Mon, May 12, 2008
 The velvety pumpkin bisque at Cuvée World Bistro tastes healthy and totally decadent at the same time. KELLY PRESNELL / arizona daily star
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Pumpkins round out fall menusArizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.31.2007
Nothing says "Halloween" as much as pumpkins.
OK, maybe witches and goblins. But to those of us who love to eat, Halloween means pumpkin season.
It's a fact that hasn't escaped many Tucson restaurateurs.
So, we did a little sleuthing, a lot of eating, and came up with some of our favorite pumpkin treats at Tucson restaurants.
Indulge yourself.
And happy Halloween.
Where to go for pumpkin dishes
Acacia at St. Philip's
4340 N. Campbell Ave., 232-0101.
What's on the menu: Pumpkin bread pudding.
What it costs: $7.50.
How it rates: The name "bread pudding" does a terrible injustice to this wonder. It is a light-as-clouds pudding with a bare hint of pumpkin and an almost painfully sweet sauce of maple and Tuaca (a liqueur with vanilla and citrus). A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream helps cut the sweetness of the sauce. Bread pudding makes it sound so mundane, and it most definitely is not.
Cuvée
3352 E. Speedway, 881-7577.
What's on the menu: Pumpkin bisque.
What it costs: $8.
How it rates: Now this is a dish to get in the spirit of the season with. The velvety soup is thick with puréed russet and sweet potatoes, has a rich vegetable broth base, is sweetened with molasses, and is made satiny with heavy cream. It tastes healthy. But, at the same time, it seems totally decadent.
El Charro
311 N. Court Ave., Downtown, 622-1922, and three other locations.
What's on the menu:
Pumpkin tamales.
What it costs: $5.
How it rates: Sweet, very, very sweet. The warm tamales have lots of pumpkin and what tastes like a touch of cinnamon, and are topped with a tooth-achy sweet caramel syrup. Did we say they are sweet?
Feast Tasteful Takeout
4122 E. Speedway, 326-9363.
What's on the menu: Pumpkin profiterole.
What it costs: $6.50.
How it rates: Oh, my. Warm pumpkin custard sandwiched in the middle of a tie-me-down-light pastry. The custard is spiked with cinnamon and nutmeg and is drizzled with a bourbon sauce laced with caramel. Walnuts add a tasty crunch. Three small ones come on the plate, so you can share. But why would you?
Intermezzo
5350 E. Broadway, Suite 130, 748-8100.
What's on the menu: Pumpkin crème brûlée.
What it costs: $6.
How it rates: The custard is spread out so thinly over the serving dish that the crystallized sugar is almost the same thickness. A smaller container makes for a thick pillow of custard. Still, the silky custard, which wasn't terribly pumpkiny but wasn't eggy, either, was dreamy.
Ric's Café
5605 E. River Road, 577-7272.
What's on the menu: Pumpkin cobbler.
What it costs: $6.95.
How it rates: Whoa. Pumpkiny, warm, with a buttery cobbler crust and toasted walnuts on top. It's perked up with cinnamon and nutmeg and crowned with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, which slowly melts through the crust and meets the pumpkin. Yum.
The following restaurants are going to offer pumpkin specials over the next month — they just weren't on the menu in time for us to sample them:
Barrio
135 S. Sixth Ave., 629-0191.
Barrio was slated to begin serving pumpkin brûlée this week. We've had the chocolate custard there, and we say anyone who can whip that wonder together can do anything.
Bluefin Seafood Bistro
7053 N. Oracle Road, 531-8500, and
Kingfisher Bar & Grill
2564 E. Grant Road, 323-7739.
Marianne Banes is the pastry chef at these two sister restaurants, so we're willing to chow down almost anything she offers. And in November, she'll be offering lots of pumpkin desserts. What sounds particularly appealing to us: pumpkin spice cake with caramel cream-cheese frosting. We're told it'll be a special on the menu this weekend.
Chad's Steakhouse & Saloon
3001 N. Swan Road , 881-1802.
There's something deliciously homey and comfortable about the people and the food at Chad's. Which makes us think that the homemade pumpkin pie they'll be offering as of the first of November will be especially satisfying.
Cup Café
311 E. Congress St., 798-1618.
The pumpkin dishes and desserts will be offered in November. Desserts are always too tempting here. But for a savory treat, the pumpkin and fennel soup's got our heart pumpin'.
Janos
3770 E. Sunrise Drive, on the grounds of the Westin La Paloma Resort, 615-6100.
Dining at Janos is a treat. Especially when owner/chef Janos Wilder comes up with such temptations as roasted elk rack marinated in autumnal spices and served on a pumpkin purée pumped up with cinnamon, clove and orange butter, along with cranberry beans and spicy red wine reduction drizzled with mushroom jus. It was slated to go on the menu this week.
Jonathan's Cork
6320 E. Tanque Verde Road, 296-1631.
We've had desserts put together by Jonathan's Pastry Chef Peggy Forrest, and we've never complained before — especially with her cheesecake. Which makes us particularly interested in sampling her pumpkin cheesecake, which will be offered next month.
Pastiche Modern Eatery
3025 N. Campbell Ave., 325-3333.
We've had ravioli at Pastiche before and found it delicate and delectable. So we are especially interested in trying the pumpkin ravioli, which is due to be offered as a special starting this week.
Roma Caffe
4140 W. Ina Road, 744-2929.
While Roma hasn't always had the best service, it keeps customers happy with the food. The pumpkin cheesecake should be on the menu now. A plate of lasagna followed by the pumpkin cheesecake sounds very appealing.
Terra Cotta
3500 E. Sunrise Drive, 577-8100.
The desserts here have long been sublime. Imagine this: an early evening on the patio, gazing at the so-close-you-could-touch-them Catalinas and indulging in the pumpkin cheesecake, which will be offered next month.
● Contact reporter Kathleen Allen at kallen@azstarnet.com or 573-4128.
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