Three Latest and Best

Pre-Opera Dinner at Meridian: Yes, it's official, those plump, crunchy little chicken-fried Oysters Rockefeller are one of my favorite things ever. Honestly, they're practically a fine-dining version of boneless chicken wings. Just without the chicken. And without the wings. Pirates for everyone!

A Spoonful a Day: Not kidding when I feel like I've rediscovered maple syrup. The dark, sweet nectar from Burton Maplewood Farms is so good -- so dark, smoke-filled, and sweet -- I could eat it by the spoonful straight out of the bottle. Maybe I will.

Food o' the Irish: At RBistro, Regina's Irish menu satisfied everyone at our table, enough so that our San Francisco-based guests declared themselves delighted. The corned-beef hash (complete with fried egg), the lamb, the vegetables, and the potted crab (swimming in butter, the way God and the Brits intended.) It was all A terrific way to welcome wine auctioneer David Reynolds and his lovely wife to town for the Elegant Vintages International Wine Auction!