Thanks to everyone who recommended Janos in Tucson. We had what was probably the best meal we ever ate there! What we liked best was the uniqueness of the dishes. There was not one item on the menu that was like anything we had ever had before. Even the pate' was made of goat cheese with peppers instead of liver. The cooking is a delightful combination of Southwestern (with a slightly spicy orientation), Asian and French. I started out with a dish of sauteed shitake mushrooms and scallops, served in a brown sauce flavored with sherry and topped with sauteed pieces of scallion. Then, after the house salad -- appropriately bland but with a generous amount of freshly grated parmesan cheese -- I had a breast of chicken which was baked prior to having a fine stuffing inserted between the meat and the skin. Then it was grilled so the stuffing and skin got crispy -- unbelievable. The dessert selection, again, was very different. Our daughter (the beginning college student and the reason for the trip) was the only one who succumbed. She ordered a fresh fruit plate that was magnificently presented and included huge blackberries, slices of pineapple, kiwi, etc. Too bad that after a day and a half of 106-degree heat my husband said that he won't return to Tucson till Kate graduates. Four years is too long to wait between meals there! Oh, with a $20 bottle of wine, the bill came to about $50 a person -- well worth it! Almost forgot to mention the ambience -- it's in a historic mansion in downtown Tucson -- we ate in a high-ceilinged room whose adobe walls were painted the color of brick. The entrance was flanked by two vases that must have been 8 feet tall. The lighting was low and the plates were pottery of different styles. No "matchies." All in all, a very restful and soothing environmennt. Again, thanks for the tip. Peggy Sweeney
Arizona