Three Latest and Best

Bouillabaisse at The Oceanaire: Stopped in last week for Devour Downtown and enjoyed a terrific menu at this downtown seafood staple. The three-course prix fixe menu offers several options but I chose the smoked salmon (perfectly cured on dense pumpernickel with a drizzle of aioli), the bouillabaisse (spicy, rich, and crammed with mussels, fish, and crab legs), and dessert (I had the cookies and milk!) The desserts are scaled down in size, thank goodness, since each person has one. The bouillabaisse was good, but that smoked salmon will get me back.

Comfort Food at Asian Spice: I'm not really a food snob. OK, I am, but I still like good Chinese and Thai as comfort food. Kirts, master of the good ethnic eatery, took me to Asian Spice, a tiny eatery on Emerson (in Beech Grove, maybe) with a walk up counter and a menu that made me want to try everything. We settled for fresh, spicy Tom Yum, egg flower soup, chicken in peanut sauce, and drunken noodles. All great - we need a place this good downtown. Or next door to me!

Fresh Mango from Saraga: Stopped into Saraga yesterday for some coconut milk and Thai basil and couldn't resist the fruit counter at the back of the produce section. Juicy pre-cut pineapple, papaya, and cantaloupe are just the ticket for winter. (And a bargain when regular grocery stores charge three time the price for pre-cut fruit.) My favorite? The tart but sweet mango slices -- perfect for everything from morning cereal to a bowl with coconut milk.