Top Three French Cafés in Tucson, Arizona

Tucson, Arizona might be known for its hot climate and great Mexican food, but it is also the home of three magnifique French cafés. They each offer their own special menus, served at reasonable prices, worth traveling to their unique locations throughout the greater Tucson area.

The dress code, not only for these cafés but most Tucson dining, is "Tucson Casual." Southern Arizona is very laid-back and very western, so anything denim is generally acceptable. Tucson Casual dining attire ranges from jeans to khakis, and t-shirts to crisp, collared dress shirts. Hiking boots are just as common as cowboy boots, as are sneakers and high-heeled sandals. Tucson is an eclectic town, with a casual pace, and our restaurants reflect that attitude.

Joel's Bistro occupies a little bungalow in historic Geronimo Square, on University Blvd., near the old main entrance to the University of Arizona. The soothing trickle of the Spanish-style fountain beckons us onto the patio where Joel's Bistro offers shaded dining. Daily specials for breakfast, lunch, and dinner are artfully noted on a chalkboard sign, calling us up the stairs & into the bungalow. The lovely wood floors and sun-kissed yellow archway welcome us into the peaceful dining room, as we pass the luscious display of French pastries and desserts in the entryway.

Joel, himself, welcomes us each time we visit his café, as he peeks out of the kitchen. As owner and chef, his joy in creating a satisfying experience for his patrons is obvious. We always feel most welcome to relax and stay for another cup of coffee, or just sit and visit long after our meal is over.

His crepes are perfect. We especially enjoy his seafood crepe, generously filled with a variety of seafood in a creamy, white sauce. He serves a variety of crepe entrées at all meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The French onion soup is uniquely marvelous! We thought we liked French onion soup before we tasted Joel's. Now we know we love it - And will forever compare all other restaurant's French onion soups to Joel's. His is like no other, and undoubtedly the best we have ever tasted. From the price of only about $3.95, it seems to be an appetizer, but it is so rich and satisfying, that we often have it as our meal. It is a generous cup of dark broth with onions and a perfect blend of thyme, with authentic French bread on top, smothered in creamy Swiss cheese.

His croques are much more than mere sandwiches! We love his cheese version, oozing with his own blend of parmesan, mozzarella, roquefort, and feta cheeses, along with generous slices of tomato on toasted French bread.

Desserts are made by Le Dilce Bakery across town and delivered daily. We have learned to select our desserts as we enter Joel's, instead of at the end of the meal. The desserts go fast, and Joel gladly sets aside our choices, so someone else doesn't claim them before we are ready to eat our dessert. Of course the chocolate mousse is dreamy, and the tarts are beautiful and tasty. At $4.00 each, we usually take a variety of desserts home with us to enjoy later.

Joel's Bistro is open Monday through Thursday 7 am to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 7 am to 9 p.m., and Sunday, from 7 am to 3 p.m., at 806 E. University Blvd., in the historic Geronimo Square of Tucson, Arizona. Call Joel at 520-529-7277. No alcohol is served. It's a great place for a romantic date, as well as being child-friendly. Our daughter took her friends there for lunch on her 17th birthday, and they were treated like queens!

The American Creperie is another great French café in Tucson is in the Tucson Mall, at the corner of Oracle Road and Wetmore Road. Inside the Tucson Mall, is a treasure-trove of shopping options ranging from big department stores, like Dillards' and Macy's, to the uniquely Tucson "Arizona Avenue" of local southwest merchants. Adjacent to "Arizona Avenue" in the Tucson Mall, is the mall food court, where the American Creperie awaits, along with its partner Haagen Dazs, yes it's in partnership with Haagen Dazs Ice Cream!

The American Creperie is a unique treat, because the chefs prepare their giant crepes with the patrons watching their whole process. This café is all about crepes. They use Nutella hazelnut chocolate spread on their fabulous dessert crepes of strawberry and banana, with a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar. We usually split one crepe as a meal: Yes, they are that big!

At $7.95 each, the crepes are generously filled with the freshest ingredients, and overfill the dinner plate size disposable platters they are served on. Any combination of several meats, cheeses, and fresh vegetables make a hearty and most satisfying meal. There is ample seating in the food court area to take all the time needed to enjoy a wonderful crepe, and take a relaxing break from shopping.

The American Creperie, in the Tucson Mall, at 4500 N. Oracle Road, Tucson, Arizona , is open during regular mall hours 10:00 am to 9:00 p.m., gladly customizes any crepe combination, making it very family friendly. The food court dining area can be a little noisy during peak hours on the weekends, and around the holidays, but there is always plenty of seating. The American Creperie shares its space and ownership at the Tucson Mall with Haagen Dazs. Both businesses can be reached by calling 520-407-9500.

Our favorite of all French cafés, the French Twist Cafe, is also the newest addition to the dining choices in Southern Arizona. The French Twist opened in the spring of 2006, and already enjoys a growing list of loyal customers. This new Tucson area Cafe is owned by the local family of Christopher and Gwen Belanger. It is located about six miles north of the Tucson Mall on Oracle Road, and easy to find just passed the Hilton El Conquistador Resort, in the San Jose Plaza.

The French Twist menu offers a "salmon crok" or sandwich, that no café rivals. Everything we eat there is wonderful, but, at about only $7.95, their salmon crok is totally irresistible!

Behind their beautiful display of French pastries, desserts, and salads, all made right there, the French Twist has a wonderful coffee bar. Besides smooth coffee and tea drinks, they also offer their own decadent recipes of European Drinking Chocolate and Aztec Chocolate. Regular patrons enjoy earning free drinks by collecting coffee cup stamps on the French Twist's own frequent buyer cards, that double as hot cup sleeves for their to-go drink containers.

Clever postcards of French sites and scenes are used as table placards, for the identification of customer orders, as well as a little feeling of being a tourist in France as we customers read and enjoy the decorative postcards while waiting for our meals to be served.

The French Twist regularly offers crepes on their Sunday brunch menu. They are light textured and generously filled with a variety of fresh and tasty options. Crepe entrees are often included in their Friday and Saturday evening specials at about $10.95.

The French Twist Cafe is at the San Jose Plaza, 10110 N. Oracle Road, Suite 180, Oro Valley, 85704, in northwest Tucson. They are open for breakfast and lunch on Tuesday through Saturday, 6:30 am to 3:30 p.m.; dinner on Friday and Saturday, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; and Sunday Brunch from 8:00 am to 2:00 p.m. Call (520) 797-1127 for catering. For more information, see www.frenchtwistcafe.com. We are welcomed as if we are old friends each time we visit the French Twist Café. Their service is consistently attentive, and the atmosphere beckons us to eat slowly and stay awhile.

Sources: Writer's personal visits to each restaurant; French Twist Cafe website at: www.frenchtwistcafe.com