Eat Tucson

Eat local, eat better

Being friendly to Mother Earth is very much about incorporating eco-consciousness into our daily lives. In Tucson, we're lucky to have a number of chefs who run their restaurants with that in mind by purchasing a number of their products, from produce to meat, from local farmers and ranchers. That reduces the carbon footprint, and it also translates into extremely fresh, flavorful food.

"Local" is defined differently by chefs, but generally it means finding products as close to home as possible. That translates into a chef who might buy honey in Tucson, beef in Winkelman, olive oil in Queen Creek. Not only are their (and our) dollars then kept largely in the state, but our food goes from farm to the plate without lingering on trucks and shelves.

Some chefs, including Janos Wilder (Janos, J Bar) and Melissa Kelly (Primo) even maintain their own gardens so they can just step outside to pluck a fig or grab some basil right when they need it.

"My philosophy is I don't want something 365 days a year. I want something when it's in season and it tastes great," says Kelly, whose garden is pictured. Here's where to go to enjoy cuisine from chefs who feel the same way.