Po, West Village, Manhattan ****

Last night was Edna Earl's second trip to Po. Edna Earl likes Po. It's a bit costlier than what EE likes to spend for a meal (She dropped sixty bucks for two courses -- a salad and an entree -- and two glasses of wine.), but the food was good and the waiters were nice and she likes the European feel of the place, and she likes the neat little street, Cornelia, where Po is located. And every now and then, ya know, Edna Earl just loves a little session with a white tablecloth.

The "roasted guinea hen" was good and certainly not something Edna would fix (or even be able to buy) at home, so that was a treat for EE. Her other course was a beet salad. It was okay, but nothing she'd write home about -- and the greens of the salad were so unwieldly that they were impossible to wrangle into her mouth -- so she left 'em be.

EE understands that Po's real specialty is its pastas. She did not have a pasta last night, but she did have a pasta on my first visit to Po and found it superb -- better, probably, than what she had last night. So, Edna Earl will definitely go back to Po, soon as she saves up some $, but she'll likely order a pasta next time.

Oh, one thing about Po: She wishes the place had been a little quieter. EE's dinner partner and she could barely make conversation across our small table. But, it's New York, where finding a quiet restaurant is a challenge.

Xavier's, Piermont, New York ****

Xavier's is a decided step up for an admitted diner junkie. No diner, Xavier's -- non, non! Xavier's is tres shi-shi -- one of those places where you get many courses (I think I counted six.), of about a tablespoon of food each course. Impeccable service, interesting food, quiet, intimate setting -- definitely a fine place for a special occasion dinner, which mine was. I understand that one must make reservations months in advance. This was my second time at Xavier's. Shi-shi food is not really my thing -- not that I don't like it or am afraid of it -- but because it's often overpriced, over-wrought, frequently served by rude waiters in loud, overcrowded dining rooms -- but Xavier's completely avoids all those too-faddy pitfalls. Again, for a special occasion evening, Xavier's is pretty close to perfect.

Cozy Soup 'n Burger, Broadway near 8th, Manhattan ***

This is my second favorite diner in Greenwich Village (second to The Waverly). The waiters here are a little less friendly, but the food is good. They have these humongous hamburgers that hamburger people (I'm not one.) seem to like. Also, the milkshake people seem to flock here, too. (I'd like to be a milkshake person, but, alas, a weight consciousness prevents me.) The other night I arrived in New York on one of those damp, very chilly evenings. In the course of getting here and getting checked into my room I'd become drenched and thoroughly chilled, and hungry. So I popped over to the Cozy and ordered a cup of their French Onion Soup. Boy, did it ever hit the spot! So thanks, Cozy Soup 'n Burger, for being there when I needed you.

The Waverly Restaurant, West Village, Manhattan *****

Okay, I admit it. I'm a diner junkie. And the Waverly is my all-time favorite. I've been coming to the Waverly for years, every chance I get. I love the Latino wait staff at The Waverly, for one thing. You just won't find any better. As far as food goes, the omelettes are the stand-out at The Waverly. They're served in a little skillet. The menu is HUGE. I don't see how in the world one little place can offer so much variety on a menu. The food isn't what I'd call gourmet, by any stretch, but it's fine for what it is -- diner food -- and the price is right and the service is wonderful and the place is spotless -- so I love it. Long live The Waverly!

Whole Foods, Union Square, Manhattan *

WHAT a disappointment. My buddy had told me how much fun he had loading up a tray and going upstairs to sit at the window and look out at the Union Square Park action while he ate his fresh food. My own experience, though, was nothing like that. Maybe it was partly because I was there at a very busy time, but it appeared to me to maybe be a place that's busy ALL the time. It's a big grocery store, complete with long check-out lines, where, after you've visited several of those "all you can load" food troughs you stand in line for a while, finally check out, and FINALLY take your loaded tray upstairs and fight for a place at communal tables. The utensils are all plastic, of course, which makes for a little difficulty with a salad. (I despise plastic utensils -- a pet peeve, I admit, but a sensible one.) The food itself looked "limp" to me -- as if it'd been in the trough for a while -- and nothing I ate tasted very good. Bottom line: The food in those troughs just looked a little too breathed on, coughed toward .... for me. And then to have to walk all over the store with it, and stand in line with it ... and then I wound up paying twelve bucks for a skimpy salad. No thanks. The place seems to me to be more of a fad than anything. There were lots of teenagers in there, probably thinking that they're contributing to the salvation of the universe by eating at a place called "Whole Foods."

Dojo, W. 4th St., Manhattan ****

Now, this is one of the very few places where I can stick to Weight Watchers core plan and eat good -- so I'm all about some Dojo. I had their "Vegetarian Special" that included brown rice, steamed vegetables, black bean soup, and Tahini dressing. But, one can also order all sorts of other dishes, and adult beverages, at Dojo. The prices are unbelievably low by New York standards -- $6.50 for some plates. I like the table opportunities, too -- you can sit outside, or inside near the window, or inside in a more enclosed space ... Dojo is just a few steps from the Angelika Film Center, so if you happen to be there and want a good, cheap meal -- pop into Dojo. Tell 'em Edna Earl sent ya.

Moustache, West Village, Manhattan *****

Yes, the little copper-topped tables are too close together; yes, there is this weird rule about ordering everything at the same time -- but I still love Moustache. I've taken scores of folks to Moustache, too, and everybody else I've taken seems to agree with me. It's Middle Eastern food -- falafel, pitza (yeah, they really spell it that way), tabbouleh, hummus, and this terrific dish called a Ouizi. I THINK that's how they spell it. It's pronounced the way you pronounce that gun -- OOZIE. It's sorta like a chicken pot pie made with phyllo. On the inside of the pie is an absolutely delectable mixture of rice, currants, carrots, almonds, chicken, and other goodies. It's served with a yogurt dressing. Somebody near me offered that one can order a vegetarian version of this dish, though it's not on the menu. And, one of the great things about Moustache is that the price is right. One can certainly eat for under fifteen bucks. And in New York, that's sayin' somethin'. So, for your money, you can't beat Moustache, located at 90 Bedford Street in the West Village. I read that they have a new location in the East Village, but I haven't been there yet.

Moustache doesn't take reservations. If you go after 7:00 PM, you'll probably have a wait.