Catching up....

By PATRICIA TALORICO

Happy rainy Monday! Hope the weekend treated you well.

I think I, maybe, cooked at home one night last week. Stopped into a different restaurant almost every night (and sometimes for lunch too.) Let's just say I'm on the soup/salad/sushi detox diet this week.

From what I could tell - and from dispatches from staffers - City Restaurant Week was a success. What did you think?

I was out of my office part of the day Friday so, sorry, there was no Reader Mail. But I will run letters this week. Please keep your dining/food questions coming to me at: ptalorico@delawareonline.com.

AND NOW A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR...

Delaware native Rebekah Denn. She took a home a James Beard journalism award last night for her article that appeared in (the recently shuttered) Seattle Post-Intelligencer "High on the Hairy Hogs: Super-Succulent Imports are Everything U.S. Pork Isn't."

Woo-hoo Rebekah! (She and her mom went to ceremony last night that was hosted by Food Network's Ted Allen.)

Way to represent the First State. Here's Rebekah's account on her blog: Eat All About It.

Tonight, the Beard gala takes place at the Lincoln Center. I'm sorry I have to skip the festivities - which are ALWAYS a big scene of culinary stars. (You see everyone from Jacques Pepin to Jamie Oliver munching on hors d'oeuvres and guzzling champagne.) And, darn! Stanley "Big Night" Tucci is one of the MCs. Now, I'm seriously bummed. (Note to C: I'm very glad you could use my ticket. Have fun and I want a full report!)

Our local boy who made very very good Tom Douglas (St. Mark's grad turned Seattle culinary superstar) is up for Restaurateur of the Year tonight. Go Tom. Go Tom. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!

IN OTHER NEWS.....

Have you been to Bistro on the Brandywine lately? I enjoy this comfy cafe at U.S. 1 and 100, Chadds Ford, Pa., especially the (head still on) shrimp and moules frites.

Met friends from New York on Friday at Villa di Roma (936 S. Ninth St.) in Philadelphia's Italian Market. I introduced them to it a few years ago - they wanted an "old school Italian red gravy" place - and I don't think you can do much better than this very casual South Philly gem. I like it even better than Ralph's.

So when they're in town - as they were for this weekend's Phillies/Met match-up - they want the Villa. We had such a great evening of conversation and food - from the fried asparagus to the tuna and roasted peppers to the spaghetti with oil, garlic and anchovies to the whopping big veal dishes and the spinach sauteed in olive oil with lemon - and our server Anne Marie made it even more entertaining. When she found out one of guys never ate cannoli before - and, seriously, it shocked me too! - she ran to the kitchen and came back with a plate. (Villa gets the pastry from the nearby Isgro's, one of my favorite bakeries.)

If you go to Villa di Roma - bring cash, they don't take credit cards and ask for Anne Marie. She is a 5-foot-tall fireball and a floor show all rolled into one.

Since Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow, I think it's only appropriate to talk about the margaritas at Agave in Lewes , which I sampled Saturday night. This is everything that a good cocktail should be. No stinking syrupy mix. They use hand squeezed lime juice, top shelf tequila, salt on the rim and serve it ON THE ROCKS. (If I want a frozen drink, I'll order a Slurpee.)

This tiny slip of eatery on Second Street has no more than, maybe? 10 tables. We finally lucked out in snagging a table, something I haven't been able to do in two previous visits. Fish tacos and burritos are very good.

We were having so much fun - and enjoying those margaritas - we forgot to watch the Kentucky Derby.