On our recent trip to Tucson, Arizona, we dined at some incredible restaurants. Our friends who live in the city picked out their favorite spots, and the selections did not disappoint!

Our first night in town, we grabbed dinner at Culinary Dropout. The restaurant was packed, so we were thankful we had a reservation. The space has an interesting layout, with sections of regular-sized tables plus a section of couches around indoor fire pits near a game area. Our group of six was seated at one of the couch tables. We opted to have the fire pit lit, but it quickly became too hot. To start, we all shared barbecue pork belly nachos and soft pretzels with fondue. For my entrée, I ordered the wedge salad and added chicken. I opted for ranch dressing on the side, and it was the best I’ve ever had!

For a sweet treat one afternoon, we went to Noodies. The pasta shop also serves weekly rotating gelato flavors. On the week of our visit, the options were matcha green tea and vegan raspberry. I ordered matcha and raspberry swirl, topped with strawberry sauce. It was a perfect cold treat on the warm day.

After hiking we went to Guadalajara Original Grill for lunch. We were starving after a long day on the trails, so we decided to share chips with guacamole, salsa and an order of queso fundido with chorizo. The queso came with homemade flour tortillas on the side. We all commented the tortillas were the best we’d ever tried. We ordered different combination platters for our entrées. My platter came with carne asada steak, a chicken enchilada, a chile relleno, and rice and beans on the side. I couldn’t quite clean my plate, but I made a solid effort!

The last day of our stay we had brunch at 5 Points. The restaurant is a favorite of our friends. I started my meal with a prickly pear and grapefruit shrub juice. It was a unique flavor, and I enjoyed the tartness. Everything on the menu sounded delicious, and we all had a difficult time selecting our meals. I decided on the frittata with preserved lemon, kale and cheddar. It came with a salad and toasted baguette with parsley oil. I added a side of bacon. The frittata was light and fluffy, and the preserved lemon offered a pleasant, slightly bitter flavor. While we were sad to leave, it was a great last meal in Tucson.

— Katie Skrzek, vice president/digital director