Don Garrot, co-owner of Don’s Bayou Cajun Cookin’, was hesitant to talk about the new restaurant this morning. People are already flocking to the place and he's concerned that he won't be able to keep up with demand if more people hear about it.

“I need to get some bigger pots,” said Garrot this morning during a discussion that also touched on 180-year-old recipes and gigging frogs in the bayous of Louisiana. He says he learned about Cajun cooking while growing up around Baton Rouge. He opened just three weeks ago, and word of mouth is already bringing in enough people to sell out some menu items on busy days.

Expect homemade turtle stew, fried alligator nuggets (yes, real alligator), crawfish étouffée, fried catfish, jambalaya, chicken and seafood gumbos, barbecued pork and beef, frog legs, jalapeno cornbread, slaws, salads, red beans and rice, po’ boy sandwiches and “momma’s cherry pecan cake.” Everything is homemade and many ingredients are flown in from Louisiana, says Garrot.

The place — which is located in a former plant nursery at 8991 E. Tanque Verde Road — seats about 18 people. Outdoor seating is also available. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday. Take out is available. Call 749-4410 for more information.

(Special thanks to Tucson Weekly reader Ken Sandock for the tip.)

Reid Park Zoo has turned its concession stand into a full-service, air-conditioned restaurant, says Don Morgan, the eatery's executive chef.

Zoofari Market boasts a super eco-friendly design that includes clay walls, bamboo booth dividers, stained concrete floors and an animal mural made from dried plants and reclaimed materials. The renovation to the indoor 2,000-square-foot space cost about $350,000. Outdoor seating is also available.

On the menu: Angus beef hamburgers, Nathan's hotdogs, taco salads, burritos, rice, beans, nachos, a salad bar, corndogs, pretzels, churros and desserts. Drinks include fountain sodas and homemade lemonade and agua fresca.

Hamburgers and hotdogs were the finest foods available at the old concession stand, and only outdoor seating was available.

Food is ordered at the counter and delivered to the table, Morgan said. The eatery will open Jaguar Junction, an outdoor grilling area that features a dollar menu, this weekend.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., daily.

• Le Whif breathable chocolate.

I finally got around to checking out the Le Whif Web site today and it's everything I'd hoped for and more. It's fun! It's delicious! It's calorie free! It's breathable chocolatey goodness and now it comes in a coffee version too!! If they develop a rum-and-coke version, I'm ordering a case.

Hey milkbreath! The Cereal Boxx is celebrating National Cereal Day with a cereal-eating contest at 2:30 p.m., Sunday, March 7.

Owner Terra Schacht said contestants will compete to see who can finish two bowls of cereal with milk the fastest. The type of cereal will be announced on the day of the event, and prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers.

Pre-registration is required, and contestants must sign a waiver and agree to be videotaped for later release on the Internet. Participants must also be free of food allergies, although accommodations will be made for those with lactose intolerance.

Thirteen people had already signed up this morning, but there are plenty of spots still available. The Cereal Boxx is located at 943 E. University Blvd., Suite 101. Call 622-2699 to register or for more information.

Man v. Food doesn't have anything on Chad Rowland.

Ever since the Travel Network's food challenge show came to Lindy's on Fourth last year, everyone's been trying the hamburger place's marquee challenge: Eat the 12-patty, 3-pound OMFG hamburger in 20 minutes or less, something Man v. Food host Adam Richman couldn't do.

The Weekly caught up with Rowland last Thursday as he attempted another OMFG feat: to eat two of the behemoth burgers in less than 20 minutes.

Spoiler alert: He managed to break his own 4-minute, single-burger record by a couple of seconds, but couldn't finish the second burger. Still, eating that much in one go deserves a couple videos on TucsonWeeklyTV.

Chef Ryan Clark of the restaurant at Lodge on the Desert says the eatery is open for business after a kitchen fire temporarily closed it last week.

The fire broke out early Friday morning and caused $100,000 in damage before firefighters brought it under control. Clark said it took the staff about two days to get restaurant operations back up and running.

A state-of-the-art mobile kitchen has been set up, and a limited menu is available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A banquet room has been outfitted as a dining area, and a library serves as a bar. Clark said a scheduled unveling of the restaurant's new on-tap wine system went as scheduled on Friday evening, although the 10 people who showed up had to enjoy their wine by candlelight because the electricity was still out as a result of the blaze.

“It’s unfortunate that we’ve done so well to get this far and now have this little bump in the road,” Clark said. “We’re going to get through this and it’s only going to make us stronger in the end.”

Acacia at St. Philip's (4340 N. Campbell Ave.) kicks off its Martini Mondays special today with half off specialty martinis from 5 to 9 p.m.

They serve a dozen or so specialty martinis, and the outdoor seating overlooking the courtyard is a lovely place to enjoy a cocktail. We tried their espresso martinis made with Van Gogh Double Espresso Vodka, and their chocolate-covered-cherry martinis served in chocolate-swirled glasses this weekend, and both were fantastic.

Call 232-0101, or visit their Web site and click on the "calendar" tab for more information.

An early morning fire broke out in the kitchen at Lodge on the Desert today, causing $100,000 in damage before fire crews brought it under control.

Tucson Fire Department Capt. Trish Tracy, a fire department spokeswoman, said a Tucson Police Department officer called in with reports of smoke coming from a window at the Lodge on the Desert at 306 N. Alvernon Way at 6:02 a.m. this morning. Fire crews arrived six minutes later to find smoke coming from the door and windows of the kitchen area. The blaze was brought under control in 24 minutes.

Tracy said the fire did not spread far thanks to an automatic extinguishing system above the kitchen’s cooking equipment. An investigation into the cause of the fire was underway. The restaurant was closed at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.

Tracy said neighbors told firefighters they had smelled smoke about an hour before police officers saw the smoke, but didn't call authorities because they didn't want to raise a false alarm. She encouraged residents to call 911 at the first indication of fire.

The restaurant at Lodge on the Desert reopened in November, marking the completion of a $15 million renovation at the resort. Calls to the business this afternoon were not immediately returned.

Nan Tian BBQ is open at the mighty Lee Lee Supermarket at 1990 W. Orange Grove Road. Unless you're doing something really important, other than, like, reading this blog, you should drop everything and