crackers

When I am given the litany of water options, I like to respond "I will have the 'Mayor Williams Special' please." After blinking a couple of times, they usually get it.

Meadowood is near St. Helena, and if your parents have access to a car, have them consider John Ash & Co. at the Vintners Inn in Santa Rosa, which is about a 45 minute pleasant drive over into Sonoma Valley. We each have our own idea of fancy pants - this is not the French Laundry - very pretty setting amidst the vineyards, and fabulous wine country food.

I've been there two times in the last three years for expense account dinners. (Theirs, not mine.) It is a very pretty space, with mature service. Since food was, unfortunately, not the focus of these meals, I only recall it as competent. No surprises, either good or bad. So, if you go expecting a high-end Baltimore Little Italy meal, in very pleasant surroundings, you will not be disappointed.

And who could ever forget this masterpiece: It was my first cookbook, and I still treasure the memories. (Yes, I had a dress just like that too.) It contains such marvels as bunny salad: Then there's the circa 1958 classic that I will turn to for the next dr.com picnic: with memorable Potato Salad Mold: the Shrimp Lime Double Decker (special for you Mr. Rockwell): and the unforgettable Melon Polka-Dot Mold:

Is this the Spezie near 17th and L St.? Because I thought that was opened two or three years ago by the same people who own Il Pizzico in Rockville.

This is JLK’s corner table on the rooftop bar/lounge at Tabaq. It has been empty all evening. Ahh…but where is JLK? JLK is in the basement. Kicked down 17 flights to the dank musty bowels with the rest of the rejects. Not once, but twice is she given the heave-ho. Sorry JLK. The uber-hip grouping at the roof top table next to your empty one sympathizes with your plight and wants you to stay. Really, it does.

La sangría era dulce y fresco.

The Grill at the Ritz Carlton in Foggy Bottom does a good job with breakfast, especially omeletes. It's in a beautiful, rather formal space, with big windows facing out the northeast corner of the building.

Since this is their last day in business, aren't we obligated to help empty all the bottles before we leave?

There is also the whole Sakura chain.

Indeed, three well-deserved stars. So now what are y'all waiting for? Here is the Notti Bianche review.

Congrats to oliveDC on this shout out from Tom!

From WTOP:Fire Destroys Popular Capitol Hill Tavern Updated: Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2005 - 10:48 AM WASHINGTON - It looks like careless smoking caused the fire that destroyed a Capitol Hill tavern early Wednesday. D.C. Fire and EMS spokeswoman Catherine Friedman tells WTOP the two-alarm fire caused significant damage to the Capitol Lounge. The fire started in the bar and no one was injured, she says. Around 6 a.m. Wednesday a cell phone caller alerted the fire department about heavy smoke coming out of the building in the 200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, Southeast. Two people who live in apartments on the building's third floor managed to get out of the building safely, Friedman said. (Copyright 2005 by WTOP and MetroSource. All Rights Reserved.)

They also provide reading glasses, and pillows for the deep comfy leather chairs, for those dinosaurs from the early Triassic period with weak eyes and bad backs.

Do you mean Robert's Steakhouse? If so, "strip house" is accurate.

[malfunctioning navigation system]

Something about this smells fishy. And not the roasted fish with peppers kind of fishy either. Are you sure you were in the right TemptAsian? Maybe the nav system led you astray.

Here is an alternative - because it is not usually on the out of town visitor's "must do" list, like the suggestions above. (I will admit I've never been to any of them but Slanted Door, and that was before it moved to its current location). Well loved by the natives, is Pesce [Moved 2013, Closed Sep 13, 2015]. Impeccably fresh seafood, and it has an accommodating long bar. It's on Polk (between Green and Vallejo) and is a friendly chichetteria in Russian Hill - the Venetian equivalent of tapas bar. Surprisingly reasonably priced hot chichetti, cold chichetti and some entrée specials on the chalkboard. If you go, definitely try the grilled octopus with celery and Yukon potatoes. There are lots of shellfish choices, some pastas, a meat or two - it is all fresh and creative, with a bargain priced wine list. No reservations though.

What is everybody waiting for?! notti bianche is a gem of a place. It is evocative of some of the beloved little byobs in Philadelphia (and in fact, with corkage waived for donrockwellians, it does become a byob, although it has a select and reasonably priced wine list.) The pastas are worthy here, available in generous half portions, but certainly could be a meal in themselves. Go with the simple and elegant spaghetti with crushed roma tomatoes while summer is still here, and also try the fresh squid ink tagliatelle tossed with a generous mound of rock shrimp and crab meat. Only a grate of fresh cheese prevents this from being kicked into orbit. The Amish chicken is full of flavor and moist. It is well-paired with braised chopped kale with pancetta and a large disk of parmesean crusted risotto - fried to a golden crisp on the outside and oozing on the inside. No contest, eating one Amish chicken is even better than two Mennonite. Also the rack of lamb is well prepared and comes with the sweetest baby green and yellow string beans. The yogurt sauce on the beans doesn't work for me - but that is a personal preference thing. Save room for dessert. They come from pastry chef Heather Chittum. Yes, Chef Tony's wife. What a team! The fresh peach and berry galette - called something else, but a galette to me - was topped with an outstanding citrussy (lime?) and lavender ice cream that stood up well to the rich pastry crust and fresh fruit. Many thanks to the attentive and discreet staff, and to our own Starfish, GM Danny Boylen for the glass of house-made limoncello to end the evening. So go already! and ohhh.... that limoncello - a blend of prosecco and the lemon-infused vodka - it would be great for a picnic!

I had a good meal in Cambridge last weekend at the East Coast Grill, on Cambridge St. near Inman Square (which isn't a square at all). They tout themselves as a seafood and bbq joint, which I thought was a bit odd, and still do. And even though there is a drawing of a lobster on the menu, they do not serve lobster. It's pretty casual / funky inside - formica tabletops, open kitchen, young kids welcome. And the waitress scooped out a small bowl of delightfull homemade bread and butter pickles from a big crock for the table. They like to put a lot of ingredients on the plate at once. What I loved loved loved was the chili crusted black and blue tuna tacos with arugula, avocado slices, lime pickled jicama and orange chipotle glaze (see what I mean?) So fresh, so tasty, so gone. But c'mon - coriander grilled Atlantic swordfish with peach and mint salsa, carrot and ginger couscous, grilled figs and asparagus? Really, the fish would have been better without all that other stuff bothering my tastebuds. The college kid was disappointed that there was no lobster, but had his fill of buffalo shrimp and Memphis-style ribs and declared it all better than dorm food. This isn't a destination restaurant, but darned good if you're in Cambridge, with or without a hungry and grateful crew. Black and Blue Tuna Tacos: grilled swordfish with ...everything

dang, there goes my plan to bring a molded jello salad made with Miracle Whip.

The good: For any of you who shop at Sam's Club - they have a little-known policy (at least the one in Annapolis does) that if any fresh produce or fresh meats are returned for good reason, the customer receives double their money back. It has to be for a quality reason, but quantity doesn't seem to matter - they honored the policy when I returned a bag of potatoes because one was rotten. I told them I didn't expect a double refund, just wanted an exchange, but they gave it to me anyway.

Any guesses as to who takes over Kliman's desk at City Paper?

OpenTable was a Godsend recently. I made a reservation at Deep Blue in Wilmington, DE and in the comment section I mentioned that my friend is extremely allergic to certain nuts and to chocolate. Normally this gets mentioned again when ordering, but this time it slipped by. Sure enough the waiter came racing out a few minutes after he took our orders (before the food arrived) to inform us that the comment had been relayed to the kitchen and that the spring rolls had ground walnuts in them.

Todd Kliman as the new Washingtonian Dining Editor! Just a wild guess...