Tucson: antidote for desert dining dilemmas - restaurants in Tucson, Arizona - Sunset's Travel Guide

Sunset, August, 1994 by Roseann Hanson

Like a mockingbird's song, the exuberant music of South American panpipes filled the summer night with infectious high spirits. Cool drinks in hand and plates of mesquite-broiled delectables before us, we quickly shook off our August lethargy.

It was last summer that the sounds of the music group Khenany drew us to the lush patio courtyard of downtown Tucson's Old Town Artisans and we discovered the antidote to summer desert dining dilemmas. No more swampy swamp coolers or arctic air conditioners--the key to summer dining is a breezy patio, good food, and great music.

Old Town Artisans is a marketplace in a rambling historic adobe at 186 N. Meyer Avenue, and its tree- and flower-graced courtyard is one of Tucson's best summer dining oases. The Courthouse Grill serves up mesquite-grilled lunch dishes with a Southwestern flavor. Expect to spend about $25 for two for a great meal with drinks. Several weekends this August, Khenany will play traditional South American and Mexican folk music. Call (602) 622-0351 for times, dates, and reservations (book early for these popular evenings).

Another great spot to cool off while catching some sizzling saxophone and guitar is Cushing Street Grill & Bar, also in historic downtown Tucson, at 343 S. Meyer. Its roomy covered patio has ceiling fans to keep the night breezes moving, while your toes keep moving to the great rhythm and blues and jazz acts that Cushing Street books nightly. The house band, Rhythmworks, is fantastic. Smoked-on-the-premises meats, grilled dishes, soups, and salads are served along with great draft beer. Dishes range in price from $8.95 to $14.50. The restaurant does not accept reservations; for more information about the music and the menu, call (602) 622-7984.

If you love spicy Mexican food with cool margaritas, find your way to Casa Molina, at 6225 E. Speedway Boulevard, which serves up some of the city's best on an adobe-walled patio. Order a margarita pitcher and some carne seca, and relax to the sounds of an elegant guitar serenade and a burbling fountain. Two can feast grandly with margaritas for about $15 to $30. Reservations are recommended; there's live music most nights. Call 886-5468.