Who You Gonna Call When It's Late and You Want a Sweet Treat? The Tucson Cookie Company!

When I was a kid growing up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, there was this delivery service known as the Pink Dot. How it got that name or why it's even called that, please...I do not know. Anyway, at the time, I was too young to appreciate it then, but you could order up some sandwiches and chips from the Pink Dot...along with cigarettes, beer, booze, condoms and porn mags. 

It sounded amazing, I'm sure it was, but as a dopey Dungeons and Dragons playing, "Star Wars" watching, arcade loitering pre-teen I had no idea how awesome that service really was. Not until I found myself back in LA during my "college" years much later where we utilized the service of the Pink Dot and as a twenty something, Heavy Metal addicted, pot smoking, beer drinking nice guy neer-do-well, it was incredible. Outside of all of the vice laden articles we had dispatched, we also threw in some ice cream and frozen burritos to satiate our, uh...cravings that evening. 

It was brilliant. Imagine just sitting there, watching re-runs of "Who's the Boss" when suddenly a deep hankering comes over you and you're all: "Man, I could really go for some cookies and ice cream right now, but, I don't wanna make 'em and I certainly don't wanna leave the house to get them. So..."

Well decent citizens of Tucson (especially around the UofA area), you are in luck because there is a delivery service that will bring quality cookies, ice cream and even milk to your front door. 

It's called, cleverly enough, The Tucson Cookie Company. 

Scott Rosen, doing what he do...

Founded in 2012 by Scott Rosen and a partner the idea was simple: Deliver hot and fresh baked cookies from a fixed menu to sweet toothed Tucsonans late at night. Brilliant.

They see me rolling, I'm ballin'...

"The Tucson Cookie Co. was created when a partner of mine and I looked at what we had available," says Scott balling up a signature chocolate chip cookie, "skill wise, property wise, and dream wise.  We thought Tucson could use a late night sweet venue. In order to test the demand for such a product and service, the Cookie Company was set-up in an existing restaurant that has been operated by one of the Company's owners for the past fifteen years."

Smash it up!

Yes, when Chaffin's diner closes, that's when Scott and his delivery team get to work. Once the omelette pans have been put away and the coffee pots cooled, The Tucson Cookie Company springs into action and is ready for the first order when they begin at 6pm and take the last one a half hour before closing (3am Thursday-Saturday and midnight Wednesdays and Sundays). 

I was lucky enough to smell this, you're gonna have to order to do so...

"A typical Cookie Company day" muses Rosen as he flattens a cookies and cream pizza cookie, "is I spend the afternoon shopping for supplies and prepping dough.  We open for deliveries at 6pm with out first order typically going out the door around 6:30pm.  We bake to order all night long with an emphasis on individual cookies or dozens of cookies early, in and out, with our infamous pizza cookies being popular later in the evening."

M&Ms in cookies just spells 'Mmmmmm'...

Here's the thing: The Tucson Homeskillet wouldn't be spotlighting these guys if they were putting out garbage snack fare. Oh sure, it might be easy to just slop together some crap ingredients warm them up and begrudgingly drive it over to your pad and expect repeat business because, hey!, I'm the only cookies and milk delivery service anywhere! 

Screw that. Scott knows what he is doing and the Tucson Cookie Company provide a quality product at a really good price. The sweet fare is delicious, chewy and baked to perfection. Even if you the patron is baked to perfection, you can't help but admire the care and technique that goes into each and every order. 

Balls of glory...

"All of the cookie recipes  are proprietary and created by me," beams Scott rather proudly.   "The only exception is my chewy ginger cookie. That was my favorite growing up.  It was taught to me by my Mom and is a family recipe."

To quote Carcass: Tools of the trade!

All of the cookies, obviously, are made by hand fresh everyday. The milk comes from a conscious smaller dairy provider and the ice cream is provided by a longstanding drug store known for their amazing vanilla option. In fact this place was a staple when I was a lil tyke growing up in Glendale, CA and we used to either skateboard or bike out of our way to get a scoop of this frosty globed goodness. 

No wonder these guys are killing it. Because...they're killing it man. 

Fantasticalness as far as the eye can see...

As Scott dollops rows of near sensuous rounds of soon to be consumed cookies onto a sheet about to go into the oven, he informs me with pride "All cookies are made from scratch with no artificial preservatives. We use fresh eggs, real butter and only pure vanilla."

The idea behind all good and successful businesses always start with a single or very limited line of product, you do that one thing really well, keep it up, and the people will come and they will most importantly come back for more. And that's exactly what Scott and the Tucson Cookie Company are doing. 

Seven different varieties of cookie, three grades of milk and vanilla ice cream. Done. To perfection. 

A little sprinkle goes a long way...

When asked about the trials of being a small business owner in Tucson, Rosen had this to say as he was boxing up some ginger and M&M filled cookies. 

"The highs are definitely seeing this business grow and be accepted by the community.  The low points are, unfortunately, dealing with people who want special treatment, or are super drunk, or just want to be jerks. 

"We make cookies...who wants to be a jerk to a guy that makes cookies?"

With orders coming in, I noticed that Scott was making a bunch of different items but also a lot of the same. Seems that he and the Cookie Company have tapped into a few options that are super popular with the late night snack attack crowd.

Like Mom used to make...but she never delivered.

"The classic chocolate chip is the most popuar of all our cookies by at least two to one", he informs boxing up a half dozen of his toothsome creations. "I think its because its classic, it’s like mom used to make.  It’s warm, fresh, soft, can satisfy a sweet tooth, and if needed, provide that comfort you might need when it's dark out."

I can totally see just left the home university students missing mom's (or dad's...they have skills too you know) homemade cookies and when the time comes when it's quiet and the strange feeling of being thrust into the real world sinks in, you're gonna want a feeling of home and a taste of something yummy and familiar. 

Let Scott and the Tucson Cookie Company be your surrogate when that time does arrive. 

Line 'em up, I'll take it!

"Why not cookies for delivery?" after I asked the obvious. "There is Jimmy Johns, Eat-a-Pita, and pizza and Chinese for delivery in general.  Obivously there are more options but as you get later in the evening it slims to pizza and the occasional sandwich.  We wanted to offer a dessert that is popular and is often made to taste machine or bulk made.  I pride myself on the fact that these are homemade.  Also, because delivery rocks!"

And what about the future for the Tucson Cookie Company?

"Our plans for the immediate future are to keep growing and serving cookies to Tucson. In that we hope to me hope our very first storefront where can serve more of Tucson.  

We also hope that down the road to open more locations."

That said, I left as Scott was dealing with more orders coming in and it wasn't even close to 8pm yet. His night had just begun and the Tucson Cookie Company is only just beginning as well. 

All I can say about that, is...sweet.

"Metal Mark...get out. I'm busy here! No, seriously...who are you?"

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


Metal Influence:

Melvins

"Oven"

The Tucson Homekillet celebrates the 2015 Greek Fest!

I've lived in Tucson now for a better part of a decade and only one of those years did we miss the annual Greek Festival at St. Demetrios church on Ft. Lowell and Mountain. And why did we miss that one year? Because everyone had to miss it. There was a huge fire in 2013 from their chapel (a candle fell over and it went up in seconds) destroying a good portion of the art and charring the inside to a deep coal black. It was really sad. In fact, the area was condemned and we couldn't even go near the place. Sucked. 

Luckily the Greek Fest was back up the next year and for that we owe a big gratitude to supporters and volunteers that made it happen. 

See, for us, the Greek Fest means the end of summer (and living in the Sonoran desert, this is a good thing), the onset of the holidays and the one time we get to suck down Ouzo in mass quantities. It also means a time to eat until the wrinkles in your toga are worked out. So many amazing Greek cuisine options to choose from and the 2015 festival was one of the best. 

I'm not going to bore you with a big story, or an interview, because if you've been to the Greek Fest you know what goes on there. So I'm just going to let a few pictures I took tell the story here. 

And thanks to the nice people that let me get behind the scenes and take photos. You guys rock and the lamb shank was crazy delicious. 

Enjoy...

A beautiful afternoon for a Greek Fest!

First things first though...

Ouzo and Mythos, once a year I can handle this stuff...

OPA! Flaming cheese better known as saganaki. So good.

This picture doesn't do the sizzling awesomeness that is saganaki...

Always a crowd, always packed...

Frying up some loukoumades...

Think of a very light donut hole dipped in honey. Yum.

Working that line, keep the plates moving...

Souvlaki about to go down!

Like heaven on a stick...

They go fast though...

Another satisfied customer.

Acres of delicious sweets.

All you need is a comfy chair, some coffee and you're set.

Dancers getting down on the main stage...

Some young volunteers cooling off by the ice troughs of soda and water.

Gotta keep moving because the line never lets up...

Plating up pure amazingness...

Pitas pitas everywhere!

Grill 'em all! Jump in the fire!

Spanakopita all day man...

This guy is about to go for it...

Day before the eclipse, a huge moon looms over the festival...

Had a blast. See you next year!

Camera and Typing
"Metal" Mark Whittaker
Late September, 2015


Metal Influence:

Warrant

"Heaven"

(Ok...not exactly "Metal" but...you get the idea. Thanks...)

Pueblo Vida Brewery: Local kids tapping great beer and downtown success

For those that either know or don't know, I really don't get to downtown Tucson very often. It's like, I'm not against the whole downtown saturation thing with the hipster spots, "you just have to try this" dishes, locally famous chefs perfectly cooking eggs and putting them on, well, everything and the rotten parking - I'm just more of a, well, everywhere else in Tucson kind of guy. I think the Tucson Homeskillet is great like that; let's find the bits and bobs of neighborhood funk that you might have missed as you were driving towards Congress street to eat a ten dollar slice of pizza. 

That's ten bucks...a slice. 

But when I heard local kids done good behind Pueblo Vida brewing finally found a spot nestled between an abandoned store front and popular cafe, I sighed deeply, I gently rolled my eyes and proclaimed, "Oh, okay. Let's go downtown. I guess..."

If you aren't looking you might miss it...

The first time I heard about Pueblo Vida was through my better half. She-Ra told me that some young upstarts were sitting at her bar, talking about opening up a brewery and seemed like they knew what they were doing and she liked what they were saying. Then they stopped coming to her bar on a regular basis only to find out that they successfully opened in a cozy spot downtown Tucson on Broadway.

Good for them but She-Ra rather missed them sitting there and discussing their beer brewing dreams and aspirations.

Some of the beers on tap at their tasting room

"The concept of Pueblo Vida when Kyle and I graduated from U of A," said general manager Linette Antillon, speaking about her and brew master Kyle Jefferson on a warm mid week afternoon in their brewery. "We graduated during a time when no one was hiring, so it was up to us to create our future. Kyle was raised in Washington state where craft beer is abundant and introduced me to different beer styles I didn’t even realize existed. Within a year we had moved our lives to the Seattle area where Kyle started an internship at Lazy Boy Brewing and was able to learn the commercial microbrewery business. The idea was always to come back to Tucson to start our brewery, which is our home. Also, we saw a big need for more breweries here that we could fill  because when we left there were only three breweries in Tucson. It took us about 5 years from idea concept to doors opening, and worth the entire ride."

Fresh and beautiful IPA, perfectly poured...

When I finally had a chance to sample one of their foamy masterpieces at a local festival, a golden hued IPA called their Northwest, I knew that Tucson had something special on tap. It was a perfect pint of beer, this coming from a certified IPA nut. It was citrus-y with a great hop/malt balance and then I knew I was hooked. 

Hops, hops and more hops!

It was at that moment of sipping a fantastic frosty glass of ale that I knew I had to feature these kids on the Tucson Homeskillet. It's....it's the least I can do.

Brewing up some glorious-ness...

"Kyle is the microbrew enthusiast", notes Linette as a flight of beer samples is being poured for me.  "He started home brewing in college from a kit his father gave him during a holiday present. He had grown up with craft beer, instead of the yellow fizz most of America was drinking, in his parent’s fridge. He felt he could create a product that people would enjoy and introduce people to beer styles that they might not normally find. For me, it was about creating a place that was comfortable and inviting for people to come in and enjoy that beer."

Line 'em up! I'll knock 'em down...

And created something grand is just what they did. The brew pub itself is snug  with a definite warm atmosphere to it. Think of that awesome uncle you only get to visit once a year, the one who always has the best board games and named his BBQ the 'Grillenium Falcon'; this would be a larger scale of his hangout basement, the one where he let you sip his home brew when your folks were trying to talk to grandma on the land line at Thanksgiving.

Beer keg, you my only friend...

I then had a sip of their Bavarian Hefeweizen and, wow, let me tell you - how they managed to get such a handle on clove notes then have it finish up with a distinct banana flavor is beyond me. And I don't like fruit beers. But this isn't a fruit beer. It's....something else. 

It's amazing is what it is. 

A plastic cauldron filled with bubbling sorcery

When I asked about why the decided to open up downtown, Linette chimed in with "Tucson is home to Kyle and I, this is where we met and where we want to create our life. We love the community here! Downtown was important to us when we were looking for a location. It was a time when downtown was actually becoming a downtown and we really wanted to be a part in shaping what it would become."

That feeling you get when you realize you still have all that beer to drink!

Fair enough. For me, like I mentioned earlier, I'm not much of a downtown guy. I like to explore the further reaches of Tucson in search of the weird and wild to eat and drink. In just a few short years, the downtown area has been flushed with hip spots to eat and drink. Too much almost. With this kind of heavy concentration of like-minded businesses in such a tight area, I just hope Pueblo Vida doesn't get snuffed or passed by. 

Then after drinking their Breakfast Stout, I knew that would not be an option. A mad delicious creamy compliment of coffee and dark chocolate with an easy clean finish is what almost pushed me over the edge with beer soaked glee. Unreal.

Let's see. Yes...I'll take the lot!

"Pueblo Vida is always buzzing with activity," informs Linette upon the day in the life of the brewery.  "Brew days start at about 6-7 a.m. and a typical brew day lasts about eight hours. The tasting room is open seven days a week, so the place only ever stops for a few hours every night. When the brewing crew (Kyle and his assistant brewer LJ) aren’t brewing they are out delivering kegs, washing kegs, etc. We have a staff of 6 or more with Kyle and I that keep the place running."

Oh, I can definitely 'handle' this...

As the new rail car zoomed by and typical traffic on Broadway beeped and screeched, I had a sample of the Belgian Saison. First to grab the tongue was a distinct lemon zest zing with some spice such as coriander on the flavor caboose. It was nice and dry but not too dry and as the world spun outside their front entrance doors in the white heat sun, all I could do was smile wide as the heady beer fuzzies you get from consuming real craft ale began to take hold. 

All was right in my world that moment...

Alone in the keg room, this is how I want to die...

It then occurred to me that I have had Pueblo Vida beer, outside of the tasting room here and that random festival. Yeah, while waiting for tacos at BK (again, not Burger King for those outside of the 520 area code) I had their Arizona Common, which was like a Corona if Corona gave a crap and grew mas cajones and was like your badass big sister who would beat up the bullies that sullied your face then watched Bruce Lee movies with you till the ouchies went away. 

When the food arrived I kind of didn't care. I wanted another round. But when She-Ra texted "Where you at...I want TACOS!" I knew I had to high tail it out of there and promise to return another day for another pint. 

I call this "Landscape of Oh Hellz Yeah!"

"We have a few beers we brew consistently," says Linette when I ask about their 'signature' beers they produce and are in demand.  "I'd say the Bavarian Hefeweizen, Northwest IPA, and a stout (American Stout in the winter & Breakfast Stout the rest of the year) are always in the mix . We started out with these three to offer people a variety and they were very well received so we’ve kept brewing them. We do keep about four other seasonal beers on tap that constantly rotate and are in demand."

Growlers and trophies; everyone is a winner!

It was here that I spotted an award for Best IPA in Show and just had to have another sample. She poured a half pint of the Double IPA and my knees buckled along with my taste buds after sipping it. It was so crazy juicy with a distinct piney conclusion that all I could do was agree with every judge on that panel, even if this wasn't the IPA that garnered them a trophy. It didn't matter.

I was too blissful to even ask. 

So many locations, so little time...

When I told her about discovering Pueblo Vida beer at BK, Linette then informed me about all of the other places you can find their handiwork. 

"We have about 20 accounts we are currently delivering to," she said. "We only really deliver the Bavarian Hefeweizen but we do have a few accounts we give rotating seasonal beers to. Some of our clients include Proper, Diablo Burger, Roadhouse Cinemas, Frog & Firkin’, Saguaro Corners, Ermanos, Tap & Bottle and the list is growing all the time."

Its cold in the walk-in, but this image is like a warm hug...

"The highs?", muses Linette when I ask her about the ups and downs of operating a microbrew in Tucson. "It’s a fun industry, I mean we sell beer! The community has been amazing to us and welcomed us with open arms, for which we can’t be thankful enough! It’s been amazing and we can’t wait to continue serving this amazing community in such a wonderful industry. 

"The lows...I would have to say is that we can’t brew enough beer fast enough. We have had to turn down accounts, ones in which we would love to have our beer in, because we can’t keep up with our current size. It's frustrating but we can only handle so much right now."

Um, yes please!

As the beer flight was all but consumed and my head was swimming in a golden hued euphoria, I just had to know what is in store for Pueblo Vida in the immediate future. 

"We are currently expanding into the space next door," points Linette to the adjoined empty store front. "It will give us a bit more room for brewing and some more seating, both of which we really need. We will also be adding a private room to host small private parties of about ten to fifteen people and a very small barrel room to start our barrel aging program. We recently purchased barrels from Hamilton Distillers and are excited about aging some beer in those fragrant whiskey barrels. 

"Mostly though, our plans for the future is to keep creating great craft beer that people can enjoy!"

Nothing sadder than an empty...oh wait! There's another one behind you...

Enjoy is such a small word as I exited into the bustling street outside of the sequestered beer haven I was privy to the last hour or so. Relish, maybe is a good adjective. Cherish, perhaps? Adore, even?

Thing is, the kids at Pueblo Vida know what they are doing and are doing it correctly and for that I applaud their efforts and their beer brewing point of view. Now, I've had my fill of amazing microbrew beers (trust me here!) but the Pueblo Vida creations I was lucky to have drank on their premises and while waiting for tacos was some of the best I have quaffed in quite some time. I am confident your experience will be the same. 

So get yourself to their location downtown or at any of the fine establishments they are featured in across the Old Pueblo and see for yourself. 

Or drink for yourself. You know what I mean...

Cheers!

www.pueblovidabrewing.com

Camera and Typing
"Metal" Mark Whittaker
Mid September, 2015


Metal Influence:

Tankard

"Die with a Beer in your Hand"