Three Latest and Best

Road Trip to Jungle Jim's: Yes, it's the most fun you can have in a grocery store. And it says a lot about how bored we were with the sleety weather last weekend. Three of us roadtripped to Cincinnati to make a Jungle Jim's run. I found all sorts of yummy tidbits including a gorgeous fingerling potatoes, an orange fig spread, and a six-pack of Hopslam.

St. Supery Cabernet: I had forgotten how much I loved the big, velvety, black cherry finish on this luscious California cab. In a flight tasting with the Honig and Clos du Val cabs, the St. Supery was the clear favorite after it opened up. The Honig was elegant coming right out of the bottle, but failed to change over time, and the Clos du Val suffered by comparison as its stiffer, French style was flat by comparison to the giant the St. Supery grew in to.

Sushi at Ocean World: I'd forgotten how much I liked this simple but delicious sushi place on the North side of the city. Serving a very traditional style, I've always enjoyed their bento box lunch special with a hand roll, another maki, a couple of pieces of nigiri sushi, miso soup and a salad (limp iceberg lettuce with a strange ginger dressing they've had there for years.) We splurged and ordered extra maki. My favorite? Their signature asparagus tempura roll.

Three-Courses at The Oceanaire: Ok, this is four, but here's one of the best kept secrets in town -- a three-course prix fixe menu at lunch for $17.95. You get two options for each course. Me? Oysters for starters, mahi mahi with rice and vegetables, and chocolate chip cookies with milk for dessert!

Two-Minute Warning: I've had it with PF Chang's. While I used to enjoy their lunch menu -- simple Mu Goo Gai Pan and Almond Chicken, not to mention the Crispy Honey Shrimp or Chicken, I can no longer stand the blandness. It's as if they decided any flavor at all is too much for midwesterners. Maybe they get a lot of complaints. Either way, I have to spend so much time doctoring my own dishes with soy sauce and rice vinegar that I might as well cook at home. Plus, they've changed their steamed white rice to a cheaper variety. While it's still some variation of slightly sticky rice, it's not the great Asian sticky rice it should be. Maybe it's corporate cost consolidation or the constant churn of the downtown location. Either way, I won't be back for a while.