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My husband and I went to Border Grill in Las Vegas. The restaurant was slow that evening, which probably made the experience a bit better. The waiter was charming. He could tell we were extremely interested in the food and spent a lot of time answering our questions. He was just what you want in a waiter: friendly, VERY knowledgeable, passionate about the food, and just chatty enough to make it fun without being obtrusive. It was a romantic occasion and he totally knew when to chime in and when to lay low. He brought us a complimentary appetizer, and while that's not the reason we liked him, free food never hurts! Really, that may have been one of our most perfect dining experiences ever, and a lot of that had to do with the service.

I think it's wise to be cautious, but every woman's labor is different! My friend cleaned her house after her contractions started so she could have a clean place to come home to. Other women probably can't do so much. Nothing wrong with keeping baking as an option, but maybe not a definite plan!

Same with eating. The above mentioned friend had a steak on her way to the hospital and didn't puke at all. Another friend threw up all day until she finally delivered. Food is definitely good to help you keep up your energy if you can stomach it. Just because one woman's labor went a certain way doesn't mean all labors will go that way.

I like to use oatmeal in all kinds of dishes.

Stuffing is always excellent, followed by gravy. Of course, you don't usually eat it on it's own (though I have been known to slurp down several spoonfuls as I'm "tasting"), but it can be eaten with nearly every savory part of the meal. And to me, stuffing and gravy are the best parts because they're two foods you rarely eat outside of Thanksgiving. Mmmm....

It's funny that Zingerman's ushered in my culinary awakening too. And the Roadhouse is fantastic. Your Dad had the right idea; the grits are my favorite menu item. We recently moved from the ann arbor area, but you're reminding me of how much we desperately need a weekend back there, if only to stock up at the deli!

This was one of the hardest contests to pick winners in ever. The stories here were filled with fun, touching, and "yeah, we've been there, too" anecdotes. The voting was contentious, but here are the winners, with notes.

hungryinhouston: Amazing and touching story. We can totally see how you would incorporate "G.D." and "G.D.S.O.B." into your vocabulary. You're lucky to have grown up in that environment. Sounds like you had a great childhood.

joanpieroni2: A great example of Scouting's "Be prepared" motto in action. It's small things like keeping a Tide pen in your apron that make great servers. And this story can serve as a tip to other waiters and waitresses. Not a bad idea.

sarahbeek: We admire the waiter going way out of his way to fulfill your Coke order and also relate to how you felt after finding out what lengths he went to. We think everyone's been in this situation before.

practicallydone: Another extra-mile story to restore your faith in humanity.

dbcurrie: We've all been mortified by our parents at some point. It was nice the way your waiter eased your embarrassment.

Congrats to the winners, and a big thank you to everyone else who told a story. We really had fun reading them all. Winners will be contacted by email for shipping info. A list of the winners here also appears on our Contest Winners Page.

The best service I have ever received at a restaurant was The Sardine Factory in Monterey.

My wife and I were there on our honeymoon and wanted a nice meal out. We're not dress up for dinner type people, so I called ahead and they said jeans and a nice shirt would be fine.

Once we got there, we were greeted as though we were family by the incredibly friendly maitre'd who greeted us with a warm "Welcome Home", and sat us at an awesome table in their aviary dome thing. He made me sit with my back to the wall so that "the lady could have the wonderful view" of the trees outside.

Our waiter, Sunny, was incredibly patient with us as we dissected the menu, made insightful suggestions, and attended to our every need. This is the only place I've ever been given a chilled salad fork.

Nothing that was super above and beyond, but I have to say, from entry to exit, the most consistent, and best service I've ever had in a restaurant.

i love making a grilled tuna fish sandwich

I love a big plate of mac n cheese!

The dish of choice would have to be baby spinach, bibb lettuce, portabello mushrooms, sliced Vidalia white onions, toasted almonds in a Balsamic vinegar and olive oil vinaigrette.