the finer points.

Tostiproeftest still underway. The local critical favorite is De Caulils Tosti, and if there are no limits on how you trick your sandwich out, then yes, strong contender. It's like a fondue sandwich. I would've added a pinch of salt, but that's me.

In the "non-gourmet" class, my Amsterdam favorite is Gambrinus (below). Note the Heinz ketchup, the only appropriate ketchup to serve with a tosti. And notice that there's enough cheese so that it can't quite contain itself once bitten into. This is what you're looking for.

ronnnnn.

From a lunch @ Ron Gastrobar with ze Poes back in March. For me it's still the least disappointing restaurant in town: the food looks a little pretentious but the service and atmosphere are anything but; and I've never really had any food here that was less than really good, although I must say I am an expert orderer, I've tasted things from other people's dishes that were less exciting. Also as you may know I don't get out much, so I'm probably easily pleased.

Above: butter and pickles. Below: bread bag; smoked eel + leeks with apple and parsnip, maybe a parsley creme?; gnocchi with Jerusalem artichokes and beurre blanc?; cauliflower with brown butter crumble; tempura mista, the only dish that didn't totally work.

'twerp.

perry's.

Slowly, very slowly, I've been eating my way through the sandwich menu at Perry's. I started about a year ago, and by now I think I've tried about 8 of the 19 options. Favorites so far: tempeh (€2.50, not pictured) lamb meatballs (€2.50, not pictured) and shrimp with long beans (€4, pictured at bottom). Their pom is good, their bakkeljauw is good....it's all been at least good, most of it is great. This one right here is the artificially red fa chong, Chinese chicken sausage (€3).

embedded.

Hypothetical planning map for possibly upcoming westbound road trip from Phoenix to the North Coast of California. Las Vegas is there only as an overnight stop, ok? Nothing to worry about. Death Valley: hopefully not an overnight stop. The idea was to end up in Mendocino because I have very fond memories of a long weekend I spent there by myself in the mid-90s, but some research has made it sound like it's not the same place anymore: hit hard by economic turmoil, many businesses have closed, etc. Most importantly there's nowhere good to eat anymore. So Thelma I just don't know, we'll just end up somewhere over that way, maybe Albion. All of this is up in the air anyway, except for the Tioga Mobil Gas Mart (Wikipedia entry), I'm seeing that. And there'll be a visit to a Waffle House, also non-negotiable.

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