Tucson’s eclectic dining scene would be little more than a chain restaurant wasteland without the bountiful appetites supplied by visitors to the region.

Snowbirds, gem show attendees and tourists sustain the independently owned restaurants that provide a foodie haven for winter visitors from the Midwest and East Coast and win raves from Bon Appetit and Sunset magazines along with personal visits from Rachael Ray, Adam Richman’s Man vs. Food and former President Bill Clinton.