Lindy's on Fourth, a burger joint at 431 N. Fourth Ave. that is co-owned by and named after former Che's Lounge doorman Lindy Reilly, will be the focus of an upcoming episode of the Travel Network's Man Vs. Food.

The taping is scheduled to take place Friday, Sept. 25.

"I almost cried," Reilly said about the news. "I have busted my ass for so long, so this kind of validation means so much. I’ve sacrificed my health, my marriage, so much. ... It’s kind of like watching your kid graduate, you know?"

The show's star, Adam Richman, will attempt to eat the O.M.F.G.—a three-pound monstrosity made up of 12 patties, 12 slices of cheese and all the fixings.

Reilly said anyone who eats the O.M.F.G in less than 20 minutes gets it for free. He said about one out of every 20 attempts is successful: "There's a high failure rate," he said, chuckling.

This whole thing is great news for several reasons: First off, Lindy is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, and although he's one of the place's owners, it's common to find him flipping burgers right alongside the other cooks. Down-to-earth dedication like that deserves notice, which he'll get plenty of, thanks to this development.

Second of all, this will put one of our hometown eateries on the national map, which is good for Lindy's—and good for our city as a whole.

Reilly, who was trying out a new burger topped with a green chile tamale when we called, said he'll be spending the next two weeks getting ready for the hordes that will descend on the tiny burger joint once the news gets out.

The show is scheduled to air on Wednesday, Dec. 2.

• Bacon Chocolate Cake Is Not Good For You

Articles like this little number on the Arizona Daily Star's Web site are strong evidence that Americans will not stop until every man, woman and child is morbidly obese or able to claim full blockage of at least one major artery. No big deal, though; it’s not like there’s an obesity epidemic plaguing our country or anything.

Not to belabor the issue, but I have to point out that the recipe for bacon pecan caramel ice cream balls at the end of the article tips the scales at 695 calories per serving, and 37 grams of fat. Nice.

If you’re reading this while preparing your “Obama’s Health Care Plan Is Gonna Kill My Grandma” placard for the next town hall meeting, think about making another one that says something akin to “Maybe We Wouldn’t Need to Be Worrying So Much About Healthcare If We’d Exercise and Stop Eating Bacon-Ice Cream Sundaes.” Fair is fair.

Lovers of food and drink, take note: The RumRunner is holding a killer sale and open house this weekend.

RumRunner is knocking 20 percent off everything in the store, including rarities and limited editions, from noon to 6 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 30. The store is also offering up a nice selection of snacks throughout the day, to include international olives, imported and domestic cheeses, house-made gazpacho and gourmet chocolate, to name a few. A complimentary "Wines of Summer" tasting, featuring red and white wines picked by RumRunner employees, takes place from 2 to 4 p.m.

The event is being held to celebrate two years at the store's new location at 3131 E. First St. The new location houses both the RumRunner and The Dish, the store's bistro and bar.

Sounds like a good time and a good way to score some great deals. Visit the store's Web site for more information.

Nimbus Brewery is joining up with Metro Restaurants to open a new brewpub on Tucson’s eastside.

The new pub and eatery will occupy what is currently Ristorante Italia at 6464 E. Tanque Verde Road, according to a press release put out by Dan Multhup, director of operations for Metro Restaurants. Ristorante Italia will close Saturday, July 18, with construction on the new restaurant beginning Monday, July 20.

This is the second time this year that Nimbus man James Counts has attempted to join up with another restaurateur to expand the reach of his brewery. Counts had planned to open a sandwich joint and bar with Jay Tolkoff — the former owner of PJ’s Subs and current owner of the T6 Filling Station at 2500 E. Sixth St. — but backed out after the two ran into irreconcilable differences.

Counts has tasked Michael Brown, Metro Restaurants' corporate chef, with creating a menu that will complement his array of popular beers. The design of the new eatery’s interior is being left up to interior designer Jennifer Rothman Teufel and local artist Daniel Martin Diaz.

Operations in the huge 44th Street warehouse that is Nimbus headquarters will not be affected.

Here’s the mini-novel of a press release with more details:

July is National Hot Dog Month, and if you haven’t been celebrating by shoving hot dogs down your cavernous maw like a Sonoran version of Joey Chestnut, then you can redeem yourself by heading over to your local Weinershnitzel tomorrow, Tuesday, July 14, for “Free Chili Dog or Small Cone Day.”

It probably goes without saying, but anyone visiting any Weinerschnitzel tomorrow is entitled to a free chili dog or small cone.

Even though a chili dog is not exactly the pinnacle of culinary achievement, turning down free food in this economy is bad form. Plus, the National Weather Service is threatening a high of 105 degrees for tomorrow, so that free ice cream might be what saves you from going completely, frighteningly mad.

The weiner masters at Weinerschnitzel and the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council also sent out this keen list of hot dog facts, which I humbly submit for your perusal:

• Americans eat 20 billion hot dogs a year — an average of 70 hot dogs per person.

• More hot dogs are eaten in July than any other month of the year, which is why it is designated National Hot Dog Month.

• On July 4 alone, the biggest hot dog day of the year, 155 million hot dogs will be consumed. That is enough hot dogs to stretch from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., more than five times.

• Los Angeles is the second-biggest hot dog-eating city, after New York.

• More than 21 million hot dogs will be eaten at major league baseball parks this year. That’s enough hot dogs to round the bases 41,667 times — or stretch from Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. to AT&T Park in San Francisco!

• The first words Mickey Mouse ever uttered in a cartoon were “hot dogs” (in “The Karnival Kid,” 1929).

• Perry Como, Elvis Presley and Led Zeppelin all recorded songs titled “Hot Dog.”

Soul food has returned to Tucson.

So says Pat Freeman, one of the owner/operators of Tucson’s new — and, to my knowledge, only — soul food restaurant, Auntie Dora’s Porch, which has set up shop at 903 E. Fort Lowell Road, in the old Molly G’s location.

Auntie Dora’s Porch is a family run eatery specializing in soul food, the gut-busting cousin of country cooking that takes its cue from the ancient culinary traditions of Africa and eventually, by way of the slave trade, the Deep South.

I think I gained about a pound and a half just looking at the menu. Fried catfish nuggets, liver and onions, fried chicken, smothered chicken, ham hocks. Corn muffins, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, beans and rice and greens round out the list of hefty offerings, which you can slosh down with an iced tea — sweet or plain.

Freeman also assured me that chicken and waffles, a popular Southern meal that has yet to make it onto a menu here in Tucson, will be served in the very near future. She calls it “waffles and wings,” and from the hearty laugh she let out when I asked her how her version tasted, I’m betting it'll be out of sight.

Hours are 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday; and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.

Also worthy of note, says Freeman, is the fish fry, which takes place every Friday at 4 p.m.

Call 888-2772 for more information.

Remember Torino Ristorante Italiano in Oro Valley? It was a well-reviewed eatery that occupied the space at 10355 N. La Cañada Drive that eventually became Harvest Restaurant.

One of Torino’s ex-owners, Daniela Borella, dropped me an e-mail this week to announce that she is combining her adjoined restaurants, Spice Bistro and Caffe Torino (10325 N. La Cañada Drive), into one eatery that will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week.

Borella — who was born in Italy and knows a thing or two about her native cuisine — says the new eatery should open around the end of July.

Here's a print ad that is running for a limited time in Singapore. Draw your own conclusion!

I found the full story here.

If your name is Dave or David, I've got a hot tip that'll get you a free meal tomorrow.

Famous Dave's barbecue restaurant at 4565 N. Oracle Road is giving away a free entrée to all Daves from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Tuesday, June 30. All you have to do to claim the special is prove your Daveness with a photo ID.

There is a catch: All Daves planning to take advantage of the special must be accompanied by a paying non-Dave customer.

Taxed by the high price of T-bones? Sick of the sickly pallor of industrial chicken? Bored with your usual kitchen routine? Looking for a way to make healthy, inexpensive, summer-friendly food? Want to get creative with your cuisine, and share your discoveries with salivating friends?

The answer to all these questions is sushi!

In my filing cabinet of graphic inspiration I've kept a sushi menu for several years. It offers an explosion of sushi treats photographed in all their glory—a graphic orgy of shapes and colors! Finally, a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to draw a sushi cartoon. Making the cartoon enticed me to experience sushi on a deeper level: to make it myself.

I watched the Iron Chef sushi battle on YouTube. Predictably, it was exciting. My first stop in the real world was 17th Street Market, where I was amiably led to the sushi section, across from the fish counter. In true Manga form, my rice bag sported a cartoon rice grain character with a drugged-out smile and a headband. He, she or it claimed to be "Using New Milling Technology." In fact, all the sushi products have great packaging. I dig how nori (seaweed) comes in sheets of various shapes and shades; it's like picking out fancy watercolor paper, though far less expensive!

I borrowed a sushi rolling mat for my first attempt, and my rice was a bit off, but I soon bought my own mat and perfected the rice by fine-tuning the timing of all the steps: rinsing, drying, boiling, simmering, sitting, fluffing and sitting again. Eventually, I could smile back with confidence at my Manga rice grain cartoon pal, knowing that I finally conquered him, her or it.

After my first timid carrot-avocado-cucumber-radish rolls, I branched out into eel, shrimp, omelets, raw tuna, daikon, mackerel, pineapple, mango, roasted sesame seeds and a paste I made out of egg yolks, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce and black pepper. I even boiled gourd shavings in soy sauce and water, watching them plump up into tapeworm-looking things.

I quickly became enamored with the whole concept of sushi. Beyond the visuals, it's one of those flexible cultural foods, like pizza or burritos. I mean, you can basically put anything on a pizza or in a burrito. They are formats that can be edited, amended and tweaked. Like all good art, sushi is variation on a theme.

I also loved the amount of time it takes to make sushi. It was meditative and calming. While doing the prep, I could pour a glass of wine and chill to some sweet tunes: Enigma, Red House Painters, The Dining Rooms ... even eating sushi—with chopsticks, of course—takes time. No wolfing down burgers here; rather, the act of selecting, admiring, dipping and eating one bite at a time. One regulates the wasabi, pickled ginger and sauce to her or his own taste buds, and is surprised and elated with each piece.

On Saturday, I had a sushi party. Starting at 6 a.m., I made about 200 pieces of sushi and had some neighbors and friends over. It was way better than a barbecue, and people were far less logy. Plus, the sushi itself makes a great conversation topic. A professional chef at the party stayed in the kitchen with me, looking over my shoulder and making me nervous at first. I politely mentioned the comforts of the living room and balcony, but he wouldn't leave the kitchen. Sushi relaxes people, though, and soon, I was teaching him my rolling technique, and he was teaching me the right way to hold a knife. I was slicing sashimi, and he was rolling futomaki, and all was right in the world.

Now, I'm doing a series of colored-pencil drawings of imaginary sushi which will no doubt provide me with weeks of further contemplation, peace and hopefully some money.

Is there anything sushi can't do?