taz_39 | Tootsie on Tour: Tucson, AZ (Reply)

**Disclaimer: The content of this post reflects my own personal views, opinions, and experiences.
This post does NOT express the views or opinions of my employer.**

The venue: Centennial Hall

(stock images. could not for the life of me find a good pic of the interior.)

Covid Tests to Date: 73

TL;DR TikTok: CLICK HERE

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We had a nice relaxing bus ride to Tucson, arriving at the hotel around 2:30.
This is a normal modern hotel, and although last week's dorm theme was fun and memorable, it's also nice to have a decent number of wall sockets, and enough counter space for my food, and a shower with good water pressure!

After checking in I was handed the keys to one of the band's rental cars for the week.
We're six miles from the theatre so it's not walkable, and when that happens we get cars to share.
But I don't like being asked, "Can I borrow the car?" at random times of day, so when Steve asked if I was going to the grocery I was happy to pass the key to him right away.

And it was so nice out, sunny and windy but only 70 degrees! I decided to walk the 3-ish miles to Fry's, a local Kroger-related chain.
The only closer grocery is a Trader Joe's about 2.2 miles away, so I couldn't have done much better.
I got what I needed and Ubered back, unpacked, and hit up a Vietnamese restaurant next door for some spring rolls and chicken skewers.
Then I had a massive headache, possibly from squinting into the sun during the walk, so I drank loads of water and enjoyed a quiet night in.

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On Tuesday I made sure to wake up early because I wanted to visit Barrio Bakery.
Usually before visiting any city, I Google around to find out where people like to eat; what are the most interesting restaurants, or the local specialty foods, or the most unique dishes. And of course, where are the best local bread bakeries!

Barrio was at the top of EVERY list, including a lot of websites having nothing to do with bread.
They've recently been nominated for a James Beard award, so there's that.
And the owner, Don, Guerra, was given a USDA grant to further his work with local farmers and the preservation of heritage grains.

In case that doesn't paint a complete picture for you, here was the line when I arrived at the bakery right at opening time:

That must be some REALLY good bread for people to queue up like this on a random Tuesday!
I waited patiently, and the line moved quickly; I was probably only waiting for about 15 minutes.
During that time Yael (trumpet) texted to ask about getting bread (she'd expressed interest earlier) and I promised to get her a loaf as well.

As I approached the counter, a wall of fresh loaves greeted me.
If only I could try every single one!

At the register was a happy-looking guy, smiling pleasantly while taking everyone's orders.
(I realized later on that this was the owner himself. He actively bakes the bread, makes deliveries, and runs the register WHILE running the whole business and applying for grants apparently! WILD.)

I requested two loaves of the "heritage" bread, and it was handed to me in two paper bags, still piping hot from the oven.
Need I mention that the smell of fresh roasty wheat and yeast around the counter was absolutely fantastic??

I got back to the hotel and got Yael her loaf, then had a little photoshoot with my own loaf and did more research on the bakery (which was about the time I realized the owner himself had waited on me).
Barrio Bread's "heritage" loaf is a crusty whole-wheat sourdough made with local heirloom grain flour.
It is stenciled with an outline of the state of Arizona, with a saguaro cactus enclosed within.

Cutting it open was an explosion of crumbs due to the lovely crust :)
The interior was SO incredibly soft. It was actually very difficult to cut because I had to press to get through the crust, but couldn't press too hard or risk crushing the delicate interior crumb. I think I did a good job!

The flavor is tart like a sourdough, and rich like a whole grain wheat bread.
I had it with sliced turkey, fresh avocado, and cracked black pepper. And it was incredible.

There is something magical about truly fresh, same-day, still-warm rustic bread made with LOVE.
It makes the experience of eating something as ho-hum-daily as bread, a moment to be treasured and remembered.
This is definitely a bakery that I will never forget, and I'm very grateful that I got to taste their beautiful signature bread today.

After that was our weekly rapid and PCR testing, then I cooked myself some chickpea pasta with wilted spinach and chicken pineapple sausage to take to work for dinner. I used some leftover Vietnamese peanut sauce on the pasta as well. Hotel haute cuisine, lol.

Then I ate lunch and walked to Walgreens because this hotel is loud and I needed earplugs, plus distilled water and disinfecting wipes.

For the evening show I drove Yael, Steve, Dave, and myself to a garage on campus.
The theatre here is a little odd, with auditorium-like seating and a roof that slants downward instead of up toward the stage, if that makes sense.

I couldn't tell how big our opening night crowd was, but they were responsive and having fun, so that was nice.
We were plagued with some truly awful, screeching mic issues, which I hope will not persist though the week.

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Wednesday I decided to explore a bit.

It's currently in the mid-70s, but by the end of the week we'll be in the 90s, so I want to do most of my exploring while it's temperate out.
Adam (who plays Ron Carlisle in our show) tipped me off that public transportation here in Tucson is currently FREE thanks to covid! I had been desperately trying to budget out some extra Uber dollars for getting downtown and back, but now I don't have to worry about that!

I walked to the closest bus stop and rode all the way downtown.
Can you believe I've never ridden a public bus before?
Light rails and trolleys and taxis and subways, sure. But for some reason, never a bus.
Not sure why that is, except maybe I was never comfortable or worried that I'd get lost.

Once downtown I walked up "Historic 4th Avenue" because there are a lot of thrift and vintage shops there.
Also, I have no idea why 4th Ave is historic. All I can find online is that there were hippies here once.

Although I didn't find anything for myself, it was nice to look.
The storefronts were brightly colored and inviting.

I'm always amazed by the variety of patterns and fabric types that seemed to have been in circulation during decades past.

I suspect a lot of these 1920s clothes are actually modern-made, but still, fun to browse some flapper dresses and accessories.

Around lunchtime I made my way down to the "Five Points Intersection" which as its name suggests is a point where five roads intersect.
There is some "beautification" (i.e. gentrification) going on here, with some newly-erected arches over the streets, some shiny new street art, and some rather hipster businesses transplanted between run-down auto shops, homeless shelters, and taquerias.

(photo courtesy Reddit, my own photo was washed out by the sun)

I came here because yeah, I'm one of those hipsters, and Five Points Market and Restaurant appealed to me.
I sat at the counter and enjoyed watching the staff bustle about and guests come and go.

My lunch was this awesome house-smoked beet sandwich with walnut vegan "cheese", jalapeno cabbage slaw, served on a toasted ciabatta.

It was messy to eat but tasted wonderful. They had many other good-looking meals on their menu, and wine and sauces and other goods for sale in the "market" portion of the restaurant.
I had a good meal and a good look around, then walked back up 6th street to the nearest bus station and caught that same bus back east to the hotel. The rest of my afternoon was spent relaxing and making plans for the rest of the week.

The evening show went well, although I don't think it was that well attended.

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Thursday, I was slow waking up because I've got a headache (still, again), made a simple breakfast, drank extra water although I think the headache has more to do with eye strain, and blew my nose a bunch because it's been bleeding non-stop since we got here. I've been pooh-poohed for thinking some of these things might be caused by altitude + thinner dryer air, so maybe "eye strain" or "a weak constitution" or "it's all in your head" are acceptable explanations instead.

I had a phone conference with my bank in which I decided I'll probably be switching banks soon.
And I did some research on the next city, because Denver is beautiful and we are right downtown and it is very much a foodie city as well.
We are there for two weeks so I'm making a "must-do" list and then attempting to narrow it down.

Then looking at the second leg of the tour, because we were finally given a tentative tour route.

Some of the pros: There are cities and states that I've never visited, there would be new musicians to meet in the pit, there is a pay bump and it would be good to save money by staying on tour.
Some of the cons: The schedule is more difficult, with some split weeks and one-day shows; another year of Jameson having to do my share of things around the house and take care of my plants, mail, car, etc; another long stretch of time away from my favorite person, who I think could really use my support right now.

There is still a lot of time to think about these things. So here I am, thinking about them.

For dinner I made "quick barley" with some low-sodium minestrone and chicken, topped with avocado.
I love the flavor and texture of barley and now that I've discovered a quick-cook version, will be on a kick for a while.

The evening show was fine, we had to go in a bit earlier than usual because there was a basketball game at the same time but otherwise everything seemed normal.

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Friday I set an alarm to wake early so I could do my laundry.
Most people do theirs during the day or late at night; Friday morning before our covid test seems to be the perfect time, the machines are always free.
During the night a biker gang descended on our hotel, they're having a Ride Into The Sun event.
I can imagine getting up early to ride out into the desert and watch the sun rise must be an amazing experience.
Hopefully they have fun and stay safe out there!

My laundry was finished well before testing time, so I ate breakfast and prepped some food to pack for tomorrow's two show day before heading down to get my covid test. After my test I finished cooking and cleaned up, then stole the shared rental car to get another jug of water and to visit a cafe called Nook for lunch.

There seem to be a lot of good brunch places in Tucson, and I am always drawn to inventive food, and Nook fit both of those categories.
So, I got the shakshouka eggs benedict.

Two poached eggs on house-made falafel, topped with spicy shakshouka sauce and Hollandaise.
Served with fresh spinach (personally I would have wilted this and served it on the actual benedict, but it was still wonderful).

I've never had shakshouka before, as it's spicy and therefore not something Jameson would be inclined toward.
It was delicious, every ingredient was perfect and beautifully seasoned.
I resolved to take the bus tomorrow to come back for one more item on their menu that had caught my attention.

Back at the hotel I digested, bookmarked more jobs, and did my budgeting for Denver (it's going to be a tough one, there are too many good things to see and do! What a problem to have lol).

The evening show went well. It is not as well attended here as in Tempe, overall, but audiences are enthusiastic and enjoying the show and that's what matters.

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Saturday, two shows at 2 and 8.
I had breakfast then tried to figure out how I was getting to Nook again for one more treat.

My original plan was to take the bus in and walk. But because we have two shows today I am packing dinner, and if I took the public bus I'd have to bring my packed food with me for a 40 minute bus ride to the cafe, plus the time it would take me to eat (20-30 minutes?), then potentially a 40-minute walk to the theatre, all in 90-degree heat, all with my packed food. Not to mention having to bring a change of clothes and possibly having to shower at the theatre.

So instead, since I am a solid $30 under budget this week, I decided to Uber to the theatre first to drop off my food, and then took the free public lightrail to and from the restaurant. I had wanted the exercise from the walking, but maybe I can walk around campus in the evening between shows when it's cooler instead.

It was a lot busier on a Saturday afternoon, but I was still seated right away and served in a very reasonable time.
This is the carrot protein bread with peanut butter, banana, seed granola, and agave drizzle.

The bread looks like carrot cake or like a sweet bread, but it's not.
It was very light and very carrot-forward, not sweet or dense, and it didn't seem to have much oil or fat either.
It was a good textural foundation for the banana and peanut butter.
I was so impressed by the lightness and healthful-ness of the bread that I asked about the recipe, but the chef wasn't willing to give it up (don't blame him). The waiters dropped little hints about things they'd seen go into the batter, but I'm not skilled enough to guess a recipe based on that. Suffice to say it was delicious, and filled me up without making me feel like I'd overdone it.

It was way too hot to walk back to the theatre so I rode the lightrail again.
The matinee went well although it wasn't well attended.
Between shows I stayed at the theatre because Cecilia (wardrobe) had generously offered to fix the mesh drink caddy on my sling bag, which was starting to fall apart. I gave her the bag and took myself for a walk around the ASU Tucson campus.

Whoever is in charge of landscaping here should be very proud.
What a beautiful assortment of plants! I found lots of interesting trees and shrubs, many of which are in bloom or fruiting.
There were many olive trees, and kumquat trees loaded with fruits.
There were oranges and grapefruits and Texas mountain laurels.

My favorite find was this aggressive-looking spikey tree. It's a silk floss tree, so called because the seed pods burst open to reveal huge tufts of fluffy seeds. Apparently it has beautiful hibiscus-like flowers too, but this tree wasn't in bloom so I admired the wicked-looking trunk instead.

In a side alley next to a dorm I found a potato tree; not an ACTUAL potato but still a member of the nightshade family.
It was labeled with a little plaque and a QR code. "Solanum erianthum" is generally toxic, but supposedly parts of it can be used as medicine or can be edible if cooked (not gonna test that theory).

There were some bushes with impressive dark red-and-orange berries, which turned out to be scarlet firethorn, aptly named.

And on one street there was a whole row of these beautiful trees with tiny, fragrant yellow poofs adorning their branches.
The way the thin willow-like branches moved in the breeze was beautiful and nostalgic, the yellow fluff falling like a golden snow.
Their smell was sweet but also a bit warm and woody, perhaps like sandalwood or basalm. I really liked these trees.

There were both purple and white orchid trees, the purple was finished blooming and was in the decay stage but the white was still fresh and vibrant-looking.

And of course being in Arizona we must have our cacti and succulents.
There were little box gardens all over campus showcasing a wide variety of cacti and succulent plants, but I only took a picture of this one.

It was a very satisfying and pleasant walk. I was glad to investigate a lot of new and interesting plants :)
Back at the theatre I retrieved my fixed bag from Cecilia, who is awesome.
I ate a packed dinner of barley, spinach, and chicken sausage.

The evening show was good, enthusiastic if small audiences.

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Sunday, I hadn't slept well. A little TMI: my digestive system is kind of wussy, and eating a lot of vegetables and legumes and fibrous things and spicy things can cause some serious discomfort for me. On average I'm willing to tolerate that discomfort in the same way that I tolerate my lactose intolerance. But tonight was especially rough, for whatever reason. With all the different foods I've tried this week it would be impossible to blame one thing.

So a rough night, then a morning spent partially packing and trying to reduce the weight in my large suitcase.
This was accomplished by leaving behind my bottle of laundry detergent, transferring my (shockingly heavy) roll of trash bags to the carry on, and packing my clothing in such a way that one packing cube weighed at least twice as much as the other, and then went into the carry on.

I had breakfast and worked on this blog and checked in for my flight, then too soon it was time to drive to the theatre.

The matinee was fine, I felt like it was a larger crowd than we've had for most of the week.

To my mind the break between shows was too short for a 15-minute drive to/from the hotel, so I stayed at the theatre, going outside briefly to find something nice to drink because I felt sleepy. I felt that tea would be a more refreshing option on this hot day, so went into Scented Leaf. It was packed with students studying and chatting and waiting in line. Young women with long legs and short shorts, young men working equally hard to look handsome and/or cool, all of them energetic and full of potential and that exciting away-from-home college feel.

It made me feel 100 years old, like an out of place grandma.
Which made me a bit sad, and a bit self-conscious...but also made me smile and shrug a little, because no one gets to stay young, and in my opinion therefore there is nothing to mope about in that department! The choices are to be resentful, depressed, and full of regrets about something you have no control over; or to embrace yourself and your time at every moment you get to experience. Obviously this is easier said than done sometimes, but in this moment I felt all of those feelings, embraced how awkward I felt surrounded by 20-somethings, and felt happy to get a refreshing cup of tea.

They had nitro matcha! I've seen nitro coffee but not tea. Had to try it!

As someone who rarely adds milk to tea, nitro is an excellent alternative because you get that thicker mouthfeel without having to add anything but nitro. It tasted very nice and was exactly what I needed to perk me up for the second show.

Our final show had the best attendance (from what I could hear), and it seemed like most people enjoyed the show very much.

Next we are in Denver for two weeks!
I am very excited about Denver, as a foodie for obvious reasons!

So far I have two bread bakeries on my list, one established and one new and innovative.
I have several restaurants on my hit list: one old favorite, one excellent-looking sushi place, one vegan-only place to go with Bobby (bass) who will be leaving us next week, and one Japanese cafe where I hope to finally try fruit sando.

Plus there's an art museum, and outdoor activities, and my stepsister and her family are staying nearby!
Should be a fun week!