otm

for crabs, I'm not convinced Harris is any better than Fisherman's Deck, which is on the other side of Kent Island, although both are far better than Cantler's. but I've got to second Joe H's recommendation for the crabcakes at the Narrows. I've spent years sailing around the Chesapeake (as an excuse to look for good seafood restaurants), and these may be the best on the Bay.

hi Kim. there are at least 2 good spots for crabs in St. Michael's. the Crab Claw is probably the best known (and likely most crowded). I believe the other is called Town Dock. for my money, either beats Cantler's for crabs and atmosphere.

in London's Chelsea, I stumbled across the Phat Phuc noodle bar

Thanks again, Steve. Your knowledge of the local restaurant scene is one of the greatest assets of this forum. I'm looking forward to trying a few more of your suggestions. And forgive me for going off-topic, but I've also got to thank you for your food - last night at Zaytinya I got around to trying dessert there for the first time! Wow!

Thanks Steve, you raise a couple of excellent points in your response to my gripes about Johnny's. I concede I hadn't considered the slim competition in the niche Johnny's aims for. And I certainly agree with you about Cashion's - which I've always found to deserve its high praise. I'm willing to let Tom s. off the hook - he has his biases (who doesn't?), but he's doing a great job (much better than Shoffner, for my 2 cents), and he certainly does listen to readers! What other places, in your opinion, are doing a good job of "American comfort" food, at moderate prices? It seems to me that good "restaurant cities" like NY, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle, have neighborhood places like Evening Star or next-tier places like Cashion's and the Majestic Cafe all over town, but I don't know many here.

I agree that Sietsema's always been very clear in his views of Kinkead's. But why then is he so much in love with Johnny's Half Shell, to which many of the same complaints apply? Johnny's isn't nearly as consistent or creative as it once was, service can be downright rude, and portions are notoriously small for the prices. Yet a week rarely goes by without it being recommended as one of DC's best.

how about any ideas for good seafood, and I'd love to spend a few hours over dim sum if anyone has a recommendation

I'm visiting SF next week, for the first time in 10 years, and it seems that most of the restaurants I remember are either gone or should be! looking for some recommendations, especially for casual lunches, in the city and in Napa. And anybody have any comments on Kokkari - we're headed there for dinner one night. Thanks.