RESORT
DESERT VIEWS
Tucson’s JW Marriott Starr Pass
Resort & Spa weaves its luxuries
into the Sonoran Desert. The
lobby’s soaring glass walls and
the adjoining patio let guests take
in saguaro-studded hills and a
valley full of city lights. A walkway
bridges an undeveloped corridor
left for wildlife, including javelinas
that play on the lawn during our
morning coffee. A free guided hike
winds through the desert of the
surrounding county park at sunrise.
And a gathering every evening
opens with the tale of Pancho
Villa winning over his future
father-in-law in a tequila-drinking
contest. At the end, guests raise
a complimentary shot of tequila
infused with fruit on-site.
FINE DINING
MOTHER OF ALL MOLES
Our crew was ready to nominate
chef Ruben Monroy as Tucson’s
ambassador of culinary heritage.
His restaurant, Elvira’s, began
with his grandmother in 1927 in
Nogales, Mexico. Ruben turned
it into a Hollywood outpost,
catering for films starring George
Clooney, Benicio Del Toro and
JLo. He opened a Tucson location
in 2016 with a ceiling installation
of 7,000 pieces of blown Mexican
glass. But Ruben’s greatest
artistry shows in the menu’s
anchor: moles. The Mole Negro,
which he dubs The King of Moles,
is an opus of a sauce with 34
ingredients, including pasilla,
chilhuacle and cascabel chiles;
almonds; and chocolate. Nearly
matching the mole’s complexity
of flavor is a signature predinner
experience: a shot of smoky
mezcal chased with orange slices
and powder made from the
gusano “worms” that occupy
agave plants.
“MOLE IS THE EPITOME OF MEXICAN
CULTURE, IDENTITY AND CUISINE.”
RUBEN MONROY, CHEFOWNER AT ELVIRA’SSPECIAL PARTNER SECTION