Aaron DeFeo Our Tucson Insider Shows Why Tucson Food and Beverage Is So Hot!

Tucson has been my home all my life, but I’ve also traveled to—and drank in—some pretty fine bars in my time, and I’d like to think I know a good drink when I taste one. I’ve also garnered experience managing some pretty interesting places… high volume college bars, restaurants, a live music venue…even a brewery for a short time.

Though I will do my best to provide only the most reliable restaurant industry information, my primary focus is the art of the cocktail, and the fine establishments in which it is served—bars, saloons, lounges, mega-clubs…the whole industry gamut.My grandfather was a neighborhood bartender and barber in Paterson, N.J. and although I didn’t see him often, I couldn’t help but notice the charm he exuded and the way he made his patrons feel at home.

As a bartender I’ve always striven to utilize my personality to sell product, but I also know that it is important to be as natural and honest with the customer as possible. I’ve always despised the image of the slick, fake bartender; the bartender who is obviously trying to take your money in any way he can. Be that as it may, bartending is a complicated, multi-faceted trade. Every year I learn something about the industry that I have never known before, and each time it blows me away how far I’ve come and—at the same time—how far I have to go.

New trends emerge almost daily, and it seems that every bar owner, manager, and chef has a new angle or piece of advice to proffer. So, I’ll try my best to use my Hemingway-esque “Built-in sh*t detector” to sift through the worst of the industry, and leave you with only the best.

2008 is both an exciting year for the service industry and a frightening one, as well. Back in the early ‘90s, when the American economy last experienced a recession, food and beverage sales took a huge hit as ordinary Americans struggled to find disposable income to spend at our establishments. Now, with a recession looming on the horizon and the job market continuing its slide into frailty, restaurants and bars are hard-pressed to step up their service and innovate, innovate, innovate. My goal is to help make this site, Food & Beverage Underground, the premier source for inside insight into our dynamic and exciting occupation.

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