Friday, April 8, 2011

On the Road: La Cocina, Tucson, AZ



La Cocina is a restaurant, cantina, and coffee bar in Tucson. It's the cutest little place. I love the colorful decor and the large, tree-shaded courtyard. Best of all, they have vegetarian and vegan options (as well as gluten-free) clearly marked on the menu. It's the perfect place to go when you are in Tucson and need a place for both omnivores and veg*ns.


Thai Baguette Sandwich with Cilantro Slaw

The March evening we were there, it was the best weather for sitting outside in the courtyard with the live music. The singer sounded like Willie Nelson. I ordered the Thai Baguette Sandwich (Asian marinated sprouted tofu, cucumbers, carrots, and thai sauce) with a side of Cilantro Slaw. The sandwich was so delicious. I almost ordered another one, I loved it so much. The cilantro slaw was a little disappointing. It was basically a leaf of green lettuce topped with red cabbage. Supposedly there was a cilantro sauce on the cabbage, but it wasn't very strong or flavorful. It wasn't bad, and in fact all of the ingredients were super fresh, I just felt like I was eating a bunch of plain cabbage. Next time I will just order the garden salad.


Chocolate Tofu Pie

I did order dessert. It's hard not to when one is on a road trip and there is a vegan option on the menu even if it is something you know you might not like. The only option was the Chocolate Tofu Pie. I was not impressed. It was a very thick chocolate filling on pie crust. The chocolate was almost bitter. I'm not sure if it was the kind of chocolate they used or if it was slightly burnt. And in addition to that it was just too much chocolate for me. I should have known better. I have had several desserts almost exactly like this, and they just aren't anything I like.

Anyway, despite my complaints, I really loved the atmosphere of this place, the Thai Baguette was too-die-for, and I will definitely return if I have the chance.
La Cocina Dining Room


La Cocina Courtyard














La Cocina
Ranking: ***1/2

***** awesome! Highly recommended.
**** hey, this is pretty dang good.
*** not bad at all.
** eh.
* bad. Keep looking for alternatives.

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La Cocina
201 N. Court Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85701
(520)622-0351
http://lacocinatucson.com/

Hours
Sunday and Monday 9am to 3pm
Tuesday - Saturday 9am to 10pm
Cantina open late Fridays and Saturdays




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