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...]

We drove through Waverly, Virginia last weekend and were distressed to see that Cowling’s, a great BBQ restaurant, had closed. More and more, the old Mom & Pop’s are closing as the owners age and the kids aren’t interested in continuing to work 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. I have always rated Cowling’s as among the top 3 BBQ joints in all of Virginia. They cooked whole hog BBQ and I … [Read more...]

We did a lot of “Eating Out” last weekend on our Deltaville getaway. We supped at The Galley and The Front Porch and visited the Deltaville Raw Bar and Grill for drinks, but the best dining experience came when we ate in. Wanting to enjoy our last evening and not have to worry about the 20 mile or so drive into town and back, we stopped at J & W’s Seafood during our mid-day trip to … [Read more...]

I drove down to Scottsville last week, and entering the town, there was no Rooster to greet us. The Rooster was the Lumpkin’s calling card. It was gone and Lumpkin’s is gone. Lumpkin’s was one of the last, great comfort food diners. They had amazing breakfasts, as we often ate there before fishing trips on the James. They had biscuits and gravy and grits and eggs anyway you like them, plus … [Read more...]

  Lots of folks will make late summer and early fall runs to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. And who can blame them? Except for Labor Day week, the crowds will have dispersed, the weather will be cooler, and the fish will definitely be biting. Whatever you do while on the OBX, don’t miss the opportunity to grab a hot dog or two at Capt’n Franks. It’s a mandatory stop as soon as you … [Read more...]

We went to Texas Roadhouse for one of those last-minute dinner decisions as our Grandson, James, had come to visit. Their Burgers are great, and their Ribeye Steaks are easily the best in town, but I decided on something different – something I wouldn’t normally get at home. I ordered their Country Fried Sirloin Steak, and it was delicious. The choices are with white gravy, with brown grave … [Read more...]

Here’s a serious question. Where do you get the best hot dogs? At a ball game or on a golf course? Many would simply say at a restaurant or a hot dog stand, and they are all good. But the best dogs are the ones eaten outside, in a place you would not normally find a hot dog. While a chili dog with a cold beer is mighty good at a minor league ballpark, I believe the dogs that really hit the spot … [Read more...]