Gustatory greetings, foodies! It’s been a long dry spell since I sent out a dinner notice – nothing since our dinner in Lewisburg, WV at the GEAR rally last October – but that’s about to change. It’s time for Tucson!
First, a quick report on Lewisburg. We had a great turnout for an Area rally – 41 diners. Hosts Bill and Garnetta Mallory had a tough job finding a facility that would suit us – there just aren’t many in the Lewisburg area – but Hill and Holler was glad to have us. The venue was a bit noisier than normal for us, but the food was good and the atmosphere friendly, and everyone just learned to talk a little louder than usual. As they say, “A good time was had by all.” Thanks, Bill and Garnetta.
On to Tucson. Speaking of a tough time finding a facility, we had the same problem here in Arizona. Astoundingly, although the Tucson area has a copious number of excellent restaurants, very few of them anywhere near the Convention site (the Pima County Fairgrounds) can accommodate a large group. Our two old favorites, the Silver Saddle steakhouse and the restaurant at the del Lago Country Club, were washouts – the Silver Saddle is now closed bothMonday and Tuesday, and the del Lago was already booked through April! However, after extensive searching both on line and in person, I believe we’ve found a good one – The Steak Out restaurant in Sonoita. Barbara and I had dinner there last night and were very impressed with their steaks – my ribeye in particular was excellent. Their only drawback is that they’re a little farther away than we would like, but we think the overall suitability justifies the trip. Here are some bullet points:
They are a well-respected historic SEAZ (SouthEastAriZona) steakhouse. They do offer other entrees, including salads and a veggie burger, but unless you’re a hard-core vegetarian or vegan, we’d really recommend the steaks. Their menu is available on their website, https://www.azsteakout.com/ .
They are offering us seating in a separate room from the main restaurant, less noisy and more private.
They open at 5:00 PM, which is when we want to arrive.
We will be able to order off the regular menu when we get there – no preordering, no restrictions.
They will give us our checks by couple or table, as we prefer.
The restaurant has a large, easy-to-access parking area.
The drive, while a bit long, has a lot to recommend it. It consists of a little over 30 miles of good-quality, low-traffic State highways, and the last part of the trip passes through some of the most scenic views in this part of Arizona. Also, the little Hamlet of Sonoita is the center of the Sonoita-Elgin Wine Region, one of three major wine-producing regions in the state. After conferring with Doug Uhlenbrock at FMCA, we’ve decided that Monday the 18th is the best day for the dinner (fewest conflicts with FMCA activities), so if you decide to travel down to Sonoita before the 5:00 dinner hour, you might want to enjoy a tasting at one of the local wineries. A map can be found at https://www.sonoitavineyards.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/sonoita_elgin_map.pdf (the restaurant is Number 14 on the map).
This has been a long email, so here’s a quick summary:
What & When – Gourmands dinner at Tucson Convention, Monday, March 18, 2024. Arrive at 5:00PM, order dinner or drinks when you like.
Where – The SteakOut Restaurant, Sonoita, AZ (driving directions to be furnished later). https://www.azsteakout.com/ .
Barbara and I will be your hosts, since we’re already here at our winter address in Benson, so if you plan to attend, just let me know by replying to this email. We look forward to seeing you there.
Eastern Gourmands – January 2024 update
Gustatory greetings, foodies! It’s been a long dry spell since I sent out a dinner notice – nothing since our dinner in Lewisburg, WV at the GEAR rally last October – but that’s about to change. It’s time for Tucson!
First, a quick report on Lewisburg. We had a great turnout for an Area rally – 41 diners. Hosts Bill and Garnetta Mallory had a tough job finding a facility that would suit us – there just aren’t many in the Lewisburg area – but Hill and Holler was glad to have us. The venue was a bit noisier than normal for us, but the food was good and the atmosphere friendly, and everyone just learned to talk a little louder than usual. As they say, “A good time was had by all.” Thanks, Bill and Garnetta.
On to Tucson. Speaking of a tough time finding a facility, we had the same problem here in Arizona. Astoundingly, although the Tucson area has a copious number of excellent restaurants, very few of them anywhere near the Convention site (the Pima County Fairgrounds) can accommodate a large group. Our two old favorites, the Silver Saddle steakhouse and the restaurant at the del Lago Country Club, were washouts – the Silver Saddle is now closed bothMonday and Tuesday, and the del Lago was already booked through April! However, after extensive searching both on line and in person, I believe we’ve found a good one – The Steak Out restaurant in Sonoita. Barbara and I had dinner there last night and were very impressed with their steaks – my ribeye in particular was excellent. Their only drawback is that they’re a little farther away than we would like, but we think the overall suitability justifies the trip. Here are some bullet points:
This has been a long email, so here’s a quick summary:
What & When – Gourmands dinner at Tucson Convention, Monday, March 18, 2024. Arrive at 5:00PM, order dinner or drinks when you like.
Where – The SteakOut Restaurant, Sonoita, AZ (driving directions to be furnished later). https://www.azsteakout.com/ .
Barbara and I will be your hosts, since we’re already here at our winter address in Benson, so if you plan to attend, just let me know by replying to this email. We look forward to seeing you there.
Thanks, and, as usual…
Bon Appétit!
Wilt
Wilt Greenwood, President
Eastern Gourmands