Haven't gone shopping yet for all the traditional Thanksgiving trimmings? Then why not go French for the holiday! All three Petit Robert Bistros will be serving from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Thursday, offering their full regular menu, plus 4-5 holiday "specials" like roast turkey, beef bourguignon, pot au feu, and more. Chef Jacky Robert guarantees his usual prices, with entrees ringing in around $20 and a children's menu for the wee ones. His wallet-friendly wine list completes the meal. Call for your reservations - 468 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, 617-375-0699; 480 Columbus Ave., Boston, 617-867-0600; 45 Chapel Street, Needham, 781-559-0532.

Photo courtesy Petit Robert

It might be my inner Red Sox fan talking, but the best pizza we found in New York was in Boston.

This is completely unscientific but while in New York, I had to make a choice between burgers or pies and went with the former. Pizza stops were a bonus. Spills and all, Spunto was grand and Lombardi’s had fantastic toppings, but their crust must be an acquired taste.

Seeking a slice in Boston’s North End a few weeks later, we asked a Sox-capped local in front of a packed back street bar where to get a slice. The "slice'' part of the request gave him some trouble as he flipped through his mental Rolodex.

“Ah! Il Panino Express.”

Sold.

We ordered at the cafeteria-style counter, sat, bit, and stared at each other in amazement.

She said: “This is better than New York.”

He said: “Yeah.”

Crisp crust, sweet sauce, a good dose of good cheese.

We’ll get ‘em next year.

Il Panino Express - MAP
264-266 Hanover St.
Boston
617-720-5720

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Globe travel correspondent Joe Ray writes his own blog, Eating The Motherland and contributes to the English language version of Simon Says! the French food and lifestyle blog run by French food critic Francois Simon.

Photo by Joe Ray for The Boston Globe

The 23d Annual Christmas Festival will be held this weekend, Nov. 6-8, at Boston's Seaport World Trade Center. The show opens Friday with the popular Gingerbread House Competition, an annual crowd favorite showcasing the talents of Boston's top chefs. After judging (full disclosure: my niece and I are judges), these incredible creations of varying sizes will be sold, with all the proceeds to benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston.

The festival itself offers everything a holiday shopper could desire under one roof. The distinctive work of over 300 master American crafts people will keep guests dizzy with delight. Bargain hunters, as well as those with extravagant tastes, will find an endless array of home accessories, designer fashions, jewelry, handcrafted holiday decor, tempting gourmet specialty foods, and one-of-a-kind handcrafted gifts unavailable elsewhere.

Over 30,000 visitors visit the festival each year. Admission is $12 -- with an online coupon to print out here. Kids get in free. Show hours are Friday noon-7 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m.-7, and Sunday 10-5.

Photo of chef Coady and pastry cook Zailda Smith put finishing touches on Finale's gingerbread creation courtesy of CM Communications

In my husband's office yesterday I was instructed to open a little green bag. In it were Ray LaMontagne's newest CD, "Gossip in the Grain," and two tickets to see him live tonight at the Wang Theater. Happy birthday to me. See you there?

Hear accounts of bloody betrayal, catastrophic shipwrecks, gruesome executions, and of course, terrifying encounters with ghosts and specters, as you sail the dark waters of Boston Harbor on Boston's Ghost Cruise. Sail to the actual sites and listen to tales told by a professional troupe --18th century privateers and sailors, fishwives and doxies who bring the legends and folklore of Boston to life. Cruise leaves and returns to Long Wharf. The five remaining cruises run on Oct. 30 and 31. Adults pay $32 and children 12 and younger pay $25 in advance. Call 781-784-7469.

Photo courtesy Boston Ghost Cruise

This Friday, Oct. 30, the streets of Harvard Square will be alive with black magic, costumed mimes, and a monster mash for the square's liveliest block party of the year -- Harvard Scare in Harvard Square. A costume party for children and a Monstah Mash block party for all ages will flood the streets, as live entertainment, costume contests, prizes, and terrifying thrills abound. The celebration begins promptly at 4 p.m. Retailers will have many special treats as well -- see here for a full list.

This Saturday, Oct. 24, is the Boston Book Festival, with an all-star lineup that will have you scrambling to get to and from all the presentations and panels featuring internationally known writers, scholars, critics, and commentators; listening in on programming for children, teens, and families; breaking out paper and pen for writing workshops and competitions; and basking in the spoken word and music performances.

For the complete list you'll have to look online. Meanwhile, here are my Top 10 Reasons for attending the Boston Book Festival.

1. The keynote speaker is Orhan Pamuk, recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize for Literature.
2. One of my local favorites, Richard Russo, discusses challenges and triumphs, hilarity and heartbreak of family.
3. Anita Diamont, of "The Red Tent,'' discusses her work and the role of place in "Day After Night.''
4. Globe-trotting's own Ethan Gilsdorf gives us insight into his "Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks,'' a chronicle of his ravels through the worlds of online gaming and live-action role-playing.
5. Harvard economist and business guru Michael E. Porter, pundit and adviser to presidents past David Gergen, and Atlantic Monthly senior editor Jack Beatty mix it up with a frank assessment of the president’s progress on his new agenda.
6. N.H. native Ken Burns will discuss documenting history.
7. Actress Alicia Silverstone discusses her vegetarian Kind Diet.
8. A workshop I so want to attend called "Jumpstart Your Writing.''
9. Writer Idol - you have to go online and get details.
10. The Spoken Word Showcase featuring Boston high school and college students performing their own and others' poetry.

In addition to Saturday's events, a special kick-off event with music and readings will take place Friday, Oct. 23. Times and locations for panels and speakers are found online. The Boston Book Festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Boston Public Library, Old South Church, Trinity Church, and outdoors in Copley Square. Unless otherwise noted, all events are free and open to the public with no reservations required. For more information, call 617-252-3240.

Photo of author Anita Diamont, courtesy Ashmont Media

There are only two weekends left to embark on the Urban Adventours Emerald Necklace & Fall Foliage tour. This weekend and next, you can discover Frederick Law Olmsted's famous system of parks on this bicycle tour. From the shaded boulevard on Commonwealth Avenue to the popular shores of Jamaica Pond to the winding paths of the Arnold Arboretum, this chain of gardens, reserves, and open space displays some of the most colorful flora as autumn descends on Boston.
No bike? No worries. The tour includes a bike, helmet, water, and, of course, a friendly and knowledgeable guide. The tour is 2.5-3 hours long and covers 10-12 miles. How better to see the city and its colors -- and all this for only $50! Check out the details.

Photo courtesy Urban Adventours

Southwest has sprung a 16-day sale for travel through Feb. 11. Sale fares from Logan run as low as $59-$149 each way and reservations must be made before Oct. 16.

This sale, while not offering the kinds of reductions we saw in July, is unusual for a couple of reasons. First, travel dates for these kinds of deals are typically restricted to Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, which reflect an attempt by carriers to fill seats on the slowest days for business travel. But this sale is available every day, except Fridays and Sundays.

And many sales in this time period black out days around Thanksgiving and Christmas. For this offer, seats appear to be limited but have not been taken off the table.

"Is this Southwest's best sale ever? No.,'' said Rick Seaney, CEO of Farecompare.com, an airfare comparison shopping site. "But will people pay about $40-$50 less than they would have the day before the sale? Yes.''

The Smithsonian is free every day, so in the spirit of sharing the wealth Smithsonian magazine has once again organized its annual free museum day this Saturday at hundreds of participating cultural centers around the nation. To attend, you must go to the event website, fill out some basic information -- like your name and address -- and print out an admission card, which will be good for you and a guest. Three caveats: The offer is good for Saturday only; the limit is one per household; and the card can be used just once -- so forget any plans for a day of museum-hopping.

Even with those restrictions, this is a great deal. In Massachusetts, for instance, there are more than 50 participating locations, including the MFA, Museum of Science, JFK Presidential Library and Museum, New Bedford Whaling Museum, Worcester Art Museum, and Heritage Museum and Gardens. Here's the complete list.

Let's say you're planning to do a little leaf-peeping this weekend. There are other participating museum around New England. In Little Rhody there are more than a dozen; New Hampshire has eight; Maine ;21; Vermont 17; and Connecticut 20.

Globe staff file photo of Museum of Science in Boston

First it was planes and trains and now it's automobiles, too. Avis and Budget are banning smoking in their cars, starting Oct. 1.

The car rental companies told USA Today that they will impose a cleaning fee of as much as $200 on customers who violate the rule. The firms also noted that they would forbid their own employees from smoking in the cars.

For me, this is great news. I hate getting into a rental that smells like smoke. And apparently I'm not the only one. John Barrows, a spokesman for the Avis Budget Group, the parent company, told USA Today that "the No. 1 request we get is for a smoke-free car.''

This puts Avis and Budget in front of the pack on this issue. Other major competitors either do not have an across-the-board ban or simply allow customers to request smoke-free but don't guarantee it.

Domestic airlines, buses, and Amtrak have had severe restrictions or bans on smoking since the early 1990s.

Photo by iStockphoto

Southwest Airlines says it will launch service from Boston to Denver with two daily nonstop round-trips starting Jan. 10.

The announcement marks the second addition the Dallas-based, lower-price carrier has made to its offering of destinations at Logan International Airport since it began service here Aug. 16.

Southwest has begun taking reservations for flights and is offering introductory fares from Boston to the Denver International Airport as low as $99 each way.

Airline representatives say that the speedy addition of flights is a result of the fact that Boston "continues to exceed our expectations.''

But they also note that the move is part of a push the carrier is making into the Denver market. Besides Boston, Southwest also plans to to add one daily nonstop from Denver to Spokane, Wash., and one to Reno/Tahoe.

"Denver, like Boston, is a good market for Southwest,'' said Rick Seaney, chief executive of Farecompare.com, an airfare comparison shopping site.  . "There are a lot of business customers there. They think they can go head-to-head with United,'' which is the top dog in Denver.

This summer Southwest made a $170 million bid to buy Denver-based Frontier Airlines, eventually losing out to Republic Airways. Had Southwest been successful, the deal would have combined the number two and number three carriers in Denver and left Southwest with 36 percent of passengers there, compared with about 37 percent for United, airline analyst Darryl Jenkins of The Airline Zone told a local Denver television station.

"We have been competing with Southwest in a number of cities for a number of years,'' said Robin Urbanski, a spokeswoman for United. "The key for us has been to offer competitive pricing and better service.''

"We think Denver is a vibrant market with both a number of business and leisure customers,'' said Chris Mainz, a Southwest spokesman. "It also make sense in our schedule for customers going coast to coast or anywhere east to west. And to be a player there we need a significant presence if we're to be at all successful.''

JetBlue has just launched a sale, with fares as low as $29 each way. Travel must be booked before Sept. 11; trips need to be completed by Dec. 16.; and sale fares require up to a 7-day advance purchase.

The Thanksgiving holiday period is blacked out and it will come as no surprise that "advertised fares are most often found on midweek travel dates.''

Here's a quick look at the advertised one-way prices from Logan: to Baltimore is $39; Washington Dulles $49; Charlotte, N.C. $69; and LA $109.

And the rest of the fine print can be found here.

Call this the upside of trimming flight schedules. The on-time rate for US airlines in July was the best it's been in six years.

In fact, on-time rates in the first seven months of the year have been at their highest levels in six years, owing in part to the fact that struggling carriers have been cutting flights to save money amid the recession and falling demand.

This from Bloomberg News:

The 77.6 percent on-time rate for the month compares with 75.7 percent for the same month in 2008 and was the best result for the industry since 79.7 percent in 2003, the department said in a report released in Washington.

Which airline was best? Hawaiian Airlines at 93.6 percent, followed by Alaska Air at 87.2 percent. And the worst? Delta’s Comair unit with 63.6, followed by SkyWest’s Atlantic Southeast unit at 68.3 percent and AirTran at 69.8 percent.

An interesting bit: The most frequently delayed flights were Northwest Airlines 1266 from Boston to Tampa and Northwest flight 1154 from West Palm Beach to Boston, both of which were tardy 96.77 percent of the time.

Southwest, which just launched service from Boston a couple weeks ago, says that it will begin offering two daily flights from Logan to St. Louis starting Jan. 10.

"Demand in Boston has been ahead of what we predicted,'' said Paul Flaningan, a Southwest spokesman, "As some of our competitors are cutting back we see it creating opportunities for increased service in St. Louis.''

He also noted that increasing flights to St. Louis from Logan would also "open up'' more southwestern destinations for airline customers.

To mark the new service, Southwest is offering one-way fares to the Gateway City for as little as $59. To qualify, you need to book before Sept. 4 and travel from Jan. 10 through March 12.

In addition, Southwest also is currently offering an additional frequent-flier credit for all customers flying into or out of Boston until Dec. 31. This is a pretty good deal as Rapid Rewards participants get one credit for each one-way flight and under the terms of this promotion you'll get two. Rapid Rewards customers qualify for a free flight after accruing 16 points within 24 consecutive months.

Besides announcing the additional Boston service, Southwest also said that it would temporarily halt flights on three routes early next year in response to overall declining traffic and seasonal slowdowns.

The carrier plans to suspend service in January between Manchester, N.H., and Phoenix; and Albuquerque, N.M., and Portland, Ore., with flights resuming in February. Flights between Kansas City and Seattle will halt in January and restart in May.

The airline also will cut one flight per day on 92 routes and increase service on 42 routes in January, as part of ongoing examination of their route system to cut poorly-performing flights and add service more promising markets.

JetBlue says it will ramp up service to San Francisco in January and part of the plan involves adding a second daily flight from Logan to the City by the Bay.
The discount carrier just restarted the West Coast route in May after cutting it seven months before amid rocketing fuel prices. At the time, JetBlue said it would offer the service just seasonally, through the spring and summer. "But it has done quite well for us so we're going to keep it in year-round and add that second daily flight,'' said Sebastian White, a JetBlue spokesman.

US Airways and Continental announced changes to their baggage policies.

US Airways says it will increase fees for first and second checked bags by $5 for domestic flights. And both airlines say they will levy new fees for a second checked bag on trans-Atlantic flights.

US Airways now will charge $20, instead of $15, for the first checked bag and $30, up from $25, for the second, when bags are checked online. Travelers who check bags at the airport will pay $25 for the first and $35 for the second -- an extra $5 per bag.

Continental will join US Airways in exacting a $50 second checked-bag fee on trans-Atlantic flights, echoing recent moves by American and Delta.

The carriers will exempt top-tier frequent fliers, first-class passengers, and active-duty military personnel from the fees.

Airlines, squeezed by volatile fuel costs and falling demand due to the recession, have gradually been introducing and increasing fees in an attempt to bolster sagging revenue. Both industry executives and analysts expect the trend to continue, although analysts have warned of potential consumer backlash if fees continue to grow.

Federal regulators are looking into whether Southwest used unauthorized parts for repairs on some older jets. Lynn Lunsford, an FAA spokeswomen, told the AP that the problems involve documentation of parts that deflect hot engine exhaust away from the wings of Boeing 737s but that the issue did not present an immediate safety threat.

Given that, the FAA gave the carrier, which just launched service from Logan last week, a pass to keep using the planes for 10 days while a more permanent solution is devised.

This latest investigation marks the second time in the past year when Southwest faced dealings with the FAA over mechanical issues. In March, Southwest agreed to pay $7.5 million for using planes that hadn't been inspected for structural cracks. These problems were discovered last year and forced the grounding of a number of flights.

JetBlue plans to begin flights to Montego Bay, Jamaica, starting Jan. 9. The carrier will offer Saturday-only nonstop service, subject to the approval of Jamaican regulators. Montego Bay will become the 33d destination from Logan for JetBlue, which is set commence daily nonstop service to Baltimore on Sept. 9.

You’d never know it by the sober front of the Amtrak.com website, or the big-city promotions splashed all over the Amtrakvacations.com site, but there’s a quiet bargain available for traveling between Boston and Portland on the Downeaster: a genuine two-for-one sale. Admittedly, trains are limited to a few of the morning and early evening trains, but if you time it right, you can leave North Station in the morning, get to Portland well before lunch, visit the Museum of Fine Arts, shop, and come home after an early supper. Here’s the URL for that nearly hidden page.

Posted by Patricia Harris, Globe Correspondent

All things must end. Citing heavy demand, JetBlue stopped its all-you-can-fly offer nearly two days before it was set to expire.

Last Wednesday, the discount carrier launched the deal, which allowed travelers to fly virtually as often as they want to any JetBlue destination between Sept. 8 and Oct. 8 for $599. When I blogged about it last Wednesday I pointed out that that the airline said the offer would be available till Aug. 21 "or while supplies last.''

Sebastian White, a JetBlue spokesman, said that sales for the passes were brisk right from the start and the company slammed the brakes on the deal last night because "we wanted to make sure that those who had bought passes would have a good chance to be able get seats to places they want to go.''

White refused to say how many passes were sold but suggested that JetBlue may make a similar offer again sometime in the future.

And he passed along this interesting tidbit: About half of those who bought passes have started booking flights, and of that group one of the two most popular routes is Logan-JFK, which is consistent with the airline's view that Boston is an active and important market.

Southwest Airlines, which just commenced service from Boston, is launching a fare sale for the slower fall and winter seasons, with one-way prices starting at $59. Purchases must be made by Sept. 3 for travel from Sept. 9-Jan. 7 and days around the holidays and all Fridays and Sundays are blacked out. Here's the rest of the fine print.
Airlines, struggling with sluggish traffic because of the recession and volatile fuel prices, began fall price battles early this year -- in fact, Southwest fired the opening salvo in early July with a wide-ranging 48-hour sale. Since then, we've seen a steady stream of offerings for fall and now we're beginning to see offers pushing into winter.
It's a tricky time for travelers. Airlines are simultaneously scrambling to fill seats with limited, targeted sales and trimming schedules. If you are planning a trip and you see a good deal, jump on it. Waiting is probably not a good strategy as carriers appear to be moving aggressively this year to ensure that they fill seats as soon as possible, avoiding the dilemma of having to slash prices or fly planes with lots of empty seats.

For years now pitchman Tom Bodett has been promising that Motel 6 would "leave the light on for you.'' And now if you go in you might actually be willing to look.

The chain, known more for low rates than high design, has embarked on a program to undertake a European-style redesign all 1,000 of its locations. Features of the renovation include faux-wood laminate flooring (some say it resembles bamboo), bright accent colors, ambient lighting, a pedestal bed, and 32-inch flat-screen TV

So far, the chain has remade hotels in 22 cities in 11 states and plans to start working on its New England in properties in 2010, according to Laura Rojo-Eddy, a company spokeswoman.

Admittedly, one look will tell you that the end result is more Ikea than Kensington House -- this is, after all, still Motel 6. But it's a pretty big improvement.

This is one of the most unusual promotions I've ever seen. Basically, this is the way it works: If you buy a JetBlue all-you-can-jet pass for $599 between now and Aug. 21 you can fly anywhere the airline goes virtually as often as you'd like from Sept. 8 to Oct. 8. And there are no blackout dates.

There are, however, restrictions: Flights must be booked no later than 1:59 a.m. EDT three days before the flight's scheduled departure. Tickets are nonrefundable and nontransferable. And taxes and fees for international and Puerto Rican flights are not included. The rest of the fine print is here, but given the breadth of this sale it still looks like a pretty good deal.

If you are interested, you should jump on this, as the airline points out that the passes will be available till Aug. 21 "or while supplies last,'' which suggests that it if there is heavy demand JetBlue could halt the promotion early.

If you missed “Frogs – A Chorus of Colors” at Boston's Museum of Science, you can catch them at the Berkshire Museum through Nov. 1.
You'll learn about electric blue frogs, frogs that tip the scales at seven pounds, and others that are only a half inch long. Tree frogs, bullfrogs, horned frogs, giant toads, and dart poison frogs are all part of the exhibit. You'll hear recorded frog calls, see frog videos, even get a chance to perform a virtual frog dissection.
“It’s an ideal opportunity for children and families to explore the astounding world of frogs in galleries transformed into an oasis of peaceful waterfalls and a symphony of song. Everyone will be able to get to know some of the earth’s most fascinating creatures in an up-close and personal way,” executive director Stuart A. Chase said in an e-mail.
There is an additional fee for the exhibit. Admission for adults is $11, $6 children ages 3-18, and $1 for museum members.