Holiday Nights at Tohono Chul Park

Turkey Day is over, now what? I suppose it’s time to get in the holiday mood, so tonight we’re off to see Holiday Nights at Tohono Chul Park.

Holiday Nights takes place over two consecutive weekends: Fridays & Saturdays November 23rd & 24^th and November 30^th & December 1^st.

By tonight, the Park will be transformed into a winter wonderland with over 750,000 holiday lights and several live performances. Scheduled for this evening and tomorrow night are: Gabriel Ayala; Joe Bourne; plus the Tucson Women’s Chorus. Then there’s Ms. Karen’s favorite: the Maderas Strings and Ballet Tucson will perform “Nutcracker in a Nutshell”.

Next weekend features Domingo Degrazia on the main stage; Way Out West, Desert Melodies, and a piano sing-a-long with Kyle Bronson.

We’ll have to decide this morning if we’re going to dine at the Park’s new Garden Bistro, Tucson best patio dining experiences. I dined there several weeks ago and the new menu is terrific. Dining Reservations: 520-742-6455 x 501. For our review of the Garden Bistro, click HERE.

We already have our Holiday Nights tickets. As we are members, they were only $8 each. You can get yours by calling 520-742-6455 x 0. Non-members: $12. If you’re not a member, you should be. Tohono Chul is worth supporting for its many contributions to our community.

If you would like to learn more about this important community asset, you can watch our short TCP video by clicking HERE.

Tohono Chul Park: 7366 N. Paseo del Norte, one stoplight west of the intersection of Oracle & Ina.

September 2012

Many months ago I dined at Tohono Chul Park’s Tea Room for lunch and chronicled my experience in a fairly negative review. I’m pleased to tell you that things have changed there and entirely for the better.

Tohono Chul Park, near Ina & Oracle, is one of our family’s favorite Tucson places. We are members and regularly take our guests there. One of the delights at TCP has been dining amongst the lush vegetation, blooming flowers, and various species of hummingbirds. This is one of the 3 best outdoor settings in Southern Arizona for dining.

Besides dining and the beautiful gardens, Tohono Chul has so much to offer: the greenhouse, museum shop, galleries, performances, and outreach programs.

Jo Falls, the Park’s Education Director, was kind enough to do an on-camera interview with me when we started SouthernArizonaGuide.com. If you’d like to learn more about this special place, click HERE to watch her video.

Spring Patio Dining At Tohono Chul

On this warm September afternoon, I was there to write a re-review, something I always offer any establishment that receives less than a 3-Saguaro rating from me.

Recently they changed the name to Garden Bistro and changed the chef to Patrick Fahey, who also has the Flight Grill at Pima Air & Space Museum.

My dining companion for this late lunch was Kathy Goodwill, who owns TucsonWelcome.com. Her company mails out all kinds of special offers to newcomers to introduce them to our community.

Typically, I would opt for the garden patio seating, but we elected to dine indoors. Of the dozen or so tables on the patio, all were empty but one and that couple looked uncomfortably hot.

Server Jim
Our server introduced himself as Jim. Off and on during our meal, we had a chance to chat with him. Seems Server Jim has been around the Tucson restaurant scene for many years. He is a consummate professional; efficient and fun to talk with.

We looked over the menu, then asked Jim for his lunch recommendations.

Gluten-Free
At Jim’s suggestion for a gluten-free lunch, Kathy ordered the grilled chicken wrap with tarragon agave aioli, sun dried tart cherries, celery, toasted Picacho Peak pecans, smoked bacon, tomato & fresh local greens in a gluten-free rice wrap. It came with sweet potato fries.

I inquired as to the Tres Locos Tacos –  3 soft corn tortillas stuffed with (1) grilled achiote chicken with avacado pico de gallo, (2) Dos XX carne asada with chipotle drizzle, and (3) crispy whitefish with ginger aioli; all served with sun dried sweet corn, lettuce, jicama slaw, and charro black beans.

Tohono Chul Greenhouse

My Tres Locos Tacos were delicious. Were they as good as the buffalo tacos Neighbor Roy & I had at the Ritz Carlton bar at Dove Mountain? In their own unique way, yes. If one was better than the other, I’d hate to have to live on the difference.

Not that these tacos needed any help, but when Jim asked if I would like a little Cholula, I said, “Sure.” With just a touch of Cholula sauce, my 3 tacos were now outa-this-world rich in complex flavors. I will be back for more.

We both declared her sweet potato fries amazing, and she said that her wrap was excellent too. But it was so large that she gave me half, which I took home to Ms. Karen. Ms. Karen commented that it was quite tasty, except she didn’t care for the gluten-free wrap itself.

Since dining at the Garden Bistro, I have sampled the gluten-free bread at Gourmet Girls Gluten-Free Bakery & Bistro on Oracle at Rudasill. I know the Gourmet Girls, Mary & Susan, supply several of Tucson’s best restaurants with their gluten-free bakery products. Perhaps the new Garden Bistro chef would like to give the Gourmet Girls a call. Their number is 520-408-9000.

I do have a couple of quibbles with the new menu, which I understand is a work-in-progress. First, the wine list is very limited. Had they offered a Sauvingon Blanc, say one from New Zealand such as Kim Crawford, I would have ordered a glass with my Three Crazy Tacos.

With no dry white wine, I looked for a local craft beer. I have reviewed most of the local breweries and found a lot to like. (Click HERE for Brewery Reviews) Unfortunately, there were no local brews available at the Garden Bistro. Had they offered Nimbus Brewing Company’s Old Monkeyshine or Barrio Brewing Company’s IPA, I would have ordered a fresh craft beer.

Quibbles aside, I will add the Garden Bistro at Tohono Chul Park to our 2012 List of the Best Southern Arizona Restaurants. Now that it’s getting cooler, by all means, enjoy their patio dining for breakfast, brunch, or lunch.

Hours
Daily 8 AM to 5 PM
Breakfast: 8 AM to 11 M
Lunch: Monday to Friday 11 AM to 4 PM.
Brunch: Saturday and Sunday 11 AM to 4 PM.
Afternoon Tea: Daily from 2:30 PM to 5 PM.

Closed 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day

Claret Cup Hedgehog Cactus

OK, all you desert gardeners. Put this on your calendar.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum will hold its Annual Plant Sale on Saturday, September 29, 2012 from 7:30 AM until 3:00 PM.  George Montgomery, Curator of Botany for the Museum told us, “We expect to have about 300 species of regional and desert-adapted trees, shrubs, perennials, vines, and succulents specifically chosen to add beauty and attract pollinators to gardens.”

Mr. Montgomery added, “We’ll also have some plants that the Museum has never offered before, such as trailing russelia (Russelia furfuracea), littleleaf green-twig (Brogniartia minutifolia) and adelia (Adelia obovata).”

Some of the unusual plant species will be offered in limited quantities. Last year, many varieties of plants sold out, so they recommend you arrive early.

Day Of The Dead!
For those who want immediate results in their gardens, the Day-Of-The-Dead flower, which produces a display of lavender daisies in October and November, will be on sale. Gardeners will also be able to purchase succulent dish gardens, pottery, and potting soil. Moreover, Museum botany experts will be on hand to answer gardening questions. Potting service also will be available with the purchase of plants and pots.

Guayacán

Holiday Gift Ideas
Many books about the desert and gardening, written and published by ASDM Press, will also be on sale. You’ll be able to enjoy walk-about refreshments while perusing the plants, pots, garden items and books! Think Holiday Gifts!

Other Museum activities planned for that day include presentations of Running Wild and Live and (sort of) on the Loose, two of the Museum’s most popular live animal demonstrations.

For a complete list of plant species being offered, click HERE.

To meet some of the Desert Museum’s docents and animals, you can view our Southern Arizona Guide’s videos by clicking HERE.

Graphically, this download-able brochure is one of the best I have ever seen. More importantly, it beautifully illustrates the Park’s amazing array of special programs, including: art, culture, music, gardens, history, tours, workshops … and their magical Holiday Nights. They even offer a whale-watching tour to Baja.

For those of you who love our Sonoran Desert and want to learn more, click HERE to download the brochure.

Tohono Chul is one of our family’s favor places. For those who don’t know much about this serene oasis in the midst of suburban Tucson, you might want to watch our short video in which Jo Falls, Tohono Chul Park’s Director of Education, talks about its many beautiful gardens and other features, such as the art galleries and greenhouse. Just click HERE.

I’m going to have lunch today at the Park’s new Garden Bistro. I hear good things. Will let you know in a couple of days.

We are fortunate indeed to have several night-blooming sereus plants on our property and along the paths we walk our dogs in the early morning. I understand there was quite a crowd at Tohono Chul Park last night to witness their Queen of the Night.

Peniocereus-Maculatus

Strange & Quirky
This one’s for all who love our unique desert plants. If you’ve never been to our Tucson Botanical Gardens annual Weird Plant Sale, you’re in for a delightful surprise.

Membership has its privileges. If you buy an annual membership ($50), you not only get free admission and discounts throughout the year, but first pick of the weirdos.

Members Sale:  Fri., May 4, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Public Sale:  Sat., May 5, 8 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Oddballs
Visit the Gardens’ quirky once-a-year sale devoted to oddball plants and strange pottery.

Browse the booths set up throughout the Gardens.  Specialty vendors will have their own crazy selections on-hand, with an opportunity to ask detailed questions about the fun and funky plants offered.

The Weird Sale focuses on rare, unusual or downright strange cacti and succulents.  A selection of offbeat, locally hand-made pottery is also featured.  Pick the perfect weird pot for your weird plant.

Refreshments will be on sale through the event. Admission to the Gardens is free during the Weird Plant Sale.

Can You Indentify This One?

Weird Plant Sale admission: free, includes Gardens admission

Garden hours: Garden hours are 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Open seven days a week, year round, except July 4^th, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day and New Year’s Day.

About the Gardens
The Gardens, designated as America’s Best Secret Garden by Reader’s Digest, is an urban oasis in the heart of Tucson featuring a 5 ½ acre collection of 16 specialty gardens. It is located at 2150 N. Alvernon Way.