Blackbird Kitchen is a downtown Bozeman restaurant known for its wood-fired pizzas, house-made pastas and locally sourced ingredients. Located in a historic Main Street building, the restaurant features an open kitchen, exposed brick walls, and a lively atmosphere. The menu changes with the seasons but typically includes handmade pasta, creative pizzas, salads, small plates and an extensive wine selection. I ordered pickled carrots as a snack. These were super tasty, but I more so saved them to bring some acidic crunch to my entree becausr I knew I was going to order pasta. Kamut paccheri - pork sugo, fennel and ricotta salata. Truly there are few things I love more than homemade pasta and ricotta. The silky smooth pasta was a dream, and the cheese was shredded on top, rather than a dollop. But it came together beautifully with the rich pork. We also enjoyed splitting the oyster mushroom dish that had salsa macha, mole blanco and cilantro. Grade: A

If you’re flying through Denver, the airport location of ChoLon - Modern Asian is one of the better sit-down dining options at DIA. It’s the airport outpost of chef Lon Symensma’s well-known Denver restaurant, which built its reputation on modern Southeast Asian cuisine with French influences. I started out with mac & cheese purses, which are served with a sweet & sour sauce. The crisp, golden exterior gave way to a creamy macaroni and cheese filling that was rich and heavy. So, the sauce helped. I then ordered pad thai, with rice noodles, scrambled eggs, bean sprouts, cashews and shrimp. Lots of toppings -- less focus on the sauce. I really love pad thai, and this was a different spin on it -- but welcome nonetheless in an airport setting. Grade: A

I've been wanting to check out Korean BBQ for a long time, but options are very limited in West Virginia. Fortunately, I had a trip planned to Columbus where I was meeting up with friends, which was the perfect opportunity to try it out. KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot is a Korean barbecue and hot pot chain with a location in Columbus. The concept combines two interactive dining styles in one meal: Korean BBQ, where you grill meats at your table, and hot pot, where you cook meats, vegetables, noodles, and seafood in a simmering broth. You can choose Korean BBQ, hot pot or both. Step 1: Choose from 30 different meats, seafood, and veggies - like pork belly, steak, chicken, fish, shrimp and bulgogi. We weren't sure how many items to order, and they are all included in the total price. So, we may have gone overboard. We ordered: Sliced Ribeye, Sliced Pork Belly, Sliced Prime Brisket, Crab Meat, Spam, Shrimp Dumplings, Tempura, Quail Eggs, Gyoza, Fresh Corn, Black Fungus, Udon, Rice Cake, Ramen Noodle, Vermicelli, Spicy Beef Bulgogi, Steak, Short Ribs, Garlic Chicken, Spicy Calamari, Garlic Shrimp, Pineapple, Zucchini, Garlic, Sweet Potato, Onion, Beech Mushroom, King Oyster Mushroom, Lobster Balls, Shumai, Baby Octopus, Fried Tofu, Broccoli, Bok Choy, Napa Cabbage, Mung Bean Sprout, Sliced Pumpkins, Daikon, Fried Taro, Eggplant, Potato, Baby Bamboo Shoot, King Mushroom, Shiitake Mushroom, Beech Mushroom, Enoki Mushroom & Lotus Root. STEP 2: Make your own sauce. There are millions of possibilities to craft a perfect dipping sauce. STEP 3: Grab your sides. There are some appetizers from the hot bar. STEP 4: Then, it's time to grill. Everything takes different amounts of time to cook, so it can get a bit tricky. For hot pot, it's mostly the same, except you choose a soup base. And, it was a great deal to do both. They offer Thai tom yum, Szechuan spicy, tomato, healthy herbs, Japanese miso, Korean seafood tofu, mushroom and gluten-free. In addition to all of that, they offer bubble tea. So, why NOT have a milk tea? The cup was a nice material, too, that I reused for the day. So, it's more about the interactive experience here. It's fun, it's a bit of work and it's mostly up to you what the flavor ultimately is. But I enjoyed it. Grade: A

The Refectory Restaurant is one of Columbus’s most iconic fine-dining destinations, known for French-inspired cuisine, an exceptional wine program and a setting featuring a restored 19th-century church building. Inside, you'll see soaring wooden beams, candlelit dining rooms and stained-glass accents that create an old-world atmosphere. I enjoyed the chef's four-course Alsace tasting menu, which first included a gift from the chef. The terrine was a surprise because my first course was also a terrine. Two terrines in one meal is possibly two too many. But then, I received the bread basket, which was one type of bread, but at least it was warm. Now, onto our official tasting menu. Sockeye Salmon and Smoked Salmon Terrine horseradish vinaigrette, caviar blend blinis. It included creme fraiche, salmon roe, caviar, tomato fricasse and microgreens. Wild Mushroom Lasagna brandy sauce, tomato fondue Prime Pork Loin and Duck Sausage Duet mustard velvet sauce Alsatian Cheese Cake blueberry coulis, almond joconde, griottines A jelly, a chocolate and a creme brulee finished the meal. Grade: A

Belle's Bread is one of my most favorite roadtrip discoveries of all time. Thanks to a head's up from my nail tech (and friend!) Christina, I stopped at the Columbus bakery and entered into a new world. The Japanese bakery & cafe is located in Kenny Centre Mall and draws on inspiration from France for its take on breads and pastries. It is family-owned and -operated. Takashi Takenaka opened the business after emigrating from Japan in 1972. There's the red bean roll, frank roll, and curry and boiled egg doughnuts. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. The bear-shaped strawberry butter cream pastry was as adorable as it is delicious. I wasn't going anywhere without a ham & onion roll, which also had mayonnaise. All familiar flavors, but combined in the best way. My favorite of the trip may be the curry & boiled egg donut. Think sweet, fluffy exterior with an explosion of flavor inside. It is sweet and has some depth of flavor from the curry and also creaminess from the egg. Delicious. Their signature Caramel Almond Roll features a light, fluffy sponge cake with rich caramel and crunchy sliced almonds. There were a number of other unique options that I'll save for next time: tuna cheese, bacon corn roll, spicy tuna and more. If you've been, let me know your favorites in the comments below. Happy eating! Grade: A