Zake's Cafe: Cozy Fort Washington BYOB offers flavorful options for rich and lighter fare alike

Quaint and unassuming, Zake's Cafe was the perfect choice for a casual night out with my mom, sister and brother's girlfriend. As part of the Ambler-area restaurant week, we received an appetizer, entree and dessert sampler, along with a complementary glass of wine for only $25. This is absolutely a steal, considering that the entrees offered are typically $16-24.

Tables are definitely packed-in at this charming house-style BYOB, but I didn't feel as though we were too close to any of the other diners or struggling to hear each other. Luckily, there was sufficient surrounding noise that I don't believe anyone could overhear my sister and I sharing a story about the giant, whoopee cushion-esque fart that occurred during our last Pilates class.

Booze ... in 50 Words or Less: Rebel Hill Off the Mark Stout

Strong coffee stout with just a tiny bit of sweetness. Hubby said he could taste whiskey, but me ... not so much. Great as a dessert beer. And even greater when you realize this is made by some guy brewing in his basement/garage/bathroom.

www.facebook.com/rebelhillbrewing

Nightmare at Chili's: Two-hour dinner with a toddler in tow

In the nearly 17 months that we've been accompanied by a third person (a very tiny person) when going out to eat, we've found it amazing how quickly you can actually get in and out of a restaurant. Hosts are anxious to get you seated so your child isn't wreaking havoc in their lobby. Servers cannot wait to get your order in, delivered and cleared to minimize the mess that is quickly accumulating under the high chair.

Unfortunately, that was not the case tonight. After a bit of shopping at the King of Prussia mall, we decided to head over to Chili's for dinner. We should have known it was not going to be smooth sailing as soon as the waitress took 15 minutes to bring us our drinks and take our order. But having been in the biz myself during my college years, I always like to give servers the benefit of the doubt. Even when we have to repeat our order three times: Fried mozzarella, cup of chili, chicken fajitas, margarita chicken. Mmmhmmm. Not exactly that complicated.