Tucson’s distinction as one of the premier culinary destinations in the United States will be further showcased in the soon-to-debut 19th season finale episodes of Bravo’s “Top Chef.” Tucson’s storied food history began some 4,000 years ago and spans the Mexico, Arizona border. Rich Mexican and Native American ingredients and recipes are among those celebrated in the southern Arizona enclave today.
During the final two episodes of Bravo’s “Top Chef” airing Thursday, May 26 and June 2, Tucson-based James Beard Award nominee chefs Maria Mazon of Boca Tacos y Tequila and Carlotta Flores of El Charro Café will take viewers on a culinary tour of Tucson, designated a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.
Mazon is a familiar face on the show, having competed in season 18 of “Top Chef” in Portland. She was a frontrunner during her season, making it to the top five with her culinary innovations that won over several of the judges’ hearts and taste buds.
Flores is the culinary talent behind the Tucson institution El Charro Café, one of the locales featured in the episodes. Founded in 1922 by Flores’ great aunt Monica Flin, El Charro Café has grown from a single restaurant into a culinary empire under Flores’ watchful eye. Her Tucson restaurants now include Pub 1922, Charro Steak and Del Rey, Charro Vida and The Monica, as well as Barrio Bread, a collaboration with fellow Tucson-based James Beard nominee Don Guerra.
Credited with shaping Tucson’s contemporary culinary scene, Janos Wilder, the recipient of the James Beard Awards Best Chef: Southwest in 2000, will also make an appearance in the finale episodes. The ongoing efforts of Mazon, Flores, Wilder, and countless others, are among the reasons why “Top Chef” chose to shoot in Tucson.
Other familiar Tucson sites featured in the final two episodes include Pima County Historic Courthouse, Tanque Verde Ranch, JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort and Spa, and Mission Garden, a living agricultural museum located just minutes from downtown.
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