• These fish tacos were downright delicious.

There are seats for about 25 people at the boat-shaped bar at the new restaurant Fini's Landing at 5689 N. Swan Road, and it's a nice place to find oneself adrift for awhile. The big windows near the beer taps open to the outside, too, which makes the space feel big and open.

The rest of the place is done up in the same sea-going theme - porthole windows; flip-flop door handles - and the menu is all fish tacos and tropical salsas and the like. It's a temporary menu - the waitress assured us a complete menu with many more offerings is forthcoming - but appears to be well thought out and rather affordable.

There's a dozen of so beer handles and it looks like Barrio Brewing Co. has even crafted a signature beer for the place. There's plenty of big-screen televisions as well, and a great mix of island-themed music that fit the feel of the place perfectly.

There's a new company called Tucson Food Tours that takes people on walking tours of local restaurants. The company's slick website has more information.

The first tour will take place downtown, with stops at Bumsted's, Monkey Burger, Chocolate Iguana and three other restaurants. There are only 14 spots, though, and we have no idea if it's sold out yet

These tours are such a good idea. The options for different routes are immense; they offer an organized way for diners to sample various eateries in one night; and, frankly, they sound like a lot of fun.

A Paradise Bakery and Café is opening in a shopping center on the corner of Broadway and Wilmot, where Austin's Old Fashioned Ice Cream used to be. The new location is expected to open in late March, a mere six months after another Tucson location opened on the corner of Oracle and Wetmore roads.

If you've yet to try the sandwiches and bread bowls this place sells, they're well worth a try. Even though it's a chain outfit, the food comes off as hearty and homemade. Huge portions, too.

There's more on the company here.

Those who adhere to a gluten-free diet should take note of the new Gourmet Girls Gluten Free Bakery Bistro at 5845 N. Oracle Road. There's more on the restaurant right here.

The place - which markets itself as the only completely gluten-free eatery in town - offers a nice selection of baked goods ranging from cream-puffs to pizza crust, and is open for breakfast and lunch, too.

Tucson has long needed more gluten-free options - I've received numerous e-mails over the years bemoaning the shortage of local eateries that cater to the gluten-intolerant - so we're guessing this opening will be welcome news.

• Zachary Vito
• The product.

This Valentine's Day, you can not only tell your special someone how much you "heart" them, but how much you "tart" them. (Please excuse my attempt at punnery.)

On Monday evening, Pinkberry held a two-hour "soft" opening for its new location at the University of Arizona's Student Union Memorial Center. Guests waiting in line got free fro-yo, prizes, and Martinelli's sparkling apple cider. The company's president, Ron Groves, stopped by to make sure everything ran smoothly.

Pinkberry is officially open for business today, Feb. 14, although the freebies are probably gone for good.

More photos below the cut.

• Photo by Flickr user Flare

I don't know if the recipe for "homemade conversation hearts" on Serious Eats does something to make the resulting candy not taste like food colored enhanced chalk, but think of how impressed your Valentine's Day date will be when you pull out a Ziploc bag with somewhat oddly shaped candy hearts? Plus you can write whatever you want, just as long as it's a short enough sentiment to fit on the heart itself. My suggestion: "YOU'LL DO".

One of my favorite new Tucson food bloggers is Foodie the Kid, better known as 13-year-old Miles Chandler. He's knocked out more restaurant reviews in a few short months than most local food bloggers do in a year, and his writing is direct and fun to read. He's also apprenticed at food truck Planet of the Crepes and does his best to attend every foodie event he can.

Keep it up Chandler. We need all the good food writing we can get in this town. Check out his blog over here.

An uninspired internet search has not determined if Frost Gelato's attempt to set the world record for the most expensive sorbet will be legit. I did discover that a place in Thailand called Mezzaluna has already made a sorbet with Cristal, but maybe Cristal is cheaper in Thailand. From a press release put out by Frost Gelato last Friday:

Frost a Gelato Shoppe announces a groundbreaking Valentines Day Promotion. In an attempt to set a Guinness World Record, and in conjunction with Valentines Day, Frost will serve what they believe to be the most expensive sorbet ever sold to the public.

According to Frost owner Doug Woelfle, “We will be making a sorbet created from strawberries and the very expensive Cristal Champagne. We want to offer couples a special way to show their valentines that they care.” Woelfle adds, “A four ounce serving of our special sorbet will cost $25, and will come with two strawberries dipped in rich, Italian chocolate.”

If the most expensive sorbet in the world requires only a bottle of Cristal to create, then sorbet-makers are clearly not trying hard enough. As far as publicity stunts this gets a C+. That is all.

While the idea of non-alcoholic champagne is offensive to me, it's nice to have a diverse number of options regarding Valentine's Day. I should be able to serve my romantic dining duties and get smothered hash browns.

No news yet on whether any Tucson locations will participating, but I'll keep you updated.

There is a wonderful melding of art and cuisine happening in Tucson.

When I spoke to David Aguirre of Dinnerware Artspace last year he said the creativity of many local artists extended beyond the studio and into the kitchen, and he saw it as a great way to help artists supplement their income while developing another creative talent. His idea was to buy a food truck so those artists could have a mobile kitchen with which to express themselves. The truck was purchased and used at one event that I know of. It should also be noted that Aguirre is heavily involved in and a huge supporter of the local food-truck movement at large, and that the Food Truck Round-Ups benefit Dinnerware Artspace.

Dinnerware Artspace also shares a physical space with the new Borderlands Brewing Company, which has been steadily gaining momentum since opening its doors a few months ago.

Now Aguirre is once again delving into the culinary side of things with a new event called Neighborhood Chef. The first one is loosely scheduled for Tuesday, March 6, at Ralph's Gas Station on the corner of South Fourth Avenue and 19th Street, in Armory Park, and will feature cuisine by Jamie Castro of food truck Jamie's Bitchen Kitchen. There will be music and maybe live art performances. Aguirre, good man, you are a genius.

It should also be noted that a group of artists associated with Aguirre also hold amazing underground supper clubs. The underground supper club is a concept that is big in other places, but hasn't really taken off here. They typically include multi-course meals, sometimes with copious amounts of good wine and libations, in intimate and sometimes unusual settings. My prediction is that this will be the next hot thing to hit the Tucson dining scene. Actually it's sort of happening already, but very few people know about it because it is, well, underground. So far we've got a couple of them we can tell you about, but more are in the works. You can click over here and here for more on those.