ohn Burroughs

A word of support for The Sweet Pea, a small, independently-run bakery in downtown Phoenix: The husband-and-wife team who run this bakery (Danielle does the baking) have hit the nail on the head. Their industrial, comfortable space is a good home for great baked goods. I can particularly recommend the beautiful cupcakes and the soft, crumbly peanut butter and jelly sandwich cookies. Do yourself a favor and check them out, down by the ballpark, at the SW corner of Jackson and 2nd Ave. Their website: http://www.sweetpeaaz.com/

RC, Sorry for the typo...What I mean by Outback level (which is another great VALUE dining spot) is that the quality of the meat is not of the Prime grade. If you are used to eating Snake River Farms Wagyu meat at Per Se and then you eat a $14.95 Filet or whatever at El Corral then the difference in meat quality can be jarring. If he has limited meals while in Tucson then I do not think that would be a place to recommend. I feel that based on what he is used to dining-wise that will be a hokey experience for him. There are other places that are unique to Tucson that the quality of the cuisine will be special. As far as Zin and Wildflower, I do not find those special or unique to Tucson. They have safe mainstream menus that appeal to the masses, not the epicure. Hel313 ← There's a place for Snake River Farms Wagyu, and there's a place for cheap steak. Anyone who can only tolerate the first has allowed themselves a greater berth around the "masses" than they deserve. The specific restaurants mentioned in Tucson may not prepare that cheap steak in an interesting or notable way, and that's fine to point out, as a diner in search of interesting meals shouldn't waste time there. But to state baldly that someone who dines on wagyu must be protected from cheap steak like the princess from the pea is a sad and unnecessary indulgence of the worst stereotypes that gourmands adopt as affects.

As an admirer of Thomas Keller's food, restaurants, and beautiful cookbooks, I am saddened to file this brief report on breakfast at the Las Vegas arm of Bouchon. The food was tourist food. The front of the house was excellent, the kitchen was beautiful and humming quietly along, and the physical restaurant was ideal. But the food, unfortunately, was very disappointing. The pommes frites were unimpressive and quickly congealed as they cooled -- they were not served hot. The eggs were rubbery and overcooked. The croque madame was inelegantly presented and the mornay sauce underseasoned. The only food on our table that was even acceptable was the perfectly baked bread and the perfectly adequate coffee. If Thomas Keller cooked here, I'm sure things would be different. But they aren't. Bouchon in Las Vegas exists as a profit arm of Keller, Inc., and nothing more.