At the far west end of Downtown Tucson lies a gem of the Tucson culinary scene, Agustin Kitchen. It sits at the corner of some distinct, historic neighborhoods that lend to the diversity of the clientele and the menu. A slight crew shuffle, including the chef, injected new found vitality to complement the new vibrant dishes. Under Executive Chef David Solorzano’s keen eye, the restaurant has started on a trajectory that it may not have had before. General Manager Justin Skoda spoke about how much of an impact David has had on the back of house, which directly leads to success at the front of house, “David came on board after a long list of us searching. We brought in some folks, some were close to the right fit, but when David came on board, everyone in the kitchen got put in white chef coats, black aprons, the works. The organization on the line went from a smattering of half-formed ideas, to very focused and the food being plated with intent.”
The new menu items are varied and blend accessibility with elegance to create an approachable, elevated dining experience. One of their best-selling items is a pan seared half chicken on a bed of potato puree with a chicken aju that is cooked down with pancetta, all placed on top of a melted savoy cabbage that takes upwards of 2 hours to prepare.
Another unique offering at Agustin Kitchen is a braised carrot that is prepared similarly to the chicken in that it’s cooked down in a reduction of its own juices. The addition of a bevy of herbs, spices, and orange juice amplifies the flavor. They then served the vegetables on an herb dressing made with buttermilk inoculated in house, along with a selection of complimentary spices. The dish is topped with spiced pecans and pea shoot microgreens from Vista Microgreens, based out of Sierra Vista. The result is a well executed yet lofty take on peas and carrots.
Agustin Kitchen’s odd and highly functional fusions continue with their Beef Tataki. It’s made with seared, local, grass-fed strip loin, citrus kosho aromatized with beef fat, and Arizona sourced olive oil. The tataki is brightened up with leak sprouts from Vista Microgreens.
These preparations are just a baby step into the gastronomic adventure you can experience in the Mercado District off Congress. Agustin Kitchen is within walking distance of the incredible MSA Annex that is home to an outdoor cocktail bar called Westbound, as well as some other local shops. If that walk is a bit much with a full stomach, inside the Mercado are other local artisans as well as La Estrella Bakery if you have a hankering for some pan dulce to top everything off. Also for your culinary consideration, just across from Agustin Kitchen is another Tucson institution, Seis Kitchen.
All this may be at the far west end of the downtown scene, but it’s absolutely worth the slightly longer drive. It is also a very bike friendly area, so the west end can serve as a great start or end point for a ride around the downtown loop.
Written by Isaac Stockton
Photography by Isaac Stockton
100 South Avenida del Convento Ste 150, Tucson, AZ 85745