Enjoying Agustin Kitchen in Tucson, AZ
I had the opportunity to visit Agustin Kitchen this past weekend - a place I've been planning to dine for a long, long time.
Home to the chef who won Iron Chef Tucson, like three times, I was curious to see if I would like the offered fare. Their menu changes seasonally, so that's cool, and there were plenty of menu choices that weren't "standard" but also not scary like squid ink or sweetbreads or something. (Yes, I watch lots of cooking shows)
We were greeted warmly and seated immediately, although we were early for our reservations by 30 minutes. The bar area was full and the main dining area about 2/3.
We decided to go all out and try the appetizer "smears". They brought us four jars filled with spreads and an assortment of toasty baguettes sliced for easy eating. We had a vegetarian cheesy tasting spread, smoked salmon, walnut, and a pumpkin pork belly smear. All in all, a fun experience.
At this point, my son got adventurous and decided on ordering (thank God they were cooked) oysters. We had the baked seasonal variety that came in a pesto garlic sauce. I ended up using the baguettes to sop up the leftover juices. YUM!
For dinner, we all ordered something different. Right off the menu descriptions we had:
Corned Pig + Cabbage: Berkshire brisket, braised cabbage, fingerling potatoes, crispy onion ring, whole grain mustard jus
Grilled Shetland Island Salmon: Horseradish mashed potato, chef’s pick vegetables, smoked paprika nage, freshly picked pea tendrils
Fall Chicken + Dumplings: top knot chicken, spicy-sausage, poblano-pumpkin broth
I ordered the chef's special that came with braised, fork tender Pork Cheeks and some kind of apple smear, served with cornbread and gravy, which I didn't need.
And then we had to go one step further and discover the dessert menu of course. Sticking with seasonal...we were served a nice pumpkin custard with cookie crumb.
Will we go again? Yep! Good food, good service, nice atmosphere, easy to get to. Is it easy on the wallet - not especially so. However, we don't mind paying $$ for knowing we're getting something very enjoyable. Agustin's at the Mercado, 100 South Avenida del Convento Suite #150 Tucson, AZ. Four Stars!
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