FOR YOUR $22 YOU GET FIVE COURSES—APPETIZER, SEAFOOD, ENTREE, CHEESE, DESSERT—AND COFFEE: Tonight, Philadelphia one-time fine dining institution Le Bec-Fin serves its last meals after forty-plus years in business under Chef Georges Perrier, and will reopen under new ownership (Nicolas Fanucci, general manager of French Laundry) in a few months. Here's Philadelphia Magazine's original September 1974 review, which is a treat to read, and Pete Wells on the meal he had anticipated for twenty years:

Often, after ambitious restaurant meals, I leave feeling that too many hands mucked around with my food, and that despite all the fussing, the result wasn't even remotely satisfying. The cooking at Le Bec-Fin was of a different order; you didn't notice how much work had gone into it until you tasted it.

WIGGLE WIGGLE WIGGLE WIGGLE:  Again last night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, "Neil Young" and Bruce Springsteen covered a recent pop hit.

AIRLINES BEING AIRLINES:  Via Above the Law, we learn that not every USAirways customer tolerates their handling of bad weather crises (in this case, Boxing Day Blizzapocalypse 2010) with the same grace and equanimity of our own Isaac Spaceman. Which is to say that Isaac did not sue the airlines for less than awesome customer service and get bounced under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(6), but nor did his suffering involve emergency stays at the Four Seasons in Denver and the the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando.

DON'T EVEN GET US STARTED ON SCATTERED, SMOTHERED, OR COVERED: Jumping off a lengthy (and rather inexplicable) exchange that involved a number of you on Twitter last night--waffles, pancakes, or french toast? Justify your answer and show all work. And don't anger Wafflebot (questionably SFW).

PLEASE READ CHAPTER 7 FOR CLASS TOMORROW: James Q. Wilson died early this morning, and he's worthy of a brief remembrance here, because among his many writings includes American Government, which remains (I believe) the most commonly used introductory political science/American Government textbook. I know I have an earlier edition sitting on a somewhat dusty shelf, and I expect many of you do as well. I didn't always agree with the policies Wilson advocated (and, needless to say, getting into that is beyond our scope), but I admired his clarity of writing and directness.

WE DO LIKE OUR WHIPPED CREAM VODKA:  The folks at The Philly Post have crunched the data from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board's 2010-11 annual report (click to download PDF) to learn all sorts of things about the Delaware Valley's drinking habits.  The region's top ten wines and spirits, in terms of bottles sold:

Jacquin's Vodka Royale - 80 Proof (375 mL)
Cavit Pinot Grigio
Sutter Home Cal. White Zinfandel
Jack Daniel's Old No 7 Black Label Whiskey (750 mL)
Jacquin's Vodka Royale - 80 Proof (1 L)
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve CA Chardonnay
Grey Goose Imp. French Vodka (750 mL)
Nikolai Vodka - 80 Proof (375 mL)
Absolut Imp. Vodka - 80 Proof (750 mL)
Woodbridge By Robert Mondavi CA Chardonnay

WORLD EXCLUSIVE -- MUST CREDIT ALOTT5MA: Based on recent trends, our next American Idol will be:

• a white male.
• who plays guitar.
• who is not devastatingly handsome like The Outlaw Casey James, or "dangerous" in any real way.
• who doesn't mind reinterpreting songs.
• from the Heartland

On May 24, 2012, at approximately 10:01 pm, Phillip Phillips of Leesburg, Georgia, will be named the next American Idol. Go ahead and tell me I'm wrong.