Three Latest and Best

Blue Fin Tuna Celebration: Popped in to Oceanaire for lunch on Friday and Ryan shared some of his blue fin tuna bounty with us. The treat? Finely diced tuna belly tartare with a light soy vinaigrette. So perfect. Nearly as good? The big chunks of tuna in the grilled fish tacos. (Plus, those great black bean refritos with real deal cohito.)

It's Good to be the Pope: I hadn't been to Bucco di Bebbo in years, but it was perfect for a wedding-shower lunch at the Castleton location's Pope's table where the domed ceiling makes across-the-table conversations a snap. We feasted, family style, on salads, calimari, pasta, and light gnocchi in a tomato cream sauce. The sweet and tangy pitchers of sangria hit the spot.

Saturday Night Wine Fest: Here's a shout out to wonderful friends, the Ruby's, who depart next week for Ohio. The good news? They'll be close to Lola and plan to become Michael Symon devotees. The bad news? We'll miss Laura's excellent dinners and Michael's wine prowess. Last night, we celebrated with a 1972 Chambertin (Le Clos Saint-Jacques.) For a wine nearly as old as me, it still had a lot of life left in it (although the mold on the cork under the capsule worried us for a minute.) A light, plummy color, this wine still had all the best qualities of a good Burgundian pinot noir, round fruit and a strong spicy finish. We enjoyed it for the pleasant last hour of its life just before it fell off. Cheers to the Ruby's. We'll miss you!