Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

My husband and I ate there in Aug 2007, finding it through word of mouth from a waiter at another restaurant. It was one of the best meals we've had, and it's good to know that it is still a top restaurant. It might be worth another cross-country flight!

I'd like to add German Gourmet to this list. One opened last fall on Columbia Pike, near Rt 7, and it has sausages, cheeses, pastries, gummi bears, rye crackers, German wines, German beer (of course), and preserved fish. Makes you want to host an Oktoberfest party.

Coffee is what you make during the cold, dark days of winter to sip all day. It is what you share at the kitchen table late at night or early in the morning during a crisis when there is nothing to say or do. It is the feel of a brisk summer morning, the consistency of weekly Sunday brunches with my husband. For me, coffee is associated with friends, family, holidays, vacations--the sense of being able to spend indulgent time. On vacation, we seek out coffee shops, not just for the drink, but to spend an hour or two with the locals, read the paper or books we've brought. Coffee is an event. Coffee isn't just a beverage, it is a comforting ritual.