Three of my golfing buddies were headed to Myrtle Beach this week for a long weekend. I knew they would be traveling down I-95 and bypassing Rocky Mount. “Don’t go around Rocky Mount,” I advised. “Head for Gardner’s BBQ and go through their buffet. They have the best BBQ and soul food in North Carolina.” And they really do. Several years ago, Nancy and I were headed to Topsail Beach near … [Read more...]

Last week, Nancy and I celebrated our 49th anniversary and decided to extend the celebration throughout the weekend. We went to the Aberdeen Barn the first night, and then decided (on Nancy’s recommendation) to try Carmello’s Restaurant & Wine Bar in the nearby Shopper’s World. Carmello’s has been in Charlottesville since 1992, and until recently was located near UVA on Emmett Street. I had … [Read more...]

About 20 years ago, four of us headed for West Point to fish for croakers in the Mattaponi River. Arriving in town early in the morning, my comrades stopped at a place called Diggs Seafood. I assumed they were going inside to buy bait, but it was lunch they were after. “You’ve never eaten at Diggs?” someone asked, incredulously. “Nope. Why?” I responded, as it seemed like a little … [Read more...]

On a recent trip to Dallas for the Lighting Show, Nancy and I decided to spend one evening out to see what this Texas barbeque is all about. I have seen numerous Texas restaurants on the Food and Travel Channels and we wanted to eat at a tried-and-true barbeque joint. We asked around and decided on Sonny Bryan’s Smokehouse. With seven restaurants in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, they came highly … [Read more...]

Dallas is a little far for a Central Virginian to travel for a dinner out, but if you did, you wouldn’t regret it if the restaurant was Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen. Each January, Nancy and I attend the Lighting Show at the Dallas Trade Mart (see the article below), and each year, we “Uber” our way out to Pappadeaux for what is always a wonderful dining experience. Pappadeaux is based in … [Read more...]

Just west of the small town of Lewisburg, WVA on Rt. 219 is one of the world’s best places to eat a hot dog. I should know, because I grew up in Lewisburg and spent many an hour at the old drive in. Back in the early 60’s, we would go to Jim’s, order a couple dogs all the way with an order of fries and a frosty mug of root beer and have change left over from a dollar bill. Prices have gone up … [Read more...]

Charlottesville, Virginia, home of CvilleBuzz, had around 225 restaurants at last count. That’s a lot of choices, but if I had special guests coming to town, price was no object and I wanted to make sure they dined at one of Charlottesville’s very finest restaurants, I would take them to the Ivy Inn. Over the years, my wife Nancy and I have had many enjoyable meals at The Inn (mostly … [Read more...]

Sometimes you find great food in strange places. A few years back, my wife Nancy and I stumbled upon such a place - Nick's Family Style Spaghetti and Steak House in West Point. We had a couple days to get away and we wanted to be somewhere on or near salt water without the long drive to the Eastern Shore or Virginia Beach. The closest place to Charlottesville appeared to be West Point, about 30 … [Read more...]

Sometimes the sheer convenience of a restaurant is enough reason to make reservations, but it helps if the food is good and the prices are fair. That’s why when Nancy and I make it to the Regal Cinema in Charlottesville, we are likely to eat at nearby Travinia, one of Charlottesville’s top Italian Restaurants. Travinia Italian Kitchen is a chain with about a dozen locations, spread across the … [Read more...]

Golfers know that the food they eat at the turn from the local pro shop is not always ideal. If you’re lucky, you won’t get E-coli from the hot dogs. But there is one golf course grill in Charlottesville that is so good, it draws non-golfers throughout the day. And that’s 2 Sides Restaurant at the Meadowcreek Golf Course. The reason it’s good is that they have cooks on staff that actually know … [Read more...]