Beachfan

I just use Open Table (www.opentable.com). No advantage other than convenience.

I had a bunch of high scoring wines last night. The 1982 Pichon Lalande was awesome, in my top category.

In my mind, it isn't the blue crab that makes Chesapeake crab cakes the best. It's the religious fervor in which they believe in only lump crabmeat and no filler.

CB, I've only been there for lunch, but been there about 5 times. Nice, but nothing special. Do they metamorphasize for dinner?

Parker has changed his assessment of wines many times. One recent one was the rating of Dominus 91 as a 100 point wine in his latest book. It was 99 points before. So, for whatever reason, it wasn't perfect before, and now it is. It hasn't changed in my eyes and just points out Craig's point about the difference being finer than can really be measured.

Nobody said or implied that. It's a matter of degree. What I think it really means, is that he cannot articulate what the difference is in a particular wine. He does not taste a 99 point wine and think "if only this wine was a little more (or a little less) xyz, it would be perfect". And I think he means he couldn't if he tried.

Parker has said the difference between a 99 point wine and a 100 point wine is his enthusiasm and level of excitement over the wine as opposed to some additional criteria being met inherent in the wine.

Never been there.

2117 is two steps above Sawtelle kitchen. I like Sawtelle, but it's pretty simple cooking (creative and interesting, yes, but simple).

You might find it, but you probably won't like it. I avoid LA cannolli's, and it seems to me if you can't find the good cannolli, you won't find the good ricotta cheesecake. PS I don't know Claro's, please post if you prove me wrong.

Yummm!

Comments from VT fans on other wine boards say delicious; delicoious now, can age a few years more.

I think this vintage is underrated. While not in the league of 98, 99 or 95, I've had several delicious bottles including Beaucastel (in delicous halves) and Janasse Vielle Vigne. Tonight I had the Clos du Mont Olivet Reserve and it was really excellent. Delicious fruit, still youthful (no "dumb" phase with these 94s). What's been your experience?

Whole Foods in San Rafael is probably the best grocery there and they have a pretty good takeout section for casual meals. It's one of the best stores in the Whole Foods chain.

All liquor stores are run by the government in Sweeden.

If you get it with the proper affinage, St. Maure is an excellent goat cheese. It's the one that's in the shape of a log with the straw through the center. Valencay is also excellent (the truncated pyramid). And the old reliable Crotin de Chavignol, when aged well, might just be the most complex at any given point in time. Epoissee is a grand, fabulous cheese. It presents a little bit of a transportation challenge, but would fit the bill of your putrid but heavenly cheese. Open to sheep cheeses? There are some super ones there. They range from hard (Ossau-Iraraty) to soft (Lingot). If she's going to Paris, best bet is to go to one of the top cheese shops and ask for their recommendations. I think the board's opinion is split on Marie Cantin vs. Barthelemy, but she'll have a grand time at either place.

I had some absolutely fabulous pizza in Sarasota Saturday. They use a Bakers Pride gas oven. Lot's of slate inside they said. Here's the description of the pizza in case the you rarely read forums south of the Mason Dixon line. Da best pizza I've had in a long time.

When I'm hungry, all food is relevant if I like the way it tastes. And I thought my meal at Roxanne's was one of my 10 best of 2002 (in some pretty august company). The concept meant zero to me; taste is everything. Here's another article (a P.Wells article previously posted): Roxanne fan

I was at a wine dinner there and thought they did an excellent job. I particularly remember the smoked salmon.

My once a year visit to the Cracker Barrell with the in-laws. This time I had something I really liked (the first time). Grilled bacon and cheese sandwich of the lunch menu. My weeks worth of cholesterol in the first meal. My wife's pecan pancake wasn't bad. The coffee was somewhere between the stuff they serve on US Airways and the stuff they serve in vending machines at rest stops on I 80 in Kansas.

Hmmm, maybe that's why it's so good.

They sell Starbucks coffee at mine.

Right downtown, 1703 Main Street.

Welcome Diane! Ellen (and other New Yorkers with choices) do you buy Costco smoked salmon? I thought it lagged other choices available in the LA market dramatically, and price didn't make up for it. Same with Trader Joe's smoked salmon (the lox type, not the Pacific NW type).

Fiji blows it away! No contest. We're going to get some Evian and do a blind taste test. That way we won't be biased by the fancy waterfall inside the Fiji bottle. I'm pretty sure the taste difference will be hard to miss, but I want to do a fair test. I was in a hotel last week that had bottles of Evian in the room for $5. Then I realized what Evian spelled backwards is.