By Craig Cola/ washingtonpost.com

Washington Post restaurant critic Phyllis C. Richman comes to Live Online at washingtonpost.com every Thursday at noon. In more than two decades of critiquing Washington restaurants – from the hautest temple of gastronomy to the most obscure off-the-beaten track discovery – Phyllis has become a household name for everyone in our area who loves to eat. Phyllis is on hand to answer your questions and field your comments about dining out in Washington. And you can read Phyllis's Sunday reviews on Friday – only on the Web.

Want to know what's new and notable on the restaurant scene? Turn to Phyllis. Got a bone to pick with the most recent review? Let Phyllis know.

Here is a copy of today's transcript.

Alexandria, VA: Hi Phyllis,
I thought that I would let all of you know, and I was pleased to see -and stop for a late lunch-, that PHO 75 on Wilson Blvd is open again as of Monday. The new space is cleaner and brighter, and the soup is as satisfying as ever. I love your forum; thanks for including us.

Phyllis Richman: Hello, everyone, welcome once again to the almost-always-sunny Thursday restaurant discussion.

Let's start with happy news. Pho 75, which has nearly become the mascot of this discussion group, has reopened. I've not been there yet, but sources report just as this one, that the soup's as good as ever and there's no noticeable change (except that it's cleaner and a chicken soup has been added to the menu).

Bethesda, MD: Phyllis,
I had always thought that it was illegal for Montgomery County restaurants to allow BYO. Recently, a server at Fairmont Grill, an attractive new Bethesda restaurant that cares about wine, told me that it was perfectly ok, with only caveat that the restaurant must share the corkage fee with the county. Is this really true, and do you know other "wine-friendly" spots in the 'burbs that would allow BYO and charge reasonable corkage? Thanks.

Phyllis Richman: I hadn't heard this,but it would be good news. Montgomery County has such limited choice of wines, it would be terrific to be able to BYO.

Falls Church, VA: Phyllis:
I noticed on my way home while sitting at a traffic light in the Cherrydale section of Arlington, a store-front restaurant called the Pasha Cafe. Have you eaten there? If so, can you tell me your opinion? I would like to try it....my husband and I rather prefer underwhelming -as opposed to overwhelming- dining experiences with simple but flavorful food. Will this fit the bill?

Phyllis Richman: It should fill your bill. It is underwhelming and pleasant, a Middle Eastern restaurant with new owners since I last tried it.

DC: Is there a really good, authentic diner in DC? One where the short-order burgers are big and juicy, and the shakes thick and creamy? -Can you tell I didn't eat breakfast today?-

Phyllis Richman: I don't think an authentic diner is one with big andjuicy burgers, but there are a couple of otherwise-authentic diners around: Tastee Diners in Bethesda, Silver Spring and maybe Fairfx and Laurel.

DC: Phyllis--

I've heard rumors that austin grill will open a new location in dupont at connecticut ave. and s street, across from ruth's chris. Is this true? And what do you know about bistro du coin? I've seen a construction wall and some fun, hand-drawn signage about it. It's going in the old food for thought space.

Phyllis Richman: Bistrot du Coin, at 1738 Conn. Ave. (the old Food for Thought location) is slated to open next week. Its chef is from Les Halles (in its good days, I hope).

Alexandria: Dear Phyllis I love your discussions and I'm an avid follower of your reviews. I just wanted to tell you that I recently went to this little Italian restaraunt on Route 1 in Alexandria and well I must say I was pleasantly surprised. The restaraunt is Romeo & Juliet and from the outside it looks a bit suspicious but once me and my husband went in it's a whole other story. All the tables are decorated with fresh cut roses and the Manager that greats you at the door is very charming and makes you fell very welcomed. We had a special veal chop their and it was very tender and moist. for dessert we both tried the tiramisu and it has to be one of the best tiramisu's I've ever tasted. I was so fond of the food and service I asked the manager where the Chef was from. He told me he used to be the Chef at Terrazza in Old Town before it closed. I just wanted to inform you about this restaraunt that looks curious from the outside but is very elegant outside. Thanks

Phyllis Richman: I've heard similar tales of Romeo & Juliet,but I haven't been there yet.

Wash. DC: I'll miss the live discussion today, but can I just vent?
Why-o-why-o-why do folks who know that they'll be dining in a rather small restaurant insist on bring those huge strollers inside? -I call them SUV strollers.- I don't so much mind dining with infants at the next table -- after all even new parents have to eat, but my husband and I were extremely frustrated after a recent sunday brunch in a small place with only 10 tables or so -- two tables included patrons who had lugged in all of their baby paraphranalia and made no effort to fold or store out of the way of the other patrons or wait staff.
Any suggestions? Can we agree that parents should leave any unnecessary baby "stuff" in the car?

Phyllis Richman: Here's a new problem. I guess I don't get to the suburbs enough. It just shows that we inventive beings will always come up with new ways to be thoughtless. I would think a word to the management migiht convince someone to suggest the paraphernalia be checked or stored elsewhere.

DC: Hi again, it's the diner guy. I don't quite understand your retort about burgers at diners. And my question was about diners in DC, not the burbs. I don't drive.

Phyllis Richman: Sorry I was unclear. I am a diner fan, but I've never found juicy burgers to be a diner thing. Usually diner burgers are tough and dry, often thin and defrosted. I go to diners for such th ings as mac and cheese, stew, pork chops, stewed tomatoes - homier fare. Does anyone else out there recall a juicy diner burger?

As for DC diners, nope. The closest we come is the Fla. Ave. Grill.

Arlington, VA: Bob and Edith's is a pretty good diner -- greasy -in a good way-, big portions, and lots of pie!

Phyllis Richman: Indeed, I forgot it. But it's not in DC.

Fort Washington, MD: Hi Phyllis,

I am a single woman and I am trying to find new places to go to on the weekend where there is atmosphere and the single diners arent singled out by the waiters. Are there any such places in the DC Metropolitan Area.

Phyllis Richman: The best places for single diners to eat are restaurants with counters. And there are ever more of them. If you prefer a table, you'll be more welcomed at an early or late hour,when the waiter and mgr don't regret the loss of business represented by the empty seat across from you. At a restaurant that's not full, of course, it should be no problem.

Arlington, VA: Recently, I rode around the new "U" Street and it seemed to have quite a few restaurants. Are there any that are worth finding a place to park in order to try them?

Phyllis Richman: There are lots of reasonably interesting ones: POlly's Cafe, Coppi's, Republic Gardens, etc., on U St.,.and such cheap-and-good places as the Salvadorean restaurant around the corner on 14th St.

Gaithersburg MD: Hi Phyllis, there used to be a cajun restaurant - La Fite, I believe in the hotel New Hampshire. Does it still exist? Thanks!

Phyllis Richman: After several subsequent incarnations, that spot is now L'etoile, the new kosher French restaurant.

Springfield: Dear Phyllis I wanted to ask you what is the criteria that you use to go review a restaraunt. Is it just word of mouth or do you get some type of listing of the now restaraunts that open in the area. By the way I love your reviewws and discussions

Phyllis Richman: Why,thanks. I hear about restaurants from many sources, including word of mouth and press releases. I choose what sounds interesting and what I guess might interest readers.

Arlington, VA: Phyllis, love the chats! I just returned from a trip to Puerto Rico and had wished you were there to give some ideas on where to go. We did luck out to find a wonderful new restaurant called El Papaguya that uses a white cheese-guava paste-sauce in many of its dishes. The food was wonderful, the service excellent, and the owner greeted us personally and told us how they came up with their dishes.

Highly recommended for any visitors to Puerto Rico! Now if only I could find some good home Puerto Rican cooking here in DC!!!

Phyllis Richman: It's' been years,but I've had great meals in Puerto Rico. I love the idea of a white-cheese/guava sauce. I hiear there is a lot of Nuevo Puerto Rico cooking going on there.

Wash DC: If you worked in SouthWest DC, where is the best place to have lunch if you were seeking fresh food--salads, sandwiches-- -not the Maine waterfront-? There is such a dearth of restaurants in SW, and Capitol hill Northeast for that matter. One would think that this would be a booming area, considering the amount of people currently working here and the forthcoming influx of the Navy -5000 people returning to the Navy Yard in 2000-. And all the new development on M street, SE. If a restauranteur is on, please take note! The other area is NorthEast--there is available a spot perfect for a smallish outdoor cafe-bakery-takeout at 8th and F, NE. There are so many new couples in the neighborhood that would LOVE a place like that. Thanks!!

Phyllis Richman: I'm sorry, but I have no secret stash of restaurants in Southwest DC, or in Northeast. If wishes were restaurants. . .

Alexandria, VA: Phyllis,
I want to follow up on the BYO comment with a question about wine prices in restaurants. Many BYO places do very well and only usually charge a small corking fee. I have seen people complain on this chat in the past about the extremely high mark-ups on wine bottles and why they are necessary, which sparked a response from -I think- the guy at Citronelle. But I know some restaurants -- such as Obelisk -- that purposely don't jack the prices way up b-c they believe wine should be enjoyed with a meal, not simply to make a profit. And most of these places do great. What is your take on moderate mark-ups vs. HUGE mark-ups?

Phyllis Richman: That's too easy a pitch. Obviously I favor modest markups over huge markups. In fairness, some restaurants deserve higher markups because of the quality of their glassware, the fact that they employ a sommelier, the depth and age of their cellar and their willingness to store wines for long aging. But too many restaurants just try to depend on wine m arkups to make t he restaurant m ore profitable.

Washington DC: RE: DC diners

While the burgers are pretty tame, The Waffle Shop across from Fords Theater has the ambience down. Shakes are pretty good, too. Nice greasy spoon breakfasts, linoleum counters, and it's packed sunday mornings. Similar deal with Sherill's on Penn, SE: marginal food, but decent diner atmosphere. Good donuts, too.

For a good cheap burger in town, however, my candidates are the Tune Inn on Capitol Hill and Giorgio's next door to the Cozy Corner at Dupont.

Phyllis Richman: Good list. What I love about the Alexandria branch of the Waffle Shop is its handsome green awning that identifies it as "Wafle Shop."

Wheaton, MD: Phyllis -- when is your review of L'Etoile due to come out? I ate there last night.. it was ok. Please be kind, though -- it's one of only two kosher restaurants in DC and one of only about 5 in the DC-VA-MD area!

Phyllis Richman: It's coming out next Sunday. And you know I'm never unkind.

Arllington, VA: To the diner seeker - I've always been partial to the Waffle Shop on 10th between E and F, NW. Greasy spoon diner type place where patrons sit at one of three pennisula shaped counters on stools bolted to the floor. It's run by a Chinese-Vietnamese family and serves everything from homemade waffles to burgers to meatloaf to fried chicken - even Chinese food!! Oh, and they have excellent handmade milk shakes as well.

Phyllis Richman: There's a thorough rundown for you.

Wash DC: Dear Phyllis,
I had the most wonderful apricot tart - Palais du Chocolat -SP?- on MacArthur. It had to have been the best pastry I've had in DC-little swirls of chocolate in the pudding base under the fruit, perfect glaze -not like a glob of aspic.- I can't stop thinking about it! I've never heard of the bakery before- I was wondering if you knew about them-if they had been here long.

Phyllis Richman: What a description! We;ll all be there in a half hour or so. Must be a branch of the other Palais du Chocolats.

Alexandria: Re: Romeo & Juliet

Nice restaurant. Similarly wonderful is Mike's Italian, just down Route 1. Ever been there or heard about it? It's a gem!

Phyllis Richman: Yes, I've heard from its fans, too.

Arlington, VA: Phyllis,

Have you heard of Transmedia? It's like a credit card that gets you 20% off at certain restaurants. I don't work for the company or anything, but it's free and it's great! DC Coast is part of the system, and 20% there goes a long way!

Phyllis Richman: I've tried it, but somehow I got very few rebates. I just don't go to the right restaurants.

Herndon, VA: Ms. R: Would you agree with the statement "Valentine's Day is one of the worst days to eat at an up-scale restaurant"?

Phyllis Richman: I not only agree with it, I wish I'd said it myself.

Nashville, TN: All Knowing: What is the correct pronunciation for "prix fixe"? What is the difference between a bistro and a brasserie? Merci.

Phyllis Richman: 1. Pree FEEX

2. A bistro is a small, homey sort of place that emphasizes homestyle food - eg, braised meats, stews. And simple fare such as steak with fries. A brasserie is large, with an all-encompassing extensive menu of everything from burgers on up. But the terms have been transformed so that now they are almost interchangeable.

Mt. Pleasant,: I notice that many people write into this forum with a recommendation and you are able to reply that you tried the place but did not find it review worthy. About what percentage of restaurants do you dine at that you find review worthy?

Phyllis Richman: Good question. I'd say 1/3 to 1/2, which is why I sometimes wind up reviewing restaurants that don't really seem review-worthy.

Arlington, VA: About Pasha Cafe in Cherrydale - It is definitely worth trying. The hummus with lamb shwarma is probably the best I've ever had. An excellent choice for a new-comer would be the mezza - a choice of 12 of the appetizers -4 dips, pita, and 8 middle eastern dishes such as stuffed grape leaves, falafel, and others more unusual-. Try the Riz bel Dejaj entree -marinated and grilled chicken served over delicious basmati riced with a creamy yogurt sauce-!

Phyllis Richman: Thanks - that sounds tempting to me.

DC: Hi there,
Just wanted to let you know that I tried Olive's last weekend after reading your review, and was very pleased. I was in a party of four; two of whom were over a 1-2 hour late. The hostess was so gracious, and allowed the two of us who were on time to sit at our table, even though they were packed. They allowed us to keep our reservation providing that we wouldn't dawdle so the people who had the next reservation wouldn't have to suffer because of our tardiness. And the waiter was perfect - friendly, attentive and not overbearing. Liked the wine list and our meals were great.

Phyllis Richman: Glad to hear it.

Rockville, MD: The person's comment about Valentine's Day made me think, Phyllis, has anyone asked you to be their valentine? If not, on behalf of all of the people who love you out there, would you be our valentine?

Phyllis Richman: Aw, shucks. Yes, I;ll be all your valentines.

DC: Re: Transmedia. It's great if you eat at the restaurants listed in the guide book they send you. DC Coast is just one of the many great restaurants in the DC area that accepts it -although we can't use it there because my husband's a chef there-. I highly recommend Transmedia, but would like to know how the poster of that message got it for free. I pay $49-year but I get 25% off.

Phyllis Richman: Never trust what you read here. We're all spouting off the tops of our heads. Thanks.

Falls Church, VA: DON'T DO IT!!!! Advise to everyone: don't dine out on Valentine's day! Pick up a couple of lobsters, some mixed greens salad and some champagne and have a simple meal in peace and quiet at home. If you can't cook, get a meal-to-go from Sutton Place, Fresh Fields or some other market. I love Valentine's Day, I just hate the dining out part. It reminds me of high-school prom night. Ugh.

Phyllis Richman: That's about as clear an opinion as I've heard on the subject.

Bethesda: Phyllis LOVE THE CHATS
What foods do YOU consider an aphrodisiac??

Phyllis Richman: Anything delicious.

Chicago, IL: Hi Phyllis,

I'm a huge fan. I travel to D.C. often enough that I have tried many of the restaurants you've reviewed recently, and I've come to geatly respect your opinion.

I belong to a "dining-out" club - a group who meets for dinner once a month, taking turns picking the restaurant and trying to select one that's new to each of us. The next day, we each write a review of our dining experience and share our reviews to compare our impressions. We give a letter grade to aspects of the restaurant: ambience, food, service. -...a long-winded way to get to my questions.-

When reviewing a restaurant, how do you fairly handle the inevitable comparison between restaurants of greatly varying style -not to mention expense-. How do you compare a wildly expensive French restaurant where you're being served by a small army, with the little family owned ethnic restaurant where Grandma is in the kitchen cooking and the rest of the family is doing their cheerfully inept best to run the dining room? Does one standare fit all, or do you adjust your expectations accordingly?

Phyllis Richman: That's exactly why I don't give stars or other numerical ratings to restaurants. You can't compare them all; it's a disservice to readers and to the restaurants. It's much fairer to describe them.

Washington DC: Phyllis - Just writing to tell you that my friends and I had a really good experience at Myanmar last weekend. The initial rush after your review seems to be over. The food was really delicious. The flavours were quite unusual. The vegetarian selections were satisfying -and the meat dishes were very good according to my friends-. Also, the portions -especially for the apetizers- are large. We came out of Myanmar well-fed for $15 per person including drinks and tips. I highly recommend the restaurant for anyone craving a new and interesting cuisine. Happy eating!

Phyllis Richman: That's heartwarming to hear.

You see, you just need restaurants a little time after they've been reviewed.

Downtown, DC: I'm just back from a great trip to California's wine country, where I had a wonderful meal at a very modest restaurant called the All Seasons Cafe. As you know, it can be a nightmare to get reservations at the more high profile Napa restaurants -French Laundry, Tra Vigne-. All Seasons is a wonderful little cafe style restaurant in Calistoga, the spa town made famous by hot springs and mud baths. The food is deliscious and inventive - we had butternut squash gnocchi and a warm goat cheese -locally made cheese, of course- salad to start, and rock fish in a pistachio cream sauce for our meal. Desert was a trio of fresh sorbets - granny smith apple, grapefruit and tangerine. Yum! The focus of the menu is on fresh, seasonal ingrediants and prices are very reasonable - $12 - $17 for entrees. But BEST OF ALL, is their wine list. Its very comprehensive, but if you don't find what you want, they let you wander into their adjascent wine shop and pick a bottle off the shelf to have with dinner. We wound up doing their wine tasting option - three glasses of winter reds for $15 total! A bargain.

After hearing about all of the very expensive, very difficult to get reservations restaurants in the area, I found it refreshing to experience a place with top quality food, casual atmosphere, an unsurpassed selection of wine - and no problem getting in without a reservation!

Phyllis Richman: I believe the restaurant in Calistoga is one that was mentioned here on this chat line last November. I went to look it over -didn't have time to eat there - and was impressed with the place and the menu.

Also, keep in mind that John Wabeck, the excellent younng chef from New Heights, is now at Brix in Napa Valley.

Gaithersburg,MD: Phyllis, I love your column and this site. What's great about your column is you review the upscale stuff as well as the out of the way places. That's fairly unique in the reviewing business I think, and a credit to you and whoever devised that approach. Keep up the good work.

Phyllis Richman: Thank you, but I think many critics nowadays review a range from the top to the bottom of the price scale. I,for one, couldn't bear a steady diet of elegant restaurants.

Arlington, VA: The Transmedia card is rather interesting and it can be used at places like Galileo, DC Coast, Crystal Thai and the Mark. One good thing about it is that you don't worry too much about high prices because you keep telling yourself, "Twentyfive percent off."

Phyllis Richman: Yes, and 75% to pay.

Fairfax,Va: To the person asking the difference between
Bistro and Brasserie. To add to what Phyllis has rightly pointed out , the word Bistro originated from a Russian word "Quick" and later the word as we know it came from France and Bistros started popping up all over.

Phyllis Richman: Such a well-informed group you are.

WDC: To the single person who wondered about restaurants to eat in alone: when I dine alone, I always eat at the bar. I find that the bartenders seem grateful for the business and will offer wonderful, doting service. They usually have time for good conversation, if I want it, or are happy enough to let me read my book in peace. Don't think enough people know what a great experience this can be, esp. in nicer restaurants where most patrons only stop by for a martini before dinner.

Phyllis Richman: I agree. It's a pleasant form of dining.

Columbia Heights, DC: Hello Phyllis: Two things, one, did you hear that Greenwood at Cleveland Park closed on Sunday, and second, when are you going to review Florida Avenue Grill again? It's so wonderful, such an institution and I haven't seen anything about it in years and years.
---Just wondering

Phyllis Richman: Yes, Greenwood did close, and I hear that chef-owner Carol Greenwood is planning to open a new restaurant on Conn. Ave near Nebraska. I think it's the old Peacock site. In Greenwood's old space, there will be a Belgian restaurant.

As for Fla. Ave. Grill, I love it but can't imagine why it would need a new review.

Washington, DC: Phyllis,

FYI - Woodlands, the Indian vegetarian restaurant in Langley Park, has opened a branch in Fairfax. Their phone number is -703- 385-1996. The menu is the same in both restaurants and the quality of food in the new branch seems up to par with the original restaurant. Let's hope more of these Indian vegetarian restaurants set up shop in Northern Virginia. It's a pretty long trek to go from Arlington or Falls Church to Langley Park where most of these restaurants are clustered. Thanks.

Phyllis Richman: That's a trend that should be welcome in Fairfax. Those inexpensive and satisfying Indian vegetarian restaurants are one of the best happenings we've seen on the local restaurant scene.

Washington, DC: Given that so many chefs are opening multiple restaurants nowadays, how do you go about finding out when they'll be cooking at which restaurant? And how important do you think it is - would you ever decide not to eat at a particular retsaurant because the star chef isn't cooking that night?

Phyllis Richman: It depends on the restaurant, of course. Some chefs are good at training help and developing a smoothly operating team, and you might not be able to tell when the chef's not there. Others depend on a star whose kitchen doesn't shine without him. If I'm spending big bucks for the work of a creative chef, I'll want to know the master is in the kitchen, though it might not make a difference.

Washington, DC: Phyllis,

I watched the movie "My Best Friend's Wedding" the other night. In it, Julia Roberts plays a restaurant critic! The opening scene show's a frantic kitchen preparing a dish for Julia who takes one bite and annouces she will write a favorable review of the restaurant. First of all, she's basing her review on ONE BITE of food! Second, she annouces her review to the WAITER! Finally, Julia's a food critic .. but she weighs about 90 lbs! She obviously never eats!

Did you just want to kill someone when you saw this?

Phyllis Richman: I could weigh 90 pounds, too, if I were able to evaluate a restaurant on the basis of one bite. Even better if I could, as Tim Zagat has claimed he can do, tell how good the restaurant is on the basis of one smell. I could review a dozen restaurants a week.

Arlington, VA: Re Greenwood's closing, is anyone who read this chat surprised since posters always talked about the arrogance of the place. Of course, it could be the backers pulling out!

Phyllis Richman: If that were true, I doubt she'd have the backers for a new restaurant.

Washington, DC: Connectticut near Nebraska!!!! Yay!!! We have always wondered why there aren't better restaurants there -close to us in Chevy Chase, DC-. Thanks for the great news!

RE good restaurants with bars, single diner should go to Kinkeads. Its bar is really nice.

Phyllis Richman: YEs indeed. And Marcel's, I think.

Herndon, VA: Ms. R: THANK YOU, THANK YOU for agreeing with my "don't eat at up-scale....on St. V'd Day" comment. I can now show this to my wife and, again, tell her how brilliant I was to make reservations at "our" restaurant for the 13th. YOU ARE OUR VALENTINE!!

Phyllis Richman: Glad to take credit for anybody's happiness.
I wish you all the Valentines Day of your dreams.

Alexandria, VA: Hello, Phyllis! Is there any truth to rumor that there is an informal rivalry b-t you and MetroWeekly's restaurant critic, Jeff Travers?

Phyllis Richman: I've never heard of him, but hey, I'm always looking for a good rival.

Arlington VA: Re: Star chefs ... how would I go about finding out if the star chef is in the kitchen that night? Would it be rude to ask when making reservations?

Phyllis Richman: No, just ask. It's also a good way to signal that you care.

Bethesda, MD: I ate at Old Angler's Inn the other night. The credit card receipt had a spot for a waiter's tip .. then another spot for the Captain's tip -or something .. I can't quite remember-. Is this common? Am I required to give two tips?

Phyllis Richman: Amazing how many gimmicks those receipt designers can come up with. Some also have a tip chart.

No, you don't need to leave a tip for the captain, though you're always welcome to tip any staffer you'd like. In many restaurant tips are pooled anyway.

Arlington, VA: This is in response to Wash, DC who can't seem to deal with the stroller situation.
I've spent a great deal of time with my sister and 5 month old nephew in the past few months, shopping and eating in restaurants. Certainly, these new strollers are a big hassle with all the new safety features, etc...but, it's more so to the family than it is to the spectator. Ones for infants are especially bigger.

Frequently, restaurants do not have booster seats or high chairs that are suitable for seating infants. So, in order for everyone at the table to eat, the infant has to be tucked safely away in the stroller while the family dines.

To say that people with infants and all the contraptions that keep infants happy --- the stroller, the big bag full of toys and distractions, diapers, bottles --- must not enjoy eating out or keep the things that make baby happy in the car or at home is unfair. They have as much right as others to done comfortably in restaurants...whether these places are large or small, cozy ones.

So, please be considerate of those who own the "SUV" strollers. Don't let us get to you. Simply concentrate on your food and company. Those of us who push them along regularly have enough to keep up with.

Thanks, Phyllis for letting me vent...

Phyllis Richman: Vent on.

Arlington, VA: I hate to be the first to bring it up, but was the City Paper correct in announcing last week that you will be retiring as the WashPost food critic this Spring? You know how much weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth there will be, don't you? Of course, all your fans will wish you the very best in whatever you decide to do next.

Phyllis Richman: Yes, it's true. Thank you for your kind thoughts. It's' time to go now, but come back next week and we can talk about this as much as you'd like.

In the meantime, dine well, even on Valentine's Day.