I jumped for joy last week when I saw the kitchen at "Cindy's Waterfront," my new restaurant at the Monterey Bay Aquarium! It's been a long process and to see the finishes taking shape makes it all worthwhile. The restaurant is going to be gorgeous and the quality of the kitchen is as wonderful as everything else at the Aquarium. Chef Jeff and his team are excited to get cooking!  Please join us soon. The restaurant opens April 27th. (There are still a few tickets left for the Cooking for Solutions Gala Friday, May 17th. Don't miss it!)

My friend Celia at Omnivore Books in San Francisco recently turned me on to the book "The Hungry Ear, Poems of Food and Drink" edited by Kevin Young, Bloomsbury. It's a wonderful read in these busy times. Grab a moment, pop it open and read a poem. Guaranteed to brighten your day.

This marks the 30th anniversary of Mustards Grill and our beautiful restaurant garden. We're getting ready to move the starts from the greenhouse to the beds, including an early spring crop of red orach. Sometimes called red spinach, it's a cousin to spinach, but higher in Vitamin C (bonus!), and cooks up just the same. It adds beautiful color to a spring plate. (Stay tuned for our countdown of birthday cakes May 17-June 15. A different cake each day, offered at all three restaurants, with generous rewards for those who come often.)

Mustards' Pour-Off Pair-Off (every Thursday) is all about spring this month, and Patrick and Jason have created a bevy of new cocktails to welcome the season, too. (Boy, is the Salty Tequila Dog delicious!)

April's Supper Club at Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen is a jubilee of local strawberries and spring wood oven dishes (every Wed. & Thurs., three courses for $33). The bar crowd is loving John's fish tacos and polenta fries smothered in marinara sauce and cheese at our Don't Worry, Be Happy hour (daily, 3-6pm).

Is it just me or does the thought of falling-off-the-bone ribs in spicy coffee BBQ sauce make you hungry, too? It's just one of the irresistible new menu items at CP's Wood Grill. Grilled asparagus with sauce gribiche, a fancy French vinaigrette with egg, capers, tarragon and chives, is my new favorite. And Isaura's warm vanilla bread pudding with crème fraiche ice cream, fresh strawberries and strawberry sauce is all the reason you need to abandon your diet. (Sharing it will alleviate your guilt.) All of our new kids and adult dishes are earning clean plate awards. Vintner Splash (Saturdays, 6-8pm) stars Scribe 4/6, El Molino 4/13, Broc Cellars 4/20, and Jelly Jar 4/27, so get in here!

Can't wait to see you and wish you a happy spring!

Hope you enjoy this month's recipe for Strawberry-rhubarb cobbler with black pepper biscuits! Yum.