Omnivore - Here and there: Sufi’s, Spoon, Penang, Morelli’s

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• Waiting in line at Morelli’s

I lunched today, Friday, with my usual pals at Sufi’s. We spent about $20 each, with no starters or dessert, so it’s a bit expensive for the average lunch spot around town.

You can go cheaper by ordering a salad or a small plate, but self-denial would be better practiced elsewhere. I bypassed my usual fesenjoon for the lamb shank with rice tossed with dill and fava beans....

Wayne and I dined at Spoon in East Atlanta last night. The restaurant was featuring a new special of seared, sliced tuna over green leaf lettuce with a lemongrass vinaigrette. Definitely give it a try, if you find it available....

As usual, after dinner at Spoon, I rushed across the parking lot to get a scoop of paradise at Morelli’s. There were literally 15 people waiting in line. I had to decide whether to stand in the heat waiting for the cool comfort of the city’s best ice cream, or forgo it and return immediately to an air-conditioned state. I chose the latter, but I was bitter....

I took my Friday-night dining friends to Penang last week. They were a little nervous about eating Malaysian food but, as it turned out, everyone liked the entree they ordered — with one exception. Me.

I ordered cubes of fried tofu —crispy and creamy but sunk in a bit of tasteless broth with totally tasteless vegetables, including mushrooms impersonating rubber with superb finesse. Bummer.