A number of bars and restaurants that agreed to sell a special beer to raise money for a local charity took the beer and never coughed up the money.

The beer, Father Joe’s Penitential Ale, was brewed by Barrio Brewing Company to raise money for Caridad de Porres, which provides hundreds of thousands of meals each year to hungry people across Southern Arizona.

It sounded like a sweet deal: Every pint sold would provide about four meals for the hungry. A number of local restaurants signed on; advertisements were purchased in local papers; both the Tucson Weekly and the Arizona Daily Star wrote about the fundraiser.

But when officials tried to get the $500 each restaurant pledged to donate for a keg of the beer, a number of them didn’t pay, said Burt Nehmer, president of the board of directors for Caridad de Porres.

The fundraiser was expected to raise about $100,000. Nehmer said it ended up raising about $14,000.

Nehmer did not want to mention the names of those who failed to fulfill their pledges, saying only that he’d “hate to have to answer to God for that one.” Businesses that fulfilled their pledges include Barrio Brewing Company, Gentle Ben’s, Pastiche Modern Eatery, Kingfisher, Buddy’s Grill, the Bamboo Club, the Dish and TD’s East.

TD's East actually paid up before the beer was sold, said Nehmer. They also put “Father Joe Is Here” on their marquee, which got Nehmer in a fix with Tucson Bishop Gerald Kicanis.

Nehmer, however, is undeterred. His organization is currently selling Father Joe’s Frownies, a decadent chocolate brownie, at local churches to raise money for Caridad de Porres, which is sorely in need of funds.

The charity has had to scale back its efforts since mid-2008, when the housing crisis and other national financial woes dried up the flow of donations. The charity currently serves about 10,000 meals a month, down from the 15,000 it once served.

Nehmer is also looking at another round of fundraising beer, but said this one will be canned and sold at stores.

Lindy’s on Fourth (431 N. Fourth Ave.) is up to something new and unruly every time we stop in.

This time, it is the “Honey Pot,” the eatery’s burger of the month. It’s a burger patty stuffed in a bread bowl and covered with Doritos and cheese. We’re not sure if that makes it a soup, a sandwich or nachos, but the people who visit Lindy’s Facebook page seem downright thrilled about it.

Lindy’s has also added the option of ordering the O.M.F.G. challenge—which was catapulted to fame on Man V. Food—with grilled cheese sandwiches as buns, and onion rings between the patties, calling it “Two Finger Peek-a-Boo” style. It sounds daunting, but a petite woman who goes by the name Cardboard Shell ate the whole thing in less than the 20-minute time limit, according to her blog.

One new restaurant has opened at the Tucson Mall, and another is slated to open in August, although the owner may have to rename it before it does.

Shane’s Rib Shack—a national chain—opened its first Tucson store at the mall late last month, said Tucson Mall general manager Jeff Berger. The eatery serves ribs, chicken, sandwiches, salads, sides and desserts. Call 887-0790 to contact the Tucson store, or visit the website here.

Berger said the same person who opened Shane’s Rib Shack is also opening a place called Yogurt on Tap. It will specialize in self-serve yogurt and is expected to open in August.

While researching Yogurt on Tap, we found another store with the same name in Palm Springs, Calif., and the owner was quick to point out that she had nothing to do with the Tucson store. She was also quick to point out that the name is trademarked, and that she was quite interested in speaking with the owner of the Tucson store.

We let Berger know of her concerns, and he said he'd follow up on it.

Officials at Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort announced yesterday that they’re teaming up with one of the biggest names in natural health and well-being to start a new garden at the resort.

The resort’s restaurant, the Grill at Hacienda del Sol, is already known for using fresh ingredients grown in gardens at the resort. Teaming up with Dr. Andrew Weil to plant a 2,000-square-foot garden, however, is one hell of a way to add celebrity status to the produce grown there.

From the press release:

The Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort and world-renowned doctor of integrative medicine, Dr. Andrew Weil, have two things growing this fall: a new garden and a blossoming relationship centered around the pleasure of gardening, inspiring healthy lifestyles and healthy environments.

“Dr. Weil is a fan of The Grill at the resort,” said Hacienda del Sol Owner Jeff Timan. “And he loves gardening, but won’t have room to garden at his new home. We invited him to build a garden with us and he agreed. It’s planned to be a shared garden, splitting the costs and whatever we grow.”

The 2,000 square foot garden, which has been filled with rich soil imported from Dr. Weil’s property at X9 Ranch, will be planted in September. It’s planned to include

UA School of Journalism students Michael Palazzolo, Chelsea Rarrick and Taylor Medeiros bring you a feature on Tucson's bustling farmers' markets all over Tucson, and the people who make them a success.

The man in charge of Takamatsu restaurant at 5532 E. Speedway Blvd. says efforts are already underway to fix the damage caused by a fire that closed the restaurant early this morning.

Peter Koga, who operates the local Takamatsu and other locations in Phoenix and Chandler, said he got a call at about 3 a.m. this morning to report that a motion sensor was going off at the restaurant. He soon found out that a fire had broken out—and that it had likely been burning for several hours.

Capt. Tricia Tracy, a Tucson Fire Department spokeswoman, said the Tucson Police Department first reported smoke in the area of the restaurant at 3:25 a.m. this morning. One fire engine and three firefighters were initially dispatched, but that number climbed to nine engines and 30 firefighters after the first crew found heavy black smoke and extremely high temperatures at the scene.

"It was extremely hot, and we were worried that the roof might collapse," said Tracy.

Firefighters had the fire under control in 24 minutes, said Tracy. One firefighter was treated on the scene for minor injuries. She said an initial damage estimate stands at $400,000, but said that figure may climb when an investigation of the structure is completed.

Tracy said the cause of the fire was a burner that had been accidentally left on beneath one of the heated tables that the restaurant uses for teppan yaki.

Koga said the restaurant would be closed for at least several months for repairs. He was busy this morning getting an insurance claim filed so workers could get started.

Koga also said he was working to ensure that the 40 employees who will be out of work as a result of the fire would be covered by his insurance.

“It’s very unfortunate, but there’s nothing we can do to change it, so we just have to make the best out of it and come back stronger,” said Koga.

Koga said fans of the restaurant should check in often with Takamatsu’s Facebook page, where he will be posting updates on the return of the restaurant.

The Tucson Takamatsu location opened in 1995 and is known best for its sushi, teppan yaki and Korean barbecue.

I expected a place called the Hot Rod Cafe to have an automotive theme. What I didn't expect was how deep the gearhead lifestyle figures in the lives of the three generations of women who run the place.

“Mom drives a Harley,” said Lucy McIntosh, who operates the new restaurant at 2831 N. Stone Ave. with her mother, Deanie Burris, and grandmother, Madonna Toia. “Grandma has a 1939 hot rod and a motorcycle.”

The eatery opened about two weeks ago in what was once McIntosh’s great-grandfather’s muffler shop. The cherry-red interior is draped with checkered flags. The bases of the tables are chrome tire rims. Racing and Harley Davidson memorabilia are displayed everywhere.

The menu is broken down into “The Starting Line,” “Souped Up Soups,” “Super Charged Salads,” “Cold Hearted Sandwiches,” and “Hemi Hot Sandwiches.” Drinks are called “Racing Fluids,” and sandwiches are given names like “T-Bird” and “Pink Cadillac.” Breakfast and lunch are served from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Nothing on the menu is more than $5.

And should you find yourself inspired by the menu and décor, feel free to indulge your inner grease monkey right up the street at Don’s Hot Rod Shop at 2811 N. Stone Ave. It’s run by McIntosh’s grandpa, a former drag racer who has operated the shop for decades.

Visit the restaurant's website for more information.

Mini’s Cupcakes, which opened late last year at La Encantada, is moving to a new spot at Casas Adobes Plaza, at Ina and Oracle roads.

Jaynie Rossi, who owns Mini’s Cupcakes and custom-cake store Ambrosia of Tucson, said she will close the original Mini’s Cupcakes location on Wednesday, June 30. She expects the new store—which will also sell regular-sized cakes made at Ambrosia—to open in early August.

La Encantada shoppers, however, won’t have to go long without their cupcake fix. Peter Sutter, the owner and operator of Red Velvet Cupcakery at 943 E. University Blvd., Suite 165, says he’s opening a location at La Encantada.

Sutter said he expects to have the new store open in early August. He said two additional stores are also opening in Washington D.C., where the original Red Velvet Cupcakery opened about two years ago.

We’ve got an update about the new CiCi’s Pizza locations that we wrote about in this week’s Noshing Around.

A company spokeswoman says the chain eatery is looking to open locations in Drexel Heights, at the Tucson Mall, somewhere along Tanque Verde Road and in South Tucson. The restaurant currently has one location at 2912 W. Ina Road.

Has anyone out there tried CiCi’s Pizza? We haven’t had the chance to stop in yet. We’re especially curious about the macaroni-and-cheese pizza they serve, which looks damn tasty in this picture.

Tom Taylor, the manager of The 17th Street Market on 17th Street and Park Avenue, has been involved in the grocery business for most of his life, having done practically every job imaginable in a grocery store. After managing a number of supermarkets of numerous chains, he has found himself at the 17th Street Market. He has found himself a place where the atmosphere and fellow employees fit his personality, with the owners of the store agreeing to let him use his own managing style to help the business grow. The market has several separate departments, including produce, fish, house wares, and music. The music department, however, is the most intricate, including a band and a professional-grade recording studio.

Meet Tom Taylor in this multimedia slideshow by UA School of Journalism student Michael Palazzolo.