story perch we were offered…I was slightly put off by the waiter-a little too much (handing the dessert menu with the words “your mission, should you decide to accept it…”) Enjoyed the blue potato gnocchi with rock...

Night at Narsai’s" by Narsai and Doris Muscatine)but refuse to juice pomegranates. Yes, I know I can buy pomegranate juice but I prefer to cheat and use bottled “Narsai's Assyrian Marinade”. Label claims...

bottle of Italian red wine, and this is great for a few meals. If you wanted to make this a little more authentically, you’d eliminate the garlic, basil and oregano, and you’d add some milk or a touch of cream. If you...

The lucy I had a Buster’s was a, um, bust. The cheese had ran all out of the burger before the plate arrived to my table. They use blue cheese and mascarpone – just not the right cheeses for a lucy. The bun was also...

Must do Casa Mono or Bar Jamon since you’re in the area. For coffee there is 71 Irving for a good Starbucks alternative. I would suggest lobster rolls at either Mary’s Fish Camp or Pearl for lunch one day. Maybe for...

Oki Dog’s Pastrami Burrito? Or, my long-lost favorite: Kim chee spaghetti at a Korean place called “Point,” which has since closed down then re-opened under a new name and with horrid food. Go...

a great authentic Thai joint in Sriraphai but honestly Chicago’s joints are better... Try Thai Avenue near Argyle, TAC Quick at the Sheridan red-line el station, or Spoon on Western. They are all BYOB friendly, bring a...

. Apparently I need something that completely obscures the presence of chicken. The last chicken dish that made him happy was chicken pot pie. He usually likes cordon-blue-type chicken preps, but too much ham and cheese are...

it bargaining or haggling. They quoted me a price with open bar and unlimited wine. DH was not happy with the wine choices. So we negotiated a deal where we had the open bar and paid for the wine by the bottle. I had to negotiate...

by the ospreys and choked down by the blue herons. I can’t eat my pets – so I make do with grouper.

by this very pervasive segment of American business. I regularly encounter folks that will pay $19.95 for a piece of marinated-inferior- precooked meat served ( within the 7 minute feed time allowed by corporate) with instant...

Have gone thru addictions to the puffy cheese doodles at Trader Joe’s (less salt than Cheeto’s), the mole-flavored tortilla chips at TG’s (sort of like a BBQ tortilla chip), and sesame-blue corn tortilla chips...

Well I can’t think of a better word for salsa. It does bug me when people say “bleu” cheese especially when the cheese in question is stilton or gorgonzola or any blue cheese that is not French!

's pulled pork was definitely up there. I cannot recommend the following strategy highly enough: * Go early. * Bring bottled water, napkins and sunscreen with you. * Go with a group, split up and then assemble your own tasting...

until 5 minutes before dinner Do stick around after dinner for small talk and coffee, but don’t overstay your welcome – if i’m yawning and stretching, take the hint Do make conversation with other guests, but...