If you’re looking for a delicious downtown indulgence, be sure to check out Cafe à La C’Art. Located in the Tucson Museum of Art, the cafe offers fine cuisine to the UA students and the local community.
The family-owned establishment has been serving the Tucson community for more than 13 years and is a jewel attraction for museum guests, staff and spectators. Native Tucsonans Judith Michelet and her son, Mark Jorbin, own the cafe and operate with an appreciation for culinary arts and customer service.
Jorbin gained culinary experience from his time spent in the Scottsdale Culinary Institute. Jorbin is a fantastic employer as well. He expressed this when praising his staff.
“The staff here is great,” Jorbin said. “Everyone gets along wonderfully. Our pastry chef Laura Quarella has been working with the cafe for 16 years. We also have a wonderful catering service, Carte Blanche.”
The restaurant seems small from outside of the Southwestern-style building. The interior, however, proves otherwise. The cafe stretches out vertically, accompanied by intimate side rooms for seating and lounging. The back of the restaurant holds a greater seating area and a stand, which records customer orders while displaying pastries.
The cafe also showcases a beautiful outdoor seating area. Sitting high above the many patio tables rests a large sheet as a shady canopy for restaurant patrons.
The entire outdoor scene highlights intricate art designs and flowers. Shai Tifre, a freshman studying molecular and cellular biology, recalled the first time she encountered the outdoor area.
“I remember coming here with my roommate for a Saturday brunch,” Tifre said. “We just had to sit in the back patio. It was too beautiful not to enjoy, despite the impending heat that day. Luckily I didn’t take any notice to heat, as the food and cool shade were great distractions.”
The restaurant’s menu offers a wide selection of sandwiches, burgers, salads, omelettes and other breakfast dishes. The Rothschild sandwich boasts a makeup of wine-braised beef brisket, roasted red peppers and melted pepper jack cheese.
The pastries also make a wonderful addition to any meal. The key lime cheesecake offered an appetizing appearance, while the perfectly heated hot chocolate served a yummy experience. Staff member Vanessa Alvarez boasted about her favorite dessert.
“I am obsessed with the Chocolate Bomb,” Alvarez said. “It’s composed of a grand, dark chocolate ball, topped with a spreading of chocolate mousse. I guarantee you’ll love it.”
Beside the friendly staff and excellent food, there is no parking. Much of the street parking and meter-run parking lots can be full and require payment.
Yet the adequately priced food offers a treat to the college community.
The cafe is also planning to hold a Mother’s Day brunch special for $29.95 a person. That’s a fair price when it comes to treating your mother for all of her hard work, after all.
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