Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

This is going to sound like product placement, and I apologize. I've never been a fan of vodka, but I tried Karlsson's Gold for the first time the other night (full disclosure - a friend of a friend is a rep), and it was revelatory. Instead of distilling the alcohol 3, 4, or 5 times to make it "smoother" (and completely eliminate any flavor), this stuff is made from new potatoes and only distilled once, retaining loads of flavor. It was by far the most complex vodka I've ever had - silky, chocolatey, caramely and citrusy. A friend described it as "Swedish Whiskey" and I don't think it could be more accurate. I was drinking it straight and loving it. So there you go - not all vodka has to be bland swill.

gimme a croque monsieur.

My girlfriend and I were driving a (rental) convertible down Highway 1 between San Francisco and Santa Cruz and stopped at a roadside Mexican joint. There was nothing else for miles around, and we had amazing fish tacos and beer, sitting outside overlooking the Pacific ocean on a perfect day.

Croque monsieur, sil vous plait.

Filet, medium rare.

Gruyere, mustard, and buttered and grilled rye.

Filet, porterhouse, hanger...it's all good.

walk to the back and go downstairs here: http://www.niagarabar.com/

there's a small basement with a thatched bamboo bar where you can catch guys playing weird hula-fusion ukelele rock. or at least that's what happened when i was there.

I'm a big fan of Blue Point's Toasted Lager.

My girlfriend and I just moved to Sunset Park in Brooklyn, and literally across the street from us is a 24-hour taco joint called Ricos Tacos. Amazing, cheap, authentic stuff. Get the al pastor.

Damn, Slice! Here I am in NYC, arguably the pizza capital of the world, and you've got me craving the definitive pizza of my college years in North Carolina. Mmmm...spring water crust.

Oh, how I miss the bubbles.

Any barbecue from Smithfield, NC. Vinegar!

Porterhouse, Strip, Skirt, Hanger, and yes, Filet. I've reached the acceptance stage of my appreciation of "girl steak."