When they call these "specials," they aren't exaggerating

The Vegg-o Babe (aka my wife) and I were watching a show where celebrity chefs describe what they'd eat if it was their last meal. Which is interesting. Normally, if you actually know the precise time of your last meal, it means you're about to be executed.

Now, as an aside, there are plenty of celebrity chefs I'd happily execute, based on their sheer Annoyance Quotient, but it doesn't mean they don't have intriguing opinions about the security of a reliably great dish.

But there's also much anticipation in trying different things. In that spirit, I'm a big fan of daily specials. I actually will go someplace knowing I will only select from that day's specials.

While some restaurants have the same specials every week - Tuesday is meatloaf day or whatever - plenty more specials offerings are random, based on a seasonal whim or what a chef might find fresh at the market. Maybe the will-they/won't-they guess factor is part of the fun.

Truth told, I've been on a strong run of daily specials ordering, and here are three recent successes you should know about.

Fish Tacos at Ortega's in Groton ($11.95).

The great novelist Don Winslow has a terrific recurring character named Boone Daniels, a San Diego surf-dude/private detective. In the zen philosophy of the surfer, Daniels opines that fish tacos are the best food in the world, and also that everything tastes better on a tortilla.

That's a lot of wisdom - and if you try these fish tacos at Ortega's, you'll become a convert to the doctrine. Huge broiled chunks of tilapia, lightly seasoned and squirted with lime juice, lovingly cradled in flour tortillas with shredded lettuce and cheese and diced tomatos - and nothing else to get in the way. You get three of these monsters, with sides of Spanish rice and creamy refried beans.

I've discerned no pattern as to when chef Pablo Ortega trots these babies onto the menu, but I wish he had some signal like Batman's searchlight logo that would let me know. I'd be there every time.

The Deviled Ham Wrap at Mister G's in New London ($7.25).

It's my opinion that deviled ham gets far too little respect and is tattooed with that school-lunch-afterthought reputation. This is what happens when Mom gets lazy, throws together a concoction based on opening a can of something called Apocryphal Pork Product, too much Miracle Whip, and, oh, yeah, maybe some flaked red pepper to keep little Justin or Sailor awake during math class.

Childhood history is rife with such abominations.

Not at Mister G's, though: Lean, cubed, smoked ham with just enough diced red onion for torque. Probably a little mustard powder and maybe paprika. Tabasco. The requisite mayo base but in a conservative amount to provide tasty adhesion - as opposed to drowning everything in a riptide of goop. They stuff a flour wrap with a huge portion of this magical salad, and the Wise Person asks for some cheese - and that's all ye need. It comes with fries.

Oh: the Wise Person can also count on the deviled ham salad special on Tuesdays.

The Cuban Pork Sandwich at Stash's Café in New London ($8.95).

Heaps - heaps, I tell you! - of thin-sliced ham and hunks of gorgeous pork tenderloin are mated with Swiss cheese and slabs of dill pickle. Once assembled on a garlic roll - with the sort of engineer's grace that conceived the Golden Gate Bridge - the construct is heated on a sammich press. The bread is toasty, the thin ham achieves a crispness you'd associate with Canadian Bacon, and the melted cheese coats the pork lovingly like a deep-autumn shawl draped around a sleepy child's shoulders.

Regulars at Stash's know the Cuban Pork monstrosity is typically timed to show up on the specials board on Wednesdays and Thursdays. You get your choice of fries or the house-made potato chips; the latter provide an additional crunch factor that adds much to the overall texture of the experience.