By JoAnna Estrada-Fessenden, Guest Blogger, Foodies Like Us

ARW Special:

$25/person or $40/couple

• First Course (choice of):
  • Mulligatawny Soup
  • Vietnamese Pho Consomme
  • Classic Caesar Salad
  • Organic Mixed Greens

• Second Course (choice of):
  • Locally Raised Chicken Breast
  • Lobster Mac ‘N Cheese
  • Double Check Ranch Burger
  • Braised Country Pork Ribs

• Third Course (choice of)
  • Jalapeno & Bacon Cheesecake
  • Lemon Souffle

  

Harvest Restaurant in Tucson is a hip and trendy joint that attracts a mixture of age ranges and types of patrons.

Highlights of the Menu: Harvest cooked with  fresh ingredients and had a seasonal menu. They sourced their ingredients from local suppliers which is good for the Arizona economy. I was famished upon arrival.  Our waiter offered a lemon or lime with our water and we dug into the bread he placed on the table. It was accompanied with cherry butter that had chunks of cherry pulp in it. I’d never had butter like that before and it was one of the most wonderful items I have ever slathered on bread!

I chose a Vietnamese Pho Consommé and my husband ordered the classic Caesar salad with anchovy vinaigrette. I sampled a taste and I was awed by flavors of the dressing. It did not have a fishy taste at all as I would have expected from anchovies. My soup included homemade noodles made with duck eggs, and thin cuts of beef with garnishments like Thai basil and a pepper sauce that can be used to spice the soup up. The chef sent us a sample of Tuna Tartare with a relish of cucumber and peppers on sweet potato chip.

For the main entrée, I enjoyed the Lobster Mac and Cheese and my husband sampled the Double Check Ranch Burger. As hungry as we were, the entrees were so in large portion that even my husband, who’s built like a linebacker, was full. His burger was massive! My mac and cheese was so creamy and cheesy and I appreciated the homemade macaroni (the Italian in me). Big pieces of lobster were scattered atop the pile of gooey pasta. My husband’s burger came with roasted chilies (which he got on the side) onions, Gruyere cheese, and garlic aioli. It also was accompanied by a heaping serving of home fries that were freshly prepared. It was a fresh delicious twist on a classic!

For dessert, we finished with a light lemon soufflé, that was light and citrus in flavor. A friend ordered a unique lemongrass martini and I was tempted by the vast wine list. The prices of the wine were not overpriced at all (glasses are from 7 to 12 dollars or bottles are from 24 to 180 dollars a bottle). The menu had a very unique dessert: jalapeno cheesecake. It was like nothing I had ever had before. It was spicy with each bite and the cheesecake had honey drenched bacon on top.

Disappointments: As I noted earlier, the wine list was extensive but I was rather disappointed in their lack of California reds moderately priced.

Ambiance: Very sleek and contemporary. Our table was candle lit since the restaurant was rather dim. There was dark wood bordering the walls with a Japanese style wall bordering the bar and restaurant. Modern art decorated the walls with jazz music playing in the background. There was also a patio that was screened in to allow for outside dining.