TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Spring and summer have turned out to be a hot time for new restaurants.
There's a long list of new places with a wide range of menus opening, more than 20 in all parts of Tucson.
For years Tanque Verde had the reputation as Tucson's restaurant row. Now a new sort of restaurant row is blossoming around the corner on Grant.
Near Tanque Verde and Grant, Zinburger has been serving up burger and wine for several years. But it has two new neighbors, Sauce, and Prep and Pastry.
For Prep and Pastry this is a second breakfast and brunch spot, adding an east side location besides the restaurant on Campbell.
Nathan Ares of Prep and Pastry says, “I personally think it's a good side of town. I'm from the northeast area. With our opening of Commoner and Company, our sister restaurant at Sunrise and Kolb we were excited to go east with that one. We're excited to go east with the second Prep and Pastry and I think with the Sam Fox and Sauce right next to us I think it's a perfect little strip for us to fit in."
At Sauce Kristin Ferrara thinks after some tough times restaurants are ready to grow again.
"We seem to have lost a lot of restaurants in the down times of Tucson and now that it's building back up this is a great area of town to be in. There's nothing like us within a big radius so this is a great area of town for us to be on."
This map shows a strong crop of restaurants popping up throughout the area.
Just a small sample includes Casa Valencia serving grilled seafood where a sushi restaurant had been serving raw fish.
Restaurants continue to wake up Tucson's downtown with places like Charro Steak on Broadway.
And on Congress, Elvira's and Screamery serving ice cream just in time for summer.
