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He found his niche
By Rebecca Boren | Special to the arizona daily star | Tucson, Arizona | Published: 11.07.2007
Jim "Murph" Murphy is partner, co-chef and principal public persona of two successful Tucson restaurants, Kingfisher in Midtown, and Bluefin Seafood Bistro on the Northwest Side. He's a man who has succeeded long term in the notoriously fickle restaurant business by a combination of good food, niche marketing and making the customers he always calls "guests" feel that each eatery is a second home.read more
Tucson Weekly's Best of Tucson 2007
Kingfisher voted best seafood by Tucson Weekly reader's seven consecutive years in a row!
"Delicious seafood with a Gulf Coast flair is Kingfisher's bread and butter, and they do it right." read more
Kingfisher is still great after all these years
By Kathleen Allen |
Arizona Daily Star |
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 06.06.2007
"...Ah, if only we all aged so gracefully.
What keeps Kingfisher really young and exciting, however, is the food. While some favorites remain on the menu (those baby back pork ribs have been there for ages, and we're grateful for them), the choices change regularly, and they are often exciting and satisfying..." Read More
Reeling in a royal catch at Kingfisher
By Cathalena E. Burch
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
"Rarely do you find a restaurant that exceeds your expectations in a way that makes you want to hug your server. They do that at Kingfisher, the 11-year-old seafood grill that is perhaps best known this time of year for its revolving regional Summer Road Trip menus.
The service is warm and friendly and the staff attentive and knowledgeable. The atmosphere is casual, with Southwest décor and half-moon booths sharing dining space with wooden tables."
Catching cool, jazzy vibes at Kingfisher
By Jennifer Jett
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Care for a mussel with that martini?
At Kingfisher Bar and Grill, the seafood may not be homegrown, but the touch of Tucson is noticeable, from the local artwork on the walls to the musicians who perform from 9 p.m. to midnight Mondays and Saturdays.
Instead of pretzels or other typical happy-hour fare, patrons down half-price shrimp, mussels and steamed clams, or $1 Pacific Northwest oysters. Twenty to 35 dozen oysters are cracked open in the restaurant on a busy night. During happy hour, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. to midnight Mondays through Fridays, all mixed drinks, beer and wines by the glass are $2 off.
The early evening air is filled with jazz, but around 8 p.m. blues music takes over. With eight tables and about 15 bar stools, the all-ages bar and foyer area seat about 45 people.
Ted Starks, 38, characterized the crowd as upscale and professional.
"It's a real relaxed, jazzy kind of atmosphere," he said. "It's a good place to bring a woman, meet clients. It's got a professional setting."
Long Live the Kingfisher
By Charlotte Lowe Bailey TUCSON WEEKLY
"Kingfisher is a spirited stepping-out, mixed-bag sort of place where shoulder-baring women flaunt their high-heeled toe cleavage while sitting next to chino-wearing guys wearing school colors. Expect the wildly various apparels that relate to the events attended earlier in the evening.
Service is usually swift and charming, well-trained with that bit of a twinkle that acknowledges a party already in process. All of a sudden you feel special: You're awake while the rest of Tucson is drowsing in front of the tube.
The late-night menu is the real draw, with its mix of the homespun and adventurous, appealing to those who seek out seasonal foods whose fresh flavors dominate."
