It must be the baked ham that got em, or the bottomless coffee and Mount Monadnock-sized homefries on the grill, whatever the reason, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives will be hitting the Formica at the Four Sisters Owl Diner at the end of the month. Food Network star Guy Fieri, the feisty, tattooed host of the awesome road show, will no doubt be hamming it up in the Appleton Street vintage Worcester dining car. No word if the Club Diner will get a mention. Any advice for Guy when hitting the Owl?

Attention sandwich fans: Cafe Aiello is staging its third act. The latest incarnation of the DTL cafe includes a trove of incredible sounding two-handers accompanied by more than a deli pickle. Music and .... better coffee and ... gourmet pizza have been added to the menu. Don't write this place off just yet. The guys who re-opened the Gorham Street cafe hastily over the winter sold it to a friendly duo who actually know what they are doing and seem to understand coffee (Java Tree!!!!) When they re-open on Monday the bleu plate special will be wheat-crust pizza with arugula, bleu cheese, walnuts, bosc pear and garden-fresh tomatoes. Was that my stomach growling, or yours?
Co-owner Roger Parker has slung sandwiches at the Metropolitan Deli in Westford and the brains behind the operation Shannon Goor, wants to make local farmers and food vendors the star.
"We are offering something more unique. The chicken salad is not chicken and mayo, it is a grilled chicken breast." Roger that ! Stop by on Monday or Wednesday from 11 to 2 p.m. for a little live acoustic action with your transaction. Excitement is in the air for Aiello, part 3.
"I couldn't love a place more," she said.

This blog has never been about recipes (see epicurious, et al) but then again I've never attempted to spend a staycation summer in DTL. In the spirit of the recession I christen the In-The-Black Berry Mojito the official drink of summer '09. This secrets to this simple and summery drink arrived in my email today from The Food Channel. Good timing guys. It's been a tough week, who isn't dreaming of a killer cocktail after work while listening to Jacko's greatest hits? I had a muddled berry drink at a friend's brunch last month and loved the way the seeds from the raspberries and blueberries stayed on my tongue and gave this drink a food-friendly feel. Chewy, but in a good way. Cocktail party on the roof? Did some one say Pattio Daddio!
In-The-Black-Berry Mojito
1. In Collins glass (or pint glass) muddle mint leaves, blackberries and simple syrup. Need some help here: Can a chef or bartender tell the layman the deal on simple syrup?
2. Add lime juice, rum and creme de cassis (where can this be nabbed?) and stir
3.Fill glass w/ ice, top w/ club soda and stir
4. Garnish w/ mint spring and blackberry.
5. Kick back with "Bille Jean," "Bad" and "Smooth Criminal"

I popped in like a cork to Tutto Bene on Tues. and the excitement of finding this gourmet gem on the banks of the old canal, feels like Brooklyn 15 years ago. We love C'est, but have been pushing for this place to open for a solid year. Babies have been born, fortunes have been leveled and finally the wine and cheese cave opens on the sunny side of the Canal Walk. Smartly, proprietor Dick Rourke downscaled his business model from top-shelf booze, to more reasonably priced labels from Europe and good old US of A. He tells me 95 percent of his bottles are under $20. I bought a Bicyclette rose from France and a nip of Lake Champlain dark chocolate. I've tried the VT choco before and have never been bowled over. But this was the best bite. Must be becuz everything at TB is fresh. Hours are subject to change, for now they close around 9 p.m. The cheese case is starting to fill in and I noticed some nice looking salami behind the glass. As soon as the cuvee system is installed, a glass of wine/cheese plate will be the most sophisticated nosh in the city.

Fine day for a wine and cheese lunch, no? I'm headed down to Back Prescott Street to check out the long-awaited wine and cheese emporium Tutto Bene. Dick Rourke, Ricardo's proprietor, made good on his dream and opened under the radar today. Anyone been? Pix to come. Rain will not deter this gourmet gal.

Had a wonderful dining experience Friday night at Cavaleiros (finally learned to spell it!) in Lowell. After hitting two civic events @ Enterprise Bank and the AmeriText Muse re-opening, we was hungry. If you think you're gonna get fed at an opening in a time of recession, keep this phrase in mind: "table for two please." Unless you're the first five people to arrive, the VIP scene in summer 2009 is as picked over as Macy's during a cashmere sweater sale.

When you go to Cavaleiros, a Portuguese rest in a former market on Lawrence Street, you gotta chat up the C brothers. Manny and Mike are proprietors who love the restaurant game. Growing up in Lowell w/ Portuguese parents they truly understand hospitality. The place was surprisingly dead and stuffy (outdoor cafe was rolled up becuz of threatening rain) so we sat in the bar near an open door. Good choice.

Went w/ the medallion beef special served w/ the lightest, perfectly textured fries this side of the Azores. What is it w/ the Portuguese and potatoes, can someone explain this? They sure have a knack for the spuds. Vinho verde ($20) was light and refreshing. We drained the bottle, and only felt the slightest buzz, like a nice kiss. Ending w/ a 20 yr., tawny port, rice pudding and espresso had us dancing to Brazilian pop music and feeling miles from the Mill.

Only misstep: the olives served as muse were too crunchy and dry. Try a little marinade fellas. Also, the location might be off-putting to some, not the best section of the city, but Cavs is in a class all its own.

There are 100 beers you've never heard of, and 200 you probably know, being tapped tonight at the Seaport Hotel. Ale from New England -- Blue Hills Brewery, English-style Whale's Tail from Cisco Brewers, and Gritty McDuff's Vacationland -- are just a few that vie for your taste buds at the American Craft Beer Festival, Fri.-Sat.. Lowell Beer Works' May Bock will represent.
It's a perfect day for going head to head w/ these suds. Why do you think there are so many great breweries in Oregon? When it rains, what else is there? The film Beer Wars, exposing the conglomerates that lurk behind your indie beer label, is screened at 7p. more here

I don't usually promote fund-raisers or political campaigns -- nothing gourmet galish about them. But there are two events next wk in DTL that lovers of delights and democracy should know about. On Monday, Ricardo's Trattoria is doing its part to keep the Lowell Folk Fest humming. You love those pierogies, right? They don't materialize out of thin air. It takes work, planning and lots of flour and meat to pull these playful puffs off. Armenian woman kneed their knuckles to the core, so show up w/ a $50 from 5 to 8 p.m. Free apps.

Franky Descouteaux, owner of the Mambo Grill, Monkeys and Humanity has taken on a new project -- City Hall. The burrito babe launches her bid for Lowell City Council Tues. from 530 to 7p at the Mambo. File under green salsa party.

New York City has a ton of rooftop bars and so does Boston (OK, not a ton, but compared to these parts). So what's wrong w/ NoBo that we're practically rooftop barless? Is there some strange city ordinance that prohibits fun on a higher level? I'd like to see places like Fiore in the North End take off in the Merrimack Valley. And lets get some pools up there while we're at it. See Colonade's RTP. Why should Beantownzians have all the summer delights. End of rant.

You love the East Coast Grill in Cambridge right? I just discovered that owner Chris Schlesinger is now consulting @ High Street Grill in North Andover. This guy's a grill God. Seems the restaurant's chef Kristi Morris was East Coast Grill gen. manager so the Southern-influenced New American menu and incredible margaritas have washed up on the North Shore. Altho I don't really consider No. Andover part of the Nawth Shaw, but they do, so I'll give it to them. Going deeper behind the line, we find executive chef Paul Callahan of L'Espalier and Sel de la Terre, and the Butcher Shop fame tucked away in a mill space? This deserves investigation. I'm taking a field trip, anyone wanna join me?

The other night, a certain theater director said to me "now all Lowell needs is a jazz club." And I thought ... stop the presses ... what happened to The Back Page? It's a comin' urban pilgrims. Lowell's first jazz/comedy/tapas joint will open in Kearney Sq. in late-July/early-August. If bad economy-itis is spreading across America, no one's told the entrepreneurs in our midst and I'm lovin' the optimism.

Robert Rameriz, brother of Blue Taleh owner Steve Rameriz, is the brains behind The Back Page. The joint located along the canal in the old Sun building, will serve small plates from its neighbor's martini/sushi bar and yes killer cocktails like Mexican margaritas served w/ muddled mint. Did someone say "swing time?" And speaking of jazz, the Taleh starts a wed. night jazz jam July 22 w/ Evan Goodrow. A rotating mic of highly skilled musicians rock the Merrimack Street oasis from 7 to 11 throughout the summer. It's never been this easy to be blue!

Driving down Route 101A in New Hampshire jonesing for joe, is not the predicament a coffee snob wants to find herself in. This is Dunkin' Donuts country people. So much for Live Free or Die. So when the mustard-colored Milford Coffee and Provisions came into view after a day hike on Sat., I broke fast and swerved on in. Ten minutes till closing, owner John Hill was unfazed. Are you still serving? Yes, sure, whatever you want. We wanted coffee and fuel. A large iced from Manchester N.H. roaster JavaTree, a chicken sandwich on fresh rye w/ ripe tomatoes and Hungarian mushroom soup brought us back to life. This place re-opened two weeks ago and will soon carry beer and wine. Fudge and espresso brownies registered high on the nirvana meter. Located in a former school house, Milford Coffee gets an A +.

Taste of the week: Homemade baklava from Market Street Market in Lowell. Honey and nuts tucked into feather-light phyllo dough = heaven. Best when paired with ... coffee (what else?).