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Sigh. Made a reservation at Vatan. Affordable prix fixe, at least.

And their house wine is a totally serviceable Nero d'Avola for $25!

Salty caramel

Saveur has the best feature writing of any of them, and recipes that bear out.

I had a similar reaction when giving up wheat for a month. Meals got much more thought-out, interesting, and incidentally healthy. Not hiding food between two slices of bread highlights what you're really eating. A hot dog used to seem like an ok rare purchase -- take away the bun and it revealed itself as kind of an odd thing to eat.

Huckleberry Bar's are always interesting

Just back from a week there, staying with friends who have lived there for years.

Best dinner was at Boucherie in Carrlton. Seasonal, interesting, southern-ish food (Duck confit salad; applewood smoked scallops; fantastic cocktails).

Also had v. good meals at the newly-opened Root in CBD (foie gras trio; house-made sausage), and La Petite Grocery (oyster mushroom bread pudding) on Magazine in Uptown.

Enjoyed Liuzza's for time-capsuleness, good grease, huge chilled beers.

Had a requisite great burger and delicious tiki drink at the bar of Port of Call on Esplanade (sit at the bar. the service is best there and it smells funny elsewhere)

Didn't go to Commander's Palace, but have several times in years past, and meant to. The lunch special (with, yes, the 25cent martini) is too good to miss. The food is iconic, consistent, and you can walk around the cemetery afterwards.

steamed milk

Chinese cold cucumber salad!

Super cute decor, good wine/beer list, nice service (They split our lobster bisque into two cups without our asking -- like that), but the bisque was lousy, dishwater tasting, and the clam roll was way too wee for the price.
I can forgive them for a bad batch of soup, but the clam roll needs some augmentation -- a little salad, three decorative french fries, more clams, something, to make me feel like I'm trading money for a meal.

my chintz japanese mandolin

chocolate pretzels + ice cream

street cart nuts