It's time to look back, before the ball drops in Times Square, before Lawrence Welk squeezes one more sentimental song out of his accordion, before confetti swirls and strangers kiss.
Oh, Lawrence Welk doesn't do ``Auld Lang Syne'' on television at midnight anymore? Tommy Dorsey? Artie Shaw? Those were the good old days.
And these are the good new days for dining in the Delaware Valley. So many fine restaurants, so little time to savor them all.
The very best dinner I had in 1996 took place at the Ebbitt Room in the Virginia Hotel in Cape May, N.J. Food, service, atmosphere, the wine list, all splendid, that rare combination that showcases the artistry of a skillful chef in a room that delights the eye and ear.
The second-best dinner was at Isabella's, a storefront restaurant on Castor Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia. The Ebbitt Room is nationally known. We have cousins who live in the Northeast who had never heard of Isabella's. That's what makes this job exciting, the thrill of discovering a place like Isabella's with its warmth, fine food and reasonably priced wines.
Third best dinner? At EverMay on the Delaware, a delicious six-course meal served efficiently at a leisurely pace by a congenial waiter.
Next came dinner at Sanna's, a cozy Manayunk restaurant, creating big-time flavors in a tiny kitchen.
Rounding out the top five, dinner at the Inn at Little Washington, 80 minutes west of Washington D.C., expensive but worth it, the room athrob with couples celebrating special occasions.
There's a constant ebb and flow in Philadelphia, some closings balanced by anticipated openings. Nicholas Nikolai opens soon on Rittenhouse Square. Same destination for Aglio, moving uptown from South Philly. Alison Barshak could call her new restaurant ``Eats'' and people would flock there, so don't be concerned about her working title, Venus and the Cowboy.
You want more lists, you get more lists.
Check the diversity in my list of best new places. Start with Rococo, the dramatic restaurant in the old Corn Exchange building, huge place with a bold menu. Next in line, a storefront on Haverford Avenue, Ly Michael's, for sophisticated Chinese food. Third, Manayunk's Vega Grill, with its robust South American dishes.
Rounding out the top five, the elegant Tony Clark's and the straightforward Napoleon.
