You eat well throughout the week, counting calories, nibbling on celery sticks and helpings of kale, and then you say – to hell with this – I want real food. That’s when Nancy and I get in the car and head for Riverside North. We order greasy cheeseburgers, onions rings and a basket full of French Fries. Next week, we’ll diet, but for now, we’re eating food as God intended. That happened to us … [Read more...]

We had a very pleasant dining experience last week. Nancy and I decided to go to our usual last-minute restaurant – Bonefish Grill - where we sit at the bar, get great service and often order the same-old, same-old. We love their Kobe Beef-type burgers and their Fish & Chips, but this time Nancy surprised me and ordered the Crab-Crusted Cobia and was it ever good. You don’t see cobia on … [Read more...]

  I’m not the greatest one to write a review about Mexican restaurants. When we go, my wife Nancy often has to interpret the menu. “Tell me one more time the difference between a fajita and a tamale?” But I know what I like, and I enjoy El Agave Restaurant in Ruckersville. Many say it’s as close to authentic Mexican cuisine as it gets in this area. My sister, Johanna, who lives in … [Read more...]

  Travinia’s Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar has become one of our go-to restaurants when we feel like Italian, an upscale dinner and a cozy atmosphere. Nancy especially likes it when we can eat outside on their patio near the fire pits. Almost always, I order a veal dish or one of their authentic Italian entrees, but recently I felt like I didn’t need all that pasta and ordered the … [Read more...]

By Sherman Shifflet If you haven't stopped by Carl's Ice Cream in Fredericksburg, then by all means hop in your car, pick up a few friends and head in that direction. Anytime I'm in the Fredericksburg area, and even when I'm not so close, my car is programmed to take me to 2200 Princes Anne Street  for the best ice cream you've never eaten. Don't just take my word; ask anyone who has been … [Read more...]

We were on the road, needed a place to stop and eat and decided against fast food. One place beckoned. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. Cracker Barrel is to travelers what honey is to Winnie the Pooh. They are known for good food, friendly service and reasonable prices. Cracker Barrel was founded in 1969 with a menu based on Southern Cuisine. Today, Cracker Barrel has over 600 stores in 42 … [Read more...]

My southern roots go deep. My daddy and his family were raised in Clemmons, just outside Winston Salem.  My mother’s people were from Raleigh. My second daddy was from the Wilson area. My closest aunt and uncle were from Charlotte. I grew up eating southern food and enjoying southern hospitality. So it was with great enthusiasm that Nancy and I went to dinner with my daughter Angelin and her … [Read more...]

  When my sister, Johanna, comes in town from her native Houston, one of the first things she does is make a bee-line to Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers. She’ll bring a big bag home and it doesn’t last long. I have to admit; Cane’s Chicken is awfully good. Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers was founded in Baton Rouge, LA  by Todd Graves  and Craig Silvey in 1996. Todd Graves had always … [Read more...]

  There was a time in Charlottesville where the only place you could order a sandwich or sub was at a diner. There were no sub shops or deli’s in in town. Now there is one on every corner and in every strip mall. Lots are good, some not so much. When Jersey’ Joe’s opened at Forest Lakes, Nancy and I tried it out. We had seen it on the food channel. We were deeply disappointed. The … [Read more...]

  Believe it or not, there is a restaurant at Smith Mountain Lake named Napoli Cowboy. Really! As weird as it sounds, it’s a great place to eat. Nancy and I were searching for a nice restaurant for our anniversary dinner and were disappointed that the Blackwater Cafe was closed on Sundays. We had never eaten there, but it came highly recommended. But we came across a place called Napoli … [Read more...]