New York Style BBQ Comes To Tucson Via A Wee Red Truck

Finally Tucson is getting into the BBQ groove. For some bizarre reason it's taken this town a while to get down with slow cooked meats, dry or wet rubs and fall off the bone deliciousness. I've seen lots of fantastic BBQ joints come and go; for some reason here in the Old Pueblo, a city resplendent with amazing and diverse cuisine, true BBQ never really seemed to take hold.

Sure there are a smattering of eateries offering up a selection of BBQ fare, even a local chain that (for whatever reason) keeps winning "Best Bar-B-Que in Tucson" year after year but, honestly, there are far better options to get your slather on.

We're looking at you Red's Smokehouse!

Heck, about a year ago, the Homeskillet discovered Mr. Cookman's, a small orange truck that churns out some of the tastiest Louisiana inspired BBQ and how he has found mobile success and is considering going landlocked with his own brick and mortar.  

So when we spotted a small red truck with a blackboard that simply said "BBQ" scrawled on it in multi-colored chalk parked in a dusty lot, we just had to pull over and see if we can discover this guy before he gets big.

That is...if the food is any good.

Michael on the grill applying nothing but love to his food

Umm...it was amazing.

We ordered the ribs and, oh man, the taste was a sensation. Fatty, meaty, gnaw your fingers off trying to get every succulent bite in savory perfection. The cornbread it was served with was light and flavorful with a good crumble yet pliable enough to sop up some of the tangy sauce that was on our faces and hands. As a bonus, you get a bacon wrapped cheese stuffed chili pepper that was a good spicy accompaniment to the rest of the dish.

So we ordered more food. The pork sliders melted in our mouths with a zesty slaw to round it all out. But then we were treated to the catfish sliders. Oh crap. This is when the situation got real. Not since travels through the deep south have we come across catfish done so correct. Flaky, flavorful, seasoned with care and fried to a golden perfection, it was here that we had to get to know the dude behind the BBQ madness.

Standing tall in a very tight space was a man named Michael Eure Jr., a New York transplant that now calls Tucson is home. Along with raising a family, Michael is new to the local food truck scene but with his skill and passion for what he does, we know he will go pretty darn far in the Tucson BBQ game. And what this guy can pull off in a small space? Yeah, if he ever expands he will most definitely be a contender in the local food scene.

Maybe he already is.

Well...we're about to find out.

Yes please!

"I was born and raised in New York", Michael says as he sauces up the ribs in the cramped confines of his truck, titled The Bronx Tale. "I served six years in the air force and was stationed here at the air base. After spending just one year here in Tucson...I knew this was the place for me."

"At first I ended up here due to military duty but, honestly, I stayed because of love."

And that love would be his wife and, eventually, his kids.

But we're also hoping it is his love of BBQ and serving the good people of Tucson amazing food.

Now that's love.

I think you get the idea by just looking at this rib-majesty

As Michael prepped our sliders and checked the pulled pork, we had to know how he made his way into the BBQ culinary scene in the first place.

"I got into cooking because the good Lord gave me the appetite of a competitive eater; I could never wait to eat," notes Eure Jr. in a fog bank of smoke coming off of his grill. "My grandmother is a phenomenal cook and inspired me to do more than just make things edible. I wanted to make things delectable."

Yeah. That's a good word for his food: Delectable.

I'm sure Robert De Niro would be fine with this

"Ironically, there wasn't just one experience that made me want to open a Bar-B-Que restaurant, it was more of a lack of," when we asked about what got him into the BBQ business initially and our city's lack of abundance of the style of cooking. "Tucson is a culinary melting pot and a great place to be embraced when introducing something that may seem like an oxymoron such as New York style BBQ."

It's true. We've never heard of New York style BBQ, but if it tastes anything like the creations Michael has come up with, we're sold.

So go ahead and get your rope...

Probably some of the best catfish you'll find in Tucson, or anywhere really

So Michael, what do you consider real authentic BBQ?

"In regards to real BBQ it's simple, smoking meats over hard woods over long periods of time at a low temperature. Meat that can stand alone and needs no sauce," he says with authority and a nod.

With such a paired down menu, what would you regard as a signature dish?

"I'd have to say my signature dish is the catfish sliders. But at a close second is my strawberry cornbread."

Luckily, we all had both. And, yes, we couldn't decide either.

Michael is a big man holding it down in a small space

"The food culture here in Tucson is much more diverse than the demographics might show and people are daring when it comes to trying out new things," when asked about the culinary scene of his adopted desert city.

So what about getting a food truck business up and running?

"The mobile kitchen idea came about from trial and error," Michael states as he puts the finishing touches on our sliders. "Prior to this I attempted to start my own brick and mortar restaurant, but the start up fees and tremendous overhead is what geared us toward this avenue.

"The challenges in operating a food truck is exposure to the elements and finding a sound location to park or a partnership with another business where we compliment each other. The reward is simple: I am able to apply my God-given gift in a way that has me connect with scores of people potentially everyday to spread the good news."

Amen to that!

Pulled pork sliders...yes, you need these in your life

With a fantastic food product and an even better outlook on life, we were curious as to what Michael thought the future of his cooking career and The Bronx Tale just might be.

"The future for us is a simple one. As long as I love my neighbor and put people before monetary success; I'm on a narrow path following the Almighty, giving honor, praise and glory through my works!

"That's real..."

Mike is real, his food is real (really exciting and delicious) and now you really need to find him and The Bronx Tale and see, and eat, for yourself.

You can follow him and The Bronx Tale online and track them down HERE.

Good luck. And don't blame us if you get addicted to The Bronx Tale's New York style BBQ. Even Robert De Niro can't help you with that.

For real...

Trust this man and trust his food...Mike has got you

Camera, Typing & Eating
"Metal" Mark Whittaker
Last Day in May, 2016

Metal Influence:

PRONG

"Force Fed"

Yogi's Indian Cafe & Market Is Going To Be Your New Favorite Spot For Food And Goods!

When I first discovered Yogi's the sign outside on the wall was a mere stencil. I was on my way downtown for whatever reason, driving on Stone Ave, when I just happened to look to my right and see that a new market and cafe was opening up next to a TV repair shop.

Then I thought: Do they still fix TV's? I mean, long gone are the old tubes and curved glass screens so...I don't get it. Maybe they repair BetaMax machines and can fix up my old Atari joystick too. Who knows?

Point is, I made a mental note to return to this little nook at 2537 N. Stone because the market and cafe wasn't just any ol' cafe and market, it promised to be that of my longtime culinary obsession.

It was an Indian Cafe and Market.

Hot diggety!

A few weeks later a 'Now Open' sign donned the exterior and I just had to go in. Still dusty from recently opening boxes, unpacking goods and stocking the small yet vibrant vegetable patch, I looked around and was pleased to find so many hard to find spices and foods. Sure there are other Indian owned shops with similar items for purchase here in Tucson but Yogi's seemed a bit more ambitious about what they keep and sell on the shelves.

Intrigued, I grabbed a basket and filled it up with the intention of attempting to cook as authentic Indian as I can one night for dinner. Honestly, in all the years that I have done this, trying to cook real Indian food, I have never come even close to the deep character and richness of flavor that true Indian cuisine offers. And, believe me...I gave it my all each and every time. So perhaps this time around, with the help of Yogi's, I can do it.

That's when I happened to meet the owner of Yogi's, Satye Bhati, a man who smiled wide under his bushy mustache as he inquired about my purchases and welcomed me to his shop. Busy with trying to juggle the lunch crowd for his cozy cafe area and the business at hand of operating a brand new store, he took some time to chat with me about how Yogi's came about.

Delicious food is just part of what Yogi's does

"When I first moved to Tucson in 2003, the first thing I noticed was the lack of Indian groceries and restaurants," notes Satye. "This always bothered me because Tucsonans were missing out on a major cultural and cuisine experience of the world.

"But when the opportunity presented itself, I just had to accept the challenge! And, let me tell you...it has been quite a daunting task so far!"

Fresh vegetables ripe for the picking

Owning a small business is one thing, especially in Tucson, but Yogi's is a two-in-one concept so the addition of a full scale Indian restaurant on top of a retail shop selling "exotic" goods has to be, as he said, daunting.

"Indian cuisine," continued Satye, "when done properly, is a very involved process. We take pride in not cutting any corners when it comes to preparing the food!"

That right there grabbed me and I knew I needed to try the cuisine. So after purchasing my items, I walked into the back cafe area and ordered me a plate or two just to see what he was talking about.

Perfect fluffy naan fresh from the tandoor oven

The restaurant, just like the rest of the establishment, was brand spanking new, but instead of boxes and dust, the cafe was so clean and crisp you could almost smell the recently applied white paint among the shiny surfaces barely touched by plates or hands. Unlike most Indian restaurants that I have been to and thoroughly trust, the cafe was near sterile and for some reason that threw me off. For a second I didn't trust that such a spotless Indian eatery could live up to Satye's hype, but when the food arrived I was quickly proven wrong.

Exotic tastes can be found here

The naan bread was some of the fluffiest and tastiest I have had almost anywhere. That paired with the brightness of their mint sauce quickly switched my preconceived sentiment that all good Asian restaurants need to be chock full of variant smells, random stuff on the walls and cramped seating to be legit with their food. I mean, c'mon!, Yogi's just opened up and I knew it wouldn't take long before the patina of constant good cooking will quickly give the cafe area the look and feel of a well oiled kitchen.

The rice was perfect, the spice on the mixed vegetables were excellent, which is a task because so many Indian restaurants skimp on the attention that side items need. The produce was so fresh and lively and it only made the main dishes come alive as all good "side items" should do. Love the painting but admire the frame that it sits in...so to speak.

Melt in your mouth Tandoor Chicken

My Tandoor Chicken fell off the bone and was so vibrant with color and expert seasoning that I couldn't hold back my usual and often vocal "yummy" sounds as I pillaged on with enjoying the succulent texture and flavors. This went with the Choley, which is a relatively simple dish of white chick peas cooked with ginger in a smooth simmering sauce, was delectable and packed with quaint savory goodness. It's real easy to get Indian food wrong, such as my attempt at being a home cook of the variety, but it is also incredibly difficult to get Indian food right.

I am here to say, even in their infancy, Yogi's does it right. The best part is that their cuisine has a certain lightness to it, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The sometimes over sauced and weighty stature that some Indian restaurants pride themselves on is pretty much done away with at Yogi's. Perhaps its the region from which the family derives from or most likely its just a conscious choice, but you wont leave Yogi's feeling bogged down by too much of too much. Oh, you'll leave feeling like you got your fill but the care in the way they cook and what they are cooking with comes forth in a conscientious formula of proper portions and just the right amount of spice and sauce coupled with the main component.

To sum up: Yogi's food just makes you want to come back for more because you weren't overstuffed in the first place.

There's always room for more visits here.

Which I have done and plan on doing.

For all of your Indian cooking needs

"Unfortunately, for the grocery side," Satye continued as I drooled over my Gulab Jamun, which are small doughnut like balls of sweet awesome drizzled in a rose water syrup, "there are no local suppliers here in Tucson so we have to source all of our products from the importers in Los Angeles, and, that too proves a challenge.

"However! All of the efforts become worth it when we see the good people of Tucson rejoice in our food and experience here at Yogi's."

And that, dear readers, was exactly what I was doing.

Get here early because the buffet goes quick

With an extremely satisfied belly filled with incredible cuisine and a sack beaming with potential cooking mastery, I headed out and thanked everyone, including Satye, who had just one more thing to say before I left.

"We just want to present honest and authentic Indian products and cuisine to Tucson while also trying to educate about the health benefits of these foods. This is cuisine that has been studied and evolving over the last 3000 years or so. And I hope that you take that with you until the next time we see you."

Oh, I did and, oh, they will see me and have seen me again.

PS: Sure the products and spices I bought were great but, yeah...no. I just didn't nail my Indian inspired dinner like they did at Yogi's. So I'll just leave the real Indian food cooking to the experts and I 'll stick to eating it.

That's what I'm good at anyway.

Cheers!

This might explain the heat in that last dish you ate

Camera and Typing
"Metal" Mark Whittaker
Early Spring, 2016

Metal Influence:

CATTLE DECAPITATION

"Karma Bloody Karma"

New Kids on the Beer Block: The Tucson Hop Shop!

I actually discovered the Tucson Hop Shop by accident. 

It was a wrong turn. Wanting to turn left on Country Club from Ft. Lowell, I ended up going too far and turning on Dodge. Trying to get to a school where Barrio Bread was selling their amazing wares, I found myself scooching through the parking lot of the Metal Arts Village thinking maybe I could get a stout rye loaf here perhaps. Nope. I mean, there was a food truck set up but I was pretty focused on a pain epi for a dinner I had planned that night. 

Instead I made a delightful discovery. Nestled in the courtyard, wide hangar like sliding door open in the late afternoon air, was a corner shop calling themselves the Tucson Hop Shop. Making a mental note of it as I was trying to get un-lost, I eventually found my way back to the correct destination, but very curious as to what that place might be. 

Wide open spaces, wide smiling faces

As dinner simmered and the bread was warming that night, I asked the internet what the Tucson Hop Shop actually was. At first I thought it was a beer brewing location, you know, a place to create and brew your own beer if you don't have the means and the space to do so. It was kinda that but...not really. 

Because it was oh so much more. 

They do have artisanal beer making kits, but they are also a beer garden with an ever rotating and extremely alluring list of beers on tap along with being a craft beer bottle shop and growler filling station. This peaked my hoppy interest immediately. Sure there are other craft beer establishments in town, but not one as close as the Hop Shop...to us anyway, and not one as "homey" as this one felt...online anyway. So I lit out to the Tucson Hop Shop one day to see what all the brew ha ha was all about. 

(You, uh...see what I did there? Brew? Oh nevermind...)

The moment I walked through the open space of the Hop Shop, I immediately felt at ease. This was the kind of hangout I could see myself drinking and chilling on any given night. Or day. Or...anytime actually. There was a long wooden bar occupied by a few afternoon friendly faces, to the right was a "beer cellar" that sold acres of craft beer bottles and brew kits and there was even an upstairs where you can relax on a cozy couch or set up your laptop on a vintage oak desk. The best part was the large back area set up with tables and chairs with games to play and room for your dog to meander. I was a big fan of this place within seconds. 

Good people deserve good beer

After ordering a snifter of IPA, I was lucky enough to meet one of the owners, Jessie Zugerman, and chat about how all of this Hop Shop business came about. 

"Dave (Zugerman, her husband for ten years and business partner) and I met in college around 1997 back in Oregon," she says trying to organize new beer orders coming in, "and we've been big beer lovers and brewers since then. I'm actually a pharmacist and have been for six years and Dave, after getting his MBA, started working in the financial sector here but soon became really disenchanted with the day to day grind. We have always wanted to stake a claim in Tucson's growing craft beer industry so in the summer of 2014 we decided it was now or never and just jumped headlong off of that cliff."

Jessie doing work as customers make their decision on what to quaff next

"I am actually a Tucson native, so after we graduated the University of Oregon in 2001 we had a decision: spend the winter in his hometown of Chicago, the winter!, or come back home to Tucson. Yeah, pretty easy decision seeing what the impending forecast had waiting for us in Illinois."

Now that Dave and Jessie were back in Tucson, working respected jobs but knowing they wanted to do their own thing, I just had to ask why beer and why Tucson for their business venture.

On a brisk Tucson afternoon, this is all you need

"Why not!?", Jessie beams in the tall wooden treehouse that is the Hop Shop. "Tucson rocks. Beer rocks. I mean craft beer, real beer, not the swill variety, is a builder of communities. Craft beer has always put an emphasis on quality products, quality ingredients even quality people! Always local sourcing when possible; quality over quantity. 

"This is an industry we can take absolute pride in being a part of, because the 'industry', in general, doesn't treat their products or employees like widgets. Tucson in particular continues to see a huge boom in this segment and people are seeking out craft beer in droves."

With epic beer selection board in repose

One of the best things about the Tucson Hop Shop is its location. With downtown and the surrounding areas being crammed with similar concepts, it is very exhilarating to have such a noble house of community and refreshments resting itself in a rather unlikely neighborhood nook. Nestled between art lofts, the Hop Shop beams with a certain welcoming panache that only comes from people that really give a crap about what they are doing and where they put their focus into. 

How can you not have a good time here?

"Our concept was to create a social outpost on the North side of Tucson, bringing some of the new found, beer soaked life of downtown closer to home," Zugerman informs as I delight in my next flagon of ale. "We also wanted to be accessible from "The Loop" along the Rillito River path and have an outdoor space for a lounge. 

"After about a year of searching we heard about this space from a mutual friend and after just one walk through and meeting with the landlord, boom, we were sold. We couldn't ask for a better spot or better neighbors. And the urban beer garden we created out back is everything we have dreamed about and more. This is the spot we waited so long to find."

With records playing, the Tucson Hop Shop is always hoppin'

Once the location was set, the concept came together and the hard work began. After a while, Jessie and Dave were in business, the craft beer business, but beer is just the foundation for what they do.

"We offer nineteen taps of craft beer from around the world," notes Jessie as she pours herself a taster of a new lager arrival, "plus barrel aged, cold brewed Presta Coffee on our twentieth nitro tap. We also serve red and white wine and even a sparkling variety in a pink can! There's about three hundred different bottles and cans of craft beer as well as a wide selection of non-alcoholic drinks such as lemonades, cream sodas and such. You know...for the kids."

Where to begin, where to start?

That's right, the Tucson Hop Shop is kid friendly with plenty of games to play and sodas to drink seeing as the Zugerman's themselves are proud parents. 

Now that the coolers are stocked, the doors open and business is growing, I had to know the highs and lows of owning a craft beer shop in Tucson. 

It was an easy answer for Jessie. 

Jessie having fun with Hop Shop patrons

"The people, the community," she states on the obvious highs, "and, of course, the beer! We meet so many wonderful people with stories to tell and connections to this community everyday. It's a blast getting to know our customers. We already have a few regulars and its fun to have the numbers increase as we move forward. One of the greatest things is the broad demographics we are getting from our surrounding communities: Students, athletes, business professionals, families with kids, artists...its amazing to see people just enjoying the company of each other each day in our beer garden. 

"Plus we get to try new beers everyday. So I'd be lying if I said that wasn't awesome."

Good advice

So far the one big preoblem they run into daily really isn't a monumental one, but rather a, shall we say, "labor of love".

"Trying to keep the coolers stocked to represent our various styles spread out among twenty taps can be challenging," she confides with a smile and shrug. "I mean, you wouldn't want nineteen IPAs and just one stout would you?"

David checking the lines, keeping the beer a flowin'

But the Tucson Hop Shop is more than just a beer lovers paradise, it's also host to a variety of events and community sponsored affairs. With a big back yard like these guys have, you think they just wanna keep it to just sipping beer in the brisk night air? 

Actually, that sounds amazing but....no.

Family (beer) fun is had by all

"Oh wow," Jessie reflects as she looks over their event calendar. "Well every full moon, all of the surrounding artists have an open studio and we always make sure to have a food truck here for that, plus there's live music out back and all sorts of fun. Upcoming we are hosting a Girls Pint Out gathering, there is going to be a holiday beer and food pairing tutorial out back in the garden, Founder's Rainbow of IPA is coming up soon...oh, we have Wooden Tooth Records spinning vinyl out back one night, that should be fun. 

"Really just keep checking the events page on our website and be sure to follow us on Facebook. There's just a lot going on."

Beer brewing demonstration out back on the patio

After a couple of mighty beers and seeing that Jessie and David were starting to get busy, I just had one last question before I split for the night:

What is the future of the Tucson Hop Shop?

Jessie grins. "We don't have any crazy plans to open up like a hundred Hop Shops, but if an opportunity arose to create the same kind of community outpost and outdoor environment here in town we would definitely consider it. 

"But for now, all we want to do is work hard, do what we love and create a space for our family and yours to enjoy. So far so good!"

Grain filled taps are at your service

The Tucson Hop Shop is now a regular stop for us and if you are in the neighborhood, it will most likely become one for you. How can it not be? They have everything you need in life: 

Beer. Food trucks. Beer. Comfy couches. Beer. Outdoor patio. Beer. Games. Beer. Music. And...what was that other thing? 

Never mind. See you there...

Cheers!

Jessie and David giving some Metal Mark love

Camera and Typing
"Metal" Mark Whittaker
Early November, 2015

Metal influence

Black Sabbath

"Master of Reality"