Downtown Tucsonan - January 2008 - (Page 28)

D o w n t o w n T r av e l o g u e : E p i s o d e 2 By Tom Whittingslow From The Belly of a Snake If you haven’t seen downtown from the belly of a rattlesnake, you haven’t experienced tucson. In my continuing quest for cool, I started at the diamondback Bridge on Broadway. conceptualized by local artist simon donovan, the gargantuan hollow snake provides pedestrians and bicyclists safe passage over six lanes of traffic. to walk the bridge you need to park at the restored BFL construction building near the snake’s erect tail – then walk across Broadway, exiting through the fangs. when I did it, two Japanese tourists squealed with delight as they posed for pictures in front of the snake’s open jaws. Public opinion on the reptilian landmark is divided. some people think it is gross but the tucson Pima arts council likes to point out that native american culture considers snakes benevolent. does that make the bridge Pc? Flanagan’s software can research your family history in minutes and you could walk out wearing a tee shirt with your family crest – and you don’t even have to be Irish. It’s fun to be celtic,” says Flano whose family motto is Certavi et Vici which is Latin for: I have fought and conquered. The Seven Golden Cities Jay datus’ renowned mural The Legend of the Seven Golden Cities of Cibola can be seen from the lobby of the main wells Fargo Bank building at 150 n. stone. the bank’s gracious hostess, Gwen Koury, is happy to give visitors the background on what many consider one of tucson’s greatest art treasures. to appreciate the mural, one needs to understand its significance. The Seven Golden Cities of Cibola was based on a pervasive Indian legend of several lost cities of incredible wealth, located north of Mexico in the sonoran desert. sort of like buying the Brooklyn Bridge, the spanish bought the story and sent 1,000 men on a hazardous journey into the heart of the north american continent. some people think that tucson could be located on the site of one of the legendary golden cities. the 122-foot mural depicts, in chronological order, the adventures in exploration of the forbidden desert by Fray Marcos deniza and his companion, a handsome dark-skinned Moor names Estevan. native americans had never seen a man of this color and considered him a god. what the mural does not depict is that the bloodlines of many children in the southwest can be traced back to Estevan’s romantic encounters with native american maidens. Get Infused on Sixth Popular with the before-and-after theatre crowd, Barrio Food and drink offers Mediterranean dishes with an authentic blush of Regional southwest. the Italian sausage with penne pasta, and topped with fresh basil and peppers is a man- sized favorite. Insiders rave about the burgers — prime beef blended with just the right amount of jalapenos, served with curly fries. don’t mistake it for spa cuisine. But you can also order salads and small plates as well. chef and co-owner Jeff Glomski’s signature dish is a linguine served with chicken in a chipotle chardonnay cream sauce with dried papaya and mangos. Jeff’s partner, Joe casertano, who has been working in the restaurant business since he was 14 years old, makes sure that the menu changes seasonally and that the wine list is up-to-date. the waiter with the shaved head who looks like a character out of movie The Bourne Resolution is so attentive that he usually remembers the regulars’ favorite dishes. Reservations are advisable; call 629-0191. the entry to the restaurant’s parking area is at 135 s. 6th avenue, opposite the old santa Rita Ballroom. pings about the bordellos and prostitutes who were located on and around Maiden Lane. always sensitive to such matters, the city of tucson required that the ladies get an annual inspection and carry a certificate that they were clean. Half of the inspection fee went to a hospital fund for those women who failed the health inspection. a separate room of the museum is dedicated to the capture of the John dillinger gang. dillinger had been named “Public Enemy #1” by the FBI. the notorious bank robber and his gang were relaxing with lady friends in a little bungalow on 2nd avenue when the tucson Police department apprehended them. the capture by the tucson Police department will be memorialized by music, lectures and reenactments this January 19 during the downtown tucson Partnership’s Dillinger Days celebration, and the museum on stone avenue will showcase a collection of guns confiscated from the gang. Color it Green Flanagan’s celtic corner shop recently opened at 222 E. congress. John “Flano” Flanagan grew up in an Irish family in Massachusetts after retiring from the united states air Force as a Russian and German linguist, Flanagan decided to pursue his dream— sharing celtic culture with everyone he can. the inventory ranges from food, clothing and jewelry, to anything related to Guinness, including underwear. there are special areas devoted to weddings and babies, music and books. “You won’t believe it, but there’s a huge Irish, scottish and welsh community out here. celtic is the thing right now and everyone wants to go back and visit their heritage. Davis Dominguez Gallery Mike dominguez is a man who would look comfortable in the Louvre; instead he is located in a renovated Packard luxury car showroom on 6th street next to the tucson warehouse & transfer building. You can’t tell much from the outside but the 5,400square-foot gallery hosts tucson’s largest showings of contemporary art. according to Hemispheres magazine, dominguez and his wife/partner candice davis are movers and shakers in the tucson art scene. If you are fortunate to meet Mike while you are visiting the gallery you are in for a mini-baptism in art. Immaculately dressed in a suit and tie, Mike can hold his own in any discussion on art. Pointing to a Josh Goldberg Another Dirty Little Secret one door down at 140 n. stone, the arizona Historical society Museum downtown has a large collection of artifacts, documents, and photographs on tucson history. along with a barber chair that was also used for minor surgery are photographs and clip- 28 downtown tucsonan.january.08

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Downtown Tucsonan - January 2008

Downtown Tucsonan - January 2008 Contents From the Editor Downtown Lowdown Vital Signs Downtown Restaurants & Cafes Downtown Live Arts Galleries Performance Film Events Museums Historic Downtown Billboard Classifieds

Downtown Tucsonan - January 2008

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