Whining and Dining - Favorite restaurants?

When people learn I'm a food writer, invariably they ask about my favorite restaurants. But that's like asking for a favorite movie. What am I in the mood for? Which geography? What day is it? I like most kinds of restaurants, though I have to admit that German and other northern European cuisines don't often turn me on. I tend to prefer the creations from areas of the world that have plenty of sun and a long growing season.

That means my preferences tend to be Mediterranean (including North Africa), Mideastern, Indian, Caribbean, Mexican, Thai, and other flavorful types. I also like regional American cooking, especially Southern and Tex-Mex. As for specific restaurants, I've had really memorable meals at the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay, Calif., at Dish-Dash in Sunnyvale, Calif., at an inspired downtown grill in Pittsburgh, at a street fair in Merida, Yucatan (Mexico), at Mamma's on Maui, Hawaii, at Orazio in Rome, Italy, and even at my mother's dining room table.

Given the choice between great food in a poor atmosphere, and mediocre food with great atmosphere, I'll take the latter. Which is probably why I fondly recall a dish of ordinary red beans and rice at a rowdy Cajun pub in New Orleans. Topped off with a bottle of Dixie Blackened Voodoo beer, it was a perfect late-night supper.

Donna