The people at Mercado San Agustin say a new restaurant focusing on seafood and dishes made with local produce is opening there soon.

Agustin, the restaurant, will be a "Mediterranean style grill modeled after the bistros and brasseries of Europe," writes Glen Stosius, who is a partner in the group that operates Mercado San Agustin.

If I'm not mistaken, this restaurant is going in where Casa Marita Restaurante Argentino was expected to open. That restaurant was going to specialize in meat smoked over mesquite wood before the owners backed out some months ago.

Still, the space where Casa Marita was going in is spacious and lovely and will make a nice home for a seafood restaurant. That area needs a good seafood restaurant anyway.

Stosius says it will be a casual affair, and that it's expected to open by the end of the year.

It comes in five flavors, and yes, one of those flavors is butter. Of course.

I have a love/hate relationship with Paula Deen, but seeing her face next to the slogan "Put a little South on your mouth!" isn't going to separate me from my $1.99.

[Holly Bailey]

When I talked to Ray Flores from El Charro restaurants a month or so ago I told him of my efforts to get a state food designated for Arizona. He said it was a great idea, and that he'd been kicking around the idea of trying to get the chimichanga named the state food. We talked about it for a bit and he said he was going to ask some of his connections to make it happen.

Well, apparently it has started. I direct you to the Check Yes for Chimi petition, and the corresponding story by AZCentral.com:

Just in time for Arizona's centennial, two family-run Mexican restaurants have launched a campaign to make the chimichanga the official state food.

Proponents argue it's a homegrown specialty, wildly popular with diners and thus should be installed in the pantheon of state symbols, along with the official tie (the bola), the official flower (the saguaro blossom) and the official fossil (petrified wood).

To do that, the owners of Macayo's and El Charro restaurants need the state Legislature.

But judging from lawmakers' initial reactions, it might be asking them to bite off more than they are willing to chew, so to speak.

Like most meat-eaters, I like bacon a lot, but I think KFC adding the pork delight to their "Famous Bowls" probably should bring America's obsession with the ingredient, right? It's like hearing your favorite song in a commercial for an SUV; you still like the song, but it's never quite the same again.

Related, "a failure pile in a sadness bowl":

The Melting Pot, the fondue restaurant at the Foothills Mall, is holding a fundraiser next week for the Susan G. Komen Foundation of Southern Arizona.

The Ladies' Night Out Fondue-raiser on Wednesday, Oct. 26, will feature a three-course meal, complimentary mini-manicures, raffles and other things. It costs $29 per person, and proceeds benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation's ongoing fight against breast cancer.

For more information or to make a reservation you can either click here or call 575-6358.

More than two dozen local restaurants are expected to participate in the Empty Bowl Luncheon on Thursday, Nov. 3, and all of the money made goes to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.

A handmade ceramic soup bowl made by a member of the Southern Arizona Clay Artists is included in the $10 to $15 ticket price. So for the price of a meal you get to eat and take the dish home with you. That's pretty sweet.

I'll post the rest of the press release about the event after the jump:

In this day and age of homogenized media, food and so much else there seems to be a craving for things that are personal. I'm not saying mass production or anything is necessarily bad, but I am saying that there's a growing number of people who want experiences that don't come from factories or strip malls.

I think this craving plays a part in the growing attendance at farmers' markets, food trucks and other things that sort of reconnect people to more individual experiences. There's a similar phenomenon happening in the world of dining with the emergence of underground supper clubs in cities across the country, including Tucson.

I've come across two of these underground dining clubs so far, and both impressed. One of them is run by artists who serve amazing seven-course meals in intimate settings; the other is just off the charts as far as creativity, quality ingredients and presentation. Both offer an experience that you can't get at any restaurant, and both don't market themselves outside of small social circles, making them available only to those in the know.

Which is not to say that they are exclusive. Indeed, they are casual and light and open to whoever discovers them. But they do not advertise and there are very few spaces available. These details vary from event to event, as do the themes for the dinners and, sometimes, the locations.

I hope to see more and more of these operations. They showcase amazing food, the prices are fair and the experience is novel and fun. Much like food trucks, the money goes directly to those who put the effort into making the food. It's purist dining at it's best, and I hope you all discover one soon.

There's been some speculation that Buck and Lil's BBQ at 5121 E. Grant Road had closed, but the restaurant's website indicates that it's just relocating. We're trying to get in touch with the owners, but haven't had any luck yet.

We'll let you know when we learn more.

Pizza Plus #1, the all-you-can-eat joint at 914 E. Speedway Blvd., has closed, but a look inside the building shows that work is already underway to prep the place for a new tenant.

We're not sure who that is, but we walked around to the other restaurants in the neighborhood and chatted with the employees. The unanimous response is that two restaurants - a sushi joint and a frozen-yogurt shop - are setting up there.

Game on Sports Grille at 6453 N. Oracle Road is no more and a new bar called the Parish is shaping up there.

The word is that Travis Peters, formerly of the Cup Cafe at Hotel Congress, is involved. There is also word of gumbo being served via somebody who used to either own or work at the French Quarter. We've put in calls; they haven't been returned. We'll be heading up there soon to take a look for ourselves.

I almost forgot to mention that there are apparently three kinds of deviled eggs being served there, too. This will definitely hasten our efforts to get up there to see what's going on.