maynards market & kitchen

great cocktails but byof (bring your own food). this is the tragic story of an infatuation that ended on an abrupt and very sour note. went to maynards in november of 2009 for dinner and considered the experience a revelation. from the cocktails, which were scrumptious, to the appetizers (spinach frisee salad, mussels, beet salad) to the main courses ( lamb shank, sea bass, and bouillabaisse), nearly everything was very good (except for the lamb shank which was undercooked and tough). and this is a rare experience in tucson where i have never been to a restaurant that can succeed in providing a competent dining experience beyond a single course (either the meat/vegetables overcooked/undercooked, too much sauce, dressing, desert too sweet etc...). it is in other words a town that by and large does not understand proportion or restraint when it comes to food. i thought on that fateful november night that i had finally found a restaurant that proved me wrong. the moules frites were delightful. the mussels were cooked to perfection. the broth had a fine balance of acidity and cream. and the fries were exquisitely crisp and thin, just like in a french bistro. the salads were fresh with just the right amount of dressing. and the sea bass was simply terrific. it stood out from all the other dishes in terms of being cooked to perfection and having a nice complement of flavors with the crispified leeks, creamy polenta, and fresh grapefruit slices. this was simply one of the best fish entree's that i've had in a long time. the service was beyond reproach. our waitress was very friendly and funny, prompt and competent.

this brings us to the sad experience i had last night in february 2010. three months later i found myself seated in the upstairs dining room where service was painfully slow due to the fact that the wait staff was running up and down two flights of stairs. the cocktails were sublime just like last time- perfectly balanced with crisp clean flavors of fruit and spice and the right amount of alcohol. unfortunately, the same appetizer-salads mentioned above were now saturated with dressing. i made the mistake of not ordering fish. the casooulet i ordered was inedible because someone had decided to get freaky with the salt. this was really tragic since the duck was nicely cooked- crisp on the outside and soft on the inside- and the acidity of the sauce was well balanced. the dish was ruined and i couldn't eat it. the manager didn't charge me and did offer a free desert-a tiramisu which was way too sweet. he seemed quite vexed and discombobulated. it wasn'ta good night for maynards. and sad to say, i don't see myself going back there any time soon. as things currently stand, maynards is probably the best place in town for cocktails.

just be sure to byof- bring your own food

naw.... very disappointing across the board.

zagat review comment.... fyi those zagat reviews were pulled from the zagat website... all three are from different people... one person posted them...


-----27 nov, 2009-----

zagat.... ratings & reviewfood decor service cost
- - - m

young hipsters have made this retro-chic new american in downtown's historic railroad depot such a hit, they often overflow from the intimate dining room onto the large patio; midrange prices for creative pastas, designer pizzas and other comfort foods are appreciated, and if nothing on the large vino list floats your boat, the relatively small corkage fee makes it easy to pop over to the affiliated wine store and find one that does.


-----27 nov, 2009-----

zagat member. reviewed by chloeb3351 on 11/08/2009.
member since november 2009, total reviews: 1
energetic and knowledgeble floor staff. the food is the best in tucson. in season locally grown and made to order. i was happily surprised by the developement of the historic train station and we look forward to watching it grow.


-----26 nov, 2009-----

a zagat member.... reviewed by legastronome111 on 11/11/2009.
member since november 2009, total reviews: 1 (tucson, az)
this restaurant is steadily demolishing all critics' and critical diners' preconceptions of dining in tucson. the food is the star here (dinner); no pretentious service, just flawless cuisine. if true cuisine is a passion (i.e. if the word 'croquembouche' means something); if food executed by true professionals is a necessity, keep an eye on maynards.

polenta? really?. i know this is tucson, but polenta? couldn't we get something better for 20 bucks? polenta is like an obscure cousin of a cod that the cod doesnt talk to.

we found the rest of the menu ok, but nothing to write home about. the waiters aren't very helpful. the decor is the strongest card in their deck.

after reading some of the other reviews, i have to agree about the wine list. they got a shiraz called "the ballbuster" a really awful prosecco in place of a champagne, another red called "velvet devil and a ''white shiraz'' called "identity crisis." seems like the real identity crisis is what they are doing with their wine list and menu.

that "zagat" member.... i just noticed three sparkling reviews for maynards in here by a supposed zagat member. three reviews all written by the same person? in all three he/she makes maynards out to be the finest restaurant in the universe. if you look in his/hers profile maynards is their only good review, whereas maynards's competition gets trashing reviews. i just think that's funny. their staff or management must be trying to pull a fast one on us!


-----29 dec, 2009-----

a great place to be bored out of your mind.. i don't get all the great buzz about this place. i didn't think very much of the food. its like they too hard try to be creative and you end up with a petite portion with pineapples shoved in there for no reason.

i like whiskey and they have some decent ones there, but when taking the wife there... you gotta do a bottle of wine with her, and that's where they are really lacking.

the servers don't know how to describe their wines, nor how to pour them properly. i almost thought she was gonna not take the foil off before pouring. the wine list has nothing that i recognize, and since no one seems to know anything about the wine list you are left taking a gamble to order anything. they will offer to sell you a glass to sample.... but that means tacking an extra ten bucks onto a bottle that you could've ordered with confidence if they knew what it was.

its noisy and crowded there right by the train station. skip this place and their lame market. the market is nice looking, but has nothing you can't get if you walk like two blocks over to 4th avenue co-op.

first visit. stopped in for coffee and dessert on a tuesday night. no reservations, but they accommodated our party of 6 quickly and by the time we left, about 9pm, the place was completely full. desserts were carefully prepared and tasty (i believe they are prepared by the cup cafe next door,same owners) and the table shared six different desserts. highlights were the bourbon bread pudding and orange-chocolate tart with candied blood orange peel. did not get to visit the associated market but will in the future. will be back for dinner.

good start. downtown needed a restaurant like this one; in fact, it could use several more. (what janos has on mind?) service inconsistent, food ranges from just okay to superb. once the early rough edges are smoothed, this could become a tucson destination restaurant. we have our fingers crossed.

what a great start to a new and exciting downtown. the look and feel of the place is amazing. you have to look hard to see the attention to detail, its all around you. i would like to meet the people who built this place. it has a classic feel that is built to last. the owner was giving a tour of the place showing off the many details. hand made doors with the coolest locks i have ever seen. the lights that hang from the ceiling accent the ceiling perfectly. it has a industrial revolution feel of steel and quality unseen in todays world. its a pleasure to live in tucson where such craftsmen reside. the food and drinks are great. a little pricey for the service. a tip for the owners, keep the hotel congress cig smoking tattoo culture caged in the pen across the street. maynards has the potential to be a tucson landmark. the kind of place to take out of town visitors. in todays economy there must be a higher pool to hire from. come on cooks, keep your shoes off the cities building. have some respect. you are not the center of the universe now go make me some bean pies...b.....