Update: June 2017 Proper closed it doors. Martin Drug Co. has taken its place. We have not reviewed it yet, but we still like the outdoor bar atmosphere.
January 2014. For at least the past two years we have been aware that good things are happening in Downtown Tucson, and that includes many new restaurants and pubs.
Hub & Playground
Hub Restaurant & Ice Creamery and the Playground Bar & Lounge have been open since before the Modern Streetcar construction in the 200 block of East Congress. They are owned by the same fellow, Kade Mislinski, and he has done a fine job with both.
Monkey Burger
Monkey Burger was on 6th Avenue just North of Congress, but we understand they had to vacate because their landlord wanted to renovate the old building. Too bad. Their burgers ranked #4 on our List of the Best Burgers in Tucson. They had the best fries we have ever tasted. We presume that you can enjoy the same great Monkey Burger & Fries at the east Broadway location. We hope that in time they come back Downtown.
Diablo Burger
Then Diablo Burger opened last year in the 300 block of East Congress on the south side of the street opposite Hotel Congress. They ranked #5. Owner Derrick Widmark has a unique approach to the humble hamburger … grass-fed only beef on an English muffin. Neighbor Roy loved his DB. I was somewhat less enthralled, mostly because of the limited bun selection. I note that the Tucson Weekly reviewer wrote that the DB’s fries as “absolutely delicious”. In reality, they’re OK, but nothing to write home about.
Please Note: The trick with grass-fed only beef is it is VERY lean and if it’s cooked beyond medium rare it becomes dry and kinda tasteless. More about that in a moment.
Proper
And now comes Proper at the corner of 5th & Congress. As is typical when we are doing research for a dining review, we take other people with us. We all have to order something different so that we get a broad range of selections. On this particular Sunday, we six were scheduled to take the Sentinel Carriage Company historic tour of Downtown and the Presidio District at 1 PM.
As Proper is located kitty corner to the carriage stand, we thought this would be a perfect place to have lunch before our tour. A big round table was waiting for us as we arrived at 11:30 AM per our reservation.
Catie announced that she would be our waitress. And a good one she was, too. Once she took our drink orders, we ordered the Brunch Board that would serve as appetizers: Duck Ham; Saucicon Sec Iberico; Soft-Boiled Egg (that no one ate); Artisan Cheese; Tomato Jam (Interesting) Poached Apricots & Figs (Excellent Brandy-Soaked Figs!); House Pickles (kinda sweet, kinda dill); & Black Pepper & Parmesan Lovash (Very tasty).
As for alcoholic drinks, only three were ordered: a Dragoon IPA; a Errazuriz Merlot from Chile; and a Bloody Mary.
Ms. Karen & Gini violated the rule and both ordered a Chopped Salad. Gini had hers with Lemon Grass Vinaigrette, and Karen had their standard Blue Cheese Vinaigrette. Both said it was a good salad with fresh ingredients, but nothing exceptional.
Ms. Sue ordered the House Granola with Yogurt & Fruit. I guess she thought it would be a safe bet. Gary ordered something far more daring: Baked Egg in Tomato Sauce; Leeks; Parmesan; Garlic; Herbs; & Ciabatta. He graciously shared a bite with several of us and we all thought it most interesting. However, it might be an acquired taste. Nonetheless, Gary said he really liked it.
I ordered The Gatsby: Sliced Brisket; Kale; Frites; Blue Cheese Vinaigretter on a Baguette. More on this in a moment.
Neighbor Roy ordered their Criollo Burger once Catie explained that it was basically a Diablo Burger. At that point we began to understand that the owner of Proper and the owner of the adjacent Diablo Burger are friends who have a long restaurant association in Flagstaff.
That special relationship was made even clearer when we realized that Proper & Diablo Burger share the same restrooms down a very long interior corridor.
Anyway, we all expected Roy to once again sing the praises of the vaulted Criollo (aka Diablo) Burger. The next day, I sent Roy an email asking for his opinion of his burger because after the meal he didn’t say anything about it. To my shock & amazement, this was his reply.
“They were worlds apart. The DB was as I ordered it (back in the summer of 2013) and the bun was fresh. The bun at Proper was dry and old, & partly soggy from the juices. It was smaller than the DB and not as I ordered it (medium rare). It seemed partly overcooked and partly as I ordered it–hard to figure out how they did that. I might add the fries were just awful, would never go into the place again. The waitress was the only good thing I would say about the ordeal.”
Sometimes, I wish Roy would learn to express his real feelings.
Now, let’s consider my Gatsby. As soon as I tried to take a bite, I knew I was in trouble. Let’s start with a definition of “baguette”.
Definition: A baguette is a type of French bread baked into a long, thin loaf, usually at least two feet long and with a diameter of about 2 inches. A traditional baguette has a crispy brown crust and a light, chewy interior.
Got that? “Crispy brown crust and a light, chewy interior.” That was not what I experienced. The damn sandwich was like biting into sliced granite. Moreover, the brisket was fairly tasteless. I was hungry and struggled through half of the sandwich, but then lost interest.
I had to console myself by munching on the fries that came with my sandwich and that Ms. Karen declared “terrible”. Oh well …
I have stated in previous reviews of the new downtown dining establishments that they are a bit pricy for Tucson. A Diablo Burger can run $10.50 to $13.25 and more if you get creative. A side of fries is $5.50. And if you want to substitute a salad for fries, that will be an up-charge of $2.75, thank you very much.
Our lunch for six, including only 3 alcoholic drinks, was an average of $17 per. You see what I mean? It’s not like Downtown Tucson rents are in the same ballpark as Downtown San Francisco or Manhattan.
Nonetheless, we are most pleased that the new Downtown entrepreneurs are remodeling, restoring, and re-purposing some of the old buildings that have been derelicts for decades. This process is not cheap. So if the occasional Downtown lunch is $5 more than it would be elsewhere, I’ll consider it my contribution to Downtown revitalization and be happy to pay it.
The Proper ambiance is quite pleasant. Very large windows looking out on the Downtown street scene. The large bar windows open onto the sidewalk for an open-air feel more common to South Pacific beaches. Nice touch.
The bartender told me that when they get their patio dining permit from the City, they will be able to serve alcoholic drinks directly to folks on the Congress Street sidewalk. It wasn’t hard to imagine the Downtown vagrants enjoying this particular amenity.
As of now, Proper is a work in progress. Clearly the owners have put a lot into it and, no doubt, it will improve. We’ll review Proper again in 6 months and see.
Proper
300 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
520.396.3357
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