The restaurateurs behind Tucson’s Contigo Latin Kitchen and Locale Neighborhood Italian opened a new venture on Sept. 18, focused on classic American dishes.

Miramonte is the third chapter in KE Hospitality’s culinary story.  KE’s partners, Deborah Tenino, Nicholas Kreutz and German Tapia, envision Miramone as a neighborhood hangout serving American classics with a side of mountain views. 

Billed as “your new favorite neighborhood hangout,” Miramonte at 3352 E. Speedway Blvd., aims to blend comfort and community with a menu of shareable plates, salads and hearty entrées alongside an expansive list of whiskey, craft cocktails, beer and wine.

The venture reflects the owners’ evolving vision: each of their three concepts celebrates a different flavor of global dining while creating spaces where Tucsonans can gather. The Latin flair of Contigo, 377-0 E. Sunrise Drive, and the Italian rustic atmosphere of Locale, 60 N. Alvernon Way, have helped define Tucson’s evolving food culture. 

With Miramonte, the partners aim to capture the same spirit of connection through a classic mid-1900s America lens.

“It’s a place you could get dressed up. It’s a place you could not get dressed up,”  said Tenino, who has spent more than 22 years shaping Tucson’s dining landscape. “I mean, I think of it as kind of cool and hip, it’s versatile.”

Tenino said Miramonte was the missing piece of her culinary experience. 

 “I mean, it’s families, it’s people going to Midtown mercantile to do some shopping and celebrate a birthday lunch,” she said. “It’s myself and my husband coming out on a date, then going to the movies. It’s people going to the movies and then coming over here afterwards. It’s people going to La Rosa and then coming here for a drink and get late night eats.” 

“There’s a lot of people and a lot of families that want real restaurants,” added her partner, Kreutz. “There’s a lot of drive throughs coming in, there’s a lot of fast casuals coming in, and we want to provide that experience where people can actually go out and spend a couple hours and put down the phones and talk with one another. And that’s what we’re committed to, and midtown seems like it’s the right time and the right place.”

Miramonte is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. 

“If you want to have something to eat at 10 p.m., please come by. We’re going to be happy to see you,” Kreutz said

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of University of Arizona School of Journalism.