Awake yet? Me neither, but this handful of magic coffee beans from the newish Exo Roast Co. should fix that.

I've been hearing about the place for months but finally made it down there this Saturday. It's a super cool space, all brick and steel like many of the places downtown, and the people are great. Really great.

I know precisely jack shit about good coffee, which I told the people behind the counter. This was not a problem. They walked me through what they have, asked me what I was used to and helped me decide what to purchase. But then, out of nowhere, everything got incredibly interesting.

"Come on back here," said the guy, introducing himself as Noel. Moments later he was pulling big bins of coffee beans off of a shelf and telling me the story behind each. Sales of one helped support a school in a faraway place, others had similarly intriguing histories. He went on to explain how he and the other owners of the cafe and roastery worked tirelessly to make sure the coffee farmers they worked with got paid properly. It was very impressive.

And the coffee? Mind blowing. All of that stuff you've heard about coffee having complex flavor profiles like fine wine is happening down at Exo Roast Co. The Americano I had was literally the best cup of coffee I have ever had. I left feeling a little ridiculous for waiting so long to try this refined form of coffee. Folgers will no longer be adequate.

Exo Roast Co. is located at 403 N. Sixth Ave. Find them on Facebook here.

From the Facebook page of one of Tucson's newest food trucks, this update:

OK folks, this is official now, we are really taking the leap here. Kadooks! Food Truck is ready to announce that we are going to do everything in our power to have a grand opening on December 1'st at the Oro Valley Holiday Festival of the Arts! I (Ray) have turned in my 2 week notice at my full time job in order to give me the time to work on the truck non-stop between now and then. There is so much left to do, including getting permission to attend the Oro Valley Holiday Festival, but that is the goal we have set for ourselves.

Hooray!

A huge heartfelt thank you to Ajia Simone for organizing a brunch and advertising it thusly:

Calling all sinners...

I SAID... CALLING ALL SINNERS...

If you're sleeping with your best
friend's husband.. I'm talking to
you! If you cheated on your taxes...
I'm talking to you too - Amen!

If you go to communion just for
the free wine I'm really really
talking to you - hallelujah!

This happens this Sunday at Woody's at 3710 N. Oracle Road and is catered by Bacon and Craeggs. It also appears Simone may dress up in a nun's outfit and give some sort of sermon. Hallelujah! More over here.

Technically it's called "offal," but most of us call it guts and organs. It is, however, edible, and actually prized by chefs and adventurous eaters alike.

Ryan Clark, the award-winning executive chef at Lodge on the Desert at 306 N. Alvernon Way, dropped us an e-mail today to announce an upcoming dinner based almost entirely on the use of various organs from various animals. Duck liver, cow tongue, various sweetbreads and more will be paired with some very nice beers from various breweries.

It takes place Thursday, Nov. 1, and costs $60, which includes a beer glass to take home. Reservations are required.

Think you've got the guts? Clark does. Call 320-2014 for reservations or more information.

Sources say some of the best barbecue in Tucson can be found as a secret menu item at a nondescript sandwich shop on Broadway Boulevard, at least for the time being.

I spoke with the man behind this amazing barbecue this morning and he confirmed the rumors. Mike O'Toole says his barbecued pulled-pork sandwiches, which he's currently selling as a sort of secret menu item at his Goodcents Deli Fresh Subs at 4726 E. Broadway Blvd., have become a phenomenon. So much so that he's launching a whole business based on the Kansas City-style, slow-cooked meats.

Why exactly are people lining up for these sandwiches? O'Toole says it's because he uses pecan wood, which imparts a gentler flavor than the mesquite wood many places in this area use. He also says Kansas City folks use a dry rub instead of bathing the meat in sauce, which means the meat must taste good without condiments or any other assistance.

"We put so much time and energy into the rubs and the smoking process," O'Toole said this morning. "Our meat stands alone. We’ve got an award-winning sauce, but we put that on the side for you."

O'Toole wants to start a mobile food operation - he mentioned the possibility of starting a food truck this morning - but is currently running a catering business out of a commercial kitchen. If you need some tender, slow-cooked meat for an upcoming event, he might just be the man you've been looking for.

Call 247-5810, or drop him an e-mail at [email protected] for more information.

I dislike food recalls, but not because they scare me in any way. Anybody who knows me will tell you that I will eat expired food, drink murky water, munch lamb testicles. Hell, I even ate a bean burrito from Taco Bell the other day. You get the point.

What irks me about food recalls is the communal spazzing out. I know, I know, that makes me sound like a jerk. But I've traveled a lot and eaten street food everywhere I've gone, which often means fanning away swarms of flies just so you can get to the market to buy your dinner. Meanwhile, back in my country of origin, five people get a stomach ache because of tainted bologna and it's like a national emergency, DEFCON Five style.

But for those of you who are concerned about such things: This peanut butter recall is now officially off the hook! And it's not just peanut butter! Tahini is affected, too! EVEN YOUR HUMMUS ISN'T SAFE!! Time to freak the fuck out people:

Sunland Inc. today announced a voluntary expansion of its ongoing recall of all products manufactured in its peanut butter plant because the products have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Specifically, the recall is being expanded to include all products manufactured in its peanut butter plant after March 1, 2010.The scope of the initial recall covered 101 products manufactured between May 1, 2012 and September 24, 2012. The expanded recall adds 49 products that are currently within the manufacturer’s recommended shelf-life, that is, the “Best-If-Used-By” dates have not expired. The expanded recall also adds 90 products consumers may still have in their homes which are older than the “Best-If-Used-By Date”. Distribution of many of the products being added to the recall was discontinued some time ago. The expanded recall covers all previously identified Peanut Butter, Almond Butter, Cashew Butter, and Tahini products as well as Roasted Blanched Peanut Products. New product categories being added to the list are several varieties of flavored butters and spreads, including Thai Ginger Butter, Chocolate Butter and Banana Butter.

To be fair, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems really are at risk. I hear tons of this stuff got distributed through local food banks as well.

I have made it a point to fess up about my heinous eating habits, which revolve around eating whatever is cheapest and closest. But I will not stand for uncooked French fries in my breakfast burritos. Do you hear me Mexican restaurants of greater Tucson?

If it says "potatoes" on the menu board then that is what should be in the burrito. Not, I REPEAT, not a handful of slimy, greasy French fries. For two mornings in a row this has occurred - at two different restaurants separated by a good amount of geographical area - and I can't take it anymore. Nobody said this was o.k. It must stop immediately.

Until I am assured action is being taken on this front I am eating breakfast exclusively at Los Cuates at 1030 W. St. Mary's Road. Terrible coffee, but real potatoes for all.

If you've got any other suggestions regarding decent breakfast burritos in the area, drop some info in the comments below. I'm bailing on Tucson in a couple of months and am trying to pack in as much decent Mexican food as I can before I leave.

• Monkey Burger even has its own food truck. Does that image of a monkey eating a hamburger freak anyone else out? Maybe it's just me.

Did it start when Adam Richman came to Tucson and got schooled by Lindy's on Fourth? Right about that time burger joints started popping up everywhere. Culver's, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, Monkey Burger, not in that order.

Gourmet, fast-food, grass-fed, slider, food truck, Eat-a-Burger (coolest people ever), Zinburger, veggie burger. A sandwich by definition; an icon by extension. And Tucson can't get enough of it.

I bring this up because the new Five Guys Burger and Fries is now slinging burgers south of the corner of Ina and Thornydale, just across the bridge from Tucson's first Culver's, which is totally packed with customers every time I drive past. If you do drive past it, however, never fear: Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers is just down the road. There's a Wendy's down there, too. Pick your poison.

Elsewhere: Diablo Burger, a Flagstaff joint that wants in on the redevelopment of downtown, is setting up shop in the 300 block of E. Congress St. By all accounts, Diablo Burger serves up a serious version of the American hamburger made with top-notch ingredients. They also have a burger named after Big Daddy Kane. If that means nothing to you I cannot help you. This can.

Also: Smashburgers. Soon. Original estimates said the place was to open in December, but in a rare reversal of normal restaurant-opening tradition, it looks like the moving date has actually been moved up to November.

“In a marketplace that is already crowded with burger restaurants, we think Smashburger stands out because it offers so much more than just a great burger,” says operator, Eric Wolf. “Although our burgers are fantastic, we also offer grilled and crispy chicken sandwiches, black bean burgers, and scrumptious salads”.

Lots of burgers to be had, but I still think the best ones in town are at Boondocks Lounge. That is all.

French fries, tater tots, hot dogs and thick-ass milkshakes are coming to downtown via the new Lulu's Shake Shoppe that opens this Saturday, Oct. 13, at 270 E. Congress St.

I remember standing in the kitchen of HUB Restaurant and Ice Creamery at 266 E. Congress St. one morning as owner Kade Mislinski explained why he bought the massive ice cream machine in front of us. He knew the entire history of the machine - apparently it was the first ice cream mixer to take the mixing drum and turn it on its side, like a front-loading washing machine - and what it was capable of, which has turned out to be quite amazing.

By amazing, I mean profitable. Not much later I spoke to Mislinski again and he said he was selling hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of ice cream. That's pretty amazing. Then again, so is the ice cream at HUB, which many of us have become somewhat addicted to.

That's the same ice cream that Mislinski will be tossing into a mixer with other ingredients to create the signature shakes at Lulu's Shake Shoppe. Any takers? See you Saturday.

For several years now, Adam Borowitz has been kicking ass and taking names here on The Range with his Tucson food coverage.

He helped birth Tucson's food-truck scene. He's broken more restaurant stories than I can count. He's been entertaining as hell.

And sadly, in a month or two, he'll be moving on.

Therefore, Tucson Weekly and TucsonWeekly.com are looking for a food-news writer/reporter. This scribe will write the weekly Noshing Around column, and will be expected to contribute regularly to this here website (approximately 5-8 posts per week). Pay is $80 per week, with extra dough for extra contributions (to our twice-yearly food issues, the Best of Tucson®, etc.).

A passion for Tucson's food scene, a willingness to scoop the competition, and a flair for writing are all must-haves. If you don't care for food, are afraid to look in windows of under-construction restaurants, or can't write a compelling entry in, say, the Food-Truck Diaries, don't apply. Really. Just don't.

Send a cover letter, a resume, and four to six writing samples to [email protected] no later than Wednesday, Oct. 17. No stupid questions, please. (Smart ones are welcome.)