lscanlon

Winchester My wife and I spent the weekend in Winchester, VA, and ate twice at the Union Jack Pub and Restaurant on Loudoun Street. Saturday evening we had the 12-oz Prime Rib ($22) and the Lobster Stuffed Ravioli in cream sauce ($17), both fantastic. On Sunday afternoon, I had Fish & Chips ($9.50), which came with excellent handcut, skin-on fries and coleslaw. My wife had Mac & Cheese, which she didn't care for because it was loaded with pepper. The place has a very warm, pubby ambiance and the wait staff is friendly and helpful.. For food and drink suggestions, ask for Nikki behind the bar. They also have outside seating. We highly recommend Union Jack.

My wife and I went there yesterday (Sunday) around 1:00 PM and we were almost the only ones there. We both ordered the crabcakes, which were excellent. We also enjoyed the accompanying French fries and coleslaw, although the cabbage was cut in larger chunks than we're accustomed to. The friendly dining room attendant came to our table several times to refill the ice tea, bring more tartar sauce (delicious!) and napkins, etc. We found the rest rooms to be clean and well-stocked. In all, we had an excellent dining experience at Bobby's and we plan to return soon. BTW, I love lobster rolls and plan to order that on our next trip. Comments about Bobby's lobster roll, anyone? Leo

My wife and I went to Trattoria Trecolori in the Theater District (254 W 47th St; 212-997-4540) on Saturday night, before seeing 'Hair." We absolutely loved it. Service was great, food was excellent, and prices were very reasonable. I liked the double-size martini, too, which was only $11.00. I had one of the specials: fettucine with clams, shrimp, and garlic, which cost $19.00. Our only negative is the noise level is fairly high, with all the hard surfaces in the place. Trattoria Trecolori will be a "must" for our next trip to New York.

My wife and I were in Boston over the weekend and had a great lunch at the Parish Cafe and Bar, 361 Boylston Street, near the Public Gardens. As another poster mentioned, they feature sandwiches designed by various Boston chefs. I had Sean's Meatloaf Club ($12.75), which was accompanied by mashed potatoes with gravy. My wife had Sean's Simple Chicken ($14.50), which is a version of chicken picatta; it's served over garlic mashed potatoes and baby spinach. Both dishes were wonderful. We ate at the bar and were well served by the bartenders. Parish Cafe will be a must on our next trip to Boston.

My wife and I had dinner at Artie's on Saturday evening. We got there around 6:00 PM and got seated immediately. The reservation-taker said we just beat the rush; indeed we had, judging by the crowd when we left and hour later. We really liked the cozy decor of the place, with the knotty-pine walls, the ship models, and the amber chandeliers. We were waited on almost immediately, and given a basket with delicious breads, especially the rolls. I started with a martini and had the seared tuna. My wife had the filet mignon and crabcake combo. Both entrees were delicious, and reasonably priced, but I'll go for the filet on our next visit. For dessert we shared the flourless chocolate cake with homemade ice cream -- super yummy. In summary, we loved Artie's decor, food, and service. We'll definitely return the next time we're in Fairfax. One caution about Artie's: There is lots of cigarette smoke wafting from the bar. If this bothers you, as it does me, ask for a seat far from the front door.

My two favorites are Joy of Cooking and The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. They're about the only books I use, although I love the "Pot Roast with Pickles" recipe in the original Frugal Gourmet Cookbook. Leo

My wife and I just returned from a one-week sightseeing trip to Austin and San Antonio. In Austin, we liked the County Line BBQ (the lake location) and the Eastside Cafe at 2113 Manor Road (http://www.eastsidecafeaustin.com/). We ate at Eastside twice and loved it both times. The cafe sits on an acre parcel of land, on which they grow fruits and vegetables for use in the restaurant. Highly recommended!

To recognize ten years with our employer, the head of the company treated an associate and me to lunch at D’Acqua yesterday. I have to say that the food was as good as I’ve had anywhere. We started off with half-portions of the Scialatielli Di Salsiccie Alla Bisesti -- fettucine-like pasta with Italian sausages, smoked mozzarella and basil pesto. It was deliciously rich and tasty with a good amount of both cheese and sausage. Thank goodness for the half-portions; with a full portion I wouldn’t have been able to eat anything else. I ordered the Tonno All’ Aceto Balsamico -- grilled peppercorn tuna fillet with caramelized pearl onion in a balsamic reduction. For my taste, it could have had a wee bit fewer peppercorns, but that’s a minor gripe. It was very nicely done. The boss ordered us an excellent Italian white wine, but I didn’t catch its name. The restaurant has a good wine list, by the way, with many bottles in the $28-$32 range. The boss chose fresh sea bass from the restaurant’s “market” and had it salt-baked. My associate ordered a hamburger with smoked mozzarella and pancetta, which was accompanied by house-made chips. He pronounced it “awesome.” None of us had room for dessert. Pleasant atmosphere, good service, and excellent food at reasonable prices; I’ll definitely be making a return trip.