Food Patrol

As always one thing leads to another, and in this case watching a barbeque cooking show, the BBQ Crawl, on the Cooking Channel during the summer led us to a day trip to Whitesville, KY on September 22, 2013.  In the show Danielle Dimovski, aka Diva Q, travels around the country to showcase BBQ restaurants and competitions by the best BBQ cooks in the United States. In this instance one of the places she visited was the BBQ at the annual church picnic at St. Mary of the Woods Catholic Church in Whitesville, KY.

Three luxurious locations for wonderful chocolate for the holidays - or anytime during the year!

This is a casual hot spot in the beautiful neighborhood of Land Park. After you experience this gem, believe me, you will be back again and again! Robert Masullo is the owner. He will be here working right alongside everyone else. There is such a warm feeling the moment you walk in from him and the waiters, all in cool t-shirts with gold leafing. The weekends are really busy here so a little tip from me.....call to see how busy it is before you arrive, especially with a group.

Two restaurants in Carmel, California owned by Clint Eastwood.

This is a top tapas restaurant and a must visit whenever I hit the beautiful state of Kentucky in Louisville.

Cindy Pawleyn is so brilliant in the culinary world. She is chef-owner of this sophisticated and centrally located restaurant in the wine country. The parking lot is always full, no matter when you drive down the highway. There is a nice garden with tables as you walk up in case you have to wait to get in. When you enter the front door, there is a small bar. It is truly a hot spot and the place to be seen. You will get such excellence of food that will go directly to your soul.

NEWYORKANDFOOD - yes, they're inseparable.  As any New Yorker knows, and any visitor too, from the vendors on the Streets, to the five star restaurants, New York has the best food in the world.  Any discussion on New York has to talk about it's foodies! Yes, we invented the word for those distinctive people who seemingly live, breathe and eat their way through life and New York.

We wanted to take the family on one final vacation, but weren’t sure where to go.  We decided to go on the Oasis of the Seas, one of the largest cruise ships in the world.  I was excited, but cautious about dining options.  As a Diabetic type 2 insulin dependent individual I was determined to keep my blood sugar in check while still having a great time, and enjoying everything.  A little pre cruise awareness was helpful, so I asked for a refrigerator in the room, a sharps container and activity options.  I also looked into the food choices carefully, both from healthy food availability, and cost.  

Now let's put on our cute boots, jeans and cowboy hat and do BBQ!!!! Barbeque is a big part of living in Kansas. The best barbeque selections are right here at West 47th Ave. It is a leader at the top in the United States.

This fabulous, outrageous, sexy restaurant is located in The Hazelton Hotel, in the heart of Yorkville, in downtown Toronto.

One was created by Mark McEwan, a chef who is busy every second. It is part of his empire, The McEwan Group. It has that wow factor the moment you step in which boomers love! The design of it all is outrageous and there are art collections placed everywhere, mosaic everywhere. When you go on the website, just listening to the music makes you want to be there in a second! There are true red suede walls and huge panels of window in the Neil Young room.

This treasure in Sacramento, California (the state capitol) is set in the tree lined McClinley Park neighborhood. Chris Pendarvis is the owner and Isabel Cruz is the creator of the menu. I meant Inga, the general manager the day I visited. The front has dramatic vines growing right above the sign telling me where I was, Orphan. Inside is a touch of industrial, a pea colored green stone flooring, and rust accents everywhere. There are modern pieces mixed with antiques.

This is a fabulous place for true boomer foodies. I started to have pure fun the moment I arrived. There is only one problem, there is so much, you want to buy and taste it all. That is why, if you live close you need to revisit when you can. Situated along the Napa River and Napa River trail and also in the downtown of Napa, it is in a great location.

We know that Monaco is one of the most elegant, richest places in the world. It is a dream place for a dream time. It is very expensive to visit here, so special if you can come. The architecture is dreamy and beautiful people are everywhere. This is a lovely province on The French Riviera that has a very famous Monarchy. It is true opulence here.

This is a 50 seat French restaurant in the beautiful historic part of the city. Owners Vitaly and Kim Paley have turned this Victorian home into a true award winner.

I lived in Manhattan for quite a few years. One particular restaurant, the Palm Too was always such a lovely dining experience. I would say we would dine here at least once a month. I had also tried other locations, Atlanta, Boston, Washington D. C and the Hamptons. I always loved coming back to this particular one, it is the place to go.

While on a family emergency trip to Beaumont, Texas, we had the fortune of finding the Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen which was at the same exit as our hotel.  Pappadeaux’s is a small chain based out of Houston, Texas.  The restaurant concept was founded by the Pappas brothers who have created a group of different small restaurant chains that serve seafood, Italian cuisine, Mexican cuisine, steaks, BBQ and burgers. They had their start in Houston in 1967 with the opening of The Brisket House in Houston.

A selection of great pastries and bakeries to delight the palate.

Fresno is very lucky to have Pismo’s in this city. There were people waiting outside here for the doors to open. Now that tells you about success of a place always.

Port O Call is part of the Yellowfin Group of Restaurants. Their other restaurants include:  Pearl is a top addition to the favorite sushi scene, Bistro J is a lively bistro that is a true culinary jewel, and Ten is Bermuda’s hot spot and they do have the best tapas.

The potato has moved from the side of the plate to its center.  Potatopia, a restaurant that exalts the humble potato, adds a fresh, new option to Manhattan’s dining scene.  This potato-centric concept launched in 2011 when founder Allen Dikker opened the restaurant’s first outpost in Edison, New Jersey, offers a customizable menu featuring nine different potato styles, premium toppings and house-made sauces.

I have had so many “Blondee moments” throughout my food critic years. I thought it would be fun to share some of those tips and moments with you that might help your travels and make you smile too!

This restaurant is so superb, the location is on one of the most beautiful streets in Rome, near Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain (make sure you have your boomer shoes on so you can walk after dining). I would describe this destination as pure beauty. The owners, Giovanna and Clemente are known masters in this business, both looking like movie stars, enjoying their success with such graciousness.

Best burgers in south Florida, it all started with Marc Falsetto. He is a big Foodie expert in Florida and has had many successes in restaurants, financial services and real estate. 

It was raining in the streets of Tiburon, as my family started out to enjoy dinner out. We peeked into this sweet American traditional, very inviting restaurant that seemed  welcoming and proceeded to enjoy dining for the next few hours. It was a single dining area, large windows all along the left side and the front, hardwood floors and darling blue and white checkered tablecloths (that’s the boomer in me, remembering those tablecloths from back when….). A long, beautiful mirror and fresh flowers were also a focus of the restaurant.