Downtown Tucsonan - February 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 3 By Tom Whittingslow Black Magic in the Old Pueblo the old Pueblo is not without its black magic. It was the beginning of the year so I began my quest for downtown cool at El Tiradito (the wishing Grotto), a haunted place in the old barrio for those who choose to keep their desires secret. It’s not much more than a vacant lot with a dried ocotillo fence and a few cacti that won’t die. at the rear of the lot is an adobe wall that once could have been a chapel. the little nicho or grotto has been charred with smoke and incense from wishers who have placed burnt offerings. It’s not imposing but you can feel decades of unrequited love in the melted candle wax that covers the ground. Light a candle with your lover’s name on the bottom or place a small piece of his or her clothing at the shrine and your desires will come true. those with money problems should leave at least a quarter. In order for the magic to work, the candle must burn all night. the legend of El Tiradito describes betrayal and a fatal love triangle. In the late 1800’s a beautiful Hispanic woman left her husband to live with a young lover. the husband murdered his wife’s lover in a jealous rage. But the tragedy gets worse. Because of his sins, the catholic church would not allow the lover to be buried in the cemetery, so his body was burned at this site next to El Minuto café. Each day the wife came here to weep by his graveside. some claim that when the monsoon rains come they can still hear her cries. take a peek at your own risk. El Tiradito has been part of local folklore for a long time and is now a national Historic Landmark. El Minuto Cafe next to the shrine on the corner of cushing and Main is the mother of all Mexican restaurants. Its charm lies in its attitude as much as its décor. during lunch hour the bungalow is crammed with office workers in shirts and ties and construction guys in jeans. El Minuto’s cozy yet dim interior is lit with gold christmas lights and colorful neon beer signs. the noise level was so high that I took a table outside on the enclosed patio where the hurried waiter had to relocate a gaggle of overfriendly birds. My first clue to the restaurant’s authenticity was the menu which included the Mexican aficionado’s favorite, Menudo, a soupy mixture of white hominy and tripe. It’s eaten on new Year’s by traditional families to bring good luck. Kevin Ryan, a driver with classic tours, was sitting at the next table. He urged me to try the Chile con Carne. Ryan has been coming to El Minuto for 32 years and always orders the same dish. I had to try it. It was the finest Chile con Carne that I have ever tasted, not a trace of fat or gristle, just choice beef simmered in a fragrant yet manageable chili sauce. Deja Vu after lunch, I stopped by the tucson Museum of art’s Museum store and met John Mcnulty, the store’s director. Mcnulty has been an indispensable personality for every museum function and fundraiser for the past three decades. Mcnulty is eager to share his knowledge of downtown during its groovy era. originally from upstate new York, Mcnulty studied pottery at Potsdam university. He and a group of student friends decided to head west. their original destination was colorado but it looked too much like upstate new York, so they hopped on a Greyhound and headed for tucson. Mcnulty has been a downtown resident since 1976. “I lived in one of the adobe houses in the old Barrio and paid my rent at the cushing street Bar and Grill. “I’ve seen it [downtown] up and down. when I first came here the Fox theatre was still open . . . Meyerson’s white House, Jacome’s, Levy’s and steinfeld’s were all downtown. now, there is only the wig-o-Rama. there was not a single night that there weren’t gobs of people. downtown was the place to be groovy.” Mcnulty’s forte is ceramics but he was a painter as well. In order to do his pottery he took a class at the tucson arts center, (predecessor to the current museum) and in a few years, he was teaching the children’s pottery class. when the current building was finished in 1976, Mcnulty was invited to be the director of the gift shop, just recently renamed the Museum store. since then he has participated in practically every event and fundraiser that the museum has sponsored. If you are looking for an original gift, especially jewelry, the museum store is an excellent place to start. originally the store was run by members of the tucson art Guild and the artist had to be an exhibitor at the tucson Museum of art. “the Museum store is mostly works of tucson artists and artisans. Because it’s a destination for tourists I’ve supplemented it with cards, books on tucson history and art, and items of interest for visitors.” the museum store is also a wonderful place to find interesting children’s educational games and one-of-a-kind designer necklaces from Michaela von schatzberg and Lourie & Lisa. 28 downtown tucsonan.february.08 http://www.downtowntucson.com/lunchtime_music http://www.tucson12.tv http://www.tucson12.tv http://www.downtowntucson.com/lunchtime_music

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

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

Downtown Tucsonan - February 2008

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