, El Merendero is a little more upscale by comparison, along the lines of Los Portales on South Sixth Avenue or Micha’s on South Fourth.

El Merendero can sneak up on you as you head south on 12th, so just keep your eyes peeled on the east side of the avenue for a parking lot filled with cars, and you’ll find your way to good eats.

Service: Tableside service was prompt and friendly.

Bar: Full

Children’s menu: Yes

Web site: No

Most recent health inspection: A “good” rating Jan. 15. Critical violations were reported for potentially hazardous foods not held at proper cooling temperature; food separation, packaging, segregation and substitution methods not preventing food and ingredient contamination; food contact surfaces and equipment not cleaned frequently and properly to prevent food contamination; and foods not correctly date marked.

El Merendero's cheese enchiladas are accompanied by notably good sides of beans and rice.