Three Latest and Best

Hoegaarden at MacNiven's: You've got to love a beer pronounced "'ho-garden". It sounds like something they should serve at The Rathskeller on Friday nights in the summer. And of course, I loved it! A light Belgian wheat beer different from its heavy, overly sweet German counterparts. It was full-bodied, not too heavy, slightly sweet, with a nice texture, and a dryer finish. (I leave it to you to complete the rest of the analogy.)

Crispy Chips at Danelli: Is the bar at The Canterbury Hotel considered part of Danelli? Well, maybe. After our first cocktail, a friend and I decided to put down roots and eat in the bar. I'd heard about the miniature Kobe burgers on the happy hour menu (two drink minimum.) The star of the show?! The crispy potato chips with ranch dressing! They were fantastic! So thin, and crunchy, and just the right amount of salt and pepper. Go for the drinks. Stay for the chips!

Strata for Brunch: If you're doing a brunch, you can *not* go wrong with a warm cheese and vegetable strata. At the Arts and Antiques Show Brunch, this mushroom and cheese dish was a satisfying breakfast choice and worked well with the tables piled high with fresh fruit (and better than the stuffed tenderloin.) The mounds of raspberries alone were worth it. Sometimes, pastries just aren't enough. Eggs and cheese are always a good bet. Plus, it's hard to transform part of the cow barn at the fairgrounds into an elegant setting, but they somehow managed to make it work.