The appearance of a Cracker Barrel right when I was getting hungry and had just said I'd like to stop at one (little did I know that you can't drive 10 miles on a major roadway in New York or New Jersey without encountering one). As a transplant to New York from Colorado, I have a nostalgic place in my heart for a food chain (not the animal kingdom kind of food chain, but the kind with cookie-cutter buildings and familiar menus and consistent quality). And my expectations about the food are so low when I walk in the door that the spicy grilled catfish was a pleasant surprise.

Mussels and a Stella Artois at a place called Vintage in Byward Market, purchased in Canadian dollars, which made the meal very cheap.

A chocolate croissant and a peach brioche from a French pastry shop in Byward market. We had reserved a suite with a kitchen near the market, so I got up early and got the pastries for us to eat in our room. (I'm always awake early on vacation; yes, poor Todd. Hence the suite for this trip.) The early morning walk, the smell of the pastry shop, a strong cup of coffee and the paper were a great start.

A street-vendor hot dog that (sorry NYC) beats anything around here. Grilled right when we ordered it, bursting out of its crisp skin and offered with about 10 different condiments.

Indian buffet at Haveli's. Have I ever had a dosa like this before? It was chewy and slightly crisp, but not cracker textured like I've had before. (Anyone know how they're supposed to be?) The coriander chutney was so hot, but somehow fresh-tasting at the same time.

Build-your-own s'mores tableside at Bailey's Cafe in Saratoga Springs. Instead of making dessert for some guests tomorrow night, I'm going to steal Bailey's idea and make my guests assemble their own.