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Stepping into BATA, you are immediately met with the definition of refinement. The same goes for Barbata. These are destinations for special occasions or well-needed treat-yourself moments. If you want that same culinary culture chef Tyler Fenton is known and applauded for, then your next option is obviously Reilly Craft Pizza & Drink — a bit more...

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Italian was spoken in my family as I grew up but by the adults only. They spoke Italian to communicate “grown-up issues.” You know, all that stuff that we kids “shouldn’t know about.”  Plus, speaking Italian was a hangover from the Old Country and while my parents were proud of their heritage, they were first-generation Americans who wanted the nex...

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Passaggio has some pretty big shoes to fill. The new flagship restaurant of JW Marriott Tucson Star Pass Resort and Spa replaced the award-winning Primo in early October. Primo, which opened in 2005, was a concept by executive chef Melissa Kelly, a two-time James Beard award winner. David Fransua, executive chef and food and beverage director, has...

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Anyone, and I mean everyone, who has ever walked into Hops Sports Grill has met Brian Luceri. You might have seen him making his way through the dining room, bar, or patio of Hops (a bar and grill meets Italian grandma’s kitchen on Tucson’s east side) in an almost statesmanlike fashion; shaking hands, making small talk, addressing the issues of the...

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Full disclosure. I am a big fan of Roma Imports. I don’t visit the tiny shop often but when I do I walk out of there with boxes and bags of enough food to keep my freezer well stocked for months. The thing is, I’m not alone when it comes to shopping at Roma. Just about everyone I know does the same thing. The tiny parking that sits in front of the...

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Adelmo Fornaciari, better known to the world as Zucchero, a nickname given to him by one of his school teachers, is back on a world wide tour that will take him to three cities in the US South West: Los Angeles (September 30 at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills) and San Diego (October 1 at Balboa Theatre) in California and Tucson in Arizona (Octob...

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The James Beard Awards, arguably the most prestigious accolades in the culinary realm, are back after a two-year hiatus. The awards were abruptly canceled in 2020 amid concerns of a lack of diversity and allegations against some nominees, coupled with COVID-19’s impact on the food world. The James Beard Foundation took time to audit the awards, whi...

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Mamma mia, it’s a new restaurant alert. Over on the east side of Tucson, Guiseppe’s Ristorante Italiano opened its doors to the public at 9431 E. 22nd St. #157. The restaurant was open for business early last week but made the official announcement on Friday, May 27. This is Guiseppe’s second Tucson location, the original location can be found at 6...

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Zoppé: An Italian Family Circus returns to Tucson for its 11th year at the Mercado District, bringing new acts to perform under the Big Top tent. Circus director Giovanni Zoppé said returning to the Big Top “feels like we’re home again, back where we are supposed to be.” When COVID first swept the nation, the circus adapted their show into a drive-...

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The US subsidiary of Italian electronics giant Leonardo is building a $100m semiconductor laser fabrication plant in Arizona. Leonardo Electronics US Inc. (LEI) has purchased 12 acres in Oro Valley, north of Tucson, and is planning the construction of a state-of-the-art semiconductor laser manufacturing facility. LEI has been present in the Tucson...

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