Tough. Del Ray. Not words you often hear together! However: Some in this suburban nabe are stone-cold killers!

TOUGH:
Buzz Bakery (not really in Del Ray, but toughness laughs at boundaries). Has been open since 8 a.m.

FireFlies. Open, served lunch, will be serving till 11 tonight. FireFlies is SUPERTOUGH!

Let’s Meat on the Avenue. No answer. Web site says shop’s sold out of everything. I feel like that bumps them up to “tough.” (Hey, it’s my list.)

South China Restaurant. Damn straight it’s open! If the weather’s bad, says the person who answers, they might close early—-say 9, 9:30. ARE YOU LISTENING, CHEESETIQUE?

Pizzaiolo. Open till 10! Anecdotal evidence that it was open all weekend.

NOT SO TOUGH:

ACKC. No answer. And on a day when I could use a hot chocolate!

Bombay Curry Company. No answer, voicemail is full.

Caboose Cafe & Bakery. No answer.

Cheesetique. No answer. When Cheesetique goes dark, it’s serious.

Del Merei Grille. I’m beginning to sense a pattern here.

Evening Star Cafe. No lunch. Hoping to open this evening, according to Neighborhood Restaurant Group spokesperson Amber Pfau.

Monroe’s An American Trattoria. Closed until Thursday dinner, according to the answering machine. (Props for updating the answering machine!)

My Bakery & Cafe. No answer.

RT’s Restaurant. No answer.

St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub. Not open, but answering the phone to tell you they’re not open.