Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I grow out my beard periodically and have never encountered such worries. It's a pretty thick beard and I let it go pretty long as well. You just eat. You use a napkin like people without beards or moustaches do. If you're eating something particularly messy, you use a napkin and then wash your face. Is there something about this that is so difficult to comprehend? Do you have Don Martin-style fishbones sticking out of your beard? What's next? I started wearing shirts and they get messy when I eat drippy slices of pizza in bed. Does anyone else wear shirts? I'm thinking of going back to bare skin.

"I finish up my meal, such as it was, and determine to salvage the afternoon with a stroll along the beach. The ocean stretches out in front of me and I get lost, for a moment, in thoughts of my young sister. She stands before me and molds herself to every age she has ever been. Time passing in the shape of a girl."

Really?

I have a regular place where the bartender, who I have become friendly with, takes good care of me. So if he comps a few drinks, I usually tip very well at the end of the night. Like an extra $5 or a $10 on top of the $1 tip per drink for each drink (even if it was comped). I don't know if there's any psychology to it but just leaving an extra bill (that isn't a buck) when you leave seems to keep us on good terms and the free drinks flowing.

Most of the time I'm $1 for a beer or a glass of wine or anything on the rocks. But if it's something more elaborate, I will tip more.

In general, my theory is that if I'm going to return, I don't want the folks there to think I'm a dick.

Not only is Chris Onstad the funniest guy ever, he's also created an Achewood cookbook: http://achewood.com/shop/product.php?prod_id=43

You pizza bloggers have been spoiled. You could do worse than have to scarf down the remainder of a Dominos pizza. (Though I will admit that its thin-crust pizza is virtually inedible.) Dominoes' online ordering service is a godsend at 2am. I've probably been too drunk to notice that the box is funny. If I worked in your office I would unabashedly finish off that pizza.

Namaste.

First thing I do when I get into town is find a grocery store or a decent deli. If I'm near a Whole Foods then I am in solid shape. This rarely happens. Then I buy a bottle of wine, some coffee, snacks, breakfast (I tend to skip breakfast the most when I travel for work), and whatever catches my eye. Once that's set my room doesn't feel as lonesome. Then y'know eat at the bar is the best advice. I try to make sure I have at least one night to myself to eat where I want and not get stuck going out for too many drinks or something like that and, honestly, just indulge in a nice meal. It's too easy to eat junk on these trips.