The rules are simple. Give us five and only five. If you can, rank them in order of preference. And of course, you are the commenter, so feel free to ignore the rules and do whatever the heck you like!

I'm not giving you my Top 5, nor am I mentioning any restaurants by name, to avoid influencing people's answers in any way.

Also, if you're feeling so inclined, we'd love to know if your list has changed significantly in the last year or two.

And finally, what else is on your mind?

With all these visitors wandering the streets around the riverfront, Lower Broad and the Music City Center, we thought we'd offer some dining suggestions for out-of-towners.

Here are a few of solid options within reasonable walking distance:

• Pub5 — Scene food critic Carrington Fox loves it, and it's home to an awesome rooftop patio.

• The National Underground — home of what Scene editor Jim Ridley says is one of the best burgers he's ever had. Read Chris Chamberlain's thoughts here.

• Merchants — I had a really nice lunch there a few weeks ago. Read Carrington's review here.

• Rock Bottom — the rebranded Big River Grille & Brewing Works. Chris Chamberlain checked it out in April.

I'm gonna leave it there, because Bites readers, we want to hear your suggestions. What are some of your favorite spots in CMA Fest vicinity?

And what else is on your mind?

It's simple and straightforward. Milk, rice, sugar, egg, salt, natural flavors. It's the pinnacle of comfort dessert for me. In summer, I eat it straight out of the fridge. In winter, I zap it in the microwave for a minute — instant heaven.

I'm not sure why I like it so much. Surely it's mass-produced in a scary-looking factory somewhere. Maybe it reminds me of baby food and takes me back to my early years.

What's your favorite lowbrow indulgence? Something you never tire of. Something that you can buy in the neighborhood grocery store for just a few bucks. Something that doesn't seem like it should be nearly as satisfying as it is.

Whatcha got?

And what else is up, folks? Anyone been to Husk? Love to hear some early reports.

When the weather's this pretty — or frankly, even when monsoons are battering the windows — I get excited about cruising the farmers markets on Saturday morning. I say "cruising" because I've come to find there are certain items I'm accustomed to finding at only one market. At the Nashville Farmers' Market, I'm perpetually drawn to the table stand for Betty Jo's Gourmet Slaw, the best condiment I've found since Boscoli olive salad. It's an all-purpose (for me, anyway) near-relish with a sweet-mustardy-briny taste and a mule kick of cayenne that gives a turkey sandwich, burger or hot dog a dash of zip.

Other specialties I've pursued to specific markets:

• Cuppycakes' amazing truffles and baked goods at the 12South Farmers Market (and now at the new West End Farmers Market).

• Ellie's Old Fashioned Donuts dunked hot in a bag at the Franklin Farmers Market. (Mmmm ... farm-raised donuts.)

• The fresh-harvested mushrooms and Karla's empanadas at the West Nashville Farmers Market.

So what items draw you to a particular market — kale rabe, farm-produced meats, pickles? (Note to self: Go pick up a tub of kimchi from Mitchell Deli on Steve Haruch's suggestion.) Does one stand out from another? What specialties will you be elbowing me aside for tomorrow as we convene this week's Open Thread? Feel free to share anything on your mind related to food — meals you've enjoyed this week (or not), cooking experiments that succeeded (or didn't), items you found (or can't).

• Coming to a restaurant near you!

It's a phenomenon Carrington Fox noticed when she reviewed Pour House in February:

A quick architectural tour of the city's slew of new restaurants gives the impression there is greater affection for old weathered barns than there ever was for farming itself, even in the agriculture heyday of the region. Seriously, where is all this reclaimed barnwood coming from?

Don't get me wrong. Some of my favorite restaurants in town feature reclaimed barnwood. And besides looking nice, it has advantageous acoustical properties — plus recycling materials is good for the environment. But as Carrington asks, where is all this barnwood coming from?

Sure, I've driven by quite a few dilapidated barns in my 15 years in Tennessee, but how many can there be? And when they're gone, what next? Will we have masked commandos swooping in under cover of night, removing weathered wood from still functioning barns, like ivory poachers killing elephants for their tusks?

And is it important that this is locally sourced barnwood? What if it's from Missouri? North Dakota? Does anyone know if this barnwood is organic, for crying out loud? Is there a barnwood verification organization? Maybe that reclaimed barnwood you're looking at is actually reclaimed toolshed wood. Or even house wood. How would you know? Wouldn't you feel deceived?

Stop the madness! I beseech you!

Have y'all had enough of it? (Notice how I said, "y'all," the linguistic equivalent of reclaimed barnwood for providing a quaint rural touch.)

Anyone else ready for some sleek modern design? And this is the Open Thread, folks: What else is up there in your mental hayloft?

• Beat the brunch crowd?

But if you or the mother you need to impress is looking for something that’s not smothered and covered, there are a lot of options this weekend. Some restaurants (Aura, Perl [please see the correction in the comments], Riffs at Casa Azafran) are offering fixed-price menus, but many others are offering their standard Sunday brunch menus with a few bonus specials.

Here’s a list of some of the spots I thought of (and have heard serve a good brunch): Marché, Café Fundamental, Pied Piper Eatery, Sky Blue Cafe, Mad Donna’s, The Wild Cow, {Pub}licity, Coco’s Italian Market, The Stone Fox, M.L. Rose (two locations), Germantown Café, Silo, Monell’s, Garden Brunch Cafe, Amerigo, Tavern, 1808 Grille, The Southern, Prime 108 Union Station, Copper Kettle (two locations), Pfunky Griddle, Urban Grub, Table 3, Ellendale’s and the Opryland Hotel.

Shew. That hits just about every part of the city. But I’m sure I’m missing a gem. What’s your recommendation or tip for Mother’s Day Brunch? What places should be avoided?

And seein’ as how it’s the Open Thread, what else is news?

OK folks. Time for a our latest installment of "Who Has the Best ______?"

We've done potato wedges and french fries. Our latest querie comes from Eddie Hickman:

Have at it, folks! I like a good milkshake, but haven't sampled a lot of them around town. I do recall one particularly memorable shake from Sip Cafe/Mike's Ice Cream in Riverside Village, featuring a tantalizing mix of butter pecan ice cream and a couple shots of espresso. Yowza!

So whatcha got folks? It's getting to be the season for shakes. What else is goin' on?

• Otakusouth.com

But wait. There's a reason. As the comment thread on this post about an Otaku South ramen dinner made clear, a lot of folks think ramen is ramen. Period. "It's just noodles and broth" seemed to be a pervading sentiment among the detractors — none of whom, naturally, had actually tried Otaku South's ramen.

The thread led Otaku South's Sarah Gavigan to explain exactly why she charges what she charges for her ramen, which we turned into a thread of its own. And of course, the debate continued.

Now don't get us wrong — we love a good debate. But as proof that all ramen is not created equal, I offer you Exhibit A, from RocketNews24, "Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today":

Over the weekend, a Korean businessman got into hot water when he complained about his in-flight meal on a trip to the United States. Apparently, he wasn’t satisfied with the taste of his ramen or with the service, and expressed his displeasure by assaulting one of the cabin crew. As a result, he was turned over to the FBI and prevented from entering the country. ...

He reportedly yelled, “Too salty and the noodles are half-cooked!” Then he struck the crew member across the face with a magazine.

• Michael W. Bunch

Drink: Boomstick
Movie: Army of Darkness (1992)
Plot: Bruce Campbell vs. the Evil Dead, round 3

2 oz. bourbon
3/4 oz. lemon juice
3/4 oz. ginger-habanero syrup (build a 2:1 syrup of 60/40 blend of white/demerara sugar to cold-pressed ginger juice; steep a habanero and chopped ginger in it until the heat is where you like it; strain, cool, bottle)
Soda water (for topping the drink)

Shake, serve in an ice-filled Collins glass (or 12-ounce plastic cups) and top with soda water. Garnish with scorched Angostura — fill an atomizer with 1:1 Angostura bitters and Lemon Hart 151 rum and very very carefully spray it over an open flame over the drink. (Never aim at someone when doing this.)

Pat says: The Boomstick seems to be far and beyond the most popular drink I ever did with attendees of the midnights. I imagine part of that involves the sight of burning bitters over something. The cocktail itself is just a variation on a whiskey buck — instead of ginger beer it's soda and a hot/spicy ginger syrup, with the added wonders of scorched bitters on top. You have to be very careful when you make this drink, though, because a torch of bitters and 151 proof rum is extremely dangerous in the wrong hands.

Halloran, alas, is leaving Nashville for New York to join his girlfriend, former Catbird Seat beverage director Jane Lopes. So for this week's Open Thread, care to share any unusual or creative cocktails you've tried recently? Got any ideas for other concessions that might replace Halloran's cocktails at The Belcourt? And of course, this being Open Thread, feel free to share whatever's on your mind — meals or recipes you've tried, new places you've visited (or old), general gripes and observations. The floor opens ... now.

And that means Middle Tennessee's CSAs are gearing up for the growing season. For those who aren't familiar, CSA stands for community-supported agriculture, a practice wherein customers buy shares from the CSA provider (typically a small farm), and in return get a box of produce every week (or in some cases, every other week) during the growing season.

I've bought CSA shares in the past, and enjoyed the experience, though I found my schedule made it hard for me to cook frequently enough to use all the produce. At first, the excess would spoil in my fridge. Over time, I got a better grasp on my usage and was able to give away most of what I couldn't use.

Shares are still available at most of the area CSAs, and I'm pondering buying one — probably a half-share. The folks at Live Simple Nashville have a handy list of providers, with a map of drop-off points.

CSA customers, please chime in with your experiences. Which CSAs do you like? Do you manage to use all of what you get? Do you have any strategies? This year, I'm thinking I'll take all the excess at the end of the week and throw it in the crock pot for veggie stew or something of the sort.

And what other food news has got you fired up?