Tom

Distrito, maybe, or El Vez

The best restaurant (not that) close to Swarthmore is Restaurant Alba in Malvern, about 30 minutes away. For less interesting and less expensive meals closer to Swarthmore, consider Shere-E-Punjab or La Na (Thai-French) in Media.

Holly, As I think you know, Nancy and I would go back in an instant just for the chili. I've never climbed stairs more happily. Tom

I find a lot of the pasta in many Philadelphia Italian restaurants, even some expensive ones, to be below par. Try the gnocchi at: Cucina Forte 768 S 8TH St Philadelphia, PA 19147-2839 Phone: (215) 238-0778 There's often good fresh pasta in west Philadelphia at: Penne Restaurant & Wine Bar 3611 Walnut St Philadelphia, PA 19104 Phone: (215) 823-6222 Or ask at Osteria for a sauce you want; they should be able to accommodate you with something simple.

Well, I got everything else about Summerhouse Grill right. Apologies for leaping to the wrong city. Thanks, Meanderer! Tom

Bill, There is one incredibly good restaurant in Milford: Summerhouse Grill. Make a reservation, bring drink and cash or check (no credit cards). They source almost everything fresh and organic from local farmers, and the imaginative menu changes daily. Many eGulleteers will know the owner/executive chef, Marilyn Anthony, who has a long history cooking and teaching in Philadelphia. She's now SE regional director for the PA Association for Sustainable Agriculture. Tom

Friends arrive in Tampa tomorrow (6/24/08) for Convergence, a gathering of the Handweavers Guild of America. Most of their programs are at the Convention Center downtown, and they're staying at the Embassy Suites downtown and other nearby hotels. My friends are looking for very good meals, preferably made simply from local, seasonal ingredients, reasonably priced . . . and near the Convention Center. Many of the Tampa entries are a few years old, and I can't tell if earlier recommendations are still good. Would you suggest some places, mostly for dinner, in the neighborhood? Or definitely worth a cab ride? Many thanks! Tom

L'Angolo is a great idea. But if your dad's very adventurous, you could try this tiny Indonesdian place in Point Breeze: Hardena Restaurant 1754 Hicks St. 215.271.9442 $5-$7.50 Wed.-Sat., 11am-8pm; Sun., 10am-8pm. I'd call in advance to confirm that they'll be open. More info:here Or, if your dad's an opera fan, there's Victor's Cafe on Dickinson just east of Broad. I've never eaten there, but I hear the novelty is more attractive than the meal.

At a wine tasting some years ago, an Italian wine representative was asked if he was offended by The Sopranos. "No," he said, "I'm offended by The Olive Garden." You might check out the private room at Lee How Fook on North 11th St.

About a month ago, LaBan published a list of his favorites for a red meat fix. , naming Barclay Prime for the "best grilled steak in town."

Four of us had dinner at Azie a couple of months ago, and I'd say that LaBan's review had it about right: the space is wonderful, the food is generally good but not what you'd expect from "one of the world’s great Japanese chefs" (to quote the Azie website).

For many years, we've subscribed to CSAs and Winter Harvest Buying Clubs organized by Farm to City. Although weather and plant growth sometimes make the results unpredictable, we've always been pleased not only to eat fresh, organic and local foods, but also to make the farmers' lives a little more predictable. We've been happy not only with the vegetables and fruit (which occasionally encourage us to look for new and traditional recipes) but also with the freshest eggs from free-range chickens (and the chickens), grassfed beef and lamb, local cheeses, milk, bread . . . Check out the Farm to City website for delivery options in the Philadelphia area. Act quickly though, many CSAs are fully subscribed by late March.

Check out Lynn Buono's Feast Your Eyes and Steve Poses' Frog Commissary Catering

There's a good, if slightly idiosyncratic list at the "Philly Plus" link for Slow Food Philadelphia

Taco Riendo 1301 N. 5th St. (one block north of Girard) (215) 235-2294

Lunch today at Memdee's was my introduction to Liberian fare. Every day, fufu and soup is, happily, on the menu, which features different dishes Monday through Saturday. The soup and the torborgee (braised beef with some bitterness) were delicious -- spicy and nuanced. If you're looking for particular Liberian specialties -- cassava leaf, jollof rice, okra, palm butter soup -- call ahead. The neighborhood seemed a bit sketchy, but the family whose restaurant this is were helpful and friendly, just as promised in LaBan's review. Memdee's Restaurant (Memdess's on the menu) 6761 Guyer Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19142 215-365-5208

Sonny D'Angelo , 909 S. 9th,215-923-5637 D'Angelo Bros.

I think that Sonny D'Anglo (dangelobros.com) takes orders for Bourbon Red turkeys.

A good place to start: Cooks Illustrated

Thanks, Darren, for helping us choose. I'll report back on our dinners at North Pond and Green Zebra.

Has anyone been to North Pond recently? My wife and I will be in Chicago for just two days (where her work will be shown at SOFA) and hope for two memorable dinners. Slow Food Chicago is enthusiastic about North Pond, but many others here found the food disappointing. Maybe we should enjoy our higher-end meal at Blackbird? I'll be grateful for current comments. Tom

Thanks for the excellent suggestions. The group of us had a fine meal at John Jeffries in the Lancaster Arts Hotel. Chef Sean Cavanaugh described their commitment to seasonal, organic and, when possible, local foods. Although we did stray (Fanny Bay oysters, Alaskan halibut), everything was nicely cooked and presented with mostly local meats and produce.

A slight detour through Montrose, PA, will give you the opportunity to eat at a wonderful restaurant that features the best local and seasonal ingredients in delicious treatments. Check out The Summerhouse Grill Some of you will remember chef/owner Marilyn Anthony from the Pignataro's Morgan's or from her work with Weaver's Way, the White Dog Cafe and other cooking, catering, teaching and consulting ventures. We made a trip to the restaurant for two terrific meals last summer.

A group of fiber artists with work in the new juried exhibit at the Lancaster Art Museum are looking for an early dinner. Posted recommendations are now a little dated, so I'm hoping for some current suggestions. (Mike are you still there?) A place with vegetarian options would be welcome, as would authentic Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine. But good food with local ingredients matters most. Thanks! Tom

You've obviously tuned into the restaurant's tone -- often homey food, cooked to order, served at a relaxed pace. Next time, I encourage you to include the sauteed greens, the biscuits, the cornbread, the low country shrimp, the pulled pork and for dessert the gingerbread. And of course the various kinds of rice. We've eaten there many times and, although it's sometimes uneven, we've never had a bad meal. The specials are often based on seasonal produce from gardens nearby and are usually excellent. Tom