I Hop

IHOP is the comfort food place in north Louisiana. We love to go there late at night. I'm glad to be eligible for the senior menu, and I'm glad they have take-out boxes because I always overeat there.

Harvest Grain 'Nut Pancakes are my favorite food there. These delicious pancakes contain almonds and English walnuts along with oats and other grains.

4205 Pecanland Mall Dr
Monroe, LA 71203
(318) 322-5424

Piccadilly Cafeteria

2203 Louisville Ave
Monroe, LA
71201-6124
Phone: (318) 325-5414


Piccadilly Cafeteria is the place to celebrate special occasions, family events, and friendly gatherings away from home. I went there and ate red Jello® the day before my daughter was born 32 years ago. I go there with friends on holidays such as Thanksgiving when I don't really want to shop for groceries and cook turkey or ham. When I look around, I always see several people I know, some of whom I should have invited for lunch. When I go out with girlfriends to the theater, we eat at Picadilly first. For a long time, Picadilly has been a special spot with consistently tasty food served well for people in the Monroe area.

Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen (Richardson)

Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen (Richardson)
725 South Central Expressway, Richardson, 75080
(east side of 75, just north of Spring Valley)


Phone: 972-235-1181

Pappadeaux has true Cajun flavor. People in Dallas rave over the food there. Since I live in Louisiana, I was planning to be difficult to impress. I had decided that this place would not be able to rival the flavors of "down South" (meaning south Louisiana). Maybe it was not quite authentic south Louisiana food, I thought; but when I tasted the fried alligator, I was amazed. The alligator was much more tender than any I have ever tasted anywhere else.

The Hungry Potter

The Hungry Potter

4901 Elysian Fields Ave - map
Marshall, TX 75672
903.935.1227


Great Food -- Dainty, Tasty Lunch

Tea Room -- Romantic Atmosphere

Romancing in the kitchen: More recipes from the Hungry Potter, plus the Old Ginocchio Hotel in Marshall, Texas (Unknown Binding)
by Sam R Litzenberg (Author)

Ryan's® Grill, Ruston, LA

Ryan's® Grill, Ruston, LA, is located on North Service Road in front of Wal Mart.

Some of the things I like about Ryan's®:

The food is always better than I need! There are more vegetables than I can eat, and I always find two or three kinds of meat I cannot resist. If I start at the salad bar, I find enough choices to make a wonderful meal. The dessert bar always has something chocolate, which goes well with the complimentary coffee.

More than the food I enjoy the sights. For years there was a fabulous print on the wall at Ryan's®. It made me laugh every time I went there. All the family members in the painting appeared to have enjoyed Ryan's very much. When Ryan's® redecorated, they removed the painting. I miss that picture, but now there is a photograph that is a feast for my eyes. It is a picture of a precious little girl staring at a giant stack of pancakes. Notice the picture as you go down the line. (Here is the website of the photographer who took that masterpiece: http://amazingshots.net)

Most of all I enjoy the people at Ryan's®. If I say, "Let's go to Ryan's," the car fills up. I don't mind standing in line. It is like attending a party because I alway see some friends there I haven't seen lately. I have to catch up on everybody's news.

"You can find something different every day at Ryan's®. . . . The menu changes daily and each week's menus are posted at the restaurant." (Quoted from Ryan's® website)

Huddle House

Huddle House #109, Ruston, LA

North Service Rd. East, Ruston, LA 71270


Any time -- but especially at midnight -- and any occasion -- but especially on a night when we have been too busy to eat supper, we like to go to the Huddle House. We don't have a certain food we like to eat there. More often than not we like the breakfast selections: omelets and waffles. The omelets are good with Huddle House's Vidalia Onion steak sauce. We like their coffee.

Also Huddle Houses are cozy places. I like the idea of huddling together with friends and family.

"Always Brewing, Always Fresh" (from the Huddle House website)

Log Cabin, Ruston

Log Cabin

1906 Farmerville Highway (Highway 33)

Ruston, LA 71270

318-255-8023



The food is tasty,
The building is unique and intriguing.
The crowd is lively.
The kitchen could be cleaner.

(To go to the restroom, it is necessary to pass the kitchen, which is in view. When I passed, I saw food on the floor and cooks eating from the dishes they were preparing. Oops!)

Steak and Ale

Quoting the Steak and Ale website, the restaurant is "inspired by the warmth and charm of an old English country Inn." Truly the restaurant is beautiful.

The ambiance is considered romantic by many diners. The feeling I had was that the waiter was working very hard to please us, but somehow I sensed the tension he was experiencing in his effort to get the orders correct.

The surroundings are considered intimate, but I felt slightly crowded. Like the people in the picture on the website, we were elbowing each other. The food was very good, especially the steak.

The most outstanding feature in my opinion was the location. Steak and Ale 1118,located in downtown Atlanta, is within easy walking distance of several motels and convention centers.

60 International Blvd.

Atlanta, GA 30308

phone: (404) 577-6770

Eating Mexican Food in Ruston, LA

In Ruston, LA there are two Mexican restaurants that we really enjoy:

Tia Maria’s
102 N. Monroe St., Ruston, LA
(318) 254-2050

El Jarrito
306 West California, Ruston, LA
(318) 251-0600


Both restaurants are excellent examples of clever reuse of old buildings.
Tia Maria's, once part of E. Lee Young's Motor Parts, is cleverly decorated.
The old brick walls are enhanced to add to the decor.

El Jarrito is in a building that has always contained restaurants. Originally the
building contained Pioneer Pizza Association, which eventually closed. For years
the building was the home of Wong's, where some of the best Chinese food ever was cooked. People who lived in Ruston during that time and ate Henry Wong's food will never forget it.
Now, when I go to these places, I have rich memories of the lives of these buildings.

Back to the food . . . .
Tia Maria's has a clean, neat dining room, where Rustonians gather on Sunday to indulge in delicious Tex-Mex food. There is always plenty of it, and it is always tasty.

El Jarrito is less spacious and a little messier, but the food is more typically Mexican.

The thoughts of either place are pleasant enough to start us drooling.

Cracker Barrel, West Monroe, LA

We've visited quite a few Cracker Barrel restaurants throughout the country. The experience is always super. My favorite is the one closest to home -- Cracker Barrel #28 in West Monroe. The service is consistent, and so is the food.

Subs at Quiznos®

Quiznos® is a great place to eat lunch. I like the way the menu is always changing. The subs are scrumptious. Here is what the Quiznos® people say:

"Every Quiznos® sub is made right in front of you with freshly-sliced meats and vegetables on our own bread made specifically for toasting. We then oven-toast the subs until they're golden brown, so all of the flavors burst through with each toasty bite. Experience a better tasting sub made just the way you want it. We offer several different varieties of tasty breads, from traditional white or wheat to Rosemary Parmesan." http://www.quiznos.com/menu/subs.asp

Applebee's

Applebee's is a delightful addition to the rapidly growing community, Madison, MS.


Location:
GRANDVIEW BLVD.
124 Grandview Blvd.
Madison, MS 39110

Phone: 601.605.2652


Something really good on the menus is the CHICKEN BROCCOLI PASTA ALFREDO BOWL, which is "Grilled Italian or blackened chicken on a warm bed of fettuccine tossed with fresh broccoli and a creamy Alfredo sauce." (That's Applebee's description. Our description is "yum.")

Good Old-Fashioned Food at the Cracker Barrel

Our Favorite Cracker Barrel Meal:

Old Timer's Breakfast:

Two eggs scrambled with cheese or
Two eggs unfolded
Grits
Sawmill Gravy
Buttermilk biscuits
Apple butter
Fried Apples
Sausage patties -- pork or turkey
Endless black coffee

We like this breakfast any time of day. It is always the same, no matter where you go. For example, we found that in Dickson, TN, it was just as good as anywhere else.

Dickson, TN
I-40 , Exit# 172
I-40 & SR 46
115 Gumbranch Road
Dickson, TN 37055-2765

(615) 441-3353

Ruby Tuesday's

At Ruby Tuesday's, there are many choices of wonderful food.

We recommend the Creole Catch, which is broiled tilapia with broccoli and brown rice pilaf; but we prefer the spice broiled tilapia with sautéed shrimp and Parmesan cream sauce, also served with broccoli and brown rice pilaf. The shrimp are a delightful touch.

Even though the burgers are delicious, be careful! There are 10 burgers on the menu with more than 1,000 calories each. For more information go to

http://www.rubytuesday.com/files/Nutrition.pdf

Cracker Barrel

We really like Cracker Barrel! Their best meal is breakfast, which is available whenever they are open. Be sure to ask for some apple butter. In Nashville there are four Cracker Barrels.

I-65 , Exit# 78 I-65 & Harding Place4323 Sidco Drive, Nashville, TN 37204-4509 Located off I-65(615) 331-6733

I-40 , Exit# 201 I-40 & Charlotte Pike6941 Charlotte Pike, Nashville, TN 37209-4207 Located off I-40 (615) 356-5229

TNBriley Pkwy. & McGavok Pike2406 Music Valley Drive, Nashville, TN 37214-1001(615) 883-5440

Exit# 219 I-40 & Stewarts Ferry Pike3454 Percy Priest DriveNashville, TN 37214-3908Located off I-40 (615) 889-4325

Captain's Catch Cajun Grill

If you are traveling on Interstate 55 north of Jackson, MS, and find yourself needing lunch, try
Captain's Catch Cajun Grill
123 Grand View Boulevard Suite G
Madison 39110 MS

It is in the shopping center just east of the Madison exit.

The telephone number is 601-605-9350.

This little restaurant brings a Cajun flavor north from New Orleans. There are po-boys and gumbo with authentic New Orleans flavors.

Sophia's RestaurantFood for the Soul, Served with Southern Hospitality

We enjoyed eating at Sophia's, " a beautiful restaurant that not only produces great food at a great price, but also the kind of customer service that you deserve."


Listen to Ms. Sophia

http://www.mssophia.com/