• Duckling sandwiches, while delicious, are expensive.

Meanwhile, at the new and unassuming I Luv Pho (2513 N. Campbell Ave.), they sell bánh mi sandwiches (minus duckling, plus tofu) for $3 each, and they are sooooo good. Crusty bread, pickled vegetables, lightly seasoned bean curd. The pho is decent — they just opened early this month and are still fine-tuning things — but that banh mi is out of sight, and priced right.

We also have it on good authority that the bánh mi sandwiches (minus duckling, plus grilled lemongrass pork) at the new 17th Street Grill are damn good and relatively cheap at $4.99 each. More here.

Lisa Theberge of the new Metal Arts Village Saturday Morning Market at 3230 N. Dodge Blvd. says she’s looking for vendors. They currently have people selling homegrown vegetables, coffee and an assortment of very delicious-sounding bread from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., every Saturday.

If you’ve got extra vegetables in the garden, or if anyone's ever mumbled "you could sell this" between bites of your signature dish, this is your chance. Call 795-1770 for more information.

After calling for months, peeking inside the windows, corresponding with numerous Tucson Weekly readers and making every conceivable attempt to reach the owners, we’re here to report that Fiorito’s, which has served up great Italian food at 2702 E. Grant Road for more than 25 years, is experiencing major problems or closed.

The restaurant hasn’t been open for many months, and a hand-written sign on the door two months ago said the restaurant was closed for repairs. I’ve called the restaurant many, many times and left messages until their voicemail was full, and now the phone is disconnected.

Without speaking to the owners, it's impossible to say if Fiorito's is closed for good, but it isn't looking good.

Chef Jon Wirtis of Shlomo and Vito's New York Delicatessen will attempt to set the record for the world's largest matzo ball at the Jewish Food Festival this weekend.

The previous record was set last year by Noah’s Ark Deli in New York City with a 267-pound matzo ball. Wirtis will attempt to shatter that record with a 500-pound matzo ball.

We reached Noam Sokolow, owner of Noah’s Ark Deli, by phone this morning, and he says fashioning a monster matzo ball can be far trickier than one might think. When asked what it took to set the record, Sokolow’s instantaneous response was: “Lots of planning, lots of man hours and lots of patience.”

Sokolow said he didn’t have the records that showed how much his attempt cost, or how many pounds of flour he used. What he could easily remember, however, was how difficult setting that record turned out to be.

The pot used to boil his monster matzo ball had to be custom-made, and it took a team of workers to handle the preparation and cooking. Some attempts fell apart before reaching the pot; others couldn’t withstand the boiling. In all, it took Sokolow’s team 18 tries to come up with a recipe and process that worked.

“It wasn’t just a matter of assembling the ball; it also had to be edible,” said Sokolow, adding that his matzo ball was donated to help feed the homeless. “I hope these guys know what they’re up for,” he said, refering to the Tucson attempt.

As for advice or tricks that might give the Tucson team a leg up? Fuggedaboutit. Sokolow wasn’t willing to offer anything that could help break a record he set just last year.

Wirtis has been busy fine-tuning the plans for his attempt and has made a 100-pounder as a warm up. Apparently his custom-made pot will weigh about four tons when filled with the 600 gallons of soup and the 500-pound matzo ball. Read all about it here.

Wirtis wasn’t available for comment today. We're expecting a call from him tomorrow.

First of all, Planet of the Crepes is the best name for a food truck, ever. Second of all, owner Jessica Kraus has 15 years of experience in the pastry-making business and is the former head of the pastry programs at Hacienda del Sol, Harvest Restaurant and both Zona 78 locations.

Need more reasons to visit Planet of the Crepes when it opens for its second week on the corner of Tanque Verde Road and Camino Principal tomorrow? How about the fact that you had to drive to the top of Mount Lemmon for one of these gourmet crepes until now? How ‘bout smoked-duck crepes, chicken-salsa-avocado-Monterey-jack-cheese crepes and a crepe that tastes just like a Reese’s peanut butter cup?

Crepes range in price from $3.25 to $6.75, and hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Sunday.

Visit the truck’s Facebook page for more information.

Catfish po' boys, pulled-pork sandwiches, burgers, fish tacos and bánh mi sandwiches are what you'll find at the new 17th Street Grill at the 17th Street Market. It's not open today, but the new mobile kitchen (which also does catering) will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Saturday.

Here's the menu.

Calexico's Facebook feed yesterday provided a link to a Chicago restaurant that is immortalizing the band in burger form (adobo steak burger, green chiles, avocado, grilled cebollitos). While it's always nice to see Joey and John recognized, even in the culinary world, the story behind the indie rock burger is probably more interesting than the likely delicious burger itself.

Each year, Logan Square-area seasonal-driven restaurant Lula Cafe takes on a new theme for one night only on Halloween. According to Time Out Chicago, "In 2007 the restaurant morphed into Olive Garden. The following year, it was O’Lulahan’s, an Irish pub. Last year it was Not Doug’s, a kind of zombie version of Hot Doug’s."

This year, Lula is parodying/paying tribute to a burger restaurant down the street from them called Kuma's Corner, which names its burgers after heavy metal acts (Baroness, Mastodon, Brujeria and the like). Lula's one-night-only take featured burgers either inspired by (the Calexico one) or devised by (the Shellac burger) indie-rock acts.

Obviously, we're unlikely to head to Chicago just to get a limited edition burger (although with whiskey joint Longman and Eagle down the street, the idea is tempting), and it's a little late for this year, but couldn't a Tucson restaurant ripoff appropriate this idea for next year? Late October isn't usually when a restaurant in this town needs a boost of attention, so maybe for April Fool's? It's an instant PR hook (I know we'd report on it) and just plain fun for everyone involved.

Step up your game, Tucson restaurateurs ... I want to see some one-off restaurant concepts in six months.

We made our maiden voyage to Don Pedro’s Peruvian Bistro (which we blogged about yesterday) and left with a full stomach and plans to return. Peruvian food takes many forms and combines disparate ingredients (for instance: tuna and cold mashed potatoes, which is quite good), and Don Pedro’s serves a fast and tasty version of it. The restaurant also has some of the hottest salsa we’ve tasted in a while, and a savory white condiment we have to get the recipe for. Good service, too.

Also new this week: Flavor of India, the new Oro Valley restaurant by the three brothers that own Gandhi Cuisine of India. They opened last Sunday and offer a buffet seven days a week. More information here.

The Cup Café at Hotel Congress unveiled a new menu this week. Notable additions include jerk chicken and a prime-rib sandwich. More here.

Speaking of jerk chicken, Tiki Tim’s Grill at the Hut does it right. We stopped in last Sunday and our lunch companion couldn’t stop talking about it. Wait, maybe the jerk she was talking about was me. Either way, Tiki Tim’s is awesome and well worth trying.

Discounted tickets are now available for the BBQ Classic at JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort and Spa on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 29 and 30. We’re not sure how much tickets were originally, but they’ve been marked down to $10 per day, or $45 for VIP. More information here.

The owners of Casa Vicente are opening a new restaurant called Casa Marita in the Mercado San Agustin. Owner Vicente Sanchez says the new restaurant — which is named after his wife, Marita Gomez — will serve food from Gomez’s homeland of Argentina, with a focus on beef grilled over mesquite wood. Expect imported Argentinean beef, local, grass-fed beef and cuts of meat you may have never seen before. The restaurant is expected to open early next year.

Chefs from a number of local restaurants take on surgeons from the Tucson Orthopaedic Institute at a pumpkin-carving contest Thursday, Oct. 28. There will be snacks and wine and the pumpkins will be auctioned off to raise money for programs that help kids with arthritis. Admission is free. More information here.

We’ve also gotten word that they’ll try to set the world record for the largest matzo ball at this year’s Tucson Jewish Food Festival on Sunday, Nov. 7. That will require a matzo ball that weighs at least 500 pounds. Damn. More information here.

We just got off the phone with the folks at the new Don Pedro's Peruvian Bistro at 3386 S. Sixth Ave., Suite 120, and they are open for business. The restaurant made the move to Tucson after spending six years serving Peruvian food down in Rocky Point.

Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday; and 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday. Visit their website for more information.

(UPDATED with photo at 7 a.m., Friday, Oct. 22.)

• The tallarin saltado a la criolla and causa de atun at Don Pedro's.

Jale Tweedy, the owner of Petite Pea Catering and Fine Foods, says she's opening a storefront at 1012 E. Sixth Street, right across from the UA Campus.

Petite Pea Fine Foods Market opens Tuesday, Oct. 26, and will feature favorites from Tweedy's catering menus and other items. The hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Tweedy has a degree in dietetics from the UA and worked for the Pima County Health Department as a dietician before opening her catering business. She eventually realized that her true calling was in cooking, and the rest is delicious history.

"I got frustrated as a dietician. I thought instead of talking about eating and making better choices that I would be serving the community in a better way if I was making the food I was talking about," said Tweedy.

"I cook whatever sounds good and is delicious. We cook Mexican food, Italian food, all kinds of food, and I’m Turkish, so when I have a request for Middle Eastern food, I'll cook that, too."

The only stipulation Tweedy does have is that all the food she serves is made from scratch with quality ingredients. "No pre-made food comes in my kitchen," she said.

Tweedy was cooking brisket and scalloped potatoes when we spoke. She said her balsamic dressing (the demand for which inspired her to open the store in the first place) and parmesan-crusted chicken will definitely show up on the menu, alongside any number of daily specials.

Call 884-0817 for more information.