Ceres is absolutely worth the hype! It's on a block downtown with no cars and has only outdoor…read moreseating. The cute walk up window is easy to order at and is surrounded by nearly a dozen shops and art galleries. The handmade pasta and sauce is truly delightful. Everything is well balanced and made with care. The gelato flavors rotate every week, this visit we tried the earl grey which was killer! A wonderful downtown gem

My bestie recommended this place for an afternoon meet up. I checked out the menu and couldn't wait…read moreto try the place out. It's in this quaint little artist village in downtown Tucson. Murals adorning the walls trellis plants everywhere. A really gorgeous little scene. Ceres offers freshly made pastas and gelato with a rotating special. I have the bucatini with the Casio e Pepe sauce and my bestie had their weekly special which featured olives, orange zest and a light and delicate sauce and she added burrata to the top. We both had gelato. I opted for the Oreo. She opted for a blend of the two flavors and maxed out all of the toppings. Service there is super easy. You walk up to the window order what you want and you're given a number. When your pasta is hot and ready they'll call your number for pickup. While you're waiting you seat yourself and there's plenty of seating for everyone. The portion sizes are perfect and the pasta is just scrumptious. It's also a great way to walk off lunch by taking a stroll through the artist village. If you were looking for good food and a quaint setting this can certainly be your spot!

Hands down one of my favorite spots in Tucson! I love the food so much, the vodka sauce is my…read morefavorite! It's a casual spot with indoor and outdoor seating. Noodies is always top on my recommendation list for good, quality Tucson bites!

We initially had issues with trying to park. The restaurant's lot is on a busy street and has a…read morededicated exit and entrance. Someone was exiting via the entrance and we couldn't stop to wait due to traffic, so we had to circle the block. We were then able to park, though some signs seemed to reference another restaurant (?). Maybe it is the former name of this place. We asked them before ordering if it was their parking lot and they confirmed. You order at a counter, then find a table and wait for your number to be called. I think they had both a large above-counter menu sign and printed versions. There is a short divider / rope line that is intended to allow a line on one side and foot traffic on the other, but it isn't clear and people queue up on either side. Everyone found something they wanted (we all got noodles and split a salad). Pizza was another option, I think. They have a large jar / tank of water and plastic cups next to it, so you serve yourself. The food came out fairly quickly and was good. They claim the pasta is made fresh daily, and it did taste like it was. The portions were surprisingly big too. Prices were reasonable. We had arrived around 5:30 p.m. on a Friday and by the time we finished (probably a bit after 6 p.m.) there were no seats left. They have a lot of booths, some counter seats at the windows, and a large communal table in the center. I don't know what it is like the rest of the week, but Friday night was packed. It appeared popular with U of A students, as it is on campus. I'd return here for a meal if I were in the area.

Leopard spotted, blisterednby wood fire, just enough sauce n cheese, freshest quality produce =…read morePenelope Perfection. Busy on a Weds 330PM shortly after doors open, after 2 days off, but understand it fills up even own the patio and after tasting you'll know why :) Fine dusted parm topped a zesty house dressed $13 Caesar that was pre-split for sharing. House croutons need more of a blast in that wooded oven to crisp up as they were limp and doughy but still polished off the greens. 4/5* Love me some Mortadella and hard to find on menus even in an Italian Grinder here, so my focus lasered in on Tony Balona $18 with Burrata, smoked mozz (didn't taste any smoke) and pistachio dust (very minimal at center, wah), thick swirls of pistachio pesto and switched red sauce for garlic oil, a thin simple sauce. Pistachio not really noticeable in pesto or dust, I really enjoyed my pie, though its not as complex tasting as you might believe. Dough with it's black blisters definitely shines. 5/5* Hub's Classic Pepperoni $17 was flooded in lil' crispy cups; devoured! Happy Hour Bonus 3-6P weekdays, $2 off Appys incl our Salad. $10 cocktails ($6 off!) and $6 Drafts & house wines. Beechwood Brewing centraholic West Coast IPA 7% ABV, a Golden hoppy entry with med bitter to end, Light body and lasting Creamy head was a great pizza accompaniment, as was a regular vs White Negroni on menu. Had an herbal syrup less bitter front than a typical in your face Campari sip. Service was efficient. Water carafe to table on seating. Sure hope they save the water left over given the constant desert shortage, as we only drank 1/3 due to our ABV glasses. On Penelope return, I'll fight to try the fresh pasta unless the Dough menu punches me into submission again! Haha

We arrived at around 5:30 and was told there was a 25 minutes wait time. We were seated one hour…read morelater. We found out that they have "team service" which explains why you can see servers are all over the place. Regardless, They were all nice and very welcoming. Place has plenty of seating. We ordered a Caesar salad, spaghetti meatball, cheese pizza, OTC pizza and the Jackie luna. Everything was flavorful, our experience would have been better if we were able to get in and out a little quicker.

Roma Imports has been on my radar for years, but I never made the time to visit. I finally had the…read morechance when I got to pick the catering company for my team's dinner and I'm glad I did. The food was fantastic. It's definitely a place you need to look for. The storefront is modest and tucked into a mixed-use part of town, surrounded by a few industrial buildings, so it's easy to miss. They accommodated my short-notice catering order without any issues. The food was hot, ready within minutes of my arrival, and the counter staff double-checked everything with me and even helped load the order into my trunk. Everything was packaged really well, so nothing spilled during the drive. My team loved the dinner, and I'll be returning soon to try the food in person.

This is my wife's (*she's Italian, by the way) favorite place to pick up stuff for when we host…read morehome gatherings. The feast of the seven fishes is our yearly tradition during the holidays, and when it rolls around, Angie (I'm not making that up, that is her real name--I told you she was Italian) will grab stuff from Roma by the armful. I am of the opinion that the prepared foods from here can range from the, "Mama Mia!" (really really tasty) to the, "Eh, Cosi cosi" (you know, it passes) range. I'm a people-person and love to observe the patrons. Many of the customers appear to be of Italian descent and, like my bettah half seem to really-enjoy the traditional and authentic staples of, Il Bel Paese (The beautiful country). Food from many different regions of Italy are available. The decor is kinda fun. In my mind, when I think of what an Italian trattoria should look like, this place comes to mind... it's got the classic red and white checkered table clothes, maps and landscapes of Italy adorning the walls, and an energy of a place that is well cared for. A religious icon or two will also dot the interior landscape. The aroma of slowly simmering tomato gravy, cut garlic, roasted meats, chopped onions, and olive oil fills the air. It's an experience. Sometimes life imitates art, and hand to gawd, on my mutha's life... the last times I went, der was deeze tree guys sitt'n in dah corner. I swears, dey cou'da been cast members from the Sopranos. Ayhhyyee! Was'amatta, youse? The staff is generally warm and enthusiastic about their offerings. They generally have been super helpful, and if it's not too busy, are more than happy to make suggestions for new items or how best to prepare the items we have purchased. When we have visited, 90% of the time, the place was crack'n (meaning: super busy and full of life!). Sometimes, as we drive away and I take a peek at the receipt, I will exclaim, "Davvero! È così caro!" Loosely translated that means, "Really! That's so expensive!" My wife, who only knows a few words of Italian, has no idea that I was pooping my pantaloni over the cost... but, bless her heart, she seems to think the food here is worth every penny. Generally, I agree. So next time you go, remember to leave the gun, but take the cannoli. Mangiare!

Yummy, yum yum! I have loved my meal every time I've ordered from them. It's always cooked perfectlyread more

We ordered the "cheesiest" macaroni and cheese family meal with Caesar salad…read more Salad was okay. Dressing was very tasty, but the greens felt like they had not been washed. Mac and cheese was dry as a bone. No one ate more than a bite.

The restaurant is very attractive. You can eat inside (as we did), on a deck in back of the…read morerestaurant with views of the mountains, or on their patio. Although not formal, this does scream upscale Italian. We started with to half-portion salads. My wife had Little Gem Caesar Salad ($11 for half portion) which comes with grated grana padano, gem lettuce, and croutons. She felt that she would have enjoyed a more traditional version with Caesar dressing (she said it tasted more like Ranch dressing). I had the Italian Cobb Salad ($12.50 for a half portion). It comes with sopressatta, calabrese, pistachio mortadella, fresh mozzarella, provolone, heirloom tomato, pepperoncini, olive, cucumber, piquillo pepper, herb breadcrumb, and oregano vinaigrette. I LOVED this salad; it had great variety, texture, and taste. An A plus for sure. For entrees, my wife had the Bolognese, which is listed as the "House Specialty" for $26). It comes with meat sauce, pappardelle, grana padano, and oregano. Ever since going to Italy this year, my wife has been on a quest to find a match to her favorite Bolognese. Unfortunately, this wasn't it. It lacked the depth of flavor that a well-made, slow-to-cook Bolognese must take to get that depth of flavor. Also, it was extremely salty, which should not have been the case. However, I very much enjoyed the Trottole Chicken Pesto ($24), even more than I expected (sometimes pesto isn't to my liking, but this was excellent). It comes with basil, shaved garlic, toasted pine nut, and crispy capers. The service was professional and attentive. In addition, my wife has a glass of the La Volte Super Tuscan wine, which was quite good, but pricy at $17.50 a glass. So all in all, kind of a mixed bag. I very much enjoyed what I had, but my wife wasn't as lucky in her selection. Our price for two half salads, the two entrees, a glass of wine and a Coke came to $102 before tip. I wavered between three stars and four stars, but went with four-stars because I very much enjoyed what I had. However, based on my wife's salad and entree, along with the high price of the food and wine, it would have been three stars. I would still recommend North Italia for dinner, but your conclusion might vary by the specific selections you make.

I love North Italia no matter where I am. So when we were a little late on the uptake for a Mothers…read moreDay dinner rezzie I was hopeful North would have a spot for us and they pulled through! This location is at the Encantada so there's plenty of free and abundant parking although it appears they also do valet. We ordered a few things: 1. The truffle bread. Omg this is one of my favorite things here. The bread is so fluffy and the truffle with that ricotta, mmm! Delightful and perfect for sharing. 2. The prosciutto and arugula pizza. Very tasty and great for sharing as well. 3. The rigatoni alla vodka. This was my first time ordering pasta here and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This and the pizza made for great leftovers. 4. The chefs board. This was okay. It's their version of a charcuterie board and it was honestly just kind of mid for the price. My only nit is the service which as expected on a holiday was pretty slow.

Well, our 4th time visiting this fine small establishment! And let me tell you they 'do not'…read moredisappoint. Perche' No in English means 'Why Not'? Between the impeccable outstanding service, amazing friendly staff and the quality of the food 'Why Not' give them your business? We just cannot say enough about this small quaint Italian Restaurant. Reservations are a must as this is a very small establishment and fills up very fast each and every day. The food is so ' FLAVOR-TOWN' that your mouth explodes with pleasure with every last bite! The Shrimp Scampi Style is a special request and is not even on the menu but they will gladly make it your way. The Butternut Squash Ravioli is to die for and the Beef Rib Tortellini just simply melts in your happy mouth! And as to the freshly daily made desserts...try the Tiramisu and Pistachio Ricotta Cake as they are both over the top with deliciousness! Your water glass never gets below 'half fun' as the attention to detail and friendly service is simply impeccable! Cheers to your visit to Perche' No.....Why Not! :)

Very cute place located downtown with a cute outdoor area. I made a reservation just in case for a…read moreThursday night early dinner at 5:45 and it's a good thing I did. The restaurant was pretty busy when we arrived. A lovely hostess greeted us and we had a fantastic server. I ordered gnocchi alla bolognese and my partner got pollo parmigiana. While the pollo was very good the pasta with the sauce were not great. The gnocchi alla bolognese were fenomenal. They serve it in a deep dish that keeps the food very hot for a long time. Every bite was delicious. Their bolognese has a serious kick to it so if you are not into spicy food I would skip it. We got a tiramisu for dessert and it was spectacular!! One or actually two comments I must make which were unpleasant. The bread was served in the bread basket covered with a napkin and it was very cold as if it just came out of the fridge. In about 5 minutes after delivering the bread a young lady who was not our server came up to us and asked if she could take it away. We said that it just arrived, however, she was somewhat insistent so we let her take it away. She took the basket, the oil, the vinegar and the plate with an uneaten slice of bread. Super strange behavior in my opinion. The second thing I noticed is as soon as you stop chewing they want to take your food away immediately. Beware

This is my third visit to Locale. In the previous two visits, I rated them with a "meh" - 4…read morestars. This time was different. I was greeted immediately by the hostess. I was waiting for my friend and figured I'd have to wait at the front. But no, the hostess seated me immediately. While waiting for my friend, Alex (Alejandro) came to the table and, with a smile, asked me for my drink order. He brought two glasses of water and then checked on me a few times while I waited for my (late) friend. He keyed in the password for the free wifi on my phone. When my friend showed up, we decided what we wanted to order and as soon as we set the menus down, Alex was there to take our orders. I told him that we would be there awhile as friend and I had some catching up to do. While waiting for our food, he stopped by to tell us that our food was just about ready. The runner brought the food. Alex stopped by with more water for us several times. He left us alone until we signaled we were ready for our tab. The place was busy but he never bothered us or made us feel like we should leave. The salads were quite good. My large portion of salmon was perfectly cooked as were the shrimp on friend's salad. We ordered the focaccia bread and it was warm, tender and was served with olive oil. All in all a great experience. A lot of that had to do with Alex. I'll go back, hoping that he's still there.

My daughter treated me to dinner the last weekend in April for my birthday at Locale. This wouldn't…read morehave been our first time dining there and I made the decision out of lots of favorite restaurants. We ordered mocktails, as she's 17 and I rarely drink, and they were truly refreshing and delicious. Our server, I've forgotten his name, was tall, friendly and patient when I requested to stagger service, as it was a Sunday evening at 1630. The bread and oil was ok, calamari app was good, mostly tentacles and felt as if a third of the plate was just breading afterwards because we got the bottom of the bag from the freezer. For entrees, my daughter had the ragu bolognese and it was 4 minutes away from being al dente, the pasta was uncooked and tough. I wanted to send it back but my daughter said she would "just eat it". I usually get pasta or branzino, but this time I opted for the roasted chicken and it was the most insipid dish I have ever tasted. The chicken was boiled or sous vide and then given char marks on a grill, not roasted, not herbed, just charred. The au jus an overly salted corn starch thickened glaze. The broccolini and polenta on side were good and that's what I ate. The chef needs to fix this item or take it off the menu expeditiously. During dining service we felt bad for the several servers who were dealing with 2 screaming kids running through the dining room and out onto the patio. Several times bumping into servers with trays, the parents, cocktail in hand, barely did anything to attempt to stop them. As a restaurant, if something happened to those children, tray with piping hot pasta, it would be your responsibility, so next time kindly ask them to leave. It was loud and wrong and not the fault of your servers. All in all, I will have to take Locale off my list of restaurants to recommend for Italian food in Tucson, it was always the first place I recommend.

First, I love Bacio it is our GoTo on theater night. Unable to get reservations tonight, but we…read moremanaged to walkin within 15 minutes. Staff are amazing and helpful, and kind. Some new staff, but they were doing great. Food was great. Love that they do theme food, no prices for Broadway in Tucson Theater. Chicken Picotta was great, a little too much liquid, Italian Hawaiian Pizza was great, a little burned but can happen with fired pizza. Second, gnats were very annoying tonight. Our table and the next were swatting every minute. Our sweet drinks, Lavender Lemon Martini and Manhattan were attracting them also bc the Manhattan spilled when presented. Eventually, a gnat got by. Just when I noticed my fork was still dirty. Staff were gracious and remade my drink and provided coasters to cover the drinks. The restaurant does have an open outdoor area, and that contributed to the problem. I think they used to have a blue bug fixture, bc I cannot recall prior issues like this. Not a pleasant meal swatting gnats off body, food and drinks. Not every second, but every couple of minutes. Hopefully this was a one off. We love Bacio and will be back. Wish they would price the theater specials. Staff amazing and friendly. Anyway, leaving 4 star, but the visit was 2.5 tonight.

Stopped in here before going to an event at Centennial Hall. We made reservations for a patio…read moretable; we were seated right on time and the hostess was friendly and pleasant. The server stopped by the table relatively quickly and took our drink order. Drinks were delivered in a timely fashion, we ordered appetizers and the entrees. The server was also friendly and pleasant. The appetizers (meatballs and stuffed mushrooms) were brought to the table by a runner. We had no silverware, napkins, or plates, so we asked the runner for these things when they asked, "do you need anything?". The runner said they'd be right back, but it was about five minutes and no joy. The server stopped by when they noticed we were staring at the appetizers with no way to eat them and brought over the plates, silverware, and napkins. As we were finishing up the appetizers, the same runner brought our entrees. I had the eggplant parm and added a side of spinach, which was very good. My date ordered a pasta dish which was served luke warm at best. The flavors were good, but the pasta dish wasn't nearly as hot as the spaghetti that was served with my eggplant parm. The server never stopped by to check on us, so we ate it and was happy for our water as we didn't get an opportunity to order another round of drinks. To be fair, it started getting a little busier by this time, so maybe the server had other responsibilities. The space is enjoyable. The patio can be hit or miss if there happens to be rain, as there was when we were there, but we were perfectly dry out there. We did see the hostess try to seat another party at a table that was getting wet in the rain and they kindly asked for another table that wasn't so moist. The food was good. The portion sizes were decent and aside from the temperature of the pasta dish, presented well. It would have been nice to have been able to order another round of drinks, but the server stopped by to ask if we had a dessert after we had completed our entrees. We just asked for the bill, paid, and called it an evening. Overall it was a good experience not one I would seek out specifically to go to this particular restaurant again.

"Ugly" steaks and an amazing choice of meats and seasonings. Wow, this place has it all and the…read moresteaks were terrific.

I've been buying prime rib roasts here for various holiday events for the past few years and each…read moretime has been great. Aside from the different cuts of meat, Dickman's also has delicious twice baked potatoes and stuffed mushrooms. They have other things I still need to try, such as sandwiches, but I've yet to order any. This last holiday, to save myself anxiety and FOMO, I called in to Dickman's to pre-order a rib roast. I believe I called in on a Friday for a pick-up the following Monday. As usual, there was a line, but it goes fairly quickly. I get up to the counter, give them my name for the reserved roast and add some green chile twice baked potatoes to the order. I walk over to the register, tell the cashier my name and what I'm buying; I pay and I'm outta there. Easy peasy. If you don't have a trusty butcher and don't want to buy from the regular grocery store, Dickman's is well worth it.