Top Ten Favorite Places to Eat

One of my favorite shows to watch is Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.If you have never it seen the show it is hosted by Guy Fieri on The Food Network. Guy has a great job. He travels throughout the United States looking for unique places to eat. It is a great job. A job I think I could do. Since that is never going to happen I thought I would do my own top ten list of favorite places to eat. None of them are chains, but they all have their own character and good food.

Here are my top ten places to eat.

1. Chili Willi's(www.chiliwilli.com), Huntington, West Virginia. I use to go here when I was in college. I usually get the Cadillac Nachos and a Super Burrito. For dessert you have to get the famous Ice Cream Taco served with cinnamon ice cream.

2. Mac & Bobs (www.macandbobs.com), Salem, Virginia. This was a high school hangout. It has great pizza and calzones. Being a Roanoke College hangout the they had on the menu "The Second Semester." It was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for all those poor college students. When I use to go, it was one room, now it is huge.

3. Roanoke Weenie Stand, Roanoke, Virginia. Absolutely the best hot dog I have ever eaten. I get one or two or three almost every time I am in Roanoke.

4. Mama Santa's Pizza, Cleveland, Ohio. It is in the middle of Little Italy in Cleveland. My favorite pizza. I usually get a mushroom pizza and an order of garlic toast.

5. Frenchy's Seafood (www.frenchysonline.com), Clearwater, Florida. They specialize in grouper sandwiches. They are creative in their service. You have to try a grouper rueben.

6. Harold's Pit Barbecue, Abilene, Texas. I have only eaten there once, but I will never forget it. Plus their hot sauce is called, Harold's Damn Hot Sauce and it will light you up. Just when you taste it, you think, "That's not so hot." Then it hits you. The baked beans are the best!

7. Smokey Valley Truck Stop, Olive Hill, Kentucky. Another college hangout. This one has been on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. The Smokey Burger is huge. They have great homemade pie and a great breakfast.

8. The Texas Tavern (www.texastavern-inc.com), Roanoke, Virginia. The best time to go is early morning (2am) when all the street people are out. I will order for you here- a cheesy western (burger with a fried egg and relish), bowl of chili and a coke. Don't ask for fries, they don't have them. They have a sign that says, "We serve a million people. Ten at a time." They only have ten seats, but they move people through.

9. Diamond Deli, Akron, Ohio. If I could ever own a place it would be just like this place. A New York style deli that has awesome sandwiches, soups and sides. I love the broccoli salad.

10. Lou and Bea's Diner, Greenpoint (Brooklyn), NY. This is not the name. It is owned by a couple from Greece. It is cheap! My favorite is egg salad on a grilled bagel with lettuce, tomato and onion. The egg salad is made fresh to order.

Honorable Mention:

The Oyster Shanty, Tampa, Florida. It had the best clam chowder I have ever eaten. It was also the place where I fell in love with oysters on the half-shell. Good luck finding this one though. It is no longer in existence.

Yesterdog (www.yesterdog.com), Grand Rapids, Michigan. Great atmosphere, great dog.

Firehouse (www.thefirehouse.com), Johnson City, Tenn. Great barbecue. I also use to be a cook there.

Let me know if you have been to any of these places. Let me know of some of your favorite places so I can look them up.