Dining Events
Dining Interesting Intersections 5 Points Market & Restaurant mixes local culture with culinary wholesomeness BY NIKI D’ANDREA 5 Points Market & Restaurant takes its name from the fact that the popular neighborhood eatery is located at a fiveway intersection. But more things than streets intersect at this breakfast-andlunch hot spot. There’s also the intersection of food and community (left-leaning political posters and statements adorn the walls and windows alongside local art), the intersection of local produce with house-made ingredients in innovative but homey dishes, and the intersection of nature and urban development (the restaurant is just south of the bustling downtown area, and its front patio is framed in flowers and greenery). Owners Jasper Ludwig and Brian Haskins opened 5 Points Market & Restaurant in January 2014, with the idea of creating a neighborhood hangout and a gateway into downtown. That idea has come to fruition, as the sunny dining room stays perpetually packed with people who come for the casual ambiance, wholesome and original dishes, and drip-brewed coffee, fresh-squeezed juices and kombucha. There’s no alcohol on the menu, but if you don’t mind a mimosa-less brunch, this place is a worthy and bustling brunch spot on weekends. People read
the newspaper on the patio and mingle over muffins while sitting in the warmth of sunny windows. It is a bit idyllic considering the building’s former incarnation as a rag factory and the surrounding old industrial area (the garage across the street looks straight out of the ‘50s and still has its original neon sign). Menus get tweaked with the availability of seasonal ingredients, but breakfast mainstays include huevos rancheros (punched up with cilantro-serrano pesto and locally made corn tortillas) and the smoked salmon Benedict (elevated by a garlicky herb cream cheese and parsley oil). One completely unexpected morning treat: chilled forbidden rice pudding made with coconut, cashews and pistachios. It’s really rich and flavorful for a vegan and gluten-free dish. Many of the menu items at 5 Points Market are vegetarian, vegan and/or glutenfree. Most include local produce selected by Ludwig and Haskins, most prominently arugula, beets, carrots, Swiss chard, kale and bok choy. Citrus is sourced from local Patagonia Orchards. Baked goods are remarkable, and a crowd of confections sits looking pretty on the counter every day – things like sticky
Savor Food and Wine Festival Many items on the menu are vegan, vegetarian and/or gluten-free. (Photos by Niki D’Andrea)
date cakes with turmeric cream cheese frosting, and banana cake with pineapple honey Swiss butter cream. Head baker Athena Kline, who came to 5 Points in early 2017 from a position as pastry assistant at the nearby B Line, brings a cuttingedge touch to her cakes and experiments with things like sorghum and black sesame sprinklings. Because the baked goods selection is so big, there’s but one dessert offering (on the lunch menu) – seared banana bread, a super sweet slab swimming in clarified butter and caramelized banana and topped with fresh whipped cream. Sandwiches, salads and soup comprise the lunch menu. Between-bread standard grilled cheese gets gorgeously gooey with three cheeses (gruyere, sharp cheddar and white pepper and herb fromage blanc). Also of note: The eye-opening Seoul Sister baguette stuffed with local tri-tip steak, house made kimchi, shiso leaves, jalapeño, sesame cucumber, and sriracha aioli. Salad choices are baby kale or Cobb salad, and soups are seasonal, so ask the server about the soup du jour. Pro tip for travelers or local explorers: The nearby Downtown Clifton hotel offers its guests a $10 meal voucher for 5 Points Market & Restaurant, which covers a few different dishes, including the pancake and the Eggleston Sandwich (over-medium eggs on a baguette). There are many great points about 5 Points Market & Restaurant, especially for the laid-back local and socially or dietarily conscious foodie. It’s all kinds of interesting intersections.
5 Points Market & Restaurant Head baker Athena Kline brings a cutting-edge touch to her cakes and experiments with things like sorghum and black sesame sprinklings.
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| FEBRUARY 2018
756 S. Stone Avenue, Tucson 623-3888 5pointstucson.com
FEBRUARY 3 Indulge in the flavors of Southern Arizona’s culinary arts at the fifth annual Savor Southern Arizona Food & Wine Festival. The event features more than 75 of the region’s finest chefs, wineries, breweries, local foods and restaurants. This foodie festival will showcase the diversity of the heritage foods and ingredients throughout the Southwest. Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 N. Alvernon Way, saaca.org, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., $70.
Cowboy Cookout
WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS Head down to Tanque Verde Ranch’s Cottonwood Grove for a down-home, ranch-style barbecue experience. Choices include grilled meats like ribs or steaks, homemade cornbread, fresh fruit and a large dessert table. The dinner is fireside, so guests don’t have to worry about the cold! Tanque Verde Ranch, 14301 E. Speedway, 800.234.3833, tanqueverderanch.com, 5:30 p.m. (bar and entertainment), 6 p.m. (dinner), $35 for nonguests at the ranch.
Dinner with Chefs & Celebs
FEBRUARY 22 Casino del Sol’s executive chief, Ryan Clark, showcases his talents in collaboration with friends and local personalities. Each will team up with Clark to create and cook a unique multicourse dinner featuring premium 5 Star Arizona beef and the freshest seasonal, local ingredients. February’s guest is UA graduate John Fina, 11-year NFL player, who suited up for 10 years for the Buffalo Bills. Casino del Sol, 5655 W. Valencia Road, 324.9350, casinodelsol.com, 6:30 p.m., $65.
The Dinner Detective
FEBRUARY 24 Guests can help solve a “hilarious crime” while they feast on dinner. The killer is hiding somewhere in the room, and they find themselves as a prime suspect. The show is different from traditional murdermystery dinners in that noncostumed actors are in the audience, pretending to be regular guests. Hilton Tucson East, 7600 E. Broadway Boulevard, thedinnerdetective.com, 6 to 9 p.m., $59.95.
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