Saturday was our “Date Night” and we wanted a special experience. It had been a while since we dined at Carmello’s and we chose that restaurant. Would it be as good as it   always has been? Yes. The secret to the long-term success of any restaurant is consistency. It must be good every time. One bad experience and you go elsewhere. There are simply too many good restaurants to … [Read more...]

Nancy and I were married on March 3. There are 2 problems with that date. First, when you go on anniversary trips anywhere near Virginia (including the SC and NC beaches) it is cold and most everything is shut down. Second, if you go on a cruise or to the tropics, you are joined by legions of college kids on spring break. So, never get married on March 3. But we did and found ourselves in … [Read more...]

Mardi Gras Day is coming soon, this year on March 4. Hey, let’s head for Bourbon Street and the French Quarter in New Orleans and celebrate.  No? Then maybe we can celebrate here in Charlottesville with a visit to Roux Street Café in the Woodbrook  Shopping Center. The new restaurant serves authentic Cajun Cuisine made to satisfy spice lovers everywhere with entrees like Cheesy Etouffee, … [Read more...]

  Nancy had been up since O-Dark-Thirty getting our daughter to the airport for an early morning flight, and it was nearing breakfast time on a Sunday morning. I usually fix a big breakfast on Sunday mornings, but Nancy suggested we eatout, so we did. We drove up to the Woodbrook Shopping Center and found a table in Sam’s Kitchen and had a breakfast worthy of royalty. Nancy likes … [Read more...]

My last two dining out experiences were disappointing. Both the Bonefish and Timberwood Grill trips were not up to stuff. In the middle of a hectic week, Nancy and I decided to visit the Texas Roadhouse – our go to place for last minute dining. We pulled up two stools at the bar, ordered and this time we were not disappointed. Texas Roadhouse, once again, came through with flying colors. Since … [Read more...]

There are Chicken Fingers and then there are Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, and the two are miles apart. Raising Cane’s Chicken is in such demand that traffic comes to a standstill at 5 pm on Rt. 29 as folks wait in line to pull into the parking lot at Cane’s and place their orders. Fortunately, Cane’s has since opened two lanes and there is much less congestion for their … [Read more...]

Would you drive 40 miles for a pizza? I think you might if you ever tasted a pizza from the wood-fired ovens of The Shack, a quaint pizzeria in Staunton. Last weekend, we took our daughter Laura to The Shack in Staunton upon her birthday request. She said it was good and was it ever. The Shack is located one block outside of mid-downtown Staunton. The cozy restaurant (only 8 tables) features … [Read more...]

It’s been a while since we last ate at Timberwood Grill at Hollymead. There are so many restaurant choices these days that it takes a while to make the rounds, but a group of us decided to spend last Saturday night at Timberwood’s. I was most disappointed. The server was marginal at best and the food not up to snuff. It may have been partly my fault, because I usually order a sandwich or a … [Read more...]

As you read this, we are on a Viking Riverboat afloat on the Mississippi. We have cruised the Bahamas and Hawaii and parts of Mexico, but never on a river in the heartland of the United States.  But this spring, Nancy said she’d like to do a river cruise and visit New Orleans, so here we are. The Mississippi is a big piece of water. It makes the James River look like a brook trout … [Read more...]

All the other fast-food restaurants spend much of their time chasing after Chick-fil-A, a true innovator in the business and the Closed-On-Sundays chain has done it again with their Honey Pepper Pimento and Chicken Sandwiches. I had seen them advertised on TV, and being a lover of anything with pimento cheese, I had to try them. I did and they were as advertised – delicious. I ordered the mild … [Read more...]