All she wants is a little respect...

That's right!  Respect the Waffle of Insane Greatness...

Or the massive pile of cheesy eggs and Applewood bacon...

The potatoes are tossed with jalapenos that give them just enough heat to be exciting, but not so much you can't taste the rest of the meal.  The biscuits are also gargantuan.  Real cheddar cheese on the eggs is a plus.  Nothin' against American cheese, but sometimes you want the real thing.  And the bacon, oh my, the bacon.  Crunchy in consistency and rich in color, with a hint of happiness and love... Jim Gaffigan would be proud.

Aretha's has a cozy, friendly feel.  Make sure you have time to relax and enjoy a coffee or beer or a mixture of both, because the wait is long... but worth it!  - my mug shot courtesy of a good friend

Next time I fully intend to beat this guy's record (7 monster pancakes in 20 minutes), because these pancakes would totally be worth the pain...

One more thing! At the risk of sounding like a complete freak, I must say, bathrooms are very important to me... temperature, color, accents and hooks!  Golly, hooks are cheap and so many restrooms are sorely lacking a proper place to hang my purse.  Aretha's passed this test with flying colors!

Well, folks, as always, our annual Tennessee trip was embellished by delicious food with delightful friends. Can't wait to go back and eat pancakes until I can no longer move!

Happy Eating!

Confection Perfection

Goodness me! While sifting through some old pictures the other day, I found a restaurant that I completely forgot. Since it reminds me of one of my favorite places - Asheville, NC - I decided it would be a travesty to forget it.

True Confections was our "alone" time spot while on our Asheville trip with a couple of good friends. No matter how much we get along, at some point we all want to go in different directions and get some time apart. So that's what we did. Sam and I found this quaint little bakery near the Art District in Asheville. It was cozy and from our window seat we were able to engage in a favorite pastime... People Watching. Which can be crazy fun with all the hippies in Asheville. No offense, hippies! You're just interesting to watch!

Anyway, back to the important stuff: FOOD! Sam indulged with a hearty slice of warm Cherry Pie whilst I snacked on yet another scone, Blueberry or Blackberry; sadly I can't remember because it was so many months ago. Either way, both desserts were delicious!

The staff was pleasant and fast too. Although speed was not on our minds at that point. When I get to go back, I hope to keep my seat in the window a little longer next time.

Happy Eating! Tchau!

Gibberish!

My second trip to Gibbs on Riverside Ave brought as much joy and satisfaction as the first. To begin, the staff is unbelievably nice and accommodating. The food is prepared at the speed of light and the sandwiches are generously packed with meat and veggies. All in all, you definitely get what you pay for.

The first trip - no pictures, sorry - was a delicious experience with "Chicken Parmesan" served piping hot on a flaky white bread that was heavenly. The second rendezvous was with the "Broadway" - oven roasted turkey, seasoned fillet of roast beef & melted provolone - can I get a YUM? My stepmom had the "Chicken Salad" and was equally pleased.

Pork Chop's Opinion:

I read in one review on urbanspoon.com that it had "religious paraphernalia". The napkin holders have quotes by a score of different people - all of them upbuilding, feel-good thoughts - but above the drink station is an 8 x 10 frame with a few Bible verses. Hardly religious paraphernalia.

I apologize for the mediocre pictures, but my camera was on hiatus.

I love the 3 wheelin' delivery bike!

Broadway

Chicken Salad

Not to be redundant, but I cannot express in words the perfect flakiness of the bread. One must experience it for oneself.