The empty, unassuming building next to the Whole Foods grocery store in the Rancho Center has a lot of history.
It started out as a department store and soda shop back in the 1950s, sitting in the retail center designed by renowned local architect Cecil H. “Cookie” Moore.
Decades later, it became the home for various local restaurants, including Presidio Grill and Cuvée World Bistro.
Miramonte restaurant, opening Thursday, Sept. 18, features a massive teak bar, adding a vintage mid-century vibe.
It even housed memory foam mattresses as a Mattress Firm. Most recently, it would reanimate each fall as a Spirit Halloween, filled with funky costumes and scary, life-size skeletons.
But now, the bags of costumes and pumpkins have gone away for good, and the historic building is going back to its restaurant roots.
Deborah Tenino and Nick Kreutz have transformed the spot at 3352 E. Speedway into Miramonte, a new restaurant that aims to elevate classic American and comfort food dishes.
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“We have a Latin restaurant, we have an Italian restaurant, and there was just something about American restaurants both of us really like,” Tenino said. “We just felt like there’s a need for it. So when the space became available and it was in the Miramonte neighborhood, it felt like that was the right thing to do.”
You may recognize Tenino and Kreutz as the masterminds behind local favorites Contigo Latino Kitchen, 3770 E. Sunrise Drive, and Locale Neighborhood Italian, 60 N. Alvernon Way.
Now with Miramonte, they are not only adding another notch to their impressive restaurant lineup, but are also branching out into a new type of cuisine.
Miramonte’s menu features dishes including seafood platters, grilled artichokes and fried chicken sandwiches.
Since Kreutz specializes in comfort food and classic American dishes such as roasted chicken, cornbread and ribs, the duo said it made sense for their new venture to highlight his talents, reinventing these beloved meals into something fun and fresh.
With the purchase of the new spot in the Rancho Center — which is currently undergoing its own renovations — their idea for an American restaurant started to take shape.
The two began transforming the empty building back into a restaurant, enlisting Dawn Kirker, a San Francisco-based designer, to give the place a classy, retro vibe.
Miramonte is in the 1950s Rancho Center on Speedway near Country Club Road.
“The building itself is mid-century, so there’s a lot of teak and things that play homage to that part of Tucson history,” Tenino said. “We wanted that elegant, kind of fun, mid-century vibe.”
As soon as you step in, it’s hard to believe it was once a mattress store. Wooden booths and marble tables fill the inside of Miramonte, along with a massive teak bar, where crystal clear martini glasses line the counter.
In the main dining area, you’ll spot a floor-to-ceiling fireplace, adding to the cozy, vintage feel.
If you’re impressed with the décor, just wait till you see the menu. Customers can expect to see appetizers such as grilled artichokes, freshly baked cornbread and house-made onion dip.
For the entrées, you’ll be able to fill up on dishes including pan-seared salmon, oyster platters, Delmonico steak, crispy fried chicken sandwiches, baby back ribs and so much more.
Make sure to save room for dessert, to try their rotating selection of pies, including key lime, triple coconut cream and Oreo.
“We’re making everything by hand with the best ingredients, nothing’s coming from a frozen bag, and you can tell,” Kreutz said.
To wash everything down, they have a craft cocktail menu that features local products and ingredients. For example, they have their own version of Mai Tai that uses prickly pear syrup instead of grenadine.
They’ll also have a martini menu that boasts different variations of the classic drink.
In a sea of fast casual restaurants, the duo is hoping to bring a fun, sit-down restaurant to midtown. Whether you’re feeling hungry after catching a movie at The Loft Cinema, or want to celebrate a Wildcats basketball victory, Miramonte will be open and ready to serve up delicious meals.
Miramonte officially opens on Thursday, Sept. 18, and Tenino and Kreutz are eager to start their own legacy inside of the iconic building.
“I feel like our restaurants have really spoken to our guests and we get to know them well and I’d like to say the same thing here,” Tenino said.
Starting Thursday, Miramonte will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
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