Acacia at St. Philip’s $$$

4340 N. Campbell Ave., Tucson
520/232-0101
www.acaciatucson.com [1]

HOURS: Mon.–Thurs. 11 a.m.–3 p.m. and 5–9 p.m.,
Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–2 p.m. and 5–10 p.m.,
Sun. 10 a.m.–2 p.m. and 5–9 p.m.

COST: Most entrées more than $20

The best thing about Acacia is its patio looking out on the shops and oversized garden statue of, one assumes, the titular saint at St. Philip’s Plaza, a small shopping and eating center at Campbell and River on the edge of the foothills.

That’s not to say that the food takes a back seat to the atmosphere, which is all about upscale but casual elegance, the foothills’ go-to aesthetic. The food here also follows the neighborhood tradition of mixing local and sustainable boutique ingredients, many of them with a Southwestern and Latin bent, with high-style culinary methods to create something new and wonderful.

The Guaymas Shrimp Cocktail, made with big sweet shrimp from the Sea of Cortez just a few hundred miles to the south and mixed with peppadew chile, mango, and horseradish, is one of the best variations on the classic that I’ve ever had. Not too many of the high-dollar foothills eateries serve lunch; Acacia does, and it’s a good way to sample the fare without having to take out a loan.