We have eaten out maybe a half dozen times since phase-whatever kicked in and restaurants were opened. Most have been good and welcomed experiences and I appreciate the extra effort these eateries have gone to keep things safe and to make dining experiences enjoyable. But we hit a pothole last week. Texas Roadhouse, which had become one of our go-to places, genuinely failed to … [Read more...]

  I feel sorry for the Dairy Queen restaurant at Forest Lakes here in Charlottesville. It’s tucked away, seemingly back in the woods, over behind McDonalds, and is hardly visible from the road. Plus, our business-hating county refuses to let DQ have even a modest sign on the highway so people will know it’s there. But we know it’s there, and every now and then when Nancy gets a hankering for a DQ … [Read more...]

Finally! We can go out to eat again.  Nancy and I don’t eat out that often, but about every week or 10 days, we like to let someone else do the cooking and dish washing and enjoy an evening out. During the lock down, we never did do a take-out order, other than fast food. I didn’t want to eat warmed-up  food out of Styrofoam boxes, and if I was going to eat at home, I’d just as soon cook … [Read more...]

Finally.  I can write an Eating Out column again. We actually went out to dinner for the first time in over two months. We called Bonefish for a reservation. I figured that with all the restaurants reopening, they would be packed and it would be difficult to be seated. But they weren’t, even at limited seating capacity. We watched as more take-out bags were delivered outside than meals to … [Read more...]

  Nancy and I came close to dining out this week – we went to Bojangles and ordered a take-out bucket of fried chicken, For us, this was a real treat. We rarely indulge in fried chicken. I have searched high and low and found fried chicken missing in action from any and all of Weight Watcher’s Suggested Diets. But every now and then, right? Before we ordered chicken, I considered my … [Read more...]

I would give anything to be able to go to a restaurant and write an “Eatin’ Out” review -  even it was a bad experience. I am so ready to go out to eat again, and as soon as the doors open at Bonefish or any other of my favorite eateries, I’ll be there, virus or not. In the meantime, at least we can go to some restaurants and pick up an order to go. Last Sunday, we decided on a pizza and called … [Read more...]

  The last several times I’ve been in the grocery section at Wal-Mart, they have had fresh, picnic hams.  They are hard if not impossible to find at other grocery stores. Kroger’s, Harris Teeter and Food Lion will have plenty of pork loins and Boston butts, but rarely fresh picnics. -  my favorite cut of pork. And they were just $1.55 a pound. Sure, there is some waste in a picnic, but … [Read more...]

My Eatin' Out column is getting a little stale. That’s because – other than a drive-thru window – there is no place to eat out. They’ve closed them all. I, for one, will be super excited when the ban is lifted and it makes me wonder – just where will I choose to eat out the first time they reopen? Maybe Carmello’s. Now, with Travinia’s closed, Carmello’s is our new favorite go-to Italian … [Read more...]

  It is no accident that Bodo’s is a leader in their field. They have not only survived any and all competition, they have prospered. And here is one clear example why. Last Sunday, Nancy and I were meeting our daughter Laura in Farmville to pick up a new laptop for Nancy that Laura was helping program. Since we knew that Laura loves Bodo’s we stopped by the Emmet Street store before we … [Read more...]

  Where shall we eat out tonight? Well, nowhere.  Nothing is open except for a handful of drive-throughs. Even Bo Do’s has resurrected their drive through windows after years of inside service only. When anyone - student or otherwise – returns to Charlottesville after an extended absence, their first stop is often Bodo’s. I know that my daughter, Laura, looks forward to a Bodo’s bagel … [Read more...]