Royal Grocery & Deli

After my day at JazzFest, the crawfish boil (offered here Friday through Sunday) found other takers to hunker down at the half-dozen tables inside. Mello Yello (12 fl. oz.; $1) was a mildly carbonated, slightly syrupy citrus soda that I'm sure I must have tried, years back.

On another occasion, at the window on the side street, a toasted coconut sno-ball (small; $1.75) was fine-grained, veering toward slushy. Lots of flavor; Royal Grocer layers its syrup the way better moviehouses add butter to popcorn.

Royal Grocery & Deli
801 Royal St., New Orleans
504-523-4716

Mini Mart

Big Easy beer (12 fl. oz.; $2.75), Marrero, Louisiana. Straw-colored with a foamy white head; lemony malt aroma with slight off-notes that became more apparent with the first sour, hopless mouthful.

Mini Mart
600 Canal St., New Orleans

Stuf Hapn Event Catering

This overstuffed crabmeat po-boy would have been a good deal at $5. As food stalls (but not Springsteen) prepared to call it a day, it was a steal at $3.

Stuf Hapn Event Catering
New Orleans
at JazzFest

Scales

Strawberry lemonade (large; $4) was more strawberry sweet than lemonade tart, and refreshingly so.

Scales
at JazzFest

Ledet & Louque

The top-loading pastry shell of this crawfish puff ($5) gave my plastic fork a rough go of it in the late afternoon. Crawfish, rice, and sauce were fine.

Ledet & Louque
Gramercy, Louisiana
at JazzFest

Fireman Mike's Kitchen

Alligator sauce piquante ($5) sported blackened, fatty, chewy, somewhat gamy chunks of meat in a peppery tomato broth (the "sauce piquante"). With white rice, mushrooms, celery, tomatoes.

Fireman Mike's Kitchen
Metarie, Louisiana
at JazzFest

Cool Brew

An iced café au lait ($5) was just that.

Cool Brew
at JazzFest

Cee Cee's Sno-Balls

In the heart of my finely shaved strawberry sno-ball (small; $2) was a hidey-hole for a half-can of condensed milk (50 cents more). Too much, man.

Cee Cee's Sno-Balls
Slidell, Louisiana
at JazzFest

Dooky Chase

I was able to sample a small taste of Leah Chase's shrimp and chicken Clemenceau, with peas, mushrooms, black pepper, and garlic, only because she made an appearance at one of the JazzFest food-demonstration stages. Like many others, her restaurant was swamped after Katrina, and the facilities in her FEMA trailer across the street provide little opportunity to cook.

I seemed to have missed out on the shellfish — suitably so, since Ms. Chase noted that normally she'd feature shrimp or chicken, but not both. I'd gladly jump at the chance to chow down on either version at a rebuilt Dooky Chase, which she hopes to open by midsummer.

Dooky Chase
2301 Orleans Ave., New Orleans
at JazzFest

AJ's Sno-Balls

Spearmint sno-ball (small; $2).

AJ's Sno-Balls
New Orleans
at JazzFest

Papa Ninety Catering

Boudin (one link; $3) is a loosely knit sausage of meat and rice that (in theory) you can squeeze through the nipped-off top like a FrozeFruit; here, the casing proved so thin that I didn't bother with such niceties, even at the possible cost of some style points.

Papa Ninety Catering
Belle Chasse, Louisiana
at JazzFest

Miss Linda's Catering

Ya ka mein (YAH-kuh-Meen, pronounced as a single word; $5) was a peppery beef noodle soup that's both lip-tingling and, I imagine, restorative. Also served at lunchtime at the uptown Tipitina's, I was told.

Miss Linda's Catering
New Orleans
at JazzFest

Love at First Bite

A cochon de lait po-boy ($5) piled voluminous amounts of roast suckling pig atop a bed of crunchy, spicy slaw. Cause for another of the longer lines at the JazzFest food courts.

Love at First Bite
New Orleans
at JazzFest

Vaucresson Sausage Co.

Like many businesses on the lakeward side of the French Quarter, Vaucresson found itself partially submerged last August; no telling from this photo just how much damage they sustained, but enough, I've read, that currently they're making sausages elsewhere, sharing the equipment of an erstwhile competitor. No news here on how soon their own facility will reopen.

The spicy and shellfishy flavors in this crawfish sausage po-boy (small; $4) performed a delicate balancing act — delicate for a sausage, at least.

Vaucresson Sausage Co.
New Orleans
at JazzFest

Coop's Place

Tight quarters in this compact bar, not least because of an extensive menu served till late. Not sure this would be the place to sample crawfish beignets, but Cajun fried chicken (two pieces and sides; $8.50, or a buck more for another piece) was a solid and satisfying option. Accompanied by thick "dirty rice" and minimally-mayoed slaw. Abita Turbodog ($3) held its own against the spice-blackened chicken skin.

Coop's Place
1109 Decatur St., New Orleans
504-525-9053

Acme Oyster House

Louisiana oysters on the half-shell (baker's dozen; $7.99), were mild and buttery smooth, with the barest hint of salt water.

Acme Oyster House
724 Iberville St., New Orleans
504-522-5973

Leah's Pralines

A fresh, hot, Creole-style praline ($1.50), more crisp than creamy, had a maple sweetness that stopped just short of inducing a sugar high. Following taste tests throughout the Quarter, these were the pralines that found their way into my carry-on for the return trip to New York.

Leah's Pralines
714 St. Louis St., New Orleans
504-523-5662

Café du Monde

Iced (today) or hot (another time), chicory-blended coffee has a bitter twang that's not for me. Fair match, though, for three beignets ($1.59) — pillow-shaped, hole-less fried doughnuts — that look as if someone backed up a dumptruck of confectioner's sugar. Inhale carefully.

Café du Monde
800 Decatur St., New Orleans
504-525-4544

Henry's Bakery & Deli

Newly opened, Henry's hadn't prepped all its sno-ball flavors; among the missing were dill pickle and root beer; blackberry, too. Hawaiian (as in punch) was too puckering, and the ice, too crunchy.

Henry's Bakery & Deli
2313 St. Claude Ave., New Orleans
504-944-2622

Esplanade Pharmacy

This "Big Hug" lemon-lime drink from Daily Juice Products (16 fl. oz.; 45 cents), of Verona, Pennsylvania, contained no juice, but it was a bargain thirst-quencher, and the wind played its own little tune over the lip of the widemouth bottle.

Esplanade Pharmacy
1400 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans
504-523-4103

Taste of New Orleans Meals-on-Wheels

A "tiger blood" sno-ball (small; $1) was pitched to me as a very rich strawberry. Fair enough, but the ice was uneven: slushy here, crunchy there.

Taste of New Orleans Meals-on-Wheels
Today, on North Broad St. near Esplanade Ave.

Banh Mi Sao Mai

A pork meatball and shredded pork banh mi ($2.50) also included some carrot and a splash of not-so-hot sauce.

Banh Mi Sao Mai
14321 Chef Menteur Hwy., New Orleans
504-254-3977

Dong Phuong Oriental Bakery

Tasty sausage banh mi ($2.50), though typically engulfed by its bread, and absent both daikon and nuoc mam. Dong Phuong seems to be the local provisioner for work crews that need a dozen lunchtime sandwiches or shoppers seeking baked treats; a fresh batch of bread topped off the bins as I arrived.

Dong Phuong Oriental Bakery
14207 Chef Menteur Hwy., New Orleans
504-254-0214

Pho Banc

Power was back on here, except in the washroom, lit only by a candle guttering in a coffee cup. New Orleans style BBQ shrimp ($6.50) were dominated by lip-tingling red pepper; stripping down the shellfish and loading them on that French bread made for a serviceable (but not photogenic) do-it-yourself po-boy.

Pho Banc
14367 Chef Menteur Hwy., New Orleans
504-254-3929

Café Trinh Quyen

This shake (and banh mi) shack wasn't fully up to speed, but a strong roast coffee ($2) was what I really needed anyway.

Café Trinh Quyen
4664 Alcee Fortier Blvd., New Orleans
504-254-2642

Viet-My Supermarket

Crossing the boulevard was less a matter of watching for traffic than keeping a weather eye on windblown debris. The breeze was steady, often stiff — just right for flying those sturdy plastic bird kites, if not for the dreary atmosphere.

During the power outage, Viet-My was making do with daylight. "It rains, the power goes out," said the lady behind the counter. "Too much wind, the power goes out, maybe five, six hours at a time. It's like living in a Third World country." Lucky for me, one of this morning's batch of Vietnamese doughnuts (35 cents) still lingered by the register; it was sesame-dotted, coconut-filled, and pleasantly oily.

Viet-My Supermarket
4656 Alcee Fortier Blvd., New Orleans

Que Huong Supermarket

A 45-minute bus ride from Mid-City, New Orleans East is the center of a small, determined Vietnamese community that today was dealing with one of the neighborhood's periodic power outages. The generator by the supermarket door lighted bare bulbs strung from the ceiling; other nearby stores made do with daylight through doors and windows.

Well-stocked store, as best I could make out, including an extensive meat counter, where the butcher had recently finished off a Wonderfarm brand artichoke drink (330 ml.; 75 cents). Not much flavor to it, I found out for myself.

Que Huong Supermarket
4661 Alcee Fortier Blvd., New Orleans

Unique Grocery

Two important factors: open till midnight, near my hotel. Big Shot orange soda (12 fl. oz.; 60 cents), from New Orleans, was fine.

Unique Grocery
127 Royal St., New Orleans

Mona's

Middle Eastern takeout that also offers ample seating as well as a small, decently stocked grocery. The lemon flavored of Icer (330 ml.; $1.95) softens the edges of this nonalcoholic malt beverage.

Mona's
504 Frenchman St., New Orleans
(one of several locations)
504-949-4115

Mona's

Middle Eastern takeout that also offers ample seating as well as a small, decently stocked grocery. The lemon flavored of Icer (330 ml.; $1.95) softens the edges of this nonalcoholic malt beverage.

Mona's
504 Frenchman St., New Orleans
(one of several locations)
504-949-4115

QuarterMaster

This 24-hour provisioner (a.k.a. Nelli's Deli) presented some worn-looking meat loaf, as well as spaghetti and po-boy offerings, and a windowside counter supporting a mini-TV. Tonight, I just grabbed a lemon Hubig's to go (4 oz.; 89 cents). These folded-over filled pies, much like a fresher, less cloying Hostess, are baked in the city and never travel far from it; the vans below, outside the Hubig's bakery, may well be the core of its delivery fleet.

One good measure of a New Orleans deli (to be fair, you'd want to judge over several occasions) is the number of Hubig's flavors on offer. Six was the most I saw during my visit; here, the choices were limited to apple and this pleasant little lemon.

QuarterMaster
1100 Bourbon St., New Orleans

Canal Grocery

Big Shot strawberry soda (12 fl. oz.; 75 cents), from New Orleans. Light red; very aromatic; pretty good for artificially flavored pop.

Canal Grocery
823 Canal St., New Orleans

Sunshine Concessions

Iced tea, sweet (large; $4).

Sunshine Concessions
Covington, Louisiana
at JazzFest

Roman Chewing Candy Co.

Footlong, fresh-cut taffy in vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry (75 cents). Very soft, which makes it too droopy to photograph but very easy to chew (for taffy).

Roman Chewing Candy Co.
New Orleans
at JazzFest

Burks, Douglas

A springy chunk of blackberry cobbler ($3) sported a few whole berries, too. Sweet as I've ever tasted, with the barest hint of tartness.

Burks, Douglas
New Orleans
at JazzFest

United Houma Nation

Passed up my chance at fry bread — sugared, deep-fried dough will wait for any number of other days — for a serving of shrimp-and-sausage maque choux (likely a Cajun take on a Native American name; $5). Yellow and white kernels of corn were kicked up by onion and a well-peppered tomato base that I tasted on my lips; good smoked sausage and plentiful shrimp, too.

United Houma Nation
Golden Meadow, Louisiana
at JazzFest

Plum St. Sno-Balls

Like all such icy offerings, the measure of a sno-ball isn't the syrup — though here I finally sampled that elusively sweet flavor called nectar cream — it's the ice. This small cup (really; $2.50) was finely shaved and very tightly packed, so it wasn't easily toppled by spoon or straw; think of one of your better sand castles.

Plum St. Sno-Balls
Metarie, Louisiana
at JazzFest

Panorama Foods

Crawfish bread (small; $4) came on too cheesy for me. Probably a good, filling snack, though, for a light eater.

Panorama Foods
Marksville, Louisiana
at JazzFest

Calas Bistro

The deep-fried rice cakes called calas (Cal-us, or ca-Las; I heard both pronounced with equal authority) are very nearly historical artifacts; indeed, the Fair Grounds Racing Museum was the beneficiary of this stall's receipts. Under their crisp shells, this duo ($4) packed a loosely bound blend of rice and a little andouille sausage; they were accompanied by a ghostly pale green onion dip that would show itself better by night.

Calas Bistro
Kenner, Louisiana
at JazzFest

The Galley Seafood Restaurant

An ungainly sandwich, but cause for one of the longest lines at the JazzFest food counters. This early-season softshell crab ($8), nestled in a crusty, chewy po-boy, was lightly fried, and I was careful to use an equally light hand with the butter sauce and hot sauce.

The Galley Seafood Restaurant
Metarie, Louisiana
at JazzFest

Prejean's

Pheasant, quail, and andouille gumbo ($5), poured atop white rice, built up a low peppery burn. The birds (I never did find out which was which) were a little chewy but not at all gamy; the last sips of soupy rice were worth drinking straight from the cup.

Prejean's
Lafayette, Louisiana
at JazzFest

Coffee Cottage

Sounded interesting. Crawfish strudel ($6) wrapped a fair number of crustaceans and a few hot green peppers in flaky, oily pastry, but it seemed a deflated version of the strudel it should have been.

Coffee Cottage
Harahan, Louisiana
at JazzFest

Mrs. Wheat's Fabulous Foods

A spicy Natchitoches meat pie (ask a local to pronounce it for you; $4) came on like a beef empanada, but its innards are minced, and moister, with a gentle building heat.

Mrs. Wheat's Fabulous Foods
New Orleans
at JazzFest

Zydeco Jambalaya

Largely a gift shop, but they also sell nine or ten varieties of Abita, including a few (Fall Fest, Christmas Ale) that stayed late at the party.

Abita Golden ($9.99 for six 12 fl. oz. bottles; $2 each), Abita Springs, Louisiana. Golden indeed, with a scant white head; round and refreshing in a sour sort of way.

Abita Fleur-de-lis Restoration Ale. Amber, with an equally scant head; slightly hoppier, but only just.

Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager. Golden with that same scant white head; fresh strawberry aroma with slight malty notes; round sour-fruit flavor, though needs more finish.

Zydeco Jambalaya
729 Canal St., New Orleans

Clover Grill

"We love to fry, and it shows" 24 hours a day at this corner joint, where burgers ($4.99) are "cooked under an American-made hubcap." This flattened half-pounder was hardly precision-made itself — the counterman informed me that I could get mine medium, since they can't do medium rare — but a little ketchup and mustard, and lots of juices of its own, sent me rolling happily on my way.

Clover Grill
900 Bourbon St., New Orleans

Cajun Market

In name, but not much more. Barq's, which I know for its root beer, also brews up a local favorite called "red creme soda" (12 fl. oz.; 89 cents) that turned out to be simply cream soda, red.

Cajun Market
Julia St. at South Peters St., New Orleans

Sophie's Gelato

Recently under new management, today Sophie's wasn't offering the nectar soda I'd heard so much about. The flavors in this pineapple-cranberry gelato (one scoop; $3) restrained each other well.

Sophie's Gelato
1912 Magazine St., New Orleans
504-561-0291

Mother's Restaurant

This cafeteria was my first food stop in New Orleans, and one of the few I returned to during my 10-day visit. One prime attraction on a somewhat limited post-Katrina menu is the debris po-boy ($5.50 for a half; the bottom photo shows two quarters). "Debris" describes cooked-to-pieces beef soaked in pan drippings, dressed with mayo, lettuce, and tomato (top photo) or plain (bottom).

Despite the mayo, that first sandwich was drier than I liked, but the second...ahh, the second was a beef po-boy au jus. Soggy bread never tasted so good.

Mother's Restaurant
401 Poydras St., New Orleans
504-523-9656

Piu Bello Gelato

Many of the choices at Piu Bello dazzled at first sight; bilberry (one scoop; $3.25) had the mild-mannered looks of its cousin, the blueberry, but a little more tartness, too.

Oh, yes: Piu Bello also does the panini/wrap/soup/salad thing.

Piu Bello Gelato
70-09 Austin St., Forest Hills, Queens
718-268-4400

Bonelle Pastry Shop

A prune hamentash ($2.50) boasted rich, buttery dough, but it was on the small side, and the filling was just OK.

Bonelle Pastry Shop
108-30 Ascan Ave., Forest Hills, Queens
718-575-1792

Oishii's

The clerk's bright blue hair was a hint: A scanty selection of foodstuffs took second billing to shelves filled with Japanese videos. UCC coffee with milk (11.3 fl. oz.; 99 cents) comes from "the pioneer maker of the canned liquid coffee in Japan." Wouldn't be half-bad if not for the tinny overtones.

Oishii's
109-09 71st Rd. (at Queens Boulevard), Forest Hills, Queens
718-544-8877

Superior Market

Primarily a purveyor of Russian packaged goods, plus meats, cheeses, and breads; today, the baked Easter specialty called kulich was still showing its head. Also: good variety of Eastern European beers; guava paste and other such incongruous products from Latin America; dozens of seedless watermelons that found floor space where they could; Russian pop radio as a backing track.

I can't read Cyrillic characters, but in context with the packaging, "kakao" ($1.49) is straighforward enough. Not bad, but only when mixed with an equal amount of sugar.

Superior Market
40-08 Queens Boulevard, Sunnyside, Queens

El Triangulo

Colombian restaurant and bakery — spacious for the neighborhood, which suited our large group today — though my slice of cake with breva (early fig; $2) had spent too much of its brief existence in the refrigerator case. Coffee ($1) was good.

El Triangulo
44-08 Greenpoint Ave., Sunnyside, Queens
718-786-5919

Great N.Y. Noodletown

Here's a good test for tender squid: Squeeze one end between two chopsticks, and nip off the other end with your teeth. At the humbly decorated Great N.Y. Noodletown, the lightly salt-baked squid — here, comboed with shrimp and scallops ($12.95) — sails through with flying colors.

Great N.Y. Noodletown
28 1/2 Bowery (at Bayard St.)
212-349-0923

Landmarc

Bone marrow packs gobs of meat flavor into every bite, especially with the aid of a fat pinch of salt. Landmarc's roast marrow bones ($12) are accompanied by sweet onion marmalade (give me parsley, as at London's celebrated St. John) and grilled country bread (here it's a little too thick-cut), but they still make for a fine, finger-licking starter.

If you must have meat, this clean-cut bistro offers many more options; today I continued my meal with a simple burger, medium rare ($13) dressed with ketchup, mustard, and bread-and-butter pickles, on a firm juice-absorbent roll. Comes with excellent twice-fried fries that I'd happily order all by themselves.

Landmarc
179 West Broadway, Tribeca
212-343-3883

A&B Ridgewood Bakery and Caffe

This corner café by the railroad station sells housemade pastas and sauces as well as highly regarded breads and sweets. My mini ricotta cheese pastry ($2.95) was fine, but it should have been fabulous at that price.

A&B Ridgewood Bakery and Caffe
18 East Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood, New Jersey
201-612-6888

Uwomaru

Also called Ridgewood Fisheries, this local provisioner has a small but well-varied selection of packaged goods, greens, and seafood; Japanese videos, too. Hatimitu lemon (340 ml.; $1.10) is more honey-flavored than lemony, but it has no carbonation, no sting.

Uwomaru
30 Prospect St., Ridgewood, New Jersey
201-670-0882

Jerby's Halal Food Cart

Three nearby taxis clued me in to this busy cart that promises "quick service for cab drivers." After a weighty container of chicken with carrot-and-pea-dotted rice, lettuce, french fries, hot sauce, and white sauce ($5), you might need to sit, too.

Jerby's Halal Food Cart
Northeast corner of Tenth Ave. and 28th St.

Despaña

Today I couldn't manage more than a taste of several succulent Spanish sausages, but I'm determined to return for Despaña's pescador sandwich: tuna and marinated anchovies on Sullivan St. Bakery ciabatta. Though pricey for a can, a stand-up pairing might be Kas lemon soda (330 ml.; $1.75), a concentrated and minimally carbonated beverage from Basque country. via Pepsico.

Despaña
408 Broome St. (Lafayette-Cleveland Sts.)
212-219-5050

Bouley Bakery Market

After a few minutes spent lingering before a case filled with exquisite, classically prepared, but difficult-to-transport desserts, I was relieved to choose from an ample selection of top-notch handheld favorites. Though the only fruit in this apricot danish ($3.25) was cantilevered from each end, it was a more than ample counterpoint to the fresh, supple, multilayered pastry.

Bouley Bakery Market
130 West Broadway
212-219-1011

The Soda Shop

Irish oatmeal with apples, raisins, and cherries ($5) was pretty but didn't quite come together, even after applications of cream, syrup, and brown sugar. Old-time trappings, with a candy display to match, don't quite add up to an old-time soda shop, either, but the staff seem well-meaning; on another day I'll give the egg cream a try.

Doscher's Famous French Chew Taffy, strawberry (1.62 oz.; 75 cents) suggests that à la the long-lamented Bonomo Turkish Taffy, you thwack it against a hard surface, unwrap it, then scarf up the fragments. Thwack away; it's far too soft and resilient.

The Soda Shop
125 Chambers St. (near West Broadway)
212-571-1100

Baruir

Some Armenian preserves consist of the familiar spreadable fruit, but just as often — as with Ararat brand watermelon (1 lb.; $2.99) — the fruit floats freely in syrup. I had hopes that these crinkle-cut rinds would be a match for the pickled watermelon from Grey Mouse Farms; too bad that sickly sweet syrup obliterates all other flavor. Next time, perhaps one of Baruir's reputedly fine espressos.

Baruir
40-07 Queens Blvd., Sunnyside, Queens
718-784-0842

Tulcingo Bakery

Nice spread of fresh-baked breads and pastries, plus a small selection of some of the deepest-green vegetables you'll ever see. Delicia brand horchata concentrate (32 fl. oz., enough for 2 gal.; $4), from Mexico, offers rice, vanilla, and especially almond and cinnamon flavors. Too sugary on its own, but might play off well against salty summertime cooking.

Tulcingo Bakery
43-16 Greenpoint Ave., Sunnyside, Queens
718-786-5534

Carniceria "El Paisa"

Castipan brand rollitos de guayaba con arequipe (one dozen guava and milk caramel rolls; 12 oz.; $2.99), from Colombia, offer two great tastes that taste great together. Take that, peanut butter and chocolate!

Carniceria "El Paisa"
45-10 Greenpoint Ave., Sunnyside, Queens
718-784-0430

Guagua Pichincha

Until I saw the big red capital letters that spelled out "FANESCA," I hadn't given thought to this Easter-season specialty since I read Calvin Trillin's homage in last year's New Yorker food issue. After all, I had no plans to visit Cuenca, or anywhere else in Ecuador, anytime soon.

Turns out that fanesca — a hearty vegetable stew that here includes hard-boiled egg and salt cod, with a side of white rice and a tangy hot sauce — is widely available in Queens, from Corona to the eastern fringes of Sunnyside, though only for the final two or three days of Holy Week. And where would Calvin eat? On a drizzly Good Friday afternoon, I couldn't imagine a more restorative bowl than the fanesca at Guagua Pichincha. Make a note for next year.

Guagua Pichincha
43-07 48th St., Sunnyside, Queens
718-565-9470

Vallecito Bakery

Trays of fresh breads and pastries were still being slid into the self-serve racks when I arrived at dusk at this very friendly Mexican bakery. This sweet, flaky, almost cookielike flatbread (80 cents) was the lightweight of the bunch in heft only; by any other measure it's a champ.

Vallecito Bakery
40-06 Benham St. (near Roosevelt Ave. and 91st St.), Elmhurst, Queens
718-899-8242

La Ambateñita Bakery

Between this Ecuadorian "comida rapida" joint and Shea Stadium, there's little to choose from but auto-repair shops. A chunk-filled disk of banana verde ($2) might have been better with cheese.

La Ambateñita Bakery
111-26 Roosevelt Ave., Corona, Queens
718-803-3456

Rack & Soul

A great pedigree — the namesake of Charles' Southern Style Kitchen is the "soul-food chef," and the former manager of Bayou now manages here — should soon help this corner joint over its first-week jitters. BBQ baby-back ribs ($16.95), slathered in a terrific sweet sauce, were good but could've been a bit more tender. Included, and also shown here: mac 'n' cheese with the look but not the flavor of cheddar, great vinegary collard greens that concealed a few tasty tidbits of pork, and the (momentary) survivor of a pair of warm biscuits.

Though mightily tempted by the red velvet cake and the banana pudding (garnished, I was promised, with 'nilla wafers), I did very well with a fat slice of sweet potato cheesecake ($5). Lighter than it looks, yet more than rich enough by the time I made it to the last forkful.

On a later, group visit, chicken and waffles ($13.95) — actually a single Belgian waffle, with an added side of black-eyed peas — was good but not exemplary. The chicken skin was crisp yet pliable, and the meat was moist, but it lacked a certain something. Elsewhere at the table, a number of dishes without added syrup, including ribs, BBQ chicken, and stewed okra, also tended toward the sweet side.

Rack & Soul
2818 Broadway (at 109th St.)
212-222-4800

Euroshop

"Hungarian smokehouse specials…everything is homemade!" proclaims the handwritten sign out front. Today I caught the owners too close to closing time, but I managed to snag four of these little rolled pastries ($1.60 total), one each of apricot, plum, raspberry, and (shown here) walnut. Good, and likely much better earlier in the day.

Euroshop
42-07 Queens Blvd., Sunnyside, Queens
718-786-6026

Han Yang Supermarket

Fair-sized albeit routine Korean market, with decent selections of meat, fish, produce, and packaged goods. Haitai brand ume plum juice (8.05 fl. oz.; 99 cents), from Korea — actually just 10 percent plum juice, from concentrate — has an appearance and flavor closer to apple juice

Han Yang Supermarket
49-05 Roosevelt Ave., Sunnyside, Queens
718-458-8052

River House Tavern

At a late afternoon dinner, our server had a case of spring fever; the view was pleasant, even if the river was running a little low. Not so my bowl of the house chowder ($7), with scallops, shrimp, corn, and a few scant garlic croutons; filled to the brim, and comforting, though dragged down by shellfish that may have spent too long in the fridge.

My lobster roll ($24) seemed a little undersized, and the roll itself was overgriddled, but what there was, was very good; shoestring fries were OK. Elsewhere at the table: Conch fritters consisted largely of breading; tilapia piccata was lightly treated, though the accompanying asparagus had gone soft; a warm blondie with hot fudge sauce and vanilla ice cream was routine.

River House Tavern
299 Riverside Ave., Westport, Connecticut
203-226-5532

Antonio's Restaurant

"Flat" would be a fair description of my baked homestyle lasagna ($10.95). Elsewhere at the table: Appetizers of stuffed clams and stuffed mushrooms were indifferent; rigatoni saliccia served green peppers and sweet sausage well by tossing them sparingly in marinara sauce. The same kitchen also serves a Central American dining room (by looks, more of a social club) with a separate menu.

Antonio's Restaurant
405 West Main St., Stamford, Connecticut
203-353-8700

Golden Unicorn

Not for dim sum only! For our group dinner, Golden Unicorn started us off with a creditable Peking Duck, served on mantou (fluffy steamed buns) rather than on pancakes. Even better was one of our final dishes (shown at top), which shredded the remaining fatty meat and tossed it with crisp "rainbow vegetables."

My other favorite of the evening: salt-baked squid, both fresh (on the left) and in a purplish reconstituted presentation (on the right), prepared by soaking dried squid in warm water before cooking. I thought it had a more pointed squid flavor; others at the table weren't so sure. Considering that I cleaned that platter personally, I'll stand by my judgment.

Golden Unicorn
18 East Broadway (at Catherine St.)
212-941-0911

Blue Smoke

The "Rhapsody in 'Cue" ($23.95) — a quartet of meaty St. Louis spare ribs, a pile of pulled pork, propped-up pieces of smoked chicken, and a slim slice of sausage — ably hit the appropriate notes, as did a bowl of creamed spinach ($4.95), but they simply didn't sing for me.

Blue Smoke
116 East 27th St. (Park-Lexington Aves.)
212-447-7733

Burektorja Dukagjini

This poorly posed photo doesn't do it justice, but picking up a fresh, hot slice of burek is a two-handed operation, even for the locals. My slice of spinach ($3) — meat and cheese are also on offer — was appropriately spiked with onion and (I think) just a little feta, and encased top and bottom in pastry that was layered like phyllo, yet chewy and even a bit doughy.

Burektorja Dukagjini
758 Lydig Ave. (Holland-Wallace Aves.), Bronx
718-822-8955

Lydig International Food

Like a mini-version of the Brighton Beach markets, even to the tkemali sauce (380 g.; $2.69), from Georgia. This thin sour-plum sauce goes great with grilled meat — I first met it over kebabs at the Tajik restaurant Dushanbe in Brooklyn — but you should expect more "sour" than "plum."

Lydig International Food
774 Lydig Ave. (at Wallace Ave.), Bronx
718-904-9601

Gina's Bakery & Pastry

Morning might be another story, but a late-afternoon cherry turnover ($1.50) — dry and bready outside, pasty inside — didn't offer much promise.

Gina's Bakery & Pastry
762 Lydig Ave. (Holland-Wallace Aves.), Bronx
718-792-4027

American & Asian Mini Mart

Latin American grocery up front, South Asian in back, brusque attitude through and through. Piccadeli limboo paani lemon drink (250 ml.; 50 cents), from Pakistan, tastes like commercial lemonade.

American & Asian Mini Mart
750 Lydig Ave. (at Holland Ave.), Bronx
718-828-1758

European Meat Market

Just a small choice of meats and cheeses; slightly larger selection of Eastern European condiments and sweets. Cockta (250 ml.; $1), from Slovenia, is an uncaffeinated soda with no particular flavor I could pin down; it's nothing special.

European Meat Market
720 Lydig Ave. (at Cruger Ave.), Bronx
718-918-0179

Lee's Lydig Pick & Pack

An almost subaudible buzz lured me across the street to the mouth of this large greengrocer; inside, I recognized the sound of many, many plastic bags being filled with fruits and vegetables.

Dried persimmons (five for $1.99) were much moister than the version sold streetside in Singapore; wish these had a little more flavor.

Lee's Lydig Pick & Pack
716 Lydig Ave. (White Plains Rd.-Cruger Ave.), Bronx
718-823-7062

Jin Fa Grocery

Chinese-run, self-proclaimed Pakistani-Indian-Albanian-Arabian grocery, with worthy if sparing contributions from all quarters. You wouldn't mistake Pakota brand lychee soda (330 ml.; $1), from Pakistan, for anything more than lychee soda, but it was rounder-flavored and less cloying than it might have turned out. Worth the buck.

Jin Fa Grocery
2098 White Plains Rd. (Maran Pl.-Brady Ave.), Bronx
718-792-5164

Sam's Pizza

The Malesia Garden Café out back — being spruced up this afternoon for warmer days to come — was an early sign of Albanian influences on this corner eatery. The menu consists primarily of pizzeria standards, plus a few items along the lines of grilled meat and stuffed cabbage; there's a small Balkan grocery selection, too. Kras brand hazelnut wafers (500 g.; $3.75), from Yugoslavia, are toasty, nutty, and for a change, not tooth-achingly sweet.

Sam's Pizza
700 Rhinelander Ave. (at White Plains Rd.), Bronx
718-892-3381

Ziyadeh Halal Meat Market & Grocery

Gardenia sahlab (200 g.; $2), from Lebanon, is a rose-and-orange pudding mix, to be cooked with milk. The portion that didn't boil over onto my stovetop was very subtly flavored.

Ziyadeh Halal Meat Market & Grocery
1903 White Plains Rd. (near Rhinelander Ave.), Bronx
718-823-8302

Jerusalem Supermarket

Halal butcher and grocery. A thin, prepackaged slice of sesame and pistachio (1.03 oz.; 50 cents), from Lebanon, was a supple, chewy, not-too-sweet snack.

Jerusalem Supermarket
1825-7 White Plains Rd. (Morris Park-Rhinelander Aves.), Bronx
718-319-1101

AMF Chelsea Lanes

A hamburger-fries-soda combo ($7) took the edge off between games, even if the burger was dry and chewy and the fries were overfried. Between my first game and my second, I did add 40 pins; perhaps it was the Pepsi.

AMF Chelsea Lanes
23rd St. at the Hudson River (Piers 59-60)
212-835-2695

Rencher's Crab Inn

No softshell crab this afternoon, and no she-crab soup; no scallops, either. Fried jumbo shrimp (eight for $13.50) weren't as pumped-up as the name would suggest, but they went easy on the batter, and they had a wonderful chewy-tender texture. Included: blah macaroni salad, a soggy ear of corn, not-half-bad sweet tea. Elsewhere at the table: the crab cake, though a bit overfried, had good flavor; the shells on the spicy U-peel-em shrimp were thin enough (and tasty enough) that you're better off eating all but the tails.

Rencher's Crab Inn
2138 Flatbush Ave. (Quentin Rd.-Avenue R), Marine Park, Brooklyn
718-377-5180