Description: Two years ago, friends of ours were visiting Tucson while on vacation and stumbled upon this cozy eatery and they subsequently tried to find the place again on several Tucson trips. We finally succeeded on a pleasant December weekend and strolled into this house-turned-restaurant just after the lunch rush to find the place deserted. We were told to sit "anywhere" by a friendly young waitress, about 8 months pregnant. We looked over the small but distinct 'rooms' and settled on what was probably a large bathroom at one time. The furnishings looked more like what you'd have at home in a rustic dining room than what you'd expect in a restaurant and the walls were decorated with sort of victorian pictures. Behind our table was a mirror with an odd handle. Curiosity got the best of us and we did ascertain that it was, in fact, a medicine cabinet.
The true draw to the Garland, however, is its unusual menu. There are many healthy choices, a variety of salads, and not those fake salads that many restaurants offer that are about 3 times as many calories as some of the other entrees, but 'real' salads with dark greens, fresh vegetables, and low-calorie dressings. The salads could be enhanced with a variety of choices including chicken, salmon, and tofu. There were a variety of interesting pasta dishes as well. It looked like breakfast was served all day and there were at least a half-dozen distinctly different omelettes to try and a number of healthy accompaniments.
I ordered a salmon linguine they had on special that was made of wheat noodles, salmon, mushrooms, onions, and brocolli, in an oil that was probably not as healthy as it could have been, but boy, was it good! Four of us split a hummis appetizer that came with warm wheat pita bread, cucumbers, and a few black olives. The Greek salad had two large scoops of hummis atop deep green spinich with feta cheese. The salmon dinner came with a side of mashed potatoes so large they served it in a bowl about the size of a cereal bowl. The meal for four with 3 iced teas and the one appetizer was $53.00. None of us had room for dessert.
One drawback was the unisex, one-seater bathroom. We were, thankfully, the only patrons in the place, but that could have been a serious issue during a busy time.
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