There's a new restaurant at Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Resort at 10000 N. Oracle Road called Epazote Kitchen & Cocktails. I found this description of the place on the hotel and resort's website:

Literally translated as “Mexican Tea,” Epazote is prominently used in Southwestern cuisine to add a spicy yet earthy flavor somewhat reminiscent of fennel. Inspired by this flavor and the traditions of the Southwest.

Guests will enjoy Southwestern dishes featuring locally sourced specialties such as Arizona grass fed beef, Southwest mountain trout, Colorado lamb, selected cheeses and Arizona grown produce. Along with their meal, guests will also take in some of the most spectacular views of Pusch Ridge on the outdoor patio.

Featuring a wide selection of tequilas, locally brewed beers and Arizona Wines. Those looking to sample the taste of the Southwest will be able to select from a bar menu of delectable options ideal for a shared dinner or snack.

Now, I'm not talking any smack, but if I were local chef, author and restaurateur Janos Wilder this new eatery would irritate me a bit. Wilder's downtown restaurant is called Downtown Kitchen & Cocktails - no resemblance there at all - and Wilder is widely known for using indigenous ingredients like epazote in his French-inspired cuisine.

I'm not saying he has any sort of corner on such things, but the similarities do sort of jump right out at you, so much so that I had to call up there to make sure Wilder wasn't involved (he isn't). Then again, it has been said that imitation is the greatest compliment, so there's that.

That aside, the food does sound very good, and a good way to give it a whirl will be the upcoming Arizona Restaurant Week, where you can try a multi-course dinner there for a cut-rate price. More information on that over here.

Last year a 120-pound competitor ate 10 pounds of hot dogs in 10 minutes at Sir Veza's Copa de Hot Dog eating contest. Will the gluttony at this year's event put that to shame? There's only one way to find out: Head over to Sir Veza's at the Tucson Mall (220 W. Wetmore Road) and find out for yourself.

The contest, now in its second year, takes place at 6 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 16, which also happens to be Mexican Independence Day. The winner takes home $500 and a belly full of bacon-wrapped hot dogs.

Twenty-five competitors from various states showed up last year, but even more are expected this year. For more information on Sir Veza's, head over here.

Food Swap Tucson, a regular event that encourages people to trade homemade food once a month or so, is getting ready to hold another get-together. From the group's blog:

After a Food Swap we take home many delicious goodies that add interest to a whole week's worth of meals, so we figured that Monday might actually be a great day to hold a swap. Start your week off right and add some excitement to your weeknight meals by joining us Monday, September 24th from 5:45-7:30 in the evening. The swap location will be centrally located, as always, you will receive an e-mail reminder with location information by mid-week before the swap. If this is your first Food Swap make sure to check out the FAQ page of our website for more info.

You can find the group's website here or you can sign up for this month's event here.

These events are genius. Tucson is full of people doing interesting things with food and this gives them an opportunity to network and share the fruits (and quail eggs, canned goods, baked goods and other things) of their labors. Here's hoping this event grows and grows and that we see more of this sort of thing around Southern Arizona as time goes by.

SugarSong Custom Cakes is cranking out some seriously beautiful sweetness. From elegant tiered cakes wrapped in delicate fondant flowers to multiple-flavors of mini-cupcakes, the outfit is taking cake artistry to very impressive places.

From a description on the SugarSong Custom Cakes website:

Lorie Anderson has more than 20 years experience decorating and baking fanciful desserts. Learning decorating from her mother, at age 7 she did her first party cake (with purple star flowers and a shell border) for her standard poodle’s birthday bash. Through the years the guests became more sophisticated and the cakes more decadent.

Need more proof? Check out the company's cake portfolio over here, or follow it on Facebook over here.

I found Red Wagon Steak and Sub this weekend by following the smell of cheese steaks to Borderlands Brewing Company, which seems to have a different food truck in its parking lot every time I stop in. I took it as an omen and decided to spend an hour watching the sun set while dining on street food and sipping a small glass of Borderlands new Smoke and Irons ale.

When I walked up to the food truck's window a guy inside was holding an adorable child while another guy stayed busy tidying the place up and cooking an order of deep-fried mozzarella sticks. I ordered a buffalo chicken sandwich and fries and was told it would be out in three minutes. It was. Actually, it might have been a little less than three minutes, which is downright impressive.

As far as street-side sandwiches go, it fulfilled the necessary criteria: It was hot, the bread was fresh, the contents were spicy thanks to a dash of hot-wing sauce and everything was held together by a decent amount of provolone cheese. The French fries were bountiful and salty and crispy. It was fast and tasty and not very expensive and pretty much the textbook version of good street eats.

There are also burgers, several turkey sandwiches, cheese steaks, onion rings and other things. If that makes your mouth water, there's more on Red Wagon Steak and Sub here.

• No buffalos were harmed in the creation of this buffalo-chicken sandwich.

Of all the places you can buy food in this city, nothing is quite like Food Conspiracy Co-op. From its beautiful selection of unique, organic produce to its commitment to local farmers and creating a sustainable agriculture system for Southern Arizona, the place is truly in a league all its own.

And in recent months the co-op, which has now been accomplishing its mission to help Tucson eat and live better for more than 40 years, has been seeing some improvements that are opening a whole new chapter for the place.

Renovations have made way for a salad bar and hot-food line, both of which are now in operation. The salad bar is packed with fresh, organic and local vegetables we've come to expect from Food Conspiracy, and the hot-food line is often stocked with fragrant ethnic food and other things that are really, really hard to pass up.

Food Conspiracy also bakes its own muffins, bagels and other things now. The selection is varied, changes daily and, of course, is utterly delicious.

And this week we hear the co-op has received a grant that will allow it to install a rain-harvesting system on top of the building. That will allow them to put in a small garden out back at some point.

Add to all this the new look the co-op is getting inside and out and one can't help but imagine another 40 years and more of organic goodness coming out of the place.

We've been following along as the new food truck Kadooks! slowly comes together. It will specialize in Costa Rican fare when the owners get it road-ready, adding yet another interesting and novel option for fans of Tucson's mobile-food movement.

The owners are even taking a trip to Costa Rica soon to gather recipes. That's the kind of dedication we like to see.

Follow the truck on Facebook over here.

Lucky Wishbone locations will be giving out samples of their new chicken fingers this Friday. I didn't know chickens had fingers.

From the press release:

Tucson, AZ, September 1, 2012. LUCKY WISHBONE, Tucson’s ”First Fast Food Restaurant,” announces the creation of their newest menu item, Kickin’ Chicken Fingers, now officially available. All Lucky Wishbone Restaurants will host a FREE Kickin' Chicken Sampling Day Friday, September 7. The public is invited to attend.

Lucky Wishbone’s Kickin' Chicken Fingers have been in the testing phase since early Spring 2012. “We believe that our new Kickin’ Chicken Fingers will appeal to a broad spectrum of our customer base. They have a very natural flavor and just the right amount of 'kick,' due to the perfect blend of Serrano chilies and 100% real chicken breast,” says Josh Jacobsen. “It’s not often we release new products and we are really proud of this one, so we hope our customers come give it a try on Friday September 7th,” says Clyde Buzzard. The Kickin’ Chicken Fingers are served with tangy ranch dipping sauce and will be available in sizes JR, Mom, Pop and the Family Feast.

What better way to celebrate surviving another summer than eating and drinking yourself crazy when the weather finally shows a little mercy?

If you're into Greek food and culture, mark your calendar for the upcoming Greek Festival at the St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church. They've been ramping up the food component of this awesome event for years, and this year will be no different. It takes place in a couple of weeks. More on that here.

Maybe a culinary walking tour of the blossoming culinary scene downtown? Oh, that's happening, too.

Authentic Chinese food? Oh, hell yes. Authentic Thai food? Every third Saturday of the month. Blues, brews and barbecue? Every Sunday. Arizona Restaurant Week is also right around the corner.

Or perhaps you're inclined more toward the sudsy side of things? If so, consider attending the upcoming Born and Brewed: The Tucson Beer Cup event. $20 will get you 12 four-ounce tastes of beers by local breweries Barrio Brewing Co., Nimbus, Dragoon Brewing Co., Borderlands Brewing Company, Thunder Canyon Brewery and 1702. Wow. Head over here for more details.

Speaking of beer, there's also the Tucson Beer Festival in early October. Tons of beer and food. Good times. Check it out here.

Or, if you can't wait that long, just go to the Tucson Oktoberfest in late September. It's equal parts German goodness and festival food.

Those wanting something a bit more posh should consider the Tucson Culinary Festival coming up in early October. Always a blast and at new venues this year. More on that here.

A bit later in October comes Tucson Meet Yourself. Or Tucson Eat Yourself, as many of us call it, thanks to the enormous spread of food cooked up by representatives from the various ethnic groups that make up this eclectic desert city. It's truly something to behold. I didn't see a list of who'll be doing the cooking this year on their website, but they usually post one closer to the festival in mid-October.

And finally, for now at least, the largest spirits and cocktail event to ever hit Southern Arizona happens this November. Check that out here.

The Great Crush Festival this Saturday, Sept. 8, boasts quite a line up.

There will be beer by Dragoon Brewing Co. and Old Bisbee Brewing Company, and wine by Arizona Hops and Vines. Several food trucks are also planning to attend—including the mighty Jamie's Bitchen' Kitchen—and there will be a petting zoo and homemade sodas for the kids.

It all takes place at the wonderful and sometimes gloriously weird winery Arizona Hops and Vines down in Sonoita. If it sounds like your sort of thing, there's more information over here.

(Update! We've just been told Old Bisbee Brewing Company will not be attending the festival after all.)