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Hot and Hot Fish Club Birmingham AL

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Stop the presses. The Hot and Hot Fish Clubis what great dining is all about. Chef Christopher Hastings won this year’s James Beard Award for Best Chef South and it is well deserved. Chris had worked under Frank Stitt, a winner of the same award for his Highlands Bar and Grill,and is part of the, excuse the pun, “hot” culinary scene in Birmingham, much of which is centered around Highland Park where our B&B is located.Joan and I sat at the Chef’s Counter facing the open kitchen where the crew worked most of the kitchen stations exposed to the watching […] Read more »

Headin’ into the South – Day 2

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Even though we traveled 500 miles heading south yesterday, it was only today that we felt that we truly entered the cultural and geographical “Southern US”. Heavy rain was our companion for the first 5 hours of our trip today (Friday) as we drove through southwestern VA past the home of VA Tech in Blacksburg and then on into Tennessee. During one of our rest stops Rick was interviewed by a reporter from the local Fox news affiliate regarding truck traffic and highway safety! Rick being interviewed by Fox News affiliate I emerged from the building to see him on […] Read more »

Blue Apron Restaurant Salem VA

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  Last night we had what may well be the surprise meal of the trip at the Blue Apron Restaurant and Red Rooster Bar in Salem, Virginia. Joan and I use the Zagat ratings often to evaluate restaurants we do not know but would like to try – so we have a good feel for the relationship of the ratings with value ( on a scale of 0 to 30) offered. I would rate the Blue Apron with a 27 for food, 25 for decor and 25 for service. The Blue Apron is the first restaurant for husband and wife […] Read more »

On our way to Virginia

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We got a early start (odometer at 33,673) and quickly left CT, drove through NY, across the Tappan Zee Bridge (where they are already driving in the pilings for the new bridge) and into NJ so Rick could be at the office.  We had Bonnie Raitt’s new Slipstream on the surprisingly good audio system – highly recommend. After departing NJ midday we traveled through many states:  many miles in Pennsylvania driving west to Harrisburg where we stopped for lunch, then turning south through Maryland, West Virginia, and into Virginia, along the Blue Ridge Mountains to our stop for the night in Salem, […] Read more »