Connoisseurs of the morning meal know that Bobo’s Restaurant at 2938 E. Grant Road serves some of the best breakfasts in town. They’re also some of the bigger breakfasts you’ll come across, and the lunch menu, available daily until 2 p.m., is not exactly in the lightweight category, either.

And now the restaurant — which has been around for some 30 years now — is giving the evening meal a go at it, with new dinner hours until 9 p.m. Spare ribs, grilled chicken in mushroom sauce and meatloaf were available on a recent night, as well as the burgers, soups and other items featured on the regular menu.

Bobo’s is not known for ambiance, so if you must dine with pinky up, this might not be your type of place. But if you like honest, no-nonsense diner food, there’s a plate of meatloaf and mashed potatoes calling your name.

A new artisan chocolate shop called Sabino Artisan Chocolates has opened at 10110 N. Oracle Road.

The shop - which markets itself as the only artisan chocolatier in town - sells bon bons, truffles, chocolate-chipotle-popcorn caramel and other diet-destroying delights. Guinness truffles and Bailey's Irish Creme caramels were crafted for St. Patrick's Day, and right now they're selling some 2-foot-tall gourmet-chocolate bunnies that could make you a very popular parent come Easter morning.

You can find the shop's website here, or follow them on Facebook here.

Lindy’s on 4th makes another televised appearance tonight, Monday, April 4, this time on the Food Network show Meat and Potatoes.

The show’s host, Rahm Fama, will take a look at one of the restaurant’s robust and peculiar offerings, a double-patty burger with grilled-cheese sandwiches as buns.

From the press release:

Premiering Monday, April 4th at 10pm ET/PT
"Burger Mania"
Rahm Fama tracks down some of the country's most unique burger creations. First, he finds a decadent Whiskey King Burger topped with applewood bacon, foie gras and bleu cheese at Iron Chef Jose Garces' Village Whiskey in Philadelphia. Then, Rahm heads west to San Francisco where he bites into a juicy Bison Tejano Burger at Roam Artisan Burgers, an all-natural twist on the American classic. Finally, at Lindy's on 4th in Tucson, Ariz., Rahm gets meat-drunk on a rock and roll Peek-a-Boo burger, a duo patty creation served up between double grilled-cheese sandwiches made with thick Texas toast.

In related news: It looks like Lindy's burger of the month for April is going to be some sort of a chicken-and-waffles creation, according the restaurant's Facebook page. There is no end to the burger madness at this eatery.

Mexican restaurant El Saguarito has opened a second location in the old Prince Pizza and Family Restaurant location at 1763 E. Prince Road.

Right now, there is an international incident going on in that building, with a mix of Mexican blankets and Italian paintings all over the place. The best part is the European-style statue in the courtyard that has been topped with a sombrero. It reminds me of watching tourists pour north over the border wearing Corona ponchos and sombreros—back when tourists still dared to head south of the border.

Anyway, El Saguarito serves good food, and they pride themselves on being a healthy alternative to traditional Mexican food. Which is to say, if you like lard this might not be the place for you. But if you hate your lard ass, then the opposite could be true.

More on the restaurant over here.

• Ha ha ha HA!

I took a peek inside the new Frosty Jake's Frozen Custard going in at 3102 E. Grant Road, and it looks like it's going to be a good one. I tried to snap a picture of the menu board through the still-locked doors so you could join me in drooling over the tasty frozen goodness—but the blurry picture below is the best I could do.

Flankenstein’s is hard to miss, being that it is painted a shade of green that instantly burns itself into your retinas. It is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, just west of the corner of Grant Road and Alvernon Way, and can be found sporadically at events like Nam Jam and swap meets from time to time.

The barbecue sandwiches at this truck are truly something else. The brisket is cooked for 13 hours, and the thick sauce sings with tones of cherry and pineapple. It comes served on a fresh roll from La Baguette bakery, and they throw in the cheese — by request only — for free.

The price is right, too. For $5, you get a sandwich and a bag of chips. They also sell BBQ sliders for $2.50 apiece, and rib sandwiches that aren't on the menu board, but are rumored to be incredible.

Pastor Guy Stevenson and his business partner Alonso Martinez don’t plan on getting rich selling sandwiches; they have far loftier goals than that. That’s why the side of the truck says “SOS Ministries," and that’s why whatever they don’t sell each day goes to feed the homeless.

“We try to walk like Christ did, and he didn’t have a money belt,” says Stevenson. Martinez stands nearby and nods, adding that while he took a pay cut to start the business, it has changed his life and made him a far happier man than his former career in corporate America ever did.

A solar generator is being installed this week, which will make the truck’s operations almost as green as the paint job. Stevenson and Martinez are also hitting the road in August to film an upcoming television series, where they’ll travel from town to town on motorcycles, with barbecue gear in tow, feeding whoever they happen to come across.

You can keep up with the food truck on their website and Twitter over here.

The combination coffee joint/cocktail spot is popular in Seattle, where perpetual sunlessness makes one crave massive doses of caffeine and/or alcohol on as regular a basis as possible.

Having made the move from Seattle (actually, Bremerton, but close enough) to Tucson more than a decade ago, I still find myself pining for the strange buzz of strong coffee and cognac on a dreary afternoon. It’s a fine feeling when it all hits the central nervous system in one big surge, and about as close to an out of body experience as I ever want to come.

The Edge Bar at the Java Edge at Bear Canyon will soon offer Tucsonans such an experience. The new bar — expected to open next week — will offer Nimbus on tap, an ample wine list and a selection of cognac and other spirits alongside the regular menu of coffee and sandwiches. Cigars from the Tinder Box will also be available, for those who like to throw a bucket of nicotine into the mix.

As for food, small plates of cheese, crab dip and other snackables will be available when the bar opens next week.

A tasting and grand opening is scheduled for Friday, April 15. It costs $15, and RSVP is required. More on that over here.

A new Italian eatery called Brio Tuscan Grille is set to open this summer at the Tucson Mall. It looks like it will serve pretty standard Italian fare, for the most part, although there appears to be a slightly more upscale feel to it than most mall food.

There's more information over here.

A new tea emporium called Teavana opens Friday, April 1, at Park Place Mall. It willl apparently feature a retail space, a tea bar and so-called "master teaologists" to answer all of your tea questions.

From the press release:

TUCSON, Ariz. (March 30, 2011) — Chocolate. Nutty. Energizing. Diet. Chai. What do these words have in common? Tea! Tea lovers will rejoice as Park Place Mall welcomes an exciting addition to its retail mix with the much-anticipated grand opening of Teavana, Friday, April 1.

Teavana, translated as ‘Heaven of Tea,’ provides a unique retail experience — part tea bar, part tea emporium, offering fine loose-leaf tea and a variety of tea accessories. Each day, Master Teaologists introduce shoppers to the aromas and flavors of loose leaf tea, while sharing its history, health benefits and how to prepare and serve it. A truly unique look at everything that is tea.

“We are excited to add Teavana to the center court at park place. It complements our other retail choices for our customers and adds another reason to visit Park Place,” said Darcy Shippey, Senior Marketing Manager for Tucson and Park Place Malls.

In addition to brewing accessories, Teavana offers more than 100 varieties of tea, along with tea history from 14 countries. Teavana staff will strive to provide shoppers with the ultimate tea experience, while promoting its health benefits in an interactive and educational environment.”

The high-quality teas range in flavor from traditional estate teas to creative blends using teas, fruits, flowers and herbs, providing the best overall taste.

The Teavana grand opening will take place from 10 a.m. through 9 p.m., Friday, April 1. Throughout the day, experienced and novice tea enthusiasts can enjoy complimentary tea samples and special purchase offers.

Considering I was an active supporter of Epic Meal Time (until they sold out on Leno), I probably can't criticize Denny's for going for the "Bacon Strips, Bacon Strips, Bacon Strips, Bacon Strips" theory of restaurant management, and yes, a bacon sampler sounds delicious, but this ad is weird. I do not want to hear moaning while looking at pictures of food. At least not someone else's moaning. Show some decency, Denny's.