A great Italian restaurant in Covington? No way! Yes, way! It’s called Cucci’s. I’ve eaten there on several occasions and the food is authentic Italian and very good. Cucci’s is a popular local hangout. The one-acre parking lot stays packed, except on Sundays, when they are closed. Cucci’s prepares their food fresh and daily, including fresh breads. They offer a wide selection of Italian … [Read more...]

I found myself in Downtown Waynesboro recently around lunchtime. How convenient. Any excuse will do when it comes to getting a couple of hot dogs from Sam’s Hot Dogs in Waynesboro. In my humble opinion, there are three places that stand out when it comes to great hot dogs – Jack ‘N Jill in Charlottesville Jim’s Drive In (Lewisburg, WV) and Sam’s in Waynesboro. All good, but none are better than … [Read more...]

How many Chinese or Oriental restaurants do we have in Charlottesville? A thousand? No, not quite that many, but sometimes it seems that way. There is certainly one in every strip mall in town, and most I’ve tried are pretty good. Our favorite Chinese Restaurant used to be the Flaming Wok. I knew the owner and always enjoyed his food and service, but pending development shut down his restaurant … [Read more...]

  I think we have over 200 restaurants in Charlottesville, but we don’t have a Ruth’s Chris Steak House. I’ve heard their ads on the radio for years, and I’ve always wanted to try it, but I never had the opportunity. In Honolulu, I finally got that chance. It was our last night in Hawaii and we wanted to finish off our 50th Anniversary vacation with a bang. There were two Ruth’s Chris … [Read more...]

  Apparently, there isn’t a Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers franchise in Houston, because every time my sister, Johanna, comes to visit from Texas, she insists on going to Raising Cane’s for a take-out order of fingers. They are really good, but we don’t eat there often. For me, it’s a guaranteed “weight gain”, because I’ll eat 5 or 6 fingers, plus fries, and Texas toast, and gain weight … [Read more...]

My first visit to Mrs. Rowe’s Restaurant in Staunton was after a trout fishing trip to the Bull Pasture River. It had been the Opening Day of the season and we had each caught our limits - and were we ever hungry after a long day on the water. I was with Wally, Tommy and Grover Forloines and they insisted we stop and eat at Mrs. Rowe’s. “Order dessert first,” one of my companions said. “They … [Read more...]

Folks on Pantops Mountain have been enjoying delicious breakfasts and diner food for years at the Tip Top Restaurant. Now, patrons on the north side of Charlottesville have a go-to place for breakfast at Michael’s Diner & Restaurant. CvilleBuzz contributor, Sherman Shifflett, visited recently and says he will definitely go back again. Says Sherman: “I accompanied Greg Barlow to … [Read more...]

  Nancy and I just returned from the lighting show at the Dallas Trade Mart where we saw some amazing lighting styles now coming on the market. During our annual visit to the Big D each January, we try to take in some of their great restaurants. Each trip, we go to Pappadeaux’s and eat raw oysters, fried shrimp and fresh seafood. It’s one of our favorite restaurants anywhere. This year, we … [Read more...]

I got an interesting email last week raving about eating beets at a local restaurant. Beets? Either these were amazing beets or maybe that was the best the restaurant had to offer? Sherman Shifflett, who ate there with Ava, said the beets were as good as advertised and the meal – at Obrigado’s in Louisa - was sensational. Said Sherman: “I don't know if you like beets or not.  We grew them in … [Read more...]

  When guests came from out of town, there are any number of great restaurants in Charlottesville you could suggest. But is there one signature dish in all of Mr. Jefferson’s fine town that stands out? One single dish? Not that I’m aware of. There is lots of great food, but no signature dish that you would “have to try” when in Charlottesville. I enjoy watching the Travel Channel as … [Read more...]