Tom Sietsema

The hardest reservation in D.C. right now is the new La Merna, from a couple (literally) Chicago talents. They’re doing (great, already) tavern-style pizza, fun pastas, and top-shelf drinks in a setting that truly evokes an earlier decade in the Windy City. Love the paneling, the service, the bustle. The cherry on top was seeing a former colleague, poised for further greatness in his career. Less

You always want your last meal on a trip to leave you loving the city you’re visiting. I feel fortunate, then, to say farewell to Nashville at Iggy’s, where a host sat me at the chef’s counter, with a view of the action; a server advised me to get two pastas instead of an app and an entree; and one of the cooks told me he used to work back in D.C. (well, the vey good Three Blacksmiths in Sperryville, Va.) I devoured the agnolotti stuffed with corn and showered with truffles followed by a masterful risotto decked out with sweet shrimp and stippled with herbed oil. Goodbye, Nashville! I can’t wait to come back. Less

The best compliment one can probably pay to Osteria Mozza in D.C. is that it always tastes as if you’re dining in L.A. The relaxed but professional vibe and the food — familiar dishes raised to new heights — are spot on. Tonight’s winners included a refreshing tuna crudo, sweet-summery corn cappellacci, and Nancy Silverton’s peerless butterscotch budino. Less

Primrose! I haven’t been since @npbenton took over the kitchen last May, and I can’t wait to return what’s now one of D.C.’s best neighborhood restaurants. Owner Sebastian Zutant charms as both host and sommelier (the wine list is great); the room is as cozy as ever (and how nice to slice into dishes with sleek Laguiole knives); and the fair-priced food rocks. Go for the bracing green tomato shooter; zesty, crisp-soft lamb ribs with herb salad and cherry compote; and a top-notch smash burger. The chef cooked at the late, great Kinship and the ever-innovative Minibar — and it shows. My only regret is that @primrose.dc isn’t in *my* Zip Code. Less

My birthday getaway to NYC was made special by so many events, chiefly lunches at the beguiling Borgo and Four Horseman; dinners at The Dutch and 425, the latest attraction from Jean-George Vongerichten; drinks at Commerce Inn in the West Village; and getting spit on by Jonathan Groff, the toast of Broadway and the star of “Just in Time.” Looking for a pre-show snack? Pure Thai Cookhouse on 9th is where you want to land. #newyorkeats Less

Mention the name @restaurantmastard, and everyone who cares about food in Montreal insists you dine at the little gem opened five years ago by chef Simon Mathys.

The chef’s menu, which revolves around prime ingredients from Quebec, is spare. Each of the give courses is described in just a few words. “I like things short and straightforward,” says Mathys, who nevertheless lists the names of everyone who works for him on a separate card. “This is not a one-man show.”

The team effort reveals itself in the details at Mastard, where the men and women who introduce the dishes include the people who made them. A recent dinner launched with a clear ham broth infused with toasted hay, as restorative a taste as any this season and the chef’s idea of a big hug.

No plate was less than memorable, although this fish fan fell especially hard for shaved, steamed beet hiding a pristine scallop on horseradish cream, and roasted walleye sauced with pork broth, miso and cream dappled with parsley oil. “Sauces are my favorite thing to do,” says the chef, who finishes the walleye with spoonfuls of basil, zucchini and eggplant purees.

The only surprise is a pleasant one: The cost — a mere $75 for a night to remember. #montrealfood Less