Voted as the best donuts in Atlanta, Sublime Doughnuts was at the top of my list to try when I visited the city. They are known for their Atlanta pride in topping a number of lists for best donuts not only in the city, but the country.



I couldn't pass up trying a few out. I started with the chocolate frosted "A" Town cream donut. Plus a s'mores doughnut, of course, Oreo, Red Velvet and more. while the fruit stuffed donuts fit my personal preference more, these donuts were creative and sweet and fun. They do have some adventurous flavors as well, and I would love to try those next time. It's tough to dislike a decent donut; even though they're not my main thing, I won't turn down a sweet treat. And these were as sweet as any, and just as tasty.



Grade: A

El Charro Café offers a wide variety of Northern Mexican and Tucson-style Mexican dishes, from enchiladas to tamales to mini chimis, and their insanely delicious food has been hailed by everyone from Bon Appetit to the NY Times to Nation’s Restaurant News, which named it one of America’s 50 most iconic restaurants, according to their website.



"Established in 1922, El Charro Café of Tucson, Arizona is The Nation's Oldest Mexican Restaurant in continuous operation by the same family. Featuring traditional Northern Mexico-Sonoran style and innovative Tucson-style Mexican Food, El Charro Café is truly as Gourmet Magazine wrote: "A Taste Explosion". With a large array of award winning hand-crafted recipes based on Sonoran and Local ingredients, El Charro Café is a passage to Tucson's Culinary History that has been won the dining icon acclaim from all over the world. The word “Charro” is “a name given to the peasants of the province of Salamanca.” This word was adapted in 1857 and applied in Mexico to good, able horsemen, recognized by the costume or uniform they wear, especially the high-crowned, wide brimmed hat."



I went here, though, because it is known as the birthplace of the chimichanga. They have a few locations, and I ended up at the "Oro Valley" one, which was pretty spacious with giant windows that let in all sorts of light.



"Our Legendary Tia Monica Flin, is well-known as “The Inventor of The Chimichanga.” While frying her now famous El Charro ground beef tacos, she accidentally dropped a burro into the frying pan and when the oil splashed up she was about to lash out a common Spanish cuss word starting with “Ch” but because she was amongst her young nieces and nephews, changed it to “Chimichanga”, the equivalent of “thingamajig.” Thankfully for all of us, Monica was a controlled and creative cuss."



The chips and salsa to me were like most others - but not super oily-fried; they seemed fresher. I opted for a Carne Seca chimichanga, which means a dried beef. It comes with chunky pico salsa, arroz sonora and beans. "Chimichanga style" is essentially just deep-frying the burrito. 



It was great! The burrito was flavorful and the texture was on point. It was not soggy or too crunchy - just a perfectly lightly chewy bite. The interior was equally as good - moist, great seasoning and an all-around delicious bite. The pico added some freshness; the rice was great; and I even didn't mind the beans. 



Grade: A

I made a nice little trip out to Sissonville to try the Husson's location there.



No, I don't think there is all the much different from one location to another. But do I love checking off a list? Yes. And, considering Husson's Pizza is a local pizza franchise in the Metro Valley area, it's a small list, and they're all relatively close.



I did, however, change it up from pizza or cheese sticks and went with a meatball sub this time. It's one of my favorite comfort foods, and I wanted to see how Husson's stacked up.



I was pleasantly surprised! If you're a weirdo like me who doesn't really want your bread toasted - just warmed - the key here is to ask for "lite bake," which gets it just how I want it. Warm, melty cheese - but not a crunchy bread. The meatballs are decent, and the sauce is decent. I think I may add even more cheese next time, but it's a solid meal to satisfy that meatball sub craving.



Grade: B

Cookin' for Comfort is a brand-new event from the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern West Virginia that pits two local chefs against one another in a competition to elevate their favorite childhood meal - all while helping raise funds for the nonprofit. 



Held this evening, this incredible event featured Chef Paul Smith, a James Beard semifinalist and chef at 1010 Bridge, and Chef John Wright, formerly of Bridge Road Bistro and current co-owner of The Pitch in Kanawha City cooking in the kitchen at the Ronald McDonald House, and I was fortunate to be one of the judges alongside Steven Keith, the Food Guy, and Chris Miller, of Dutch Miller.



What is the Ronald McDonald House, you may ask? "Since 1985, RMHC of Southern West Virginia has been providing housing, support, and community so families with sick children can stay together. That is 38 years of making a tremendous impact on the lives of pediatric patients and their families in Southern West Virginia. Your support is a vital part of helping us deliver comfort and care to children and their families."



This event has a few different layers. First, folks can purchase tickets to the event, which included hors d'oeuvres, an open bar and a gift bag. Some of those delicious snacks included 1010 Bridge favorites like: potato souffles (one of my favorite bites in all of town), cheeseburger sliders (a la McDonald's sauce), pimento cheese cups, chips, bacon-covered dates, cupcakes, cookies and more. 



Leading up to the event, folks were able to cast votes toward the "People's Choice" Chef Award by donating $5 online in support of their favorite chef. At the event, folks were also able to donate $5 in person - either cash or by dipping their card - toward their favorite chef. 



How they determined that was a few different ways - whether they were friends, whether they liked the concept of the dish or if they were able to sample some of the dishes from the chefs from the two additional plates they created for communal tasting. So, let's get to those dishes.



Chef Paul talked about Pizza Hut dinner nights and eating Buzz-Buttered Steaks growing up. So, he opted to create a jazzed-up patty melt using those same Buzz-Butter Steaks.

Chef John talked about how an Italian dish from his neighbor was near and dear to his heart, so he opted for a mushroom & lamb sausage crepe.



One item they both had to use was jicama. The secret ingredient was revealed to the chefs 30 minutes into  the competition and was selected by the public when they donated to the website. 



We judged the dishes on taste, presentation and creativity. It was a close call, truthfully. The judges went back and forth a few times. Here are some of my overall thoughts:



Chef Paul's dish was big and bright and beautiful and had some nice crunch and freshness. The ramp ranch was a lovely extra touch. His Buzz-Buttered Steak was elevated with white American cheese, fresh lettuce, tomato, onion, jicama and some mac sauce. 



Chef John's dish was really creative with housemade lamb sausage, a rich cream sauce and a lovely crunch from fried jicama fries. The sausage had a great flavor that paired beautifully with fresh local mushrooms from Hernshaw Farms and some dried morels. 



They were both delicious, but Chef John came out on top for the judge's choice, and Chef Paul came out on top for people's choice. 

But, at the end of the day, the real goal was to help support what the Ronald McDonald House is doing. RMHC provides a crucial service for families who are facing significant challenges in their lives, and a warm meal, a cozy bed and a private space can provide a world of difference. From collecting and donating pop tabs to helping to cook dinner, I have volunteered for this organization because it holds a special place in my heart and truly makes a difference for those who need it most.

When children must travel long distances to access top medical care, accommodations for families can be expensive or not readily available. The charity helps families stay close to their ill or injured children, increasing the caregivers’ ability to spend more time with their child, to interact with their clinical care team, and to participate in critical medical care decisions. That is one less stress these folks have to consider. 

McDonald’s support extends from monetary contributions and volunteerism, to cause related marketing promotions and the space to place RMHC Donation Boxes and Round-Up For RMHC that raises money for Chapters around the world. Although the McDonald’s system is the largest corporate partner,
RMHC is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, relying on the support of the entire community and other corporate partners.

Here are some easy ways to give or click here:

Manna Meal is an incredible nonprofit that feeds the hungry every. single. day. And, they recently went mobile:



Manna Meal is on the move with a new mobile kitchen!

Our new food truck allows us to deliver nutritious meals to communities in need across Charleston. In the face of rising food costs and widespread food insecurity, extending our services to even more of our neighbors is crucial.

We’re so thankful for the support of our community as we increase capacity to achieve our mission: so the hungry can eat.

Service Locations: If you are in need of a healthy meal, our food truck will be serving dinner at the Giltinan Center from 5:00-5:30pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Located at 505 Leon Sullivan Way in Charleston.

Food truck service will occur three days a week on Charleston’s West Side in the old Save-A-Lot parking lot. We’ll be on the move, too so stay tuned for detailed schedule and locations info.



They were out & about recently to raise awareness. So I also wanted to help spread the word - including how delicious these biscuits filled with sausage are!