Grumblekitty, I don't know where you are in the midwest, but if you're around Chicago, L'Appetito sells both of the new flavors. The small one is at Huron and Wabash, I think, while the large one's on the lowest level of the Hancock Tower.

I was also disappointed by the blood orange flavor. Flat-out disappointing compared to the blood orange sodas I've gotten from Cost Plus World Market and other sources.

I'm not in NYC, but I would love it if you dropped the stupid conceit of the "older" link being on the left.

I agree with chieatta11 -- although I haven't been to the store, only the truck. Even at a lower price, it isn't really good eats.

I've never had a toaster or a toaster oven. Honestly, I couldn't tell you what year I last bought a loaf of bread, although I've baked four or five loaves of Lahey's no-knead since the recipe appeared. (And I buy rolls and buns for burgers and brats.)

Add me to the Sodastream club -- along with Jo Snow, Torani, P&S, and just about any other syrup that seems worth trying. I'm looking forward to trying the Isi Twist and Sparkle. I don't think I've ever not spat out any diet soda I've tried. Wretched.

If the two M Burgers you mention are the original and Water Tower Place, note that there's a third on Ontario, just west of State -- still more convenient to the lower half of the Mile than either of the others.

And although it bizarrely no longer has pastrami, e.leaven is still a great stop.

I like Crust and Coalfire way better than anyplace mentioned so far. They're a couple of miles west of where your boyfriend is staying -- Crust a couple of blocks south on Grand and Coalfire a couple of blocks north on Division.

Whatever the Boston-area Houses of Pizza use.

I'm fine with dessert pizza, pineapple, chicken, bacon, seafood, whatever, don't care. But those godawful Greek Houses of Pizza will suck the love of pizza out of anyone.

A bakery near me makes wonderful pear danish. I can tell because although I like pears and I like danish, I don't particularly crave either, except for the pear danish that this bakery makes.

I've lived here in Chicago since '97 and I've never seen a pizza cut into squares as large as the one in the photo. But then, being from the northeast, I know that cutting pizza into squares is an abomination.

I like the shakes at Burger Philosophy, but I can't promise they're a destination shake. But if you're in the neighborhood anyway, they're good.

I'll be immodest: I made three ice creams -- honey mint, cherry cheesecake (ricotta rather than cream cheese), and strawberry and crushed black pepper. Very happy with all of them.

Why would she want to be the only customer in a closing restaurant? Maybe she had a long miserable trip just to get to that restaurant. Maybe flying's so full of hassles and indignities and delays that she would've been happy with a salad and a chance to go back to her room and forget the day. I've been on flights that didn't leave my coast until hours after we were supposed to have arrived on the other coast, and that was back when things were a lot better than they are now. I've had a few flights where the best I could hope for was a not-unpleasant, at least maybe a bit dignified, end to the experience at the other end by having a quick bite in the hotel's restaurant before calling it a night.

And while I probably would have made the same decision Howard made were I in that position, I think I would've acted a little more humanly toward the customer. Perhaps Howard tells the story too brusquely to reveal any empathy she might have had for this customer, but none comes through in the least, and I'd expect better than that even from a restaurant renting space in a boutique hotel.