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While I would always recommend Abbott's Lobster in the Rough and Costello's,(never Mystic Pizza) they are around an hour up the coast in the Stonington/Mystic area. That said, they are both open until Columbus Day and there's nothing to compare with eating a lobster roll outdoors overlooking the sun sparkling on the water and boats. I start and end each season that way.

I always just got in the kitchen and had atg it. Later a dear friend helped me how to attempt my first pie - pumpkin. Took a cake decorating class to get out of the house a little after my first baby was born. Then just read and tried and later, watched and tried. And a lot of tasting!

When I was little our family visited Williamsburg, VA. I had fried chicken, the memory of which gets more delicious as the years go by. But the real topper was the bottomless basket of the most incredibly light biscuits that were included. Hot, dripping with butter and honey...oh my Lord...I've been chasing that ideal in my own cooking ever since.

Living in CT we miss miss Whataburger (and Tex-Mex and barbeque) like crazy. Whataburger with jalapeno...oh my goodness! It's not gourmet but it's quintessential fast food...just hits the spot.

Smoque in Chicago Used to be, back in the day, Sonny Bryant's on Inwood in Dallas.

While visiting my son in Chicago last year, we did a mini food tour. Among the great places we ate, was Hot Doug's complete with duck fat fries, Smoque (heaven) and Kuma's Corner. I had the Mastodon, which was great, but I wasn't so crazy about the pretzel roll...trying to be the star, when really a supporting player. My son kept raving about the waffle fries, but was embarrased by how soggy and frankly, inedible, they were. I guess it was a bad night. One morning was spent at the Lincoln Park Green Market, one of the best I've ever been to. Chicago-definitely my kind of town.

Thanks all. This marinade had soy sauce, oil and honey in it-flavor was great. I'll try a combination of all of the above.

Aside from my own home-made hamburgers cooked on the grill, my prefect hamburger exists in childhood memories of Chesler's in Queens...an archtypical New York corner candystore. Thin burger on a griddle...bun shining with a patina of grease...melted cheese and, of course, an egg cream on the side.

When I was a little girl, in the Fifties, after visiting family in Texas, we drove to California. When we came over the mountains into California, we stopped at a roadside stand and bought a strange snack called a taco. It was a crispy shell in a cup shape filled with unusual spiced meat. The first taco this New York girl had ever seen and a very new food to most of the U.S. Didn't taste another until years later. They looked and tasted very different from that first one...but they're all good! (Taco Bell notwithstanding!)

Thanks-don't know where we'll go yet, but you've given me a good start..night, night simon

His cookbook, Matt Runs For the Border, I think is it's name, has a great recipe for boneless chicken breasts that are great-moist and flavorful-it has never failed me. After a fast saute (minute on each side) the seasoned, pounded breasts go in the oven for an hour at 200 degrees.

He was quite a character. Rest in peace.

What do you mean "over-sexed for her age"? Shame on you...I have a newsflash for you...people over fifty have sex...does sex have an expiration date? Thank heavens, no. She may be a lot of things (the list is endless), but no one is over-sexed at any age!

Ditto Junie- I used them at Christmas to make creamed onions. ( I figured if Ina uses them...) What a disappointment! While fresh pearl onions are truly labor intensive-the flavor and texture payoff cannot be duplicated.