Tansuo in Nashville, Tennessee, is another concept from Maneet Chauhan that features modern riffs on Chinese classics & dim sum. Maneet is a Food Network chef who has appeared on everything from Chopped and Tournament of Champions to Iron Chef and Guy's Grocery Games.



When my friend Bri and I visited Tansuo, it was dark and moody and felt a bit exclusive. We sat at a big half circle table and order some appetizers for the table: chili oil dumplings with ground pork, black vinegar, chili oil and sichuan peppercorns and shrimp rangoons with szechuan cream cheese and mango chili sauce.



"Meaning 'to explore' in Cantonese, Tansuo is an exploration of contemporary Chinese cuisine reminiscent of China's night markets and traditional street fare. The menu features dishes using humble ingredients presented in an extraordinary way such as Foie Sui Man, Taiwanese Seared Ahi, General Tso's Chicken, and Singapore Noodles."



The dumplings had some more heat to them, but that silky smooth texture and slight numbing had me keep coming back for more. I loved the sweet, sour, spiciness. So tasty. The shrimp rangoons were good in theory, but. the execution was hard to live up to the delicious crab rangoon in my mind. Still, really tasty snacks that got our appetite ready for the next stop.



Grade: A

"Caliche’s is your hometown favorite for sweet treats and even sweeter memories! It all began as a humble drive-in at a renovated burger joint on Valley Drive in Las Cruces, NM ... The name 'Caliche' is a Spanish term describing a layer of calcium carbonate formed in the soils of semi-arid regions commonly referred to as 'natural cement. It is commonplace to hear Midwestern frozen custard joints refer to their blended frozen custard treats as 'Concretes.' With a little creative thinking and respect for our community’s culture, the new name for our business was born: Caliche’s Frozen Custard."



I was driving through this town on my way to visit my bestie, Kaitee, so I had to indulge in some of the local fare. I went with the "Sandbox," which was vanilla frozen custard blended with Oreos®, topped with hot fudge and a gummy worm. Kinda like the "dirt" themed desserts you might see. I'm not quite sure how I could give ice cream any less than an A. It's a sweet indulgence; the fudge just added a new layer of deliciousness. Just so good. 



Grade: A

"The Town of Gauley Bridge sits at the confluence of the Gauley and New Rivers which join to form the Kanawha River. Its name is derived from the wooden, covered bridge that carried traffic on the James River & Kanawha Turnpike across the Gauley River," according to the National Park Service.



My trip to Gauley Bridge, though, was made to cross the Gino's location off my list. In fact, this may be the first Gauley Bridge restaurant I've been to, period!



This location didn't have a drive-thru, but it was clear they saw a good bit of foot traffic just based on the short time I was there. It was a little run-down, but because it is well-loved. I ordered a pizza with mushrooms - my usual. The toppings didn't go all the way to edge and instead were centered in the middle, making it a bit heavy and soggy. Flavor not bad overall.



Grade: B