Italian is one of my favorite cuisines.

It's so comforting and delicious and, when done right, can make everything all better.

Fratelli's is a Barboursville restaurant that one of my good friends, Dawn, loves.

I stopped here for a quick lunch.

And, I was first greeted with these parmesan bread sticks with marinara. Mmm.

Then, I went for a lobster bisque soup.

And for my main meal - a rigatoni with marinara and mozzarella.

What's your favorite dish here?

Surrey's was one of my last meals in New Orleans.

And for my last meals, I knew I wanted to get some shrimp and grits - one of my ultimate favorite meals.

This restaurant is known for being fun and funky.

Surrey's is an eclectic and funky Cafe and Juice Bar with two convenient locations on historic Magazine Street in New Orleans.  Our sweet and savory menu specializes in local food items with a hint of latin flavor. 

Surrey's is the oldest organic juice bar in New Orleans.

But, first, I wanted to make sure I tried some of the organic juice. This was a tasty apple juice!

And the menu featured some fun things like Bananas Foster French Toast and Huevos Rancheros. But when I saw the shrimp & grits,  I knew it was perfect:

Sauteed Louisiana gulf shrimp in New Orleans-style BBQ sauce over a bowl of grits. Garnished with bacon, green onions and French bread croutons.

And wow!

That is a tasty plate - thick, delicious and full of flavor.

Lewisburg is just one of my favorite small towns.

Not only is there so much to do, but there are a ton of great locally owned restaurants.

One new one that I visited recently was Blackwell's Catering.

This sweet shop features pizzas, as well as sandwiches and desserts.

We started with some garlic knots for the table. Mmm.

And they had a pepperoni roll, so I had to check that out.

For my entree, I went with a sandwich: Drunken Grilled Cheese with smoked gouda, cheddar and prosciutto melted on sauteed mushrooms, onions and stout beer.

And, it came with a side of pasta salad!



What's your favorite thing here?

A new donut shop opened in the Lewisburg area with a fun theme: Retro.

Retro Donuts has bright pink and teal colors, and the interior has old-school decorations.

The menu features all sorts of glazed and gourmet donuts, as well as sandwiches, bowls, salads and more.

I went for a pumpkin cheesecake donut!

Which one would you choose?

Do you remember the P'zone? It disappeared from most Pizza Hut menus a few years back. But. It's back.

The local Pizza Hut has three options: pepperoni, meaty and supremo. I tried a pepperoni. And they're a hefty size, with a side of marinara, and just as tasty as I remember.

Will you be trying one?