Elite Event Reforma Cocina

What a wonderful evening! This was my first Unilocal Elite event and I am so excited to attend more. Bella was fantastic and kept the event organized and entertaining. Grant did a fantastic job relaying his knowledge and passion of tequila to us. I have never been a particular fan of tequila since I’m Russian and my choice of poison is generally vodka but after this event, I’m convinced to try something new. Just don’t tell my family.
Now the food. The Ensalada de Arugula con Chicharron was good but not my favorite thing on the menu. I felt there was too much Chicharron on my plate, to be frank. The Tostada de Cabeza was delicious and lovely. I thought it was the perfect bite and the salsa crude and picked onions were a great addition. And now, my most favorite thing on the menu: The Tamal de Elote Verde. Oh baby! The flavors were incredible and thoughtfully put together. The dessert was wonderful and just with the right amount of salt. It was like a love song in my mouth. I don’t know if that makes any sense. It was just amazing.
Additionally, the pairings of tequila and the dishes were well done and meeting Eddie, the chef was a pleasure.
Bravo!

The Elite event at Reforma was a wonderful event. Others have gone into great detail, so I will keep my opinions general. I really liked the Paloma welcome drink. I love grapefruit and it was delicious. It was also a nice upgrade from the traditional soda, tequila, lime version. I liked the guacamole, but didn’t get to try much of it as our bowl of chips was already empty when we sat down. The empty chip bowl attested to how good the chips, salsa, and guacamole were. I have to mention that I spent half of last year in Mexico City. I agreed with almost everything Grant told us about the food and restaurant culture there. I have been lucky enough to try many great restaurants in Mexico City. I have also traveled a bit through other areas of Mexico. He gave a great general overview. I also think they nailed the décor and design of the restaurant. Reforma really does remind me of places I have eaten at in Mexico City. The mezcal and tequila list is impressive, for the United States. I enjoyed the tequila sampling, and again, I though Grant did a great job introducing us to how Mexicans drink mezcal and tequila. I am so glad they have worm salt on the menu. The desert was a highlight for me, different, fun, and it tasted amazing. We though that out of all the nice food presentations the dessert was the most attractively plated. After the meal we enjoyed talking with Chef Eddie. He was so generous with his time. We really liked our introduction to Reforma and we have reservations to have dinner there tonight. I think that says it all.

I love Reforma and was so happy with the Elite event. Thank you to Bella for another fantastic event!
The tequila pairing was with each course was awesome, and I really enjoyed the explanations from Grant for each one.
I’ve been tor Reforma several times, and was so happy that each of the tasting courses was new to me and delicious. My favorite was the Tostada de Cabeza, and I can’t wait for the tamals to be on the regular menu!

Awesome event! We were seated in a private room in the back of the restaurant. The staff was super attentive and friendly, and it was awesome that Grant described each specific tequila in detail. I’m not a fan of tequila, so I didn’t try any, but the food was delicious. My favorite was the Tamale de Elote Verde — the masa was nice and moist, and the filling was flavorful and yummy. The dessert with the chocolate pudding with whipped cream was delicious, but the cream was a little bit too salty for my liking. It was a nice light end to the tastings though.
After we finished the tastings and courses of food, we were surpsied by a pop quiz about the topics that Grant discussed in front of the group — the winners were able to win Unilocal swag. This was a nice touch, and it was impressive how much information folks remembered.
I was pleasantly surprised at the vast number of new Elite faces that showed up — I’m looking forward to getting to know the newbies!
Thank you Reforma and thank you Bella for a lovely evening!

You da man, Bella. Seriously, I was blown away by this event from start to finish. What sucks, big time, is that I’m severely hearing impaired and was seated too far away from the owner when he was speaking to follow what he was saying. And I was really frustrated by that because he was expounding on things of interest to me. But that’s my lot in life and no reflection on the event itself.
I really enjoyed the salad course — ya got me at «bleu cheese» every time. Pairing it with cherries and pork was inspired, though my portion was a bit pork-​heavy.
Tostada was kind of off-​putting to me because there was too much mushiness going on between the meat and beans.
I only ate half of the tamal because enough corn is enough already. I’m sorry — it’s just really how I felt when I’d made my way through half of it and thought «Must I eat the rest so as not to hurt anyone’s feelings?»
The dessert course was really lovely. Those amaretto-​soaked cherries coupled with the chocolate mousse/​pudding — really special.
Hope my less than stellar review of the restaurant doesn’t get me kicked to the bench. ;)

So let’s start this right and say a big thank you to Reforma, the staff @ Reforma, and of course Bella! What a great meal/​occasion they brought us! The pairings of food and drink were excellent and top notch! I have to say this was a great showing of Reforma’s ability to create emotion with ingredients. Nothing fancy, just homemade masa, simple salsas, and proteins cooked with love and care.
As far as the events organization, it was spot on. The staff were super attentive, and extremely friendly. You could tell this wasn’t Bella’s first rodeo, as the event went smoothly without any hiccups.
What more needs to be said? We are super lucky to have a CM like Bella, she made a truly professional event happen, and she made it go perfectly. Also cannot thank Reforma enough for all their hard work to create the menu that they did. I cannot wait to see what else Bella has planned.

Another event well done, Bella!
I had beef cheeks for the very first time, and they are my new favorite thing. There was amazingly tender, served on a homemade tortilla, with salsa cruda and pickled onions. These… oh man, I will be back to try a LOT of stuff, but these beef cheek tacos are where it’s at.
Tequila was paired to three of our amazing courses, and I will say that the owner, Grant, was right. He had mentioned that some people had an *ahem* «bad experience» with tequila and had sworn off of it, but that he was hoping to rekindle an appreciation for this spirit, and he sure did! I was not a big fan of tequila going in to this, and had kind of reserved it for margaritas and tequila sunrises, but absolutely not a sipping liquor. It is, as it turns out, when you get the good stuff!
The staff was awesome and knew all about the menu and tequilas, and really gave us outstanding service. Grant and the chef, Eddie, gave us informative presentations about the delicious things we were eating and drinking, and I can’t wait to be back!
Amazing Elite event, Bella! This was so much fun, my mom and I both learned so much about tequila, and we are already planning our return!

I never knew what Reforma Cocina had to offer before, this was a fantastic event! I loved hearing the owner and chef talk to us about tequilas, and how they painstakingly make their masa, and hand made tortillas. Thanks so much to Bella for a well thought out event! I’ve never tasted such amazing tequila, and the roasted salsa, and guac. were so well made — the mark of a great restaurant! Also the best corn tamale I’ve ever had! The Mexican pudding was so light and airy! I would be coming back here even if I didn’t win the gift card! All the hosts were so accommodating and amazing, and just made us all feel so welcome! I thoroughly enjoyed this event!!!

Cue Spanish music guitar music with Pee Wee Herman gyrating wildly to the tune of «TEQUILA». But this was only after Pee Wee found that Reforma has 269 different kinds… and he sampled 268 of them.
We only got to try 3 of them paired expertly with four courses.
The Siete Leguas Blanco was paired with an arugula salad topped with chicharrones (crispy pork skin), Maytag Bleu cheese and cherries all dressed in a honey balsamic vinaigrette. Pork croutons? Si, Si, Si! The creamy bleu cheese and tart cherries all complemented the crispy pork and spicy arugula, with the dressing tying it all together.
Next: Peppery El Jimador Reposado paired with a tostada topped with refried beans, braised beef check (cabeza), salsa cruda and pickled onions. Chef Eddie explained that the cabeza was braised for four hours in the tears of La Llorona (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, Google it)… no wait he said onions, garlic and Chiles de Arbol. Sorry… easy mistake to make. Anyway… it almost made ME cry it was so good.
Tamale de Elote Verde — In gringospeak: Green Corn Tamale. The Anaheim Chile laced through it with the sweet corn and food-​of-​love-​thing-​it-​takes-​two-​days-​to-​make – they-​use-​it-​in-​just-​about-​everything-​here housemade masa topped with the spicy salsa cruda all came together. Sadly… no tequila pairing with this. Oh well… we had to drive.
Dessert was a sinful Lechecilla de Chocolate with whipped cream and Maldon sea salt. Think really, really creamy pudding chocolate pudding with notes of molasses from the piloncillo in it. Paired with a bourbonesque Roca Patron Anejo it was the perfect ending to this spectacular meal.
Speaking of spectacular… Bella once again proved that, no matter how good the last event was, she keeps finding a way to make the next one even better. I continue to be awed, impressed and wowed by her event organizing acumen.
The gracious, generous and gregarious owner Grant gave us really interesting information on tequila, it’s and his history. Chef Eddie and crew tantalized our taste buds with his offerings paired perfectly.
Mucho gracias a todo for organizing and hosting this magnifico event.

I have a new appreciation for Reforma after this event. While I’ve been here once before I didn’t quite understand how much effort went into creating the food and maintaining the spirit list here. I found it really interesting that they personally grind all of their masa for tortillas, chips, etc right there in the restaurant. Not only that but the salsas are expertly crafted, demonstrating a real complexity that isn’t found at your average Mexican restaurant around town.
As for the food we had opportunities to sample:
1. An arugula based salad with pork belly, blue cheese (some of the best I’ve ever had), and cherries in a nice light vinaigrette. The crispy pork and cherries were perfect complements to the arugula.
2. A tostada topped with cabeza, (beef check braised for several hours), refried beans, a fresh green salsa, and pickled onions on one of their homemade tostada shells. The cabeza was absolutely my favorite food of the evening. The meat itself was perfectly seasoned, succulent, and tender. It paired perfectly with the pickled onions and salsa.
3. Basically a green corn tamale, albeit an extravagant and expertly crafted version of one. The chiles had a very fresh, and almost bitter taste that really mixed well with the sweet corn masa, and the manchiego cheese was perfect.
4. A Mexican chocolate pudding with whipped cream, cherries, and mint garnish. An excellent dessert.
The cocktails and tequila pairings were inspired by the cuisine. We sampled what’s called a Palome, a citrusy grapefruit cocktail mixed with tequila. According to the owner, this is the traditional mixed tequila drink in Mexico whereas margaritas really originated in Texas. We also were sampled a blanco, reposado, and anejo tequila each. I personally appreciated the anejo the most, though I think the blanco was a close second. The anejo had a very smooth, deep, and earthy flavored, almost like a finely aged bourbon.
Grant, the owner, is really knowledgeable when it comes to both Central Mexican cuisine and tequila/​agave spirits. His passion and enthusiasm showed through in all of the courses we had the opportunity to sample, as well as his personal tequila pairings for each course. It turns out he actually lived in and owned a restaurant in Mexico City at one point which is exactly where he got the inspiration for Reforma. While its evident he has a passion for food and spirits in general, this cuisine definitely seems to be one of his personal favorites and I can see why.
This being my first elite event, I didn’t quite know what to expect but it was really a nice, relaxed event and it was great to meet all of the people we did. It’s refreshing to be able to sit down and enthuse about local food with local foodies. I enjoyed meeting everyone and would like to thank Bella as well as Grant for making the fantastic event possible! I will definitely be returning to Reforma.

NOTE: Trying to beat Mark S. turning in my Unilocal review! Kudos to Kim L. for taking the first!
This is what I love about Elite Unilocal events.
You have:
–An informative and attentive staff.
–A lovely, private space full of style. I adore the light fixtures here, and was drawn to the textured walls. Was wonderful, too, to take up space in the private room, which will easily seat 50 people.
–A ton of highly valuable information about the restaurants concept and food/​drink processing, selection, styling, etc.
–Lovely hostesses all around — THANK YOU Bella and Ayana (that’s the name of my niece)!
–Overall, a sizable group of genuinely happy people — and all they want to talk about is food and the local food scene!
–Paired tastings! This is my favorite style of sampling. Huge thanks to Grant, Chef Eddie and the rest of the team.
The evening opened with a brief introduction to Reforma, which is a cocina and cantina in the style of central and southern Mexico cuisine. The tag famously boasts that you will not find Sonoran hot dogs on the menu — yes, the very hot dogs that, in some ways, has put Tucson on the culinary map. At least some map somewhere.
Reforma takes its cues from the regions further south than the U.S.-Mexico border. Far, far south. Grant explained that Tucson has lots of Mexican food on the scene. So, so very much. What Reforma offers is a pleasant divorce from your hot dogs, greasy enchiladas, Texas-​sized chimis and, in the words of Grant, your orange cheese.
We were offered a four-​course sampling:
1. The Ensalada de Arugula con Chicharron had the most lovely smell, provided by the honey-​balsamic vinaigrette. One of my favorite moments of the evening was the scent that rose from the tables after our plates had been set, and while Grant gave us an overview. And I have eaten many a chicharron in my day. I couldn’t help but to chuckle at the flavor in my mouth, but it melded quite well with the arugula (one of my favorite greens) and the bleu cheese. Score!
This was paired with the Seite Leguas Blanco, which is a sweeter tequila that carries a lightness, and a hint of citrus.
FYI: Reforma carries 269 distilled agave spirits. Really?!
2. The Tostada de Cabeza was my favorite item on the menu. It was a mini corn tortilla topped with braised beef cheek (it takes four hours to take on its flavor and tenderness from a bath in wine and chilies, apparently). Nice, full flavor on the beef. And the beans were smooth and full of flavor. The pickled onions and the salsa cruda offered a nice, light bite — perfect for the summer months.
El Jimador Resposado was paired with this dish. It carried caramel and black pepper tones. I did not pick up on the caramel, but the black pepper karate chopped my throat! This was intense!
3. The Tamal de Elote Verde carried corn, Anaheim chiles, manchego cheese (!) and also salsa cruda. I loved the corn! Plump, juicy kernels.
This did not come with a pairing. Grant opted to offer three pairings to help us moderate alcohol intake. Thoughtful!
4. The Lechecilla de Chocolate was a crowd favorite. I am not a fan of chocolate, but this chocolate pudding was served with amaretto cherries and whipped cream, topped with a smattering of salt. I heard moaning across the table. No lie.
This was paired with Roca Patron Anjeo. Grant says this hit the market last year and is a top seller in Mexico.
There were a couple of other things that made this night special.
I learned so much about the history of tequila and tequila production. It is as varied as wine! Grant is an exceptional storyteller, and he has a tremendous amount of insider’s knowledge — apparently he lived in Mexico for years before.
We were offered chips, salsa and guacamole. Reforma makes its masa on site — takes about 12 hours. It makes its own tortilla and chips from this masa.
We were given a $ 5 gift card — and one of us took a prize of a gift card in a larger amount. Cool! We also received a Unilocal shot glass and chapstick, and also Unilocal sunglasses with a check in.
And one of the other Unilocalers observed that the women were served before the men.
Plus, there was even a quiz!
1. Tequila is made from Mexican cactus — true or false?
2. What does a jimador do?
3. What is sangrita?
4. Which of these celebrities has never owned a tequila brand? Shakira, Carlos Santana, Sammy Hager or Justin Timberlake?
5. In large enough quantities, mescal has hallucinogenic properties — true or false?
The answers:
1. False
2. Harvest the agave plant
3. A savory, non-​alcoholic drink to sip alongside your tequila
4. Shakira
5. False
Thanks all! Looking forward to another visit!