We had a family reunion last weekend in Clemmons, NC, near Winston Salem. Lexington BBQ catered. We ordered a meal for 60 and had enough to feed 100. All I can say is wow! Lexington is small to medium size town tucked away in North Carolina’s piedmont section. It’s not close to anything but it’s not terribly far from High Point, Greensboro, and Winston. Not a single soul in that … [Read more...]

  Years ago, when Outback was still in Albemarle Square, it was our go-to restaurant. Frequently, at the last minute, we went to Outback, pulled up two stools at the bar and enjoyed a meal out. When Outback moved to Seminole Square and expanded, it was never as good – still good, mind you, but not the same. Now, our last minute go-to place is the Texas Roadhouse. It is consistently … [Read more...]

  Rhett’s Bar & Grill was one of our go-to restaurants for a Friday night out. It was certainly convenient, about a mile from our house and the food was always spot on. Then Rhett Craddock loaded up his cloth napkins, pots, pans, and cookbooks and moved to Louisa, at Zion Crossroads. Lots of friends – some who live in Spring Creek – have since been often and rave about it. Last … [Read more...]

  I did a big pork shoulder last week. It was 98c a pound and I had the hungries for BBQ. I cooked the beast at 290 in the oven all day and it was falling off the bone tender. Everybody this side of Lexington, NC knows that coleslaw is vital in a good BBQ sandwich. Nancy makes good coleslaw, and I can hold my own, but the very best coleslaw comes from the Colonel. I pulled into the KFC … [Read more...]

We decided to celebrate Father’s Day by dining out at Bonefish Grill. We didn’t have reservations and the place was packed, but not at the bar. That’s usually our “table of choice”. You get better service – the bartender is typically  the restaurant’s top employee. Drinks come quickly and sometimes you can strike up an interesting conversation and meet new folks. So, when there were seats … [Read more...]

  When you’ve been doing something 46 years, you get pretty good at it. Marta and Maria Grado have been in the pizza making business for 46 years at their family-owned Anna’s Pizza, and they make pretty food pizzas. Some think there are none better, anywhere. We’re among that group. Nancy and I have been enjoying the gooiness of Anna’s pizzas for most of those 46 years. It’s where … [Read more...]

    We eat pizza from time to time. Who doesn’t? For us, it’s usually Voccelli’s, which is just a stone’s throw from our house, or on occasion, Anna’s Pizza, near UVA. But we have the fondest memories of Barnaby’s, a pizzeria once located on Greenbrier Drive at the current site of Guadalajara. Pizza was a relatively new concept in the south in the 1960s. New York and Chicago … [Read more...]

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...]

  When I want a Sam’s Hot Dog fix, I have to go out of town. With ten million restaurants in Charlottesville, you’d think we’d have one Sam’s Hot Dog Stand, but we don’t. Crozet, Waynesboro, or Harrisonburg are our three closesst options. In my opinion, Sam’s is one of the best hot dog vendors anywhere, right up there with Cap’n Franks on the Outer Banks. Their hot dogs are simply … [Read more...]

I had not eaten at Burton’s Grill & Bar. Friends advised that it was good, but expensive. They were right. The food was delicious, but their prices were at the very top of Charlottesville’s food chain. We met friends there last Saturday night and the place was packed – a good sign. The service was a bit slow, but to be expected on a busy night. I ordered a Maker’s Mark and Ginger Ale, … [Read more...]