It’s officially spring in Tucson. After a few months of relief from the heat, 80-degree weather and sunny skies are making their way back, forcing us to pack away our cute jackets and sweaters in favor of tank tops and shorts.As we mourn the cold weather and rainy days, we can at least stuff our faces at one of the many restaurants that opened in town this winter.From upscale Mexican to backyard barbecue, we saw plenty of new and inventive restaurants pop up in the last few months — as well as expansions of iconic eateries we already know and…

Tucson’s first international dining and entertainment district will open in April along a stretch of East Broadway that’s still recovering from the city’s years-long road-widening project.The first phase of the Afro-centric Z Street, which stretches from the corner of Broadway and Treat Avenue to Rocco’s Little Chicago, includes the expansion of Zemam’s Ethiopian Cuisine at 2731 E. Broadway and a new international bar, Zerai’s, next door at 2725 E. Broadway. The long-vacant Shakey’s Pizzeria building next door to Rocco’s was torn down and paved over to provide parking.The second phase, set to open later this year, will include Zidamo coffee house,…

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — For the past twenty years, a church on the Northside has been providing thousands of pounds of perishable food items to help meet the needs of the community.New Life Community Church of the Nazarene, located at 3367 N. Geronimo Ave, hosts Food 4 Life the third Saturday of each month. They distribute about 4,000 to 5,000 pounds of food items that grocery stores would otherwise throw away. Items include fruits, vegetables, dairy products and baked goods.They partner with Caring Ministries and Midwest Food Bank to make the event possible.“The reward of giving back is incredible,” Lead…

After working in international commerce for 24 years, Ángel Cortes quit his job and moved from Nogales, Arizona, to Tucson. “I was tired of that job; it was very stressful. In the summer of ’22, I quit and I was looking for another job in Nogales, but it’s a small town and there’s not a lot of opportunities,” he says. “My four kids live in Tucson and I talked to my wife and said, let’s start from zero.” When he made the move, he started looking for a job. He applied to 30-40 places and never heard back. “I decided to start my…

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Food insecurity remains a pressing issue nationwide, but in Southern Arizona, one nonprofit is taking proactive steps to fight it.Market on the Move, a program under the 3000 Club, is dedicated to reducing food waste while providing affordable fresh produce to those facing food insecurity.The program rescues perfectly good food that would otherwise be thrown in a landfill. They offer individuals the opportunity to donate $10 and receive up to 60 pounds of fresh produce.According to Pam Boyer, Executive Director of the 3000 Club, the organization has witnessed a surge in families seeking assistance, particularly as…

Tucson has already seen its first 90-degree day of the year. Before it gets too hot outside, we thought we’d re-share our giant list of restaurant patios. This list of outdoor dining spots is long and all-encompassing. And now, the updated version has even more restaurants on it, including some unexpected spots you might not have remembered or thought of. Bookmark this page and return again the next time you feel like going out to a restaurant. (Or coffee shop or bar.) We tried to include all of our favorite patios on this list but if you know of any others we…

TUCSON, Ariz. — A local nonprofit in Tucson that has been extremely effective in helping people feed their pets, is now expanding in the hopes of further helping the animal crisis in southern Arizona.For the director and founder, Donna DeConcini, the mission for the Southern Arizona Animal Food Bank was simple.”To be able to stop abandonment of all animals,” DeConcini explained. “And to be able to feed all animals one at a time, so that a person didn’t have to make a choice between feeding their families or feeding their animals.”They give out pet food at their store on Speedway,…

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The school year has ended, but childhood hunger has not. School districts across Tucson have started their free summer meals program.Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) and other school districts started their programs this week, which are meant to support families in need even after the school year ends.TUSD says they will serve around 1,000 free meals a day across 100 of their participating locations.For some kids, school breakfast and lunch are the only meals they eat. Data from Feeding America show that 1-in-5 children face hunger every day in Arizona.Jacqueline Grassmyer, site supervisor for the food…

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Hatch green chile season is officially upon us, and Fry’s Food Stores is celebrating by roasting this delicious pepper at some Valley locations on Saturday!The chiles are grown on local farms in the Hatch Valley of southwestern New Mexico’s Rio Grande region. In just a day, the peppers are picked, packed and shipped to Fry’s stores in as little as 24 hours after harvest. The fresh Private Selection™ Hatch Chiles are now available for a limited time at all Fry’s Food Stores.Here are the Arizona locations that will be roasting chiles outside on Saturday from 8 a.m.…

Located in the heart of the Sonoran Desert, the vivacious little city of Tucson, Arizona, has a unique culinary scene that represents a confluence of cultures. Despite its ecological classification, the Sonoran Desert is anything but a barren wasteland – it’s actually one of the most biologically diverse deserts in the world and the only maritime desert in North America (the Sea of Cortez/Gulf of California greatly influences weather patterns here). Life – plant and animal – is abundant, and Indigenous people in the area have utilized the bounty in their foodways for thousands of years. In fact, Tucson is…