As it starts its sixth year as a , the city of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ is upping its culinary game, encouraging locally owned restaurants to focus even more attention on the core ideals that put the Old Pueblo on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s radar in 2015.
Last week, the nonprofit , which manages the UNESCO City of Gastronomy designation, announced its second annual list of Certified Restaurants. And in Year 2 of the program to recognize restaurants, the group added two new categories: Certified Food Artisans and Certified Beverage Artisans.
Businesses that landed in those categories include wineries, breweries and distilleries, and producers including a chocolatier and bakers.
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More than 50 restaurants and artisans from throughout the city and region applied for the certification, which was established last year “to leverage the international brand of the designation and to recognize restaurants and other locally owned independent food businesses that we see as setting examples in terms of keeping our food heritage alive,†said Jonathan Mabry, executive director of the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ City of Gastronomy.
Criteria include that the businesses support the local food economy, take care of their employees and employ sustainable business practices throughout their operations.
“These certificates are not about how popular they are; it’s about them setting great examples for our culinary industries,†he said.
Twenty-five restaurants were selected for the 2021 certificates, along with 15 artisans for the new categories. Two of the restaurants — The Parish and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Tamale Co. — were also recognized as food artisans.

The last of the lunch-rush diners finish their meals at The Parish restaurant, 6453 N. Oracle Road.
The certified restaurants are: 5 Points Market & Restaurant; Aqui Con El Nene; Aravaipa Farms Orchard & Inn; Barrio Brewing Co.; Barrio Charro; Blue Willow; Boca Tacos; The Carriage House; Charro Steak & Del Rey; Charro Vida; Cup Café; El Charro Café; El Guero Canelo; The Grill at Hacienda Del Sol; The Little One; Mama Louisa’s; The Parish; PY Steakhouse; Rollies Mexican Patio; Seis Kitchen; Taco Fish; Tacos Apson; Taqueria Pico de Gallo; Tito and Pep; and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Tamale Co.
The certified food artisans are: ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Baking Co.; Barrio Bread; Carlotta’s Kitchen; Cheri’s Desert Harvest; Chilttepica Salsa; La Estrella Bakery; Maiz ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥; Monsoon Chocolate; The Parish; and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Tamale Co.
The certified beverage artisans are: Borderlands Brewing Co.; Callaghan Vineyards; Whiskey del Bac; Ten 55 Brewing Co.; and Town Under Black Distillery.
Mabry said is the only City of Gastronomy that has a program to certify restaurants.

Everything on the menu at Barrio Charro can be eaten on the go. A number of high-top tables are available for dining in.
The certificate program “is us trying to be creative and use the designation to benefit the local food economy and the local food system,†Mabry said.
“All of these restaurants source ingredients locally. The more restaurants that do that helps support more local food production in both the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ urban area and Southern ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.â€
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ landed the City of Gastronomy designation in 2015 — the first American city to do so — and last year, had the designation reaffirmed after UNESCO approved its detailed report in 2019 that showed how the city was using the UNESCO designation to support local creators of the food heritage.
Restaurants that opened in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ in 2020:
The ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ area welcomed these restaurants and bars in 2020
81 Hong Kong Cafe

The Pork Bento Don, $12.99, featured bone-in pork tenderloin in a sweet black pepper sauce, with Spam, a hot dog and a fried egg.Â
This cafe at 625 E. Wetmore Road, features an extensive menu of Cantonese classics.
Banhdicted
,Ìý1980 W. Orange Grove Road, says it brings Banh Mi with a "modern twist" to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.Â
Bawker Bawker

Bawker Bawker cider house is named after the sound a chicken makes, which has nothing to do with cider, but it sure does make us laugh.Â
This cider house, 400 N. 4th Ave., is named for the sound chickens make — and it's the first cider house in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.Â
Bellissimo Ristorante Italiano

Casino Del Sol Resort
The restaurant inside Casino del Sol has reopened with some contemporary updates using local sources.
Boulevard Barbecue & Fixins

Customers Steve Cesare, left, Thomas Cooper and Kurt Campbell wait for their order during Boulevard Barbecue and Fixins on Monday, the official opening day at 5737 E. Speedway.
The team behind Serial Grillers opened its barbecue restaurant at 5737 E. Speedway in October. Travis and William Miller have four Serial Grillers locations and two other restaurants.
Bumsted's

Scot Shuman, left, his wife Barbara Shuman and Tony Diaz hope to have Bumsted’s at Wonderwall open in July.
Anyone old enough to have regularly read the comic strip, "Blondie," know that a Bumsted is an overloaded sandwich. The sandwich shop has moved and is now called Bumsted's at Wonderwall, 1003 N. Stone Ave. The menu is the same and karaoke has been added.
Cafe Maggie

Maggies Breakfast Sandy with scrambled egg, bacon, cheese, caramelized onion on a bagel, $6.75, at Cafe Maggie.Â
The coffee shop Epic Cafe was almost a goner. The business was permanently closed and put on the market earlier this year, when it was saved by new owner George Shaar. He gave the place a once-over and renamed it Cafe Maggie, 745 N. Fourth Ave.Â
Donut Bar

The glorious French toast doughnut at Donut Bar.Â
This Southern California chain, which opened at 33 N. Sixth Ave., features some unusual offerings that has people lining up for the treats.
eHotPot

The pork chop bento, $12, at eHotPot came with two vegetable sides and a cup of soup as well as a free drink.Â
eHotPot,Ìý243 E. Speedway, serves up Taiwanese food from curry chicken and Taiwan sausage to pinched dough beef soup and pork chop.
El Chapo

Watermelon agua fresca, $4.99, on the patio of El Chapo.
The restaurant at 1108 W. St. Mary's Road specializes in raspados and has drive-thru service. Of course there are other menu items.
El Rustico

El Rustico's parillada, or meat platter, comes with three types of meat for $23. I chose tripas, al pastor and carne asada. Eaten on my porch. Â
When they closed the Tohono O'odham Swapmeet due to the COVID-19 pandemic, one of its food vendors struck out on his own to open his first brick and mortar restaurant. El Rustico, 2281 N. Oracle Road, serves grilled meats like carne asada, tripas and roast cabrito (goat), a specialty of Coahuila, Mexico where chef Juan Almanza is from.
Firetruck Brewing

Taylor Carter, CEO of FireTruck Brewing Company, sits next to the company’s new still at 4746 E. Grant Road.
Firetruck Brewing Company opened at 9630 N. Oracle Road in November. The company was formerly known as Sentinel Peak Brewing Company. Two other locations already open include 4746 E. Grant Road and 9155 E. Tanque Verde Road, and others are planned.
Frankie's Cheesesteaks

Frankie’s famous Philly-style roast pork sandwich is another popular item on the Frankie’s South Philly Cheesesteaks menu.
Frankie's South Philly Cheesesteaks opened a second location in Marana at 3780 W. Ina Road, between Mod Pizza and a new Lucky Wishbone.
Gamar Family Market

Gamar Family Market carries Middle Eastern goods, and now has a takeout counter in the back.Â
This Middle Eastern grocery now has a takeout counter in the back of the shop. The menu is simple but growing. It's at 1800 E. Fort Lowell Road.
Habanero’s Steak and Wings

The owner of Habanero’s Steak and Wings Restaurant in Tubac has opened an additional location in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.
The owner of Habanero’s Steak and Wings Restaurant in Tubac opened an additional location at 6910 E. Tanque Verde Road. Owner Armando Gill says the restaurant walks the line between casual and fine dining with a menu that covers dishes ranging from mole poblano chicken and enchiladas suizas to lamb shank and osso bucco.
King Churros

A freshly-made churro with sprinkles and chocolate, from King Churros on Campbell and Fort Lowell.Â
If you want fresh churros made to order, this is the place to go. You can even get your churro customized with additional ingredients. It is at 1800 E. Fort Lowell Road.
Kiwami Ramen

My takeout spread from Kiwami Ramen, clockwise from top: salmon poke bowl, spicy curry tonkotsu ramen,Ìýspicy Gyokai tsukemen ramen and a softhsell crab bun.Â
Owner Amane Shakuchi opened Kiwami Ramen in the former Jack in the Box at 4610 E. Speedway. Shakuchi found the location earlier this year before COVID-19 had even started, but decided to keep the drive-thru for safety reasons when the pandemic hit.
L Station

The original A-Frame roof is visible inside the bar area at L Station Cafe & Bar on Fourth Avenue.
The kitchen at L Station, 500 N. Fourth Ave., is headed up by Adrian Castillo, formerly of Lodge on the Desert, who's doing a mix of Spanish small bites like garlic mushrooms and blistered shishito peppers, as well as some flatbreads and salads.
La Chaiteria by Tumerico

Plant-based al pastor tacos at La Chaiteria by Tumerico. You’ve got to put some of that green cuban salsa from the salsa bar on there. The menu changes daily, and all of it is cooked from a taco cart parked in front of the restaurant.
Wendy Garcia, owner of Tumerico restaurant opened La Chaiteria in an old convenience store at 1002 W. Congress St. It's part restaurant and part vegan market.Â
La Chingada Cocina Mexicana

Enchiladas suizas at La Chingada
La Chingada Cocina Mexicana is a new effort by the owner of the popular southside sports bar The Neighborhood. The space at 31 N. Scott Ave. looks nothing like it was before, when it housed the casual burrito joint Alejandro's Cafe until it closed in 2018.
And there's a long bar area, which will serve custom margaritas and The Neighborhood's award-winning specialty, the michelada.
Lemongrass

The vegan tofu curry rice bowl, $10.99, from Lemongrass was packed with veggies such as carrots, bell peppers and Brussels sprouts.
In a spot on Fourth Avenue that once sold crepes is now Lemongrass, which bills itself as an eastern Asian health food restaurant. Find it at 344 N. Fourth Ave.
Locale Neighborhood Italian

Jesse Barrios, husband of restaurant owner Deborah Tenino, hangs curtains in the new Locale Neighborhood Italian at 60 N. Alvernon Way — former site of the Old Pueblo Grille and Lunt Avenue Marble Club.
Locale Neighborhood Italian, 60 N. Alvernon Way, comes from restaurateurs Deborah Tenino and Nick Kreutz. This is the second restaurant for the pair, who are partners in Contigo Latin Kitchen at 3770 E. Sunrise Drive.
Med Cuisine

The Mixed Grill platter at Med Cuisine includes chicken, beef tenderloin and a kofta kebab over saffron rice.Â
Med Cuisine's second location, 1763 E. Prince Road, serves classic Middle Eastern dishes and has drive-thru service.
MotoSonora Brewing Co.

Karyn DeConcini at MotoSonora Brewing, which opened as the city called for a shutdown of dine-in restaurants and bars due to the coronavirus.
After more than a year of hard work, heavy investment, and planning, brothers Jeff and Jeremy DeConcini were eager to see their new venture, MotoSonora Brewing Co., 1015 S. Park Ave.,Ìýget off the ground.
Ni Hao Tea

Jen and I had so much fun during this week's visit to Ni Hao Tea, where we sipped on a fresh taro smoothie and a cheese tea with matcha powder.Â
No longer a sandwich shop, this location at 4726 E. Broadway, has a wide variety of teas and other beverages.
Opa's Grill

Above: Opa’s Grill on 4th Ave., at 500 N. Fourth Ave., quietly opened last week.
Left: The Greek Alfredo with salmon from Opa’s Grill on 4th Ave.
This is owned by the same Qais Papoutsis as Opa's Best in East Broadway. The menu at this restaurant on Fourth Avenue is much the same.
Phở Ngân

 is at 4951 E. Grant Road.Â
This restaurant, at 4951 E. Grant Road, serves flavorful Vietnamese dishes and also offers takeout and delivery via several delivery services.
Portal Cocktails

Portal is a new cocktail bar located behind the main dining room at Ermanos Craft Beer and Wine Bar. Its team is headed up by Ryne Hoffman, mostly recently from the AC Marriott.
Located behind the main dining room of Ermanos Creft Beer and Wine Bar, at 220 N. Fourth Ave., is a feat of modern engineering and serves modern cocktails.
Postino

Bartender Davis Hubbell holds a bruschetta board at the new Postino on East Grant Road and North ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Boulevard.Â
Lauren Bailey opened her wine cafe in the 2500 block of East Grant Road with several other new restaurants.
Posto Sano

Restaurateur Daniel Scordato envisions “a full-scale restaurant or an upscale restaurant minus steak and veal.†Cured meats and cheeses will be imported from Italy, he says.
Healthy fast food may seem like an oxymoron. but restaurateur Daniel Scordato is trying to make it a reality. The new restaurant at 6370 N. Campbell Ave., serves salads, sandwiches, healthful bowls and made-to-order pizza.
Public Taphouse
Public Brewhouse has opened its second location at 6720 E. Camino Principal, Public Taphouse. It offers beer on tap, wine and other craft beers in cans.
Pure Poke and Prep

Like the other fast casual poke places that have come and gone in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Pure Poke and Prep, 6501 E. Grand Road, will let customers assemble their own poke bowls with fresh ingredients. The restaurant will also have a menu of set bowls.
Hoki Poki closed, but now Pure Poke and Prep has opened in the same location, 6501 E. Grant Road, so poke is still available. The restaurant focuses on traditional Hawaiian poke methods.
Rae's Classics Burgers, Fries & Pies

Ramon and Linda Gonzales launched a ghost kitchen in their Fat Noodle ramen restaurant to help them survive COVID-19.Â
The mother and son team behind Fat Noodle ramen shop opened a "ghost" kitchen to sell classic burgers, fries and pies, as the name implies. The burgers are fresh and the takeout business will supplement lagging income from the restaurant that is serving at 25 percent capacity.
Raspados el Paraiso

Repeat customers, and the fact that they make a good product, keeps Raspados el Paraiso, one of only a handful of raspado shops on ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s east side, busy during the pandemic.
The family-owned shop, which has been selling raspados, Tostilocos and other Mexican delights for the last five years, is one of only a handful of raspado shops on the east side of town. In 2020, the shop opened a second location at 7701 E. Golf Links Road.
Slice and Ice

Slice & Ice has a lime Italian ice option on its menu.
One of the original founders of Eegee's, Ed Irving, opened this restaurant at 1905 W. Grant Road, selling pizza, sandwiches and Italian ice.
Snooze

Snooze adds a green or red chile to its breakfast burritos. Pineapple upside-down pancakes are the house specialty.
Snooze delayed its opening by three months after coronavirus hit and opened in July. The restaurant, at 2500 E. Grant Road, serves breakfast and lunch.
So Fresh Salads at American Eat Co.

The Greek salad with chicken, $12, from So Fresh has fresh feta along with cucumbers, olives, pepperoncini and more.
One can find a simple menu of fresh salads here, some customizable.
Spice Garden

Cook Deep Shetty, in the kitchen at the Indian restaurant Spice Garden, 5815 W. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Pavilions Drive.
This Indian restaurant opened in Marana mid-April, in the suburban shopping area ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Pavilions Marketplace, 5815 N. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Pavilions Drive. Spice Garden is also the only place in town to serve South Indian food like dosas, the spongy Indian crepes eaten with coconut chutney.
Sydney's Sweet Shoppe

Owner Sydney Adams holds a freshly-baked pumpkin pie at her new bakery, Sydney's Sweet Shoppe.Â
This new spot can fulfill the wishes of any sweet tooth, especially if that tooth craves pie. The shop sells pies and cakes at 8969 E. Tanque Verde Road.
Tacos Apson

A sign on the future location of Tacos Apson at 6741 N. Thornydale Road in Marana.
The Marana location of this restaurant, 6741 N. Thornydale Road, will feature the same menu as the southside location: tortas, burritos, caramelos, and of course, tacos.
The Blacktop Grill

The Shanghai hot dog (left) and the Sonoran dog with chorizo refried beans, $7.25 each, from Blacktop Grill, eaten on a friend's porch.Â
A former food cart, the restaurant, 8300 N. Thornydale Road,Ìýis owned by Gabe Ceniceros, whose crazy hot dog combinations include The Elotero with fire roasted corn, lime and Cotija cheese on top. The menu is a greatest hits of all the best stuff from his cart, and includes some sandwiches and quesadillas in addition to his all-beef hot dogs.
The Dapper Doughnut

The Dapper Doughnut on North First Avenue specializes in mini doughnuts.
With a name like The Dapper Doughnut, it must be a gourmet doughnut shop. This one opened at First Avenue and East Roger Road.
The Korean Rose and Taegukgi Korean BBQ House

The Korean Rose is located in the front of Taegukgi Korean BBQ House at 6118 E. Speedway. The two are sister businesses from San Diego.Â
Taegukgi,Ìý6118 E. Speedway, is an import from San Diego, and is also the first all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue joint in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. There's also a tea and boba spot in the front.Â
The Moonstone

The Graduate Hotel, 930 E. Second St., is a new University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ area hotel that opened this week with 164 rooms, two dining options, a coffee shop and rooftop pool and bar. October 14, 2020.
This rooftop bar is at the top of the new Graduate hotel at 930 E. Second St. The view from the patio bar is stellar.
Toss Fried Chicken and Ramen

The spicy chicken sandwich, $5.25, at Toss has crunchy chicken breast with pickles, housemade mayo and a buttered bun.Â
Toss Fried Chicken and Ramen at 1655 S. Alvernon Way is owned by the same family as Izumi sushi bar on Speedway. Chef and co-owner Jake Lin said that his wife Cooky came up with the idea to pair fried chicken and ramen together because both of those items are trendy and well-liked by American restaurant-goers.
Toto's Taco Restaurant

A plate of tacos with carne asada, carnitas and tripas, as well as the Chakoloso Sonoran dog at Toto's.Â
This restaurant is part taqueria and part homey Mexican restaurant serving breakfast and lunch. It is at 1118 W. St. Mary's Road.
Tuk Tuk Thai

Hoy Joh meatballs, $8.95, have that ugly delicious look, because they're wrapped in tofu skin that's fried to a crisp.Â
This restaurant serves what it calls Thai street food. Owner Bud Sayso came to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ in 2020 from Portland, Ore., where he owned a Thai restaurant.
Voltron Brewing Company

The entrance to Voltron Brewing Co. is tucked back behind the Rocks and Ropes warehouse on Toole Avenue. Â
Named after a Japanese cartoon and the colaboration of two brewing companies, Voltron Brewing Company, 330 S. Toole Ave., began in 2018. In January, the colaborators opened their tasting room to the public.