TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — I always look for great food and great spaces to discover here at KGUN 9 News so why not combine both?
A restaurant with a rich history that's so much more than what you see on the surface is today's "Dan's Discovery."
If Chef Tyler Fenton were superstitious, maybe celebrating 13 years in business would feel unlucky.
"I love this building deeply," Tyler told me.
But he's never let a little thing like, oh, the fact that his restaurant was built in a longtime abandoned building that was home to a funeral parlor for the better part of nine decades stop him.
"We exposed the original brick. We refinished the original floors. And we left as much of the bones and the history of the building. We kept the name!"
The name, Reilly Funeral Home, has churned out some of the best food and beverages in the Old Pueblo as Reilly Craft Pizza and Drink since 2012.
Hundreds of pies a day moved in and out with the speed of the peel-wielding workers who want to get them just right.
You could say the food's to die for?
"We, we have definitely heard that one," Tyler laughed.
Breathing new life into this building and having a ripple effect in the land of the living in the greater downtown district motivated chef Tyler and his backers to go all in on a renovation that took a year and a half.
And now, the beauty will take your breath away in the best way.
"Are these kind of mimicking the original or is this all original the way that it looks?" I asked.
"This is all original. The arches and the columns," Tyler told me.
The menu is classic Italian with a little wiggle room for exploring the full palate.
"I've just always loved food. I like making people happy. I like the creative side of things."
The cocktails have also gained a great reputation, making bartender Jake Murray's job easy.
"It's great. The lighting's great... great atmosphere," Jake said.
So why pizza? Why not?
"We're always bringing in new ingredients, refining techniques, changing the menu, keeping things fun and exciting," Chef Tyler said.
The regulars and newcomers alike have put to rest the argument that it's too tough for a restaurant to survive right here in Tucson.
"I just love the environment. It's a very cool space and the way that you can get good pizza but like in the heart of downtown," Lily Nenadic told me. She's eaten here before.
Chef Tyler wanted me to try out his best menu items so I told him to give me his favorite
"It's like picking a favorite child but pizza, pizza's kind of my baby."
Two of my favorite children helped me with the tough assignment of tasting two of Reilly's best dishes; the classic margherita pizza and a rigatoni that'll have you telling all of your friends about Reilly.
As for Chef Tyler and his staff, they're thrilled to celebrate another year, any year, trusting that Tucson knows all about this building that represents new beginnings.
"Every time I walk into this space, I still kind of like, pinch myself," Tyler said.
You're awake, Chef, and alive, and loving every minute of making hungry patrons happy.
Check out more about Reilly Craft Pizza and Drink
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Dan Spindle co-anchors Good Morning Tucson on KGUN 9 and is an award-winning storyteller whose work has earned him honors from the Rocky Mountain Southwest Emmys, the Associated Press and the Utah Society of Professional Journalists for both anchoring and reporting. Dan is passionate about history and loves to explore the Grand Canyon State. Share your story ideas with Dan by emailing dan.spindle@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, or X.
