When it comes to vacations, that was one of the best I've had in a very long time. "Long time" is the operative word. Having three weeks off allowed me to both vacate (to Orcas Island) spend time with family and friends (at my home and elsewhere), and ready the house for the remodel (slated to start this week). Among the many highlights of the vacation was lots of good food, of course. Some of it was so good it made me feel like dancing. Clearly, I wasn't alone:

Taking it to the street -- the Solstice Parade on Orcas Island

I need a vacation. So guess what? I'm taking one. I won't be posting here on the blog till after July 4th. "Three weeks?" you say. "How'd you get so lucky?" Hey, I earned it! And besides: one of those weeks is a mandatory furlough. What am I going to be doing? Well, actually vacationing for one thing. I'll also be preparing for some serious home remodeling, set to begin right about the time I get back on the job. But due to the wonders of modern technology I'll be staying in touch via Twitter. So keep your eyes on All You Can Eat for my ongoing Twitter feed. I figure 140-characters a shot (with breaks for "real" vacationing) is about all I can eat while attempting to find respite from my workaday world. Here's to sun -- and to summer. Talk soon.

A loaf of bread. A jug of wine. And this.

It's not uncommon to find a young boy holding a wild animal close to his heart. Lions and tigers and bears -- among other stuffed animals -- are beloved by "kids" of all ages. My husband still has scores of his childhood friends whose fur coats resemble that of the latter-day Velveteen Rabbit. A lucky few (see: Toy Story) reside alongside our son's prodigious wildlife collection today. But 3-year-old Lucas Engles-Klann's adoration of animals goes well beyond inanimate objects-of-affection. Which is why the self-proclaimed vegetarian is hosting his second annual Woodland Park Zoo fundraiser, to be held Sunday June 28th from 3 to 9 p.m. at Elemental and Elemental Next Door.

Domestic wildlife, beloved by kids of all ages.

When chef (and radio personality) Dan Thiessen partnered with financial-guy Matt Bomberger two-plus years ago, they twisted a cork off a new restaurant concept -- 0/8 Seafood Grill and the Twisted Cork. Conceptually speaking, it turned out to be a good idea: an elegant dining room embracing a more casual wine bar adjacent to the Hyatt Regency in Bellevue. And apparently, landlord Kemper Development was impressed enough to ink the duo another deal.

Chef Dan (right) schmoozing with patrons at the Twisted Cork [Seattle Times/Mark Harrison]

In the ongoing discussion about seafood sustainability, Mark Bittman's very personal perspective in today's New York Times -- "Loving Fish, This Time with the Fish in Mind" -- is something you need to read. Bittman is a prolific food writer and author of many books, including, not incidentally, "Fish: The Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking," his first. When I read his essay this morning, I was struck by many things, including this passage:

"Merely buying a piece of fish has become so challenging that when my publisher asked if I wanted to revise the my book [Fish], I felt I had to decline. The cooking remains unchanged, but the buying has become a logistical and ethical nightmare."

For any environmentally half-conscious eater, purchasing and consuming seafood is likely to provoke the very concerns Bittman so articulately articulates: "How do you buy fish without driving yourself nuts or feeling never-ending guilt?" he asks. A fair question, that.

Fish: it's a wrap -- for some seafood, says Bittman, but not others.

It's been nearly 20 years since Susan Kaufman introduced Seattle to Eastlake's sexy little osteria and enoteca, Serafina. Here, every night's a party, and for some, the scenery in the bar is as appealing as the secluded courtyard's lush greenery.

The bar at Serafina: this place drives me to drink.

Something different this way comes.

Did you know the Triangle closed Sunday night? It was news to me. Fremont Universe has the word though, and describes what's up next for that well-known slice of the Fremont universe. According to the neighborhood Website:

Bartender Nate Rezac recently bought the bar and plans to reopen it later this month with a new menu and a new look. "It will be a 30s and 40s gangsta bar theme," he told us. "9 Million in Unmarked Bills," as the bar will be called, will feature a diverse menu, a smaller bar in the back room and drinks named after old gangsters. Rezac says he hopes to reopen on June 18th.

The Triangle's neon arrow will soon be pointing us in a different direction [Seattle Times/Ken Lambert]

When traffic's bad on I-5 as I'm heading north from Seattle, I frequently take the Lake City exit and travel along 15th Avenue Northeast toward home. Recently, a certain sign has been catching my eye:

Slave over a hot stove? Fuggetaboutit!