Three Latest and Best

Duck Ham from Peterson's: For a place that used to be known mainly for steaks, Peterson's is a restaurant with range. From an amuse bouche of lobster and duck ham (housemade, of course) to the handmade chocolates that appear after dessert, everything at a recent dinner was delicious. Signature aged rib-eyes, tender veal, perfectly cooked scallops, and seared yellowtail rounded out the evening. (And don't think I didn't have an eye on someone's foie gras tart.) Even the seafood dishes are created with the diner in mind -- a perfectly nutty, pinot noir risotto gave mine depth with the slate of cabernets we were drinking. Excellent service, attention to detail, and a richness round out the Peterson's and making it one of the finest restaurants in our city.

IndyPubCrawl: So, not a meal, but Saturday, about 65 people made it for the 11:30 a.m. rock star start of the Winter Indy Pub Crawl. Pub crawlers braved freezing temperatures to make roughly 15 downtown stops -- with 45 minutes to an hour at each one. I gave it my best effort but dropped off mid-afternoon. Either way, it's a great chance to catch up with old friends, make some new ones, and check out lots of places one wouldn't normally go (like the OTB stop after Weber Grill. Hmmmm.) Thanks for organizing it, guys! Great work! I can hardly wait until the summer crawl.

Saraga Market on Sunday Night: Bustling with customers, Saraga International Market is a treat every time. Sunday evening the Mexican bakery was serving up fresh buns. The tortillas in their white paper wrappers smelled like the freshest masa, and even the halal killed lamb looked fresh from that day. The produce section expands every time I'm there. This time of year when curries and sauces taste so good, authentic rice and native ingredients (like Thai coconut milk instead of the Americanized grocery store brands) make a huge difference.

Two Minute Warning: Darn it, just when I go and tout a dish I love, they screw it up. Went back to lunch at McCormick and Schmick's for the Mahi cakes with cucumber and peanut sauce. They were only so-so -- overcooked and dryer than salmon cakes made with canned fish. My friend's salmon "stew' was a salty, gummy mess. Boo!