The Homeskillet Gets Down With Latin It Up!

"I believe that all anybody really wants in this life is to sit in peace and eat a sandwich."

- Liz Lemon

Just like their food, Latin It Up has a distinct character

It was a bright sunny afternoon just strolling along 4th Avenue when I noticed that the crepe place next to Che's was gone.

"That place was pretty good," my friend interjected. "Too bad nothing really makes it in that spot."

This got me thinking as to why certain areas of town are literally the death knell for eateries. Even if canteens that rock out the proper grub they can oftentimes fall subject to the "restaurant black hole", those weird corners and back areas that seem to always draw a decent concept but then swallows them whole in a short amount of time. That tight nook on 4th is kind of one of them. And, yeah, my pal was correct, that creperie did indeed have a decent product...but I suppose not one enough to keep the lights on.

In its stead a colorful little sandwich shop has taken up the slot and we have a gut feeling that this one will endure summers and winters to come.

Calling themselves Latin It Up, they feature a menu that is just as whimsical as the colors and decor of the place, hosting promises of South American influenced sandwiches and salads in a very relaxed environment that is both welcoming and unconventional at the same time.

A nice lady at the counter with a bright yellow scarf keeping her hair back took our orders once we decided to give this place a shot. Being a big fan of Cubano sandwiches, I just had to try their take on the dish as my friend ordered up the Cilantro Chicken variety.

"It's good," the lady said about the Cilantro Chicken sandwich. "You'll like it. It's a little spicy...kind of like me." Okay, that was awesome and basically made me a fan of this place right off the bat.

 I grabbed something called an Inca Kola and then we sat by the window and watched the flurry of 4th Avenue scoot by as we waited.

"My cola tastes like bubble gum," I said after taking a sip. "Really good but...different."

"Let's just say it is an acquired taste," the lady in the yellow bandana said with a sly smile and nod.

Eventually the food arrived and sparked the reason for this here feature on them.

Irene: the owner, the creator, the one and only

Honestly, I haven't had Latin influenced sandwiches this good since some time spent in Miami or certain Latino neighborhoods in Los Angeles. To describe what separates a real Cubano sandwich from a run of the mill ham option with mayo and pickles is like trying to compare a fast food grease squish burger to a half pound grass fed beef one, cooked medium rare and dripping with well thought out goodness and meaty piquancy.

It's the bread. It's the quality of the pulled pork. It's the seasoning of the ham. It's the flavor of the pickles and variety of condiments. Topped with a properly aged Provolone, Latin It Up's Cubano sent me reeling from succulent bites of the past, most coming from carts on the side of the road, cooked and served up by guys that had a little if non-existent grasp of basic English. It didn't matter because we all spoke the same language: Yummy.

When the idea of a sandwich falls in the hands of well honed cooks of Cuban, Brazilian, Peruvian or Latin American decent, the result is a fantastic mash of flavors and styles that translate into one universal notion that if you are going to make a sandwich don't just make any old sandwich...make it mas que increible!

"Dude my sandwich is rad too," noted my pal digging into her Cilantro Chicken sandwich. So I had to take a bite.

Yep.

Rad.

After we finished our sandwiches and were  basking in all of its asombroso-ness we just had to sit down with the nice lady in the yellow panuelo to find out what her secrets about concocting the perfect Latin sandwich in Tucson consists of...and how she got here in the first place.

I mean, we just had to know. We were slightly lightheaded from the food, a rarity for us to come in sandwich form.

Behold your next sandwich habit

"Well I ran away from New Jersey, my home state, around, oh, 1984...ish?", says Irene Echeandia, owner and sandwich queen of Latin It Up. "I had a cousin living here in Tucson. But pretty soon after moving here I started to really miss my mom's cooking as well as most of the food from Hudson County which consisted of many different Latin cultures.

"You know, at that time, I really had no clue as to what a taco or even a burrito was," she chuckles. "So I started to recreate my own comfort food style, taking ingredients from Southern Arizona and giving it a back east 'Latin' flair.

"We previously owned and operated Irene's on Congress Street from 1997 to about 2005. In fact, we were the first Peruvian restaurant here in Tucson.

"To try and heal from a tragic accident our family experienced a few years ago, my daughter Christina motivated us all to open the sandwich shop here on 4th to try and heal. We had positive, loving memories of Irene's and we feel this has been our calling. We really enjoy serving the good people of Tucson along with cooking and working with each other."

Goofin', but not fooling around

With so many delicious options written down on their extensive blackboard, I wanted to know what she considers the crowd favorites or at least a signature dish...or two.

"Oh," she beams looking at the menu board, "well, we are definitely known for the Cuban sandwich," to which made me smile and she smiled back. "A local publication mentioned us and our Peruvian Pork sandwich, also known as the Chicharron. Then a big food magazine came by and and really enjoyed our Quinoa Burger and the Cilantro Chicken," which made my friend up and smile.

"But as far as sales go, our Beef al Huacaina (shredded beef) has been surpassing the Cubano as far as sales go. It's fantastic," beams Irene with a swish of her hand. "The beef is topped with a spicy cheese sauce then finished with a chimichurri and shoestring chips. So very very good.

"We've also been serving Peruvian ceviche on the weekends. We made it recently for Good Friday and our patrons loved it so much that it has become our weekend staple. We always have specials going on so it's best that you just come on by and see what we have going on."

You can do that or follow them online HERE.

The Cubano in all of its glory

"We are always faced with challenges," Irene states when asked about the highs and lows of owning your own sandwich depot, especially on the busy byway of 4th Avenue, "but having faith in what we do and having a strong foundation has kept us true to our mission.

"And our mission is a simple one: To introduce the community to diverse, healthy and above all hearty Latin American food. If you love food and enjoy trying out new things then this is the place for you!

"We don't know where we'll end up in the future," shrugs Irene as new customers enter and stare at the beguiling display of menu items and artifacts from Brazil and Peru on their walls and shelves, "but we will certainly continue to plant healthy relationships with the good people of Tucson and serving them the best Latin food around."

It's that passion that not only comes out from Irene and all at Latin It Up that makes us thankful they are open for business and seemingly doing well, but in their food as well. We know you're going to be on 4th Avenue sometime soon (because we all are at some point) and with all of the great food on that stretch of storefront happenings, you need to step up and into the cool South American diner and get yourself a proper sandwich. You've earned it...and Irene's inspired creations deserve the attention from your taste buds and heart as well.

From a different part of the globe, you feel right at home

When we stepped back into the glaring sun of the impending summer months, our bellies were just as warm as the spring breeze that wafted down the well trod avenue. Walking away, slowly, we looked back and gave the bright blue and yellow casa a knowing grin, one that indicated that we just knew that the two of us, and the rest of Tucson, will be hanging out with Irene and her food for quite some time.

Latin It Up is here and it is most likely here to stay.

Gracias Irene! Your sandwiches are muy, muy buena!

Now mover el culo and check it out.

See you there.

Why do all good things have to come to an end?

"Oh! Ham!"

- Liz Lemon

Thank you Latin It Up!

Camera, Typing and Eating
"Metal" Mark Whittaker
About A Week After Cinco de Mayo, 2016


Metal Influence:

SEPULTURA

"Roots"

Your New Roving Food Obsession Resides In A Funky Red Truck

I remember the moment I spotted the boxy red coach that rolled into sight and set up shop.

It was a breezy summer evening a year or so ago. We, some friends of mine and I, were all relaxing at our favorite neighborhood bar when I caught sight of the food truck through the window getting ready to serve the crowd who were all beer buzzing and hiding in the free air conditioning.

"They're called Bam Bam," informed the bartender. "Not too sure what the food is like but they say it's a blend of Mexican and Korean. I think."

Always up for a new member of the mobile eatery nation, we waited patiently for the two guys inside to prep and gear for our orders. Eventually one guy began writing on the chalk board next to the pass window:

Yakisoba Noodles (steak, chicken, pork, tofu)
Korean Tacos
Fusion Burritos
Kimchi Quesadillas 

And...that was pretty much it. Simple little menu which I actually liked because when food trucks get mighty ambitious with their offerings, sometimes their point of view gets a bit lost in taste translation. Plus can you imagine cramming endless ingredients and components into such a tight little area? I've seen it being done before and, boy, what a mess. These Bam Bam guys seem to know what they were doing so when they announced that they were ready for service we queued up and asked what was good.

If I say it three times will magic Korean tacos appear?

"Oh everything here is good," assured the bearded man with the thick South American accent at the window. "It's Asian and Mexican fusion so we have traditional yakisoba noodles and house made kimchi paired with Latin spiced meats mixed with cilantro and all sorts of good stuff."

Sold.

I ordered the steak burrito and waited for the outcome. When it arrived it was about as big as my leg, reminding me of the Mission Style burritos that I got back in San Francisco. And biting into it? Holy mother of wow. Incredible. There was a mesmerizing syncopation of Eastern and Western style flavors and ingredients that just worked on so many levels. The noodles were chewy and seasoned well, the protein had a distinct Latin influence pop and the kimchi, oh man the kimchi!, just brought it all together and made for a very memorable dish.

My friends got the tacos. Again, amazing.

But it wasn't until we ran into Bam Bam again that we got the yakisoba (fried buckwheat) noodles that sent us over the edge and knew that these guys and this truck were a welcome contender for our palates and business. Just simply put, the noodles paired with any kind of protein is a personal favorite. It all just makes sense. 'Fusion' is a word that gets tossed around a lot in the culinary world, some of which works and others, eh...not so much. Bam Bam works.

Like silly works.

For that reason alone we grabbed a chance to hang out with owner and chef Fernando Sanchez to discuss the ways of his wizardry and get a glimpse on what it's like to serve up some of the best food to come out of a little red truck.

Or any color really.

Legend status? I'd be okay saying Fernando is on his way...

"I was born here in Tucson but I was raised in Mexico," says Fernando, writing up the daily specials on the board before opening up recently at Borderlands Brewery. "My passion for cooking started at a very young age. I used to love cooking with my grandmother.

"I actually graduated with a degree in Marketing from the University of Guadalajara, in Guadalajara Mexico, but my real passion is cooking. It's really what I love most in life. I learned to cook Asian food from a Korean friend of ours and it just kind of took off from there."

I am here to say we are glad he switched careers because, boy, I can't imagine him doing anything else.

Steak Yakisoba in full glory

Through countless trials and much errors, eventually Fernando and his team came up with some combinations that perform together in a seemingly effortless style. You wouldn't think that Mexican style pulled pork would pair well with a spicy pickled kimchi but its there that you would think wrong. It does. A little too well.

Like I said, Bam Bam's food is just a shy away from total surrender to addiction.

"Asian cuisine is actually my favorite style of food," Fernando notes. "We just wanted to bring something unique to Tucson that you really can't find in restaurants here.

"This kind of fusion is really popular in California, especially Los Angeles, so I studied what one of my all-time favorite chefs, Roy Choi, does to get the flavors mixed correctly. He is just so talented and creative. Eventually things fell into place and we knew we had something special."

Lucky customer ordering it up

When we first got hold of Bam Bam, Fernando was a bit more mobile. If he wasn't parked in front of some of our favorite bars he could be found in various food truck round ups and the occasional farmer's market or sporting or social event.

Recently Bam Bam was a fixture downtown, inhabiting the space between The Rialto Theater and World of Beer on the busy nights of Thursday through Saturday. Turns out, the surrounding restaurants got fed up with Fernando stealing their business so they politely asked him to set up somewhere else. When that didn't work they took further (legal) action to run him off.

Do you see why I'm not a huge Downtown Tucson fan?

Anyway it all worked out for the best because now Fernando and Bam Bam can be found on 4th Avenue at the Flycatcher most weekend nights, a business marriage that he is most happy about. So when you see a bright crimson food truck after catching a show there, be sure to walk on over and fuel up on their fantastic fusion cuisine.

Korean tacos (I didn't take this picture, came from the internet...sorry)

As Fernando started taking orders from hungry patrons lining up, he had this to say about being in the food truck business here in Tucson:

"It was really hard when we first started years ago because food trucks in Tucson weren't really popular, not like it is today. It was even harder for us because we were doing such different food than anyone else. You know sometimes people are afraid to try something new but...everything has worked out okay because people seem to like what we do."

Oh yes. We do.

If you park it, they will come

"I think today," Fernando continues as the crowds gather, "Tucson is a city with a great variety of food and amazing restaurants. The quality and diversity of the food is what got us the UNESCO designated world city of gastronomy. We are really proud to be a part of that."

With such delicious food to be bestowed to us here in Tucson via Bam Bam, I had to know what he considers his signature item.

"It would have to be the Korean tacos. They're just like...perfect to me."

And what do you consider the crowd favorites?

"Oh, probably, yeah, the tacos. People really love the burritos too. And the yakisoba noodles as well."

So...all of it?

Fernando just smiles.

"Yes."

We went back for seconds

The food is incredible and deserves to be a part of our UNESCO nod. The menu is so tight though. Like I said earlier, that doesn't bother me, at all. Or anybody else really. But with so much attention getting thrown his and Bam Bam's way I had to know if they were planning on expanding any time soon.

"Not at the moment," quipped Fernando as he tried to get orders out, you could see that was the last thing on his mind. Dumb question if you ask me. "We would like to keep our menu simple like it is now. But we do have specials from time to time. You just need to keep up with us online to see where we are and what we are serving up special that night."

You can follow Bam Bam on Facebook or Twitter...and I highly suggest you do both.

Can I has some more please?

On the rare occasion that Fernando isn't working or cooking, he says his favorite downtime activity is "spending time with my wife and kids" which I am sure is a scarce concept to him seeing as he is usually on the move.

And what about the future of Bam Bam? Most food trucks or small business entrepreneurs usually have a five year plan of some kind and I just had to know what was his goal for the near future.

In the midst of grilling meat and tofu and boxing up orders to the line of patrons, all Fernando could get out was, "Oh yeah. I can totally picture myself opening up a small restaurant."

I guess we'll just have to wait a bit for that to happen because the truck part totally seems to be working out for him at present.

Even in a different light, it's still crazy good

Until that time that Bam Bam becomes a brick and mortar here in Tucson (you're going to stay in Tucson...right?), we all will be on the lookout for the funky red truck with the smiling Buddha on the side reminding us that all good things come in small packages. And on wheels. And equipped with a flat top grill. And jammed with noodles and kimchi.

When you do see the lil' red wagon of badassery, do yourself a favor and, like, just order one of each. Because, apparently, the whole menu is a crowd favorite.

We know its ours, for sure.

Now I'm hungry. Where is he parked again tonight?

See you there...

Thank you Fernando...you rule!

Camera, Typing and Eating
"Metal" Mark Whittaker
The Day After Cinco de Mayo, 2016

 Metal Influence:

RED FANG

Pure Deliciousness Hidden In Plain Sight

Nothing survives in that spot.

For years now I have witnessed so many restaurant concepts come and go in that area. You might know the stretch I'm talking about here, the one behind Old Chicago and Sauce on Campbell Avenue in the Campbell Plaza. Better known as the restaurant black hole.

I'm serious here. Not even a Papa John's Pizza made it out of there alive. Countless eateries, even some with a strong following and fan base, would eventually find themselves too cloistered behind the well visible heavy hitters up front near the busy byway. Upscale wine bars, fast casual hot wing joints, a frozen yogurt outlet, so on and so forth, just couldn't take the heat of no foot traffic so they eventually had to close their doors due to lack of business.

Well, I am pretty confident that trend is going to come to an end soon.

Now that a very popular breakfast and lunch eatery that packs them in everyday has taken up residency in the back lot restaurant vortex, right next door is a place that has been open for barely a year now and has already been hailed as one of the best sushi and Japanese restaurants in not only Tucson but Southern Arizona in general.

I give you: K Sushi.

Chef doing what he does best

Taking up residence where the old Yuki's used to be, K Sushi quietly opened up and has been slowly burning a trail to Asian fare greatness. When it did take over in the shell of a once mighty contender in the sushi ring, a lot of us just rolled our eyes and went "Yeah, good luck with that. Nothing survives in that area."

But then one day my wife, She-Ra, who is head bartender and supervisor for the juggernaut that is Old Chicago, decided to walk over and get a roll from K Sushi during a break just to check it out.

"OMG," she texted me that day, "that new sushi place is the bomb."

The bomb she said!

After that she has been a regular customer. Then other food minded friends started piping up about K Sushi, Facebooking and Tweeting images of their wares. Their Yelp page is essentially nothing but 4-5 stars. Instagrams of their ramen and rolls were to be had by various folk impressed enough to share their dining experience there with the world. Alright, I guess this new sushi joint is legit. Let's give it a shot.

So on a rather hot early May day, the Tucson Homeskillet just had to to pop in and see what all the cheering was about.

Green mussels about to go down

First off, we were the only ones there. The parking lot was packed but that was obvious due to the hot new kid in town serving up egg benedicts next door or my wife's place with 110 beers in her selection taking predominance in front. We thought maybe some of those parked around here might be inside K Sushi keeping cool from the near 100 degree heat outside, but...nope.

Just us.

At first I thought this was a sign for what we were about to consume. If a restaurant is this slow on a weekday lunch hour then some caution should be considered. But it didn't matter. We were here, we were hungry and we wanted to see if the hype was correct.

We were greeted at the door by a young and smiling girl who quickly sat us on a comfortable booth near a window. After ordering drinks we began to ponder the rather, uh, generous menu that takes up three different plastic protected folios, each scattered with various options ranging from ramen, to rolls, to sashimi to salads, to... You know, if you've been to a nice sushi restaurant you know what I'm getting at here.

"But you have to get the Bear Down Roll," She-Ra insisted. "It is literally the best thing ever."

So we ordered up a decent selection of stuff to sample and sat back and waited for the outcome.

Sashimi plate was inspired and amazing

As per usual, we got miso soup right up front. It was light and brothy and very tasty if not slightly understated. Then came the edamame. Again, perfect. Hot, salty with each pod delivering a nice chewy bite. So far so good. I mean, if a sushi restaurant screws up miso soup and edamame then my guess is that the food to follow is going to be reflected by the basics: It's probably going to suck.

Our first two introductions definitely did not suck.

Soon after, the real stuff started coming out.

First up was the green mussels. Green mussels? No, chill, it's not the color of the actual mussel itself but the shell they come in. Gosh. These things were really tasty and very well composed. Lightly seared with a topping of a good spicy mayo and then finished with masago and toasted sesame seeds on a bed of perfectly cooked rice. The rice itself actually soaks up some of the run off from the mussel and mayo so you kind of can just pick one up and suck it down like any good hand held shell fish. Thing is, you get two mussels in one shell so for two people this item was a perfect way to start the sushi fest.

Now we were excited to see what was coming up next.

Dynamite Roll: spicy, creamy, delicious

Second we were treated to the fantastic and immaculate sashimi platter. Each cut of the salmon, yellow tail, tuna and white tuna was so fresh and flavorful that we temporarily forgot that we were in a land locked state. With tobiko and scallions covering the yellow tail that feature easily became my favorite. I mean, every piece was amazing but...c'mon. This was melt in your mouth heaven.

For real, just go back two pictures and take in the presentation that K Sushi delivers. Was it because we were the only ones in there at the time? Doubtful. With much obvious ardor that platter was constructed and considered and for that we were very grateful.

Now things were about to only get better.

The Bear Down Roll, aka quite possibly the best thing you will eat anytime soon

The Dynamite Roll was a volcano tower consisting of a California Roll that is paired with baked small sea scallops and then finished with a spicy drizzle of a house awesome dressing. The word decadent comes to mind when savoring each bite with a good fiery sting that lingers after you finish. At this point we were sort of getting close to the wall but carried on because, hey...you knew the job was dangerous when you took it.

Then, yes, the much sought after and much applauded Bear Down Roll made it to the table. This thing was huge, long, intimidating. Stuffed with incredible shrimp tempura, the Bear Down is also covered with avocado, spicy kani (crab) and drizzled with a house spicy sauce. Think crunch, think savory, think spice, think full fatty goodness...yes, the Bear Down Roll is one of the best things I have eaten in quite some time and now I owe my wife an apology for thinking otherwise. We couldn't stop eating it and when it was gone, we missed it. Sure we were full but it didn't matter. The flavors happening at that moment were too irresistible to, um...resist.

Trust us here.

Finally we were treated to the Aburi Salmon, something we were not expecting. Two precision cuts of salmon on a bed of rice were seared with a blow torch and finished with a lush sauce that delivered a bit of heat, then on top of that spice we got two big pieces of garden fresh jalapenos. Strictly sumptuous and well crafted with that sneaky burn factor that mind the back of the tongue; an extol scorch for an exquisite lingering sushi session.

To put things in perspective: K Sushi may be new to Tucson but we have a feeling they will be doing what they do here for a bit of time to come. At least we hope so.

No. They will.

Aburi Salmon, slightly charred and mostly incredible

And what exactly does the K stand for? Well, it happens to be the first letter in the last name of the family that runs and owns the place.

Kwan.

That's right, the Kwan family are Chinese, in fact they all hail from Hong Kong. Cool right? So a Chinese family living in Tucson is serving up some of the best Japanese food here or anywhere. For that alone the Tucson Homeskillet salutes them. That'd be like me going to India and operating a Jamaican food stand. Think about that.

You know what...that doesn't sound half bad.

Regardless, you need to get to K Sushi as soon as you can before they get as busy as their neighbors. I heard their ramen was amazing too. So I better stop typing and get moving along the old ramen trail here and get back to K Sushi.

Hopefully, you'll be there too.

Cheers!

Thank you K Sushi!

K Sushi Bar Japanese Restaurant

2962 N. Campbell Ave, Tucson AZ

520-305-4117

http://kjprestaurant.wix.com/home

Camera, Typing and Eating
"Metal" Mark Whittaker
Star Wars Day, 2016

Metal Influence:

HIGH ON FIRE

"Bastard Samurai" 

Indian Fry Bread Tacos That Just Might Save Your Soul

Oh man. Where do I start?

Okay, so...if you've been reading my stuff lately it seems that I have been discoursing a bit (alright, kind of a lot) about my transition from California guy to Tucson dude. Especially with food.

Obviously.

The difference being that back in California I was a thick but lithe 170+ pounds where as since moving to the Old Pueblo I have reached the 200 and then some chunk style. Yes, the Sonoran hot dogs. Yes, the Mexican food. Yes, the sandwiches from my favorite delis. Yes...YES!

 Anyway, to add to the ever growing list of why my belly is shaped like a halved beach ball, is the subject at hand here:

The Indian fry bread taco.

This lil' shed was sent from above

Indian fry bread is pretty simple. Its basically leavened bread made with milk, water, salt, flour and baking powder then deep fried. The first time I had it was at the 4th Avenue street fair like the second or third year since moving here. It was good. You know, just another version of a tortilla or naan. But I didn't really pay close attention to the fry bread until I had it in taco form.

Now imagine this: Your usual taco fillings sitting on top or jammed into of a fluffy flattened near donut pastry. Sounds amazing right? Well that's because it is! So when we got word that a little place out in the Barrio Hollywood nook was serving up some of the best Indian tacos in town, we had to see for ourselves if it lived up to the hype.

So simple, so amazing

Sitting right on the corner of St. Mary's and Grande Ave. is a fairly inconspicuous and diminutive food stand calling themselves Manna From Heaven. Having been open for a little more than a year, they have already gathered quite the following for their fry bread tacos, quickly became the darling of a local weekly periodical because of them and their average online ratings are easily in the 5 star range. Impressive.

So on a beautiful April afternoon, the Tucson Homeskillet crew made our way over there and here is what went down...

Lovely blooms on the back patio area

For real, Manna From Heaven is right in the thick of it. Traffic, bustle and the normal goings on in that neck of the 'hood surround the boutique-sized grub hut. The interior is pretty stripped down and, shall we say, cozy, with a few tables and chairs scattered about. A hand-written dry erase board menu rests behind the register and under a flat screen TV, which on this day it was beaming presidential hopeful Ted Cruz and him doing some kind of rally speech or...whatever. A lady in a bright red t-shirt welcomed us and asked what we wanted.

Pretty much one of each, is what we said.

Luckily this was on a Wednesday so they had a fry bread taco lunch special going on. We got the green chili, red chili and regular taco (which is seasoned ground beef) plus three sodas and the whole thing came to less than $20. She also assured us that the tacos were pretty big and hoped that we brought our appetite.

Oh. Oh...we did.

Since the inside space was fairly cramped for the three of us, along with that Ted Cruz dude screaming about...who knows, we opted for the patio which turns out to be everyone else's go to option as far as the internets were concerned.

Like we said, you are on the corner of a busy intersection

The patio was small but really nice. Springtime flowers and cacti popping with color were blithely shooting out of brightly colored planters all over and the few tables out there were comfy and shaded. There is one peculiar matter of dining on their patio I should mention though:

It's pretty noisy.

You have to remember, Manna From Heaven is in the thick of the barrio, so buses stop right there, beeping and blast hissing as they lower themselves to let handicapped riders off. Cars zoom by, most with booming bass lines vibrating the foundation. Or the occasional squabble between two star crossed lovers pushing jam packed shopping carts fill the otherwise tranquil air.

The best part was this one guy who was sitting near the patio area, talking to himself and listening to Metallica's "Ride The Lightning" on a broke down transistor radio. As we sipped our sodas and waited for the food to arrive, the opening strains of 'Fade To Black' flitted along with the other forms of cacophony of the area.

To be quite honest with you, it was all so very perfect.

Old school speed metal, a bag of creff and a thermos full of hooch...don't get no better than that

But then soon enough the tacos arrived and the world grew a little less frantic.

In fact, I think we heard angels sing.

Heavenly, yet sinful

The lady at the register wasn't kidding when she asked if we brought our appetites. These Indian fry bread tacos were big. Like medium pizza size big. Each one was loaded with meat, beans, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. They looked incredible and smelled fantastic.

So without wasting anymore time, we started cutting up bits of the tacos to survey the flavors of each one.

Gaze into the maw of the Tacopacalypse 

Yep, you heard right: You pretty much need a knife and fork to take one of these suckers down. Picking one up is like trying to wrestle a small puffy meat filled bear to your face. Plus it was all about sharing so we divvied up the goodness and went for it.

First off, the fry bread is dead on. Light and airy but with a good heft; flavorful, not too greasy or chewy. So we knew we were in good hands just from the strata. The beans were hearty and creamy with a good bite and lots of flavor.

The green chili chicken was amazing. Lots of spice and really good texture. Red chili did not disappoint either. Rich and tasty with a distinct kick. The 'taco meat' option was also on point. The lettuce was crispy and fresh, the tomatoes as well. You put all of these components together and what you have is a weighty delectable treat that is easily split between friends.

Manna From Heaven? I couldn't say it better myself.

Tres Amigos

"We get here everyday at 8 am to start prepping," said Rebecca, our server and the nice lady at the register, "so by 11 when we open everything is ready to go.

"Everything here is home made and served fresh. We make the beans everyday, cook and marinate the meat fresh everyday. The fry bread is home made too and because we have only one pan to fry them in sometimes it might take a while to get your taco if we're busy.

"We're really glad people seem to like our food because we love making it and making people happy."

Halfway through, starting to hit the wall

Here's the thing: we all showed up hungry and we are all big eaters. I'd say about halfway through our fry bread taco extravaganza, we began to show signs of wearing down.

These tacos are for real. For the $7 or so you shell out for one, you basically can feed two people. But we didn't want it to end!

The more we ate the more the elements melded together and just became a monumental flourish of bean/meat/cheese/veggie ratio. The fry bread began to soak up the seeping grandeur from the meat and beans, the cheese and veggies began to harmonize with one another, the spices fused and just became one unit of awesome all the while that dude with the crappy radio kept listening to 1980's era Metallica.

"A creeping deeeeeeeeath!"

Magic.

Nope. Cashing out. Sorry. 

Unreal. Actually very real, but so good.

See, if you keep what you do to a pinpoint simplicity, what you are then offering the world is a well honed and composed product that nobody else can contend with. The good folks at Manna From Heaven, that's what they have going on. Stripped down yet each item is made with so much care and attention. This mini mart corner shop of fry bread magnificence deserves your attention and above all your insatiable hunger.

Because believe the three of us that tried to take down the triple taco trial of terrific taste, we basically met our match but were oh too happy to be pinned by the abundant stature of each one.

That's when Rebecca brought out a dessert fry bread.

Huh boy

Even as packed in that we were, of course we had to eat some of the goods here. Hot, thick and drizzled with local honey and sweet powdered sugar, this final piece of the flavor puzzle just threw us over the edge. It was nap time. Or at least time for a digestive whiskey or something. In fact, it was time for both.

To sum up, Manna From Heaven is divine. In such a small space they are able to create some of the best Indian fry bread taco creations I have ever had the privilege to eat. If you're in the Barrio Hollywood area, you need to get in there like today. If you're not even close to that section of town...you need to plan a day trip and make a time of it. The food, the patio, the service, experience of it all, it'll be worth the long bus ride to get there.

And the bus stops right in front of Manna From Heaven! Just be sure to bring your portable hand radio and some old school Metal because that was what made the eating excursion that much more, uh, 'entertaining' for us that day.

God speed.

Now go forth and get yon fry bread tacos courtesy of Manna From Heaven.

Amen.

Now you know, now you gotta go

Camera, Typing and Eating
"Metal" Mark Whittaker
Almost May, 2016

Metal Influence:

METALLICA

"Ride The Lightning"

All Hail the Omar!

When I first moved to Tucson over ten years ago I weighed about 170-ish. Sure I had my signature belly, but it was not as, shall we say, "engaging" as it is today. The rolling hills of San Francisco, walking and skating them on a regular basis, kept me in fairly good shape. Now I pretty much drive everywhere and because of the amazing food here in the Old Pueblo along with the lack of exercise due to a full time job, not really being into the whole gym thing plus curating this blog, I'm easily up to 200 + change.

Thanks Tucson.

The gut has gotten a bit more, shall we say, "prominent"?

After I had my fill of Sonoran hot dogs, chimichangas and hangover food courtesy of Lucky Wishbone, I was ready for my next exclusive Tucson gastro-introduction. This came quite easy for my wife who simply said:

"Well you have to get an Omar from the Sausage Deli."

I wasn't too sure if she meant a person or a type of sausage or...what. It didn't matter. I was hungry and very prepared to get into another local favorite destination for eating awesomeness.

Behold: The Omar!

When I had my first Omar sandwich it was from the Sausage Deli's original location in the much smaller hut closer to 1st Avenue just off Grant. Now they have expanded into a bigger residence, just a few feet away from the old Sausage Deli, but this time closer to Grant Street with an expanded parking area and menu as well. They now have a beer bar! And french fries! Yeah, they got themselves a fryolator. And...

Wait, we're getting off the topic here. Sorry.

Anyway, we ordered two Omar subs, to go, found a nice shady spot in a park and then went for it.

All I have to say is: I was immediately in sandwich rapture.

It was glorious. Delicious. It had that perfect balance of savory, sweet, chewy and crunch. Equipped with salami, turkey and Swiss cheese, it's also packed with onions, bell peppers, pepperoncinis and a good dose of yellow mustard and house Italian dressing. Best thing is that the Omar is served hot so all of the items neatly jammed into a fluffy sub roll meld together in a harmonious landscape of flavors and textures. The Omar, at its core, is a very simple sandwich and that right there is what makes it so definitively marvelous.

I sometimes have dreams about the Omar. The sandwich is that tasty that it haunts my subconscious.

So let this blog post serve as an inspiration to you all: The Omar is amazing and you need to get one right now!

Trust me. It's like the best sandwich...ever.

Hands down.

So simple yet so perfect

"When I purchased the Sausage Deli back in 2003," says owner Chris Fanelli, "the rumor about the Omar was that it was created by an old employee that worked with the original owner a long, long time ago. I would say close to 1978 when the Omar was created by, yes, an employee named Omar!

"The Omar is our number two seller, just barely behind the Italian Grinder. We sell about fifty to a hundred Omar subs a day, which outsells the sandwich version to about 3-1.

"The Omar has a nickname too: 'The Breathtaking'! Appropriate right? There are a lot of old school U of A alumni that order it in a special way: they substitute the turkey for smoked turkey and replace the yellow mustard with champagne mustard, maybe that's how it was served years ago, not too sure. I have had many, many regular customers come in wanting to try something else. They usually just stand there, stare at the menu, then of course break down and eventually say, "Yeah, I just can't do it. I'll have an Omar please."

And if you have had an Omar, you know what Chris is talking about.

If you haven't had an Omar yet, then...well, you'll know what Chris is talking about when you do.

Nay a more magnificent sandwich has bestowed our fair little desert hamlet

So without further adieu, The Tucson Homeskillet now presents to you an ode to one of our favorite sandwiches in Tucson or anywhere really:

The Omar!

So glorious!

I love the Omar so much I took it out for some beers.

I had to cut the Omar off after three...it was getting a bit tipsy

Then we played a few rounds of Big Buck Hunter. Oh that Omar...he's a dead eye!

The Omar even got high score. Way to go lunchtime food item!

Afterwards we went to the fair where we rode the Tilt-A-Whirl till we got sick. Wheee!!!

"Can we go again?" asked the meat and cheese stuffed sub sandwich

I betcha didn't know that the Omar is a big Iron Maiden fan. Like...real big.

Run to the Sausage Deli! Run for the Omar!

After a fun day, it was time to relax on the veranda and soak up some lovely springtime rays.

Just chillin' with my homie...a sandwich.

Even our cat, Lil Poundcake, showed her admiration for the Omar, only having this to say:

"Sure, it's not tuna fish but, man, that is one tasty sandwich."

Thanks Lil Poundcake! We always knew you had good taste.

Can cats eat sub sandwiches? Well, we shall soon see...

Oh, the Omar, is there anything you can't do?

We love you the Omar sub! And thank you Sausage Deli for making it everyday (except Sunday)! You rule!

Sincerely,

The Tucson Homeskillet

Can we shut up about the sandwich already? It's time to eat!

The Sausage Deli is located at:

745 E. Grant St., at 1st, midtown Tucson

www.sausagedeli.com 

Eating, Typing & Camera
"Metal" Mark Whittaker
4/20, 2016

Metal Influence:

IRON MAIDEN

"Piece Of Mind"