A message on the answering machine at Barrio Food and Drink says the restaurant has closed and that the business will continue on as Barrio Catering.

Rumors have circulated for months, but this is the first solid information we've received concerning the fate of the downtown restaurant. The Arizona Daily Star published this article earlier this month, but couldn’t get in touch with the owner to verify the closing. Then, Inside Tucson Business put out this short story hinting that Janos Wilder may open up shop in the space. We talked with Wilder last week, and he had no comment on the ITB story or his plans to eventually open a new restaurant downtown.

In related news: Ciaran Wiese, who created many of the popular drinks at Barrio Food and Drink (including the Basil Collins, last year's second-runner-up for the Best of Tucson® Best Signature Cocktail award), is now working at Maynards Market and Kitchen. Wiese, who spent time honing his bartending skills in New York, is expected to be quite an asset to the cocktail programs at Maynards and across the street at Hotel Congress.