Readers ask, I answer

Posted by Jacqueline Church Sep 11, 2006

Remember this riddle?

Q. Why is it impossible to starve in the desert?

A. Because of the sand which is there. (sandwiches there...)

Get it?

Well my sandwiches post prompted a query from a reader for a good Italian Sub in Boston.

I like Sam La Grassa's for a downtown spot. Bring a friend and split the behemoth. There are also terrific Italian subs to be had around Boston, especially North End.

Another reader asks for recommendations in South Beach, where it is impossible to starve because of the sand---okay, never mind...

but seriously folks...South Beach has terrific food!

• There's Wish Restaurant in The Hotel. Tell Chef Bloise I said hi!
• There's Azul & Michy's - which I am eager to try but haven't yet. Very good and interesting reviews of Chef Michele Berenstein's food.
• Joe's Stone Crab - go for lunch in the takeout place. Fab.
• Smith and Wolensky's - sit at the bar, prepare to be well-cared for and tell Joe I said hi.

If you're thinking of having grouper, be sure to ask if there were any substitutions.

Also, in South Beach, some of the best deals are in the Cuban diners. Not just for sandwiches (which are terrific) but dishes like chicken and rice, empanadas, and so on, great mid-day meals, preceding long walks or nap on the beach.

August Waitrose Food Illustrated has a common sense piece I really appreciated about the whole local food only movement. Read Iqbal Wahhab's "Fresh Foreign Legion" article for a responsible restauranteur's balanced approach. Hint: He's offering an authentic if imported menu, then donating to green causes the cost of the "carbon footprint." Can't ask for more, a very interesting article, all around.

Cheers!