The location of the new restaurant is 938-40 S. Conkling St. and it doesn't have a name yet. Stravakis referred me to his operating partner, Mel Carter for the details; but he did tell me it will open in early to mid-summer.

"It has to be open by early September. I promised my daughter she could have her sweet 16 party there," he said.

* Next week I'm going to find out more about Granny's in Owings Mills (in the Boulevard Corporate Center, 10995 Owings Mills Blvd.). Henry K. Miller says it's new and good.

Basically, down home cooking like "grandma used to make." Well, not mine; she was from Russia. Lots of good breakfast food served all the time, i.e., omelets, waffles, pancakes (yummy, corn bread pancakes with pecan syrup) creamed chipped beef on home made biscuits, home made corned beef hash, etc. 

He also gave me the following tip. I hope they put "she loved tips" on my gravestone.

While I'm giving out tips...Micho's has a prime rib special on Wednesday nights. Sixteen oz. prime rib with baked potato for $16.95. Terrific value. 

* Zagat's local editor Marty Katz had a lot of good intel for me, including the fact that Riptide by the Bay opens this weekend, tonight for drinks, Monday for food. It's at 1718 Thames, 410-732-3474. He describes it as "serious seafood, real kitchen." Thanks, Marty.

* And then, of course, there's the e-mail from Stephen Weingard that I open and it starts (no greeting):

You owe us a dinner. I relied on you and tried Abacrombie. And it was four of us, so please send cash (you're no longer reliable) of $130.  Only a $130 you say?  You'll see why. What a mistake. Did we go to the same restaurant?  None of the food you spoke so glowingly about was available to us, except the bread and duck. Allow me to elaborate: 

As if anything was going to stop him.

You see why it's so much fun to be a restaurant critic?