My friends and I go out for dinner maybe once a month and like to try new restaurants/pubs/holes in the wall each time.
I am looking for suggestions of good or unique places to eat along with suggestions of favorite dishes in said place. We would prefer local but will try anything good.
Where we have been so far in no particular order: Betulla Burning Nancy O's Twisted Cork Black Clover Browns Socialhouse Oakroom Earls Possibly others I cant recall
Edit: Here is the current list for anyone else also looking to try some Prince George community food recommendations.
Edit2: I tried to impart some sort of order to the list but this has proven difficult since almost every place on the list can have its own category for food offerings. Here is a rough attempt regardless with some categories given to them on popular review sites. I have also added the above eateries into the list in case others stumble across this for inspiration in their own food endeavors.
Canadian, Barbeque, Bistro, ???: Trench - Something BBQ BFF Bar and Grill - Fork in the Road food truck - Birria Tacos or Burgers Birch and Boar - Sandwiches White Goose Bistro - Bonnet Eatery - Pork Bites & Pizza Gramas Inn - Breakfast or Burgers Winston's Resto Bar - The Riverhouse - Moxies - Salmon Burger or Zen Bowl Nancy 0's - Twisted Cork - Browns Socialhouse - Earls -
Vietnamese: Ivy's Kitchen - Pho or Salad Rolls Thanh Vu - Hot & Sour Soup, Spring Rolls
Asian/Sushi: Sushi Yori - Tamamoto Sushi - Hotpot Wasabi Sushi - Soup Raman Ya Sendo - Something Ramen Zen Noodle House - Pho or Pan Fried Noodles
Pubs: BX Pub - Bruschetta Chicken Burger Cabin Pub (Cluculz) - Mac Burger or Pizza Westwood Pub - Alpine Pub - Schnitzel Black Clover -
Pizza & other: OM Pizza Bar - Kolkata street noodles, Chicken Biryani, Chili Paneer or Chicken Sandwich Chocolate Cake, Cheesecake (home made) Betulla Burning -
Korean: Sim's Lunchbox -
Indian: Madras Maple - Dosas
Italian: Mulino Kitchen & Craft Cocktails - Pasta (made in house) & Crème Brûlée (made from scratch)

My spouse has a pretty severe peanut and tree nut allergy, to the point where he can't eat if there's a possibility of cross contamination and I can't eat anything that contains or may contain the allergens. I'm always trying to find allergy related info for what we can eat in the parks and Disney Springs/Downtown Disney. We just completed our very first trip to Disneyland. I will say at Disneyland it was much harder to find foods to eat than at Disney World; a lot of mobile order didn't include any allergy options or didn't include much beyond basic burgers and chicken tenders. I know the advice given is usually to "just ask a cast member!" A lot of time was wasted waiting in lines to be told that the food was not safe for us.
Anyway, here's what we ate that was peanut/treenut safe:
Via Mobile Order- Pasta at Alien Pizza Planet. Grilled cheese and tomato soup at Jolly Holiday.
Via asking Cast Members- Ronto wraps from Ronto Roasters. Lobster nachos from Lamplight Lounge. Breakfast sandwich and breakfast burrito from Smoke Jumpers Grill. Regular pineapple Dole Whip from Tropical Hideaway. Pizza from Napolini Pizzeria in Downtown Disney. We didn't actually eat anything but I did ask at Bengal Barbeque and they said the food would be safe.
I also had the waffle monte cristo sandwhich from Royal Veranda and a churro from the Tomorrowland churro cart but they did state there was a possibility of cross contamination.
What we found out we could NOT eat safely- Cozy Cones as they have cross contamination with the ice cream toppings. Corn dogs from Corndog Castle as the batter may contain peanut/treenut allergens. I also looked into a few items exlusive to the Star Wars after hours event, the Duel of the Sliders and the specialy Dole Whip were not safe.
We wasted probably an hour in total walking to different locations and waiting in line. I hope this helps others with these specific allergies find some good food in and around the parks. If anyone wants to be super awesome and wait in line to find out if the beignets are peanut/treenut safe and let me know I would be forever greatful!

Step into the tantalizing world of Castles Barbeque Best Barbeque Restaurant in Delhi (NCR), the epitome of culinary delight in Delhi-NCR. With locations sprawled across Gurgaon, Noida, Janakpuri, Connaught Place,and the heart of Delhi. Castles Barbeque promises an unforgettable dining experience. From succulent kebabs to sizzling grills, each dish is a symphony of flavors meticulously crafted by seasoned chefs. Whether you're craving the smoky aroma of tandoori delicacies or the juicy tenderness of grilled meats, Castles Barbeque offers a gastronomic journey like no other. Immerse yourself in the vibrant ambiance, where every corner echoes with the laughter of satisfied patrons, making it the ultimate destination for barbecue aficionados.
Castle’s Barbeque provides a unique and innovative way to enjoy a live grill & barbecue buffet filled with fun, excitement, and most importantly, delicious food! Discover an economical menu which serves a variety of grilled, North Indian and Chinese cuisines.
Castle’s Barbeque has incorporated more than 100 dishes, with fine charcoal live grill on each table, live counters & live kitchen with an extensive main course offering choices of veg & non-veg food in inclusive of Appetizers, Main Course, Salads & Soups. Specially curated LIVE counters offering a wide variety of LIVE preparation food ranging from GolGappas to Moong Dal ka Halwa & special version of innovative Ice Cream Rolls.

Recently got back from an incredible 19 days in Japan. I’m really feeling the post-Japan blues now, but writing about the trip and sharing what I learned feels like a nice way to honour the memories I made.
I (35M) travelled to Japan with my partner (41M) from Canada. We were there from March 26 to April 13 - these dates were “chosen” for us because we were attending a wedding in Tokyo. We got to wear hakamas, walk in the procession at Meiji Jingu, and observe a Shinto wedding ceremony first-hand.
We did the Golden Route + Kanazawa, however, many travelers have already written about this route so I’ll try to offer new stories to interested readers instead.

About us and high-level trip summary:

• Our entire itinerary consisted of: Tokyo (+ trip to Kawaguchiko), Hakone, Osaka (+ trips to Himeji and Nara), Kyoto (+ trip to Hiroshima), Kanazawa (+ trip to Shirakawa-go), and then Tokyo again for the final night in Kichijoji.
• Stayed at a total of 7 hotels and made good use of the luggage delivery service. Usually took 1 day, but sometimes 2, so plan ahead.
• We got the JR West All Area Pass, which let us go to Hiroshima, Himeji, and Kanazawa from Osaka/Kyoto (plus a few other small trips). Not only was this worth it for us in terms of monetary value, but the built-in flexibility came in clutch i.e taking the train at our leisure and feeling much less stress over seat reservations or waiting in line. I used this website to help me determine which pass to get: https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/
• As mentioned earlier, we attended our close friends’ wedding in Tokyo, which took place at Meiji Jingu and Meiji Kinenkan. It was a truly special and once-in-a-lifetime event. Being photographed by the sightseers at Meiji Jingu was also an interesting experience!
• We went out on weekend nights and checked out the popular places in Shinjuku Nichome (i.e the gay village). While they were fun, you need to dig deeper to find the places that make Nichome stand out from other gaybourhoods around the world.
• Did not make a lot of food reservations because we read how easy it was to find good food around every corner. We found this to be largely true and ate well on our trip (including many konbini meals and bento boxes on the train), but we look forward to diving deeper into the culinary world on trip #2.
• One of my favourite phrases was: Nani ga oishii desu ka? It means ‘What is tasty here?’ and is like asking the restaurant for their recommendation. I never got a bad result with this question.
• The ryokan, onsen, and kaiseki from our 1 night stay in Hakone were all amazing. It was probably our favourite room and meal on the trip. We would certainly return to Hakone and stay 2 nights next time.
• Saw a geisha performance in Kanazawa that was geared towards visitors and it was so fun and fascinating. My partner got to play taiko drums with a geisha!
• The big tourist must-sees were nice, but I’ll fondly remember all the times we just wandered the streets, witnessing small slices of other people’s lives.
• Kichijoji ended up being our favourite area of Tokyo.
• I planned this trip meticulously, but many items still ended up falling through or needed to be re-arranged due to various reasons (fatigue, sickness, timing mistakes). I think you will need to make peace with this and be prepared to be flexible with your plans, outside of pre-booked reservations.

Detailed report:

Before the flight

There were a few things we did before the trip began that helped us out:

• Picked up a Wise card, allowing us to withdraw cash without paying extra fees. The fees can really add up.
• Reserved a pocket wifi router for pick-up at Narita.
• Made reservations for popular activities, namely the Ghibli Museum and USJ Express Pass.
• Adjusted our bodies to the new timezone a few days before our flight using an app called Timeshifter.
• Installed the Japan Travel by NAVITIME app, which I preferred over Google Maps when it came to anything involving the shinkansen.
• Watched Perfect Days, a meditative film that follows a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. It got us even more excited for Japan, plus the washrooms featured in this film are real and inspired us to look out for them in real life!

Landing in Japan

• After passing through customs at Narita, we picked up the pocket wifi router we had reserved. There are multiple drop-off locations, so you can pick up at one location and drop off at another. We chose the plan that gave us unlimited data for 3 weeks and it was worth it.
• I wanted to get our IC cards, but the line at the JR ticket office was so long that we just opted to buy individual tickets to take the Keisei Access Express. If you are going to be staying near any major metro stations (Ueno, Tokyo, Shinjuku, a few others), you can go there for your tickets because the lines seem to be shorter and you’ll ideally be rested by then.
  • I got my IC card at Ueno Station. On the ground floor, at the JR travel centre, you can line up for the Suica. However, I really wanted the cute Pasmo Passport instead. It took some asking around, but we eventually found the ticket office in the metro station, which is underground and had no line at all. We showed our passports and picked up our Pasmo cards without issue. It’s cash only.
• I also purchased an eSIM from Airalo. It was my first time doing so and I found the process fairly straightforward. I only got 3 gigabytes of data, which was for situations where I might find myself separated from my partner (who held onto the pocket wifi). Ended the trip with over 1gb remaining.
• On our first night, we wandered and found some restaurants in the alleyways behind our train station; we ate delicious ramen for around ¥800. It’s true what they say about your first night being a write-off, however, so don’t expect to do much else.

March 26 - 28: A gentle introduction to Tokyo.

This leg of the trip consisted mainly of wandering and exploring, which was a nice stress-free way to get used to Japan. Staying in Asakusabashi gave us easy access to the major destinations in eastern Tokyo i.e within 15 minutes by metro. A lot of people recommend staying in Asakusa, but we found Asakusabashi to be even quieter and cheaper.
Places: Asakusa, Akihabara, Ueno, Ginza, and Chiyoda
Hotel: Route-Inn Grand Tokyo Asakusabashi
A standard and comfortable hotel with a fantastic breakfast buffet. We got it at a really good rate and were pleased with the quality.
Highlights:

• Itoya Ginza is a stationary lover’s paradise. Each of the ten floors is immacuately curated, filled with beautiful things to look at and use. If that wasn’t enough, a nature-inspired soundtrack plays the entire time to really put you in the mood. I picked up a Shupatto bag and liked it so much (great design and durability) that I went back and bought a few more as gifts.
• Sensoji and the path leading up to it is cool, but shoulder-to-shoulder busy. Across the street from the main entrance is a sweet potato cafe that my friend recommended and it was very yummy!
• I found a place called the Okuno Building and it felt like a hidden gem for anyone who’s into art and architecture. Try to time your visit with when Room 306 is open: https://room306project.tokyo/about-en/
• Stepping outside of Tokyo Station, you feel small and the grandeur of Tokyo really hits you. Across the station in the building with the Beams store, there’s an observation deck that offers a gorgeous nighttime view of the area. There’s also a food hall with a great energy and vibe.
• About 10-15 minutes walk north of Akihabara station is an artisanal market tucked away beneath the train tracks. It was quiet and cute with a lot of interesting shops. Many handmade giftable items to be found: https://www.cntraveler.com/shops/tokyo/aki-oka-artisan
• I had a reservation for the Final Fantasy Eorzea Cafe in Akihabara - it was something I had wanted to do for a long time, though it felt underwhelming in the end. The food and drinks were photogenic, but forgettable. There are a number of cafes like these around and I imagine the gimmick is similar in each (at least, the ones run by Pasela Resorts). Still, no regrets!

Notes:

• Most of the hotels we stayed at did not allow use of stairs except in emergencies. This was usually fine, but during one busy morning rush we waited a ludicrously long time to get down from the 4th floor! We became acquainted with a charming Japanese woman as a result of waiting for the elevator, so there was a silver lining.

March 29 - April 3: Unforgettable memories made over a weekend.

We had a jam-packed several days filled with ceremonies, friends, parties, and singing. We got to be part of a traditional Japanese wedding and also experienced the famous Tokyo gay nightlife. Dotted throughout these memories were other precious moments that gave us a glimpse into what life in Japan is like.
Places: Shinjuku, Shibuya, teamLab, Kawaguchiko, and the wedding
Hotel: Yuen Shinjuku
Atmospheric hotel. Situated on a quiet street in Shinjuku while remaining within walking distance to all the fun places. Onsen on the top floor with amazing city views.
Highlight: The wedding

• To prepare for the wedding, we had a fitting at a kimono rental shop (Vasara) along with some friends. The men in the group wore hakamas, which are like trousers reserved for very formal occasions. Wearing a kimono and hakama was interesting - there’s a lot of tucking and wrapping under those robes, forcing you to stand straight while also having your organs squeezed in. But damn did we feel and look good in them, haha.
• The wedding itself was one of the most gorgeous and well-organized weddings I’ve ever been to and I’m still in a bit of awe. It began in the early morning with a Shinto ceremony at Meiji Jingu. The ritualistic garments worn by the bride and groom as well as the attendants were beautiful. After conducting the tea ceremony in a semi-private reception area, we gathered into a two-column procession and slowly walked to the main ceremonial site deeper within Meiji Jingu, led by a priest and two shrine maidens. Everything was solemn and immaculate. You can read about what these ceremonies are like online, but there were a lot of rituals, rules, and even audience participation e.g. standing, sitting, clapping, and drinking sake. Being photographed by hundreds of people while walking to and from the ceremonial site was also something I didn’t think I’d ever get to experience - I imagine this is what a celebrity feels like!
• The reception afterwards was at Meiji Kinenkan and followed a more familiar Western reception format, with an MC, music, multi-course meal, and live performances (including mochi pounding and spectacular Japanese Bollywood dancers) - but no dancing for the participants, haha. There was also an after-party at an Indian restaurant in Shibuya and it was a much more casual and colourful affair.

Highlight: Nichome

• Nichome - one could easily miss this entire neighbourhood during the day, but boy does it come alive at night. We visited most of the major bars: Eagle, Eagle Blue, Dragon Men, Arty Farty, etc. What immediately struck me about those places was how similar they felt to bars back home i.e Toronto. There were lots of foreigners and the vibe and music reminded me of our own bars. It’s still a fun time and you can meet other travellers if you put yourself out there.
• When I said that one needs to dig deeper to find what makes Nichome stand out from other gaybourhoods, I was referring to the hundreds of tiny bars in the basements and upper levels of the buildings all around Nichome. To really get something out of this experience though, you need to either: i) speak Japanese, or ii) be accompanied by someone who can speak Japanese. I was lucky to fall into the latter group and had a few nights of uproarious karaoke, bantering with drag queens, and intimate conversations with bar staff.

Other highlights:

• teamLab Planets was mind-blowing and I highly recommend anyone go at least once. The less you know about it, the better. The area around teamLab Planets (which includes the famous Toyosu Market) was also pleasant to walk around. In fact, we had a picnic by the water with a clear view of the Tokyo skyline.
• I find malls in Asia to be on another level and the one we visited - Shibuya Parco - was no exception. There was a large terrace on the top floor with expansive views of the city and the basement housed an impressive food hall with a wide range of cuisines. The floors in-between had many unique offerings as well, even if only to window shop.
• We found one of the washrooms from the film Perfect Days, the one in Nabeshima Shoto Park. The exterior was incredibly designed, though the interiors were just fine. The park also houses a tranquil pond that was nice for a stroll around and the neighbourhood itself was enjoyable to walk through.
• Got my hair cut at a place called Assort Tokyo with English-speaking hair stylists - shout out to Yutsuki who gave me one of the best cuts I’ve ever had!
• Karaoke Manekineko is prevalent in Japan and we had the fortune of going to one with our Japanese friends. It was fun, affordable, and equipped with all our favourite songs (both Japanese and English). Indulge in the bottomless drink machines - their corn soup is a best seller and after trying it myself, I can see why!
• Seeing Mt. Fuji in person is an out-of-this-world experience - pictures don’t do it justice. However, the popular places we visited (Chureito Pagoda, northern shore of the lake) were extremely busy despite the lack of cherry blossoms e.g. the queue to access the observation deck at Chureito was 1 hour long. Getting around Kawaguchiko also wasn’t easy or cheap - the buses were packed and unpredictable and taking a taxi across town cost us a pretty penny. If I were to return, I’d get a private tour guide or just stick to the not-famous places and aim to be there in the early morning.

Notes:

• We switched hotels from Asakusabashi to Shinjuku and it was worthwhile to do so. We valued being able to walk to and from the bars, especially at night after the trains close
• I made the mistake of thinking we could get tickets on the express/direct train to Kawaguchiko the day before - nope. You should book these early. We took the shinkansen to Otsuki and then from there took a local train the rest of the way.

April 3 - 7: Embracing the calm after Tokyo.

Walking an average of 20,000 steps for the past eight days, our feet were ready for some much-needed relief and Hakone was the perfect solution. We also appreciated the smaller city vibes of Osaka and how it felt more down-to-earth. This was a good transition from Tokyo to the Kansai region of Japan.
Places: Hakone, Osaka, Himeji
Hotels: Mount View Hakone and Onyado Nono Osaka Yodoyabashi
The hotel in Hakone was itself the highlight. This one was a bit higher up in the mountains, but still easily accessible by bus. Top-notch hospitality and amenities. Our Osaka hotel was also comfortable and had an onsen and was located in a convenient area - not in the thick of things, but close to the important metro lines.
Highlights:

• I wish we stayed longer at our Hakone ryokan. Their kaiseki dinner and breakfast were exquisite. The private onsen consisted of two large basins for our exclusive use with a view of an illuminated bamboo grove. That said, I think you could choose any 3+ star ryokan in Hakone and have a stellar time. The town was calm and charming; it was especially haunting with the light rain and mist when we were there.
• We took a bus that went directly from our hotel all the way to Odawara, where we caught the shinkansen to Osaka. Unlike at home, where riding the bus feels like a chore, I felt that taking the various transport options in Japan was an experience unto itself - always something to see and admire outside the window.
• Osaka’s nightlife was vibrant, though we preferred Shinsekai over Dotonbori if only because the former was way less crowded. I also went out to Doyamacho (Osaka’s gay district) on my own, which seemed tiny in comparison to Nichome. I visited the newly opened Eagle Osaka and met a Canadian expat; it was fun to hear stories about being gay in Japan from people who’ve lived there for a long time.
• Sunset at Osaka Castle with all the sakura was magical. The crowds were minimal here. My favourite shot to take was a close-up of the flowers with the castle in the background.
• My partner was very keen on visiting USJ and getting the Express Pass - I’m glad we did that because we got to experience (almost) everything we wanted to. Super Nintendo World was the absolute gem of USJ: going there felt like going to another dimension.
• Right outside USJ is a large shopping and restaurant complex. There’s a place on the fourth floor called TAKOPA Takoyaki Park and what a joy it was - pick any of the restaurants here, order a combo meal, and let your taste buds soar.
• Himeji is an easy day trip from Osaka and the famous castle is a straight walk down from the station. It was very picturesque - definitely visit the gardens while you’re there.

Notes:

• My partner started to feel unwell at this point of the trip, so we had to slow down our pace and also reshuffle a few itinerary items.

A note about the trains and ticketing system

I loved taking the shinkansen, they were so comfortable and predictable. The ticketing system, however... that’s a different story entirely. I think everyone just has to go through it as a rite of passage. I also couldn’t get SmartEx to work, which would’ve saved us a lot of hassle.
Regarding the JR West pass, I learned that you can’t make online seat reservations with it after you pick up the physical pass. You must use a specific machine or visit a ticket desk. To use the machines, find the ones with the green head boards and then select the option that mentions using a ‘discount ticket’ or something like that. Insert your pass and choose the destination and train you want to take. You’ll then get your pass back along with the printed tickets. Fortunately, there’s usually an attendant there to help you out.
I will miss having bento on the train while watching the scenery pass by (and listening to Fujii Kaze, haha).

April 7 - 10: Sakura, temples, and museums.

It took some time for Kyoto to warm up to us, but once it did, we found ourselves wanting more time here. It’s a city best enjoyed at a leisurely pace in the early morning or late at night, once the crowds have dispersed. Aside from the temples and parks popping up in unexpected places, I enjoyed crossing Kyoto’s many bridges, each offering a view of gorgeous sakura-lined canals.
Places: Nara, Kyoto, Hiroshima
Hotel: TUNESTAY Kyoto
A modern hotel that also feels like a hostel with its communal amenities and young vibe. Rest assured, the rooms are private and include your own bathroom. Minutes away from Kyoto Station and situated on the same street as the sightseeing buses.
Highlights:

• The sakura were now in full bloom and made for magnificent strolls around Kyoto’s famous districts, but like all other famous sites, they are best enjoyed early. We got up early for Philosopher’s Path and it was breathtaking and tranquil, just as we imagined it to be. It started to get crowded i.e noisier after 9am.
• The 10th floor of the Isetan building at Kyoto Station is a dedicated food hall, with one side being just ramen shops. Very yummy and very short lines!
• I read about how emotional the Hiroshima Peace Museum made people feel, but I still wasn’t prepared for the sheer gravity of it once we were there. I can only describe the experience as powerful and poignant. Certainly take your time to go through and read the cards on the exhibits. It was one of the rare places we visited that was both busy and quiet.
• Visit Okonomi-mura for delicious Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki and good vibes. It’s another food hall, but one that feels much more down to earth and gritty.
• We happened to stumble upon a night market at Murayama Park in Kyoto. The cherry blossoms were at their peak; they looked especially splendid under the glow of the lanterns. There were food stalls aplenty and we ate to our heart’s content: grilled fish, fried yam rolls, bamboo on a stick, and barbequed meats. Several restaurants and tables were set up in the middle of the park so you could sit down for a meal and some drinks while partaking in hanami. People were in very good spirits and we ended up chatting to a young couple sat next to us, where we bonded over our shared love for Howl’s Moving Castle and all things Ghibli. I’ll remember this particular night very fondly.

Notes:

• It’s possible to visit Nara on route from Osaka to Kyoto or vice versa. That’s what we did and we just stored our luggage at the station in Nara.
• It makes more sense to go to Hiroshima from Osaka - not only is it closer, but our JR West Pass did not include shinkansen travel between Osaka and Kyoto (even if we were riding on the same train going from Osaka to Hiroshima). We only did it this way because our original plans were changed due to my partner’s change in health status.

April 10 - 12: Winding down and enjoying small city life.

Kanazawa was a culinary and visual delight for us. Slowing down as we approached the end of our trip, it was easy to get to and from various places due to the city’s small size. It may not have as much to do as other places, but that’s also something we appreciated about it.
Places: Kanazawa, Shirakawa-go
Hotel: Hotel Kanazawa Zoushi
Our second favourite hotel of the trip. We had the warmest reception here, with complimentary tea and dango provided at check-in. The room was very comfortable, while the bathrooms were surprisingly spacious.
Highlights:

• Everyone comes here for Kenrokuen and... yeah, it’s an absolutely stunning garden, dressed in wide swathes of pink thanks to the pretty cherry blossoms. Having said that, we noticed other areas of the garden weren’t as lively because the plants had not yet flowered. I think coming here when you know certain flora will be in season will make for a more memorable experience.
• Right next to the gardens are the Kanazawa Castle Ruins, also home to some gorgeous blossom-lined paths. It was way less busy here, as if people didn’t realize they could walk another few minutes to this beautiful location.
• On the surface, Higashi Chaya looked similar to the historic districts in Kyoto. We primarily went there for the Geisha Evenings in Kanazawa performance held at Kaikaro Tea House and it ended up being one of our favourite highlights of the entire trip. Lady Baba is a fabulous host and storyteller; the two hours we spent here flew by, filled with laughter, music, and cultural learnings.
• Omicho Market feels a lot more like a real food market than Nishiki and smells like the sea. We enjoyed some huge oysters here and grilled scallop and octopus skewers.
• We dined at Gen-zae-mon on the recommendation of a local who worked at Kaikaro. It’s a cozy izakaya in downtown Kanazawa serving plenty of scrumptious regional specialties. Try asking the service staff for their recommendations if you’re overwhelmed by the menu options.
• Shirakawa-go was quaint, almost like being transported to a different era. The entire village is easily traversable by foot and it’s worthwhile to visit at least one of the historic houses that have been converted into a museum. If you can climb to the top of the observation deck, you’ll be rewarded with a serene lookout of the entire village. That said, I don’t think spring is the optimal season for Shirakawa-go to shine; I think any other season would colour it better, because it was still grey and barren when we went.

Notes:

• I mistakenly thought we could get tickets for the highway express bus from Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go last minute... nope. Thankfully, our JR West pass let us ride the shinkansen at no additional cost to Toyama, where we caught the bus there - and that bus was mostly empty. It only added about 30 minutes more to our travel time.

April 12 - 13: One more outing in Tokyo’s most desirable neighbourhood.

I’m glad we stayed in Kichijoji for the last day of our visit. Walking the streets of this neighbourhood was exactly what we envisioned a peaceful Tokyo to be like and there was much to please the senses. It just felt like the whole package - picturesque, relaxed, easy to get lost in, and bustling to a degree that felt exciting without being overwhelming. The Internet claims that Kichijoji is the most desirable neighbourhood in Tokyo; I definitely believe that now.
Places: Kichijoji, Haneda
Hotel: Tokyu REI Kichijoji
Standard hotel with few frills, but great price and location. We chose it because it was a last minute decision to switch from Akihabara to Kichijoji for our final night.
Highlights:

• Ghibli Museum was delightful and I’m a big fan of the “no indoor photography” rule. The attention to detail was incredible. Treat yourself to a walk in Inokashira Park before or after your visit. It was late afternoon when we went and the park was filled with young families and students playing after-school sports. It just felt like a pinnacle “slice of life” moment.
• My very fashionable friend (the one who got married) said Kichijoji is her favourite place for consignment shopping and we saw plenty of those stores here. A bit deeper into the residential parts of Kichijoji is an artisanal market and cafe called Sippo: it was filled with one-of-a-kind goods at reasonable prices and everything was made in Japan. I know there are a lot of great shops in Tokyo, but this one stood out to us and we would certainly return on future trips.
• We hopped on an airport shuttle bus from Kichijoji Station to Haneda. No reservations, but the bus was only a quarter full. We gave ourselves three hours at Haneda and still felt like we ran out of time - lots of great shops for last minute gifts (including an Itoya outpost!) Take note that the higher rated restaurants are located outside of the security gates.

Now that some time has passed since departing Japan, the emotions that swept over me in that country have left a deep impression. Like a reminder of what I’m chasing after in this life, Japan excited me, fulfilled me, and left me wanting more. I know that being Japanese in Japan is an entirely different experience, but I still yearn to experience even just a sliver of that life.
Thanks for reading and I hope you got something out of this trip report. If you’re interested in seeing some of the photos I took on this trip, I’ve shared them on my Instagram account, which is the same handle as my Reddit username.

Back when I was a vegan in full swing, my dad had just finished barbequing chicken thighs. He left them on a plate on the counter and the smell from them was driving me absolutely insane. I walked over to the plate and thought, "it's okay if I just pull one little piece off to taste." I was only vegan for weight loss, so I wasn't upset about eating meat. Well... it was absolutely delicious. Juicy and flavorful. I could barely think in that moment of pure bliss. One piece led to another, that led to another. I was having such a difficult time stopping myself, I almost ate a whole thigh, just picking at it with my fingers!
Fast forward to this past week. I liked to have a bag of frozen and chopped onions, celery, and carrots in my freezer because I love making soup. I had so much of it that I felt guilty throwing it away when I started carnivore, so I've just kept it in my freezer. I started running out of room in there with all my new carnivore foods that I decided to send them down the sink disposal. I ran hot water over them so they'd go down easier and the heat from the water released the scent of the vegetables. I was absolutely shocked. I smelled the onions and the celery, which I have always loved the smell of onions; that was always an indicator to me that something yummy was being cooked. I felt nothing! I could tell it was onion, and it had an aromatic scent (actually it was a little funky smelling), but by no means did I feel any type of hunger craving for it. It blew my mind!
I have garlic slices in olive oil for the same reason I still had the frozen veggies. At this point I just haven't gotten rid of it, but I may hold onto it for this reason: right before writing this post I got up, opened the container, and took a big whiff of the garlic and olive oil (which I used to absolutely love) to see how I felt about the way it smelled. I didn't like it! It was off-putting and kind of smelled fake, like if some manufactured food item were to contain "garlic flavor", or something like that. Actually probably worse than that.
I can't believe it! It's so funny how much my brain and body have changed in only 9 days. I lost my craving for coffee with creamer (which was a weakness for me), anything carb related really, and now all I really want to eat is BBB&E. It really goes to show you how much carbs can screw you up. I've never had an easier way of eating than this, and I've never been so in-tune with my body before. This is amazing, and I'm so happy I got started on this WOE. I hope I can make this lifestyle stick, I feel so good and am so happy! Thanks for reading :)

The final part is a little overkill, but let's finish it with a bang
It was a suicide mission; Sergeant Jacob Wu knew exactly what he had signed up for. Let himself be captured by the hunters. There had been a fifty-fifty chance he would end up as a barbeque before the day had ended. Luckily, his capture was smarter than the average Kanishu, these shaved bears with human hands, and realized just who he had captured. Now, he was kept in a cage while being transported to the Kanishu homeworld to be interrogated and tortured. These monsters had this strange notion that the highest rank should always interrogate all important prisoners. Why was beyond him? Was it some cultural or religious aspect of them, perhaps? It didn’t matter; it was merely a weakness that could be exploited.
The Kanishu thought they had Admiral Harold and not an experienced, perhaps the most experienced Special Forces commando in human space force in their midst. Jacob just knew he had to survive long enough to confirm the Kanishu homeworld. The guards were joking as they stood guard, “The kings will eat well tonight.”
“Kings? Do you have more than one king? I don’t see how that’s going to work in the long run!”
The guards almost jumped in shock as he spoke their language. Then, as they calmed themself down, they ignored him and continued to talk to each other. “The food speak? Wow, somebody is very lucky. Gods bastards, those senators get all the best food.”
“Yeah, I had one once who clearly knew how to speak, but none of us understood the language. But the meat was so tender. I mean, roasted baby and mother Vinusa wrapped in Kansina leaves. Mmmm, chefs kiss. I will never taste anything like that again.”
“Was that for your wedding? You are so lucky; we only had Duskin and Sjarna. The Duskin was good, but the Sjarna was overcooked. But.. “Turning to Wu, salivating at the thought. “Imagine having a Human for your wedding feast? I'm going to save up as much as I can so my daughter can have it. “
Wu sat back; his body felt sluggish due to the drug and nanobots swimming through him. He still thought he could take these two fools out. However, the missions came first, and they clearly were not in the mood to talk to him. Though what was a Sjarna?
“What’s a Sjarna? I never heard of them.” The guards looked at him, and his question was apparently worth answering.
“Cheap meat, difficult to cock. Their meat dries up too easily. It’s a cheap version of human meat.”
“What do they look like? Like me?” Wu moved closer to the bars, asking and looking around at the same time.
“Yeah, well, it's like a mix of human and Vinusa, but with short fur and a tail. There's no meat on the tail, but it's good for soup.”
“Yeah, the only thing they are good for is Soup; the meat is a waste.” The other ignored Wu and addressed his colleague.
He tried to ask more, but they ignored him as they were sharing barbeque recipes to pass the time.
He didn’t know when he fell asleep, but the nanobots in his bloodstream woke him when the cage started to move. He tried to orient himself, but all he saw was a long white hallway. The two Kanishu guards had been exchanged by Knusha guards. The other major player in the Galactic Republic. If he remembered the intel correctly, then the galactic had seventeen species, but the major players were the Kanishu, the shaved bears, the Knusha, humanoid with grasshopper heads and the L’us’syn, the human-sized gremlins. He tried to speak to these guards, but they didn’t say a word. Their uniform was different from what he had seen, looking impractical and more for show than battle readiness. The cage glided into a room, and the guards left as a screen opened. “Human, go out of the cage and over to the designated area.”
Before he could answer, the cage door opened, and an area near one of the walls lit up. Jacob shrugged, got out, and moved slowly over to the wall while looking around. Apparently, it was too slow as the floor was electrified. The nanobots in his body immediately sprang to life and isolated him, but Jacob played along and cried out in pain as he pretended to be electrocuted. When the surge stopped, he crawled to the designated area and was ordered to undress, and then a shower came out from the wall. Apparently, they wanted their food cleaned before eating it. When he finished, he was dried, and a new set of clothes came out from the wall. The clothes reminded him of a white Tang suit, and when he was dressed, the area he was in went dark, but a door opened at the end of the room that led into a narrow hallway. It ended in a small circular room, and then the room lifted him up into a glass cage.
The new room was huge and filled with aliens of all the seventeen races of the Galactic Republic. The ceiling was translucent, and he could see a planet and two small moons. He realised where he was and grinned. “Bingo!” The command word activated, and he felt a relief coming over him. It didn’t matter if he died now; they had taken him exactly to where he wanted to be. There was an old fat male L’us’syn, who was speaking to the senate. Probably the elusive leader of the Republic. On the first ring of this Amphitheatre like senate, he saw what must be the Kings, leaders of all the seventeen species, all dressed up in their finery.
“Here is the monster we have been hunting. Today, we will teach this monster that we do not fear them! We fear nobody, never have, never will! Today, we will let him rage and scream, and then we will feast on him! Everybody will get a bite of this harmless little piece of meat.” Then, the old man turned his attention to Jacob. “Do you have any last word food?” Jacob looked around in disbelief; a few steps away, a chef was getting ready to slaughter him and cooking for the whole senate. They would only be able to get a morsel each if everybody was going to feast on him. But in a sense, he understood the symbolic part of it. They could declare a victory by eating him, well, Admiral Harold as they saw him. It's hard to come back from being eaten by a whole senate. As he was pondering what to say, he felt it. “Look up! “
“That’s it? Just look up.”
Admiral Harold dropped out of Hyperspace with his very own death star called ‘Starkiller.’ The other nine Death stars dropped out around him. Only two of them were military bases, not that anybody would be able to realise the difference.
“Launch The host!” He grinned as he could feel the panic from the enemy. Their planet had too many moons, and he ordered the second Death star to remove them from his view. As he gave the order, he could see the Death star’s launching all the ships they had. A swarm of ships, some as large as a capital ship, emerged from the surface to attack any ships the enemy might launch. The original plan had been to attack and destroy the homeworld of the Kanishu, but when all the others had offered all the manpower they had, it had become an invasion instead. Then, once they had rescued any potential victims, they would destroy the planet. There was little resistance as most were trying to escape, which some were allowed to, though not before being scanned to ensure no victims were being taken away. After all, they needed the galaxy to witness this, to spread the fear of this alliance.
He checked the sign from Sergeant Wu and saw they were still active. “Rescue the sergeant with extreme prejudice! If they laid a finger or claw on him!”
Sergeant Jacob Wu looked up with the others as the Deathstars popped into view and then launched an armada against the planet. One of the Deathstars turned its attention to the largest moon and just started to blast it away with rockets, blowing it apart. Then, it launched some ships that looked like battering rams with two hanger pods. It flew straight into the moon, pushing the largest pieces towards the sun. He grinned as he looked at the old, fat male L’us’syn. “Any last words before we destroy this pathetic republic. You say you don’t fear us. Well, we will teach you fear! And we won't eat you. We will leave that to the maggots and bugs!”
As he spoke, a ship rammed the galactic Senate starbase, and commandos of all five species poured out. Finally, they had the numbers to remove the whole herd of bloodthirsty animals. No quarters were held back. This was not war. It was extermination, and they could all feel it.
The senators were clearly in panic, but when their own fleets arrived to defend the homeworld, they all cheered. Jacob cursed and feared the outcome, but only for a second as three Deathstars went to attack the incoming fleet and used their massive gravitational force to drag the ship to crash into them. Somebody was being inventive with the new weapons. He smirked at the total devastation of the enemies, and then the main hall was breached. The senators panicked as the commandos came in guns blazing, mortally wounding anybody who did not belong to the alliance against the republic.
A few hours later, Jacob Wu stood before Admiral Harold. Behind him, he could see the devastating result of the invasion and mop-up. The Admiral was reading his report. “Hmmm, good job. You have yet again been recommended for Sergeant Major. Will you just take the damn rank?”
Jacob sighted defeated. “Okay Sir, wife will be happy about it.” As he spoke, the main weapon was fired at the sun, and it vanished without a trace. It was quite anti-climactic.
The admiral noticed the look on his face and looked over his shoulder at the now-darkening solar system as he absent-mindedly explained. “The brains have been playing around with dimension shifting. It's still there, just in a different dimension. You know, just like Superman’s Phantom Zone device. Anyway.. You are married?” as he spoke, the Kanishu homeworld blew up.
“eh yes Sir, got two kids too.”
“I didn’t know that about you; well, I will give you a leave, then go home to your family, enjoy some R and R. We can mop up the rest of them.”
Jacob nodded; he wanted to continue the fight, but if he didn’t get home soon, his wife would kill him, and he feared her more than an invitation to a Kanishu barbeque.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

I've plunged deeply into the vast Jonestown rabbit warren lately, and it just gets weirder and weirder.
Today I found THIS...
So at first I assumed it was just some sensationalistic thing that survivor, Richard Clark had said for attention or to stir things up for the press, or as post-mortem jab against Jones.
Then I found the transcript of TAPE Q644. Near as I can interpret what is going on, Jim Jones is talking about how they had shot a local Native or a Guyanese soldier trying to trespass in the compound, then cooked him and served his meat for dinner to the unsuspecting residents. Then he goes on to rationalize cannibalism and to propose another cannibal incident as a form of sacrament.
Was Jones just making all this up to make an impact on his flock, or did it really occur? Frankly, I would not be surprised at all if he had killed and eaten people.
See below:
Jones: There’s only one thing I’d say, Julius, that in the jungle, it’s one hell of a task to follow us, if we use some sense. It is a fo– the– a lot of these folks are scared, locals are scared. The people, uh, due to the f– the uh, old adage of, of the agricultural syndrome being connected with slavery, they occupied around the cities, a lot of these soldiers are scared shitless of that jungle, they’re scared of snakes, and most of us are not. The few that are– the few who are, we’ll uh, eat them and the snakes. (Laughs)
One voice: Yeah.
Crowd: (Applause)
(Aside too soft)
Jones: Hmm? You agree with that? (Pause) Carl Barnett, come by behind the pavilion, we’ve got the first one to cook. (Short laugh) Go ahead. Hell, we been through it. We shot ‘em and we ate ‘em, uh, the other time round.
Scattered in crowd: Right.
Jones: And that’s (stumbles over words) fuckin’ truth. Go on, honey.
Julius: Okay–
Jones: And everybody thought they had– they– some thought they had beef, some thought they had chicken, some thought they had fish. (Pause) (Laughs)
(Scattered conversations)
Woman 1: (unintelligible beginning) teeth, too.
Jones: What’s that?
Woman 1: (unintelligible beginning) teeth.
Jones: Freeze Dry [Kivin Smith] knew he had teeth, yeah. One sister, it kind of bothered her, was when in the– was when the tooth was in the soup. There’s this one sister said, I didn’t mind uh, taking that soup, she said, but when that eye bobbed up, and looked at me– (Laughs)
Crowd: (Laughs)
Jones: (Calls out) Ah, shit on you hypocrites. You already– You already with a bunch of cannibals, so fuck you.
Crowd: (Laughs, scattered applause)
Jones: How many of– how many of us were here? How many of us were here? We were here, honey. And we’re just as saved as you are. (Pause) Didn’t know what else to do with the sonofabitches.
Voice: Tastes good.
2nd voice: Little barbeque–
Jones: That bother you? Anybody bothered by that?
Scattered in crowd: No.
Jones: High grade of protein.
(Conversation too soft)
Jones: Somebody back there wants to ask Patty Par– Patty Parks, how you feel about eatin’– eatin’ somebody if we ge– kill one of the sonsabitches. They never come and ask for them.
(Conversation too soft)
Jones: (Laughs) Somebody want to know, that you, you, you, you know, you’re not to express any opinion. How you feel if we get the, the– they had a white man come in here and tried to stab one of our people, tried to catch him, and it w– worked out that he got it.
Scattered in crowd: Right.
Jones: How you feel about eatin’ him, if we get another one tomorrow? That’s the last one.
(Conversation too soft)
Jones: Come on, Patty, just speak it out. I don’t know– I’m not asking the questions, somebody else wants to know the answer. What’d she say?
(Conversation too soft)
Jones: If she f– hungry enough, she probably eatin’ him, and he got no choice.
(Conversation too soft)
Jones: Go ahead.
Woman 2: Tastes a little different–
Jones: So you want to– What’s that?
Woman 2: It tastes a little different, it’ll be a (unintelligible word) (Laughs)
Jones: (Laughs) Nobody never knew– Nobody knew the difference. Nobody knew the difference, and nobody got sick at their stomach or anything. That’s true. In fact, they’ve all felt good, said, Da– oh Dad, that was a good meal. Said, Reb’s [James Edwards] cookin’ up an awful good meal back there.
(Conversation too soft)
Jones: Huh. Shit. (unintelligible word) over there, and if there’s anything left of me, you be sure and cook me, don’t waste me.
(Conversation too soft)
Julius: Okay, uh, I was– I was standing in line thinking that uh, there’s a lot of people observing (unintelligible under Jones interruption)
Jones: Now hold it. I– If some of you people is so goddamn funny about that, that don’t mean– it isn’t just us black folks. I believe a whole lot of white capitalist, the best sports team from Chile go– or Argentina, going across to Chile, and they got co– hooked up there in the goddamn Andes, and I believe they ate each other, and they didn’t even bother to cook it, they ate it froze. They ate it raw, they ate all their dead teammates raw. Some, their own wives, and some of them, their own brothers. And the fuckin’ white folk that settled in California, when they went across Donner’s Pass, they all had to each– eat each other there, and they cooked ‘em and killed some of ‘em. Don’t talk to me about none of this, don’t act like this white religious shit to me. Everybody’s got this white religious shit till it comes time to eat the flesh and drink the (draws out word) blood. And that’s what Jesus said. Jesus did say it. The Lord Jesus did say it. He said, they eat my flesh and drink my blood. I ain’t found his, but if we find some of them fuckers– (Pause) If you eat people, they’ve got a long way to go, I mean, they got a long way to go. You can tell when you touch on this shit. That’s what Jesus said, (Cries out) eat of my flesh and drink of my blood. Did he not?
Crowd: Yeah.
Jones: Well, I can’t find his, so why won’t somebody else’s do?
Scattered: Right.
Crowd: (Applause)
Jones: We may– we got somebody back here, we got somebody back here in the back of the building all ready. How many– uh, how many are going to eat him tomorrow?
Crowd: (Responds)
Jones: How many are not going to eat him?
Crowd: (Responds)
Jones: How many not going to eat him? Put your hand up. ‘Cause we’re gone– you’re going to join the pot too. (stumbles over words) Okay. Here’s a sister over here. Join her.
Unknown male: She gone eat him?
(Scattered conversations)
Jones: She said, eat him. Okay, that’s good. She changed.
(Scattered conversations)
Julius: Okay, so uh– could you uh–
Jones: This is the last.

Some cookbooks focus on a certain regional cuisine (for example, Asian, French, or Southern), while others focus on a culinary method or technique (for example, barbeque, baking, or pressure cooking), and still others focus on a specific type of food (i.e. soup, pasta, broths). Another sort of cookbook that is popular is one that concentrates on recipes from a specific restaurant or celebrity chef.

What to keep in mind while publishing a CookBook?

CookBooks are one of the most bought books by budding chefs, housewives and folks who enjoy cooking in general or even want to try it.
Here are a few points that you should keep in mind while writing your manuscript for publishing:

1. Know your audience You need to understand who your readers are – whether they are beginners or professionals. What could their budget be? What cuisine do you want to target and who is your major audience? Do they want to try something new or something traditional? Healthy or fast food?
2. Set a publishing budget for yourself Self-publishing requires you to be an entrepreneur, and the responsibility for ensuring that your book looks professional falls solely on your shoulders. So the first thing you need do is calculate the cost of self-publishing your book. This should contain an estimate of the expenditures for photography, design, and editorial assistance.
3. Put your work in the context Make it very obvious from where your work falls in relation to others. All journals, and indeed all readers, must understand the work’s utility and purpose as part of a wider communal intellectual project. Try not to get bogged down in little details. When we spend a large amount of time on research components, the temptation is to convert this into word count in the final article.
4. Edit your book yourself DO modify as much as you can. Begin with a title; write the easy parts first, then work your way around to the more difficult parts. Constant editing is required. If you think your first draught is perfect, you’re mistaken. Editing allows you to discover your true beliefs. DO NOT BE FEARFUL OF FAILURE. Playing it safe, as well as exploring popular themes, is straightforward. Ideas, on the other hand, are inexpensive, and the vast majority of them are erroneous. You must test a large number of them before you find the good ones. Don’t be too connected to yours or concerned that it will be stolen. They are unlikely to do so.
5. Cookbooks are the epitome of aesthetics Your content should be as good as the visuals you present. The readers need to see what the dish should look like and the more appetizing it would look, the more motivation they would have to pursue the dish and work around to achieve perfection.
6. Look for the suitable publishing house for you
7. Compare pros and cons Each self publishing house will have something you’d like and something you’d not, make sure to weight all the possibilities and possible scenarios before you choose the suitable publishing house for you.
8. Trust the process and coordinate with the team Discuss everything with them, then sign a contract to start the process. Keep up with the process and enjoy the thrill of becoming a new self published author. Make sure you understand what you need on your cover page, your book’s genres, and who your target audience will be. Make an attempt to be a good sport as a client/author, and keep your project team members motivated as well...Continue reading

Hello all,
I come to you all today with yet another review of Smyth, Chicago's newest 3 star restaurant. While u/MrSpiderisadomme just left a review from the same menu (picture attached), I will go ahead and offer my review of the service, menu, and overall feelings, and hopefully offer a different perspective for anyone considering the restaurant.
Service: We arrived to a complementary champagne, as well as a note congratulating us on a major life event that we had experienced. The staff was quick and efficient to start the service, particularly in getting our drink plan established for the rest of the service. The staff was on the kinder end of many of our American service experiences, but lacked in many ways compared to our Asian and European experiences.
Personally, I enjoy learning about each dish and interacting with our service staff. At this service, the staff was quick to leave us alone after delivering their items. So much so, that when it did come time to pick a wine for the start of the meat courses, we had problems getting someone to linger long enough to have that conversation. Additionally, while we had discussed our server returning with a wine menu after the sixth course, he did not do so until he was prompted at the 8th course. I thought that perhaps Smyth just did their service a different way compared to many other restaurants, but I noticed that several other tables were receiving the more casual and warmer service that we had been hoping for. My best guess is that they assumed we were looking for a close, romantic night together, when it was certainly the opposite.
Overall, the service was still very good. There weren't any real blips besides the wine service issue, and everything was done in a very clean and efficient way. All of the usual high end service factors were there, including staff opening the bathroom doors as you walked up, or replacing a napkin you didn't even realize you'd lost.
Food: The food service can be easily divided into a tale of two halves. After reading many, many reviews, I was aware that there can be quite a bit of variance in opinions about Smyth. After a very strong first course, the next few left me concerned that I would simply be another Smyth reviewer who couldn't understand how they had one star, let alone three. But after those courses, I was truly blown away by what I was presented. I know this was the case for several other people who were as well.
Smoked Quail Egg - 8.6 Osetra Caviar, Cannoli, and Cured Osyter - 5.0 Uni and Mamey Sapote - 6.8 Kakigori Clam - 7.1 Crab Soup - 9.2 Dungeness Crab and Kani Custard - 9.5 BBQ Butternut Squash - 8.3 Trout and Blade Kelp - 9.1 Wagyu, Cherry, and Doughnut - 9.0 Lemon Leaf and Beeswax - 7.5 Potato and Cacao Ice Cream - 9.9 Macaron and Black Walnut - 8.8 and 7.1
The real stars were the Crab Soup, the Crab with Custard, the Trout, and the Potato Ice Cream.
The Crab Soup was outrageously intense, poured over a bed of two types of seaweed, and mushrooms. While they didn't give us utensils to eat the seaweed and mushrooms, my partner and I both found that the parts soaked at the bottom were some of the tastiest things we'd had that night.
The Crab with Custard was another winner. Light Dungeness Crab, served with what might be the best butter I've ever had. Following the first few seconds after eating the butter, you don't notice much flavor. Suddenly, it explodes with what is one of the best flavors I've ever experienced. Alongside this, the Custard was really excellent, and helped set the palate with intense flavors.
The Trout was cooked very well, served with a sauce that I can only describe as an extremely light and luxurious Japanese bbq sauce.
Finally, the New Potato ice cream. Absolutely incredible. They suggested it was like a refined version of dipping fries in a Wendy's Frosty. Absolutely incredible. Might be my favorite dessert I've ever had.
Overall: The first 1/3 of the experience left my a little disappointed. The final 2/3 left me thinking it was one of the best meals we've had in the last few years, as both service and food improved. At this price point, as well as the service charge and tip (if you choose), it's probably not the best value we've had in the US, but it's certainly not out of line with what others are charging. I went in expecting great service and some really unique and excellent courses, paired with some that we weren't fans of. While the food met that expectation (and had highs exceeding what I'd hoped for), the service did lack when comparing to others we've experienced.

3
It couldn’t have been even noon yet, but the thickness of the trees and the purple fog covering the world made this place look dark as night. I heard a grumbling and look towards Tristan. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
“Looks like we both forgot to eat this morning.” I giggled to myself realizing how hungry I was. “What are we going to do about food while we are hidden away up here? I mean, I love the outdoors life as much as the next Oregonian, but I’m not exactly a hunter.” Tristan laughed out loud in agreement with my statement. I realized he knew everything there was to know about me. Probably more than I know about myself, seeing as he has been with me in other lives, I know nothing about.
“No hunting necessary at the moment.” He reassured, “Another guardian, Kay, has been up here in anticipation of what has happened. She has things set up for us and even has a stockpile of supplies.” I realized something as he explained this.
“You knew this was going to happen.” I didn’t phrase it like a question because it wasn’t. He knew. He had to. He was way too prepared for this not to have known in advance. Not to mention Carters warning just moments before it happened.
Tristan sighed, “I knew it was coming, yes. The ultra-violet plane has been trying to crack the barrier for centuries, but we had some warning that they were close.”
“How?” I asked, wishing that I was given a little warning before my whole world turned purple and exploded.
“Some specials have great destinies, and some have special abilities. Kay’s special has the ability to see into the future. It’s not always reliable, as the future is easy to change, but some things can’t be changed. Like today.” As he explained, the car started to slow to a stop. In front of us was a high gate made of logs from fallen trees in the forest. “How long have you known about this?” This fence and property must have taken years to put together, there is no way they just threw this together in a week.
Tristan got out of the car, and I followed him. He stood in front of me and looked me in the eye. “Ten years.” He confessed.
“Ten years?! You couldn’t have given me a little more warning?” I was starting to get really annoyed by this whole thing.
“We didn’t have an exact date or time. We just knew it was coming and we wanted to be prepared. I wanted you to live as normal of a life as possible before I took it all away from you.” He looked at me with this guilty expression all over his face. I didn’t like seeing him like that. I don’t know why I cared so much, but I didn’t want to hurt him.
“It’s not like my life was all that glamorous. I lived in a basement like a hermit. I barely talked to anyone except Carter and my dog.” “But you had a choice. You lived on your own terms. I didn’t want to take your choices away from you a minute before I had to. Besides, you would never have believed me unless you saw it happen for yourself.” He had a point there. Damn my stubborn nature.
“Okay, okay.” I put my hands up in surrender. “Now, how do we get into this Fortress?”
Tristan flashed me a smile that would make any girl swoon. His teeth were pearly white and perfectly straight. He had one lone dimple on his left cheek. He walked up to the gate and let out a loud whistle.
“Get back in the car.” He said, but not demanded. I did as he instructed, and he followed closely behind. Once we were back in the car, the gate swung open. We drove to a flat area that was clear of trees. There was a river flowing down the left side of the property and a beautiful, old bridge that went over it. To the right was a small road that went up a steep hill. Everything was surrounded by trees. We drove up the hill, but I was afraid we wouldn’t make it because it was so steep. Tristan drove slowly and carefully and somehow we made it up to another clearing. There were a few small buildings spread out all over the clearing and a large outdoor kitchen. In the middle of the clearing was a grassy area and a pit dug out for a fire surrounding by rocks.
I got out of the car and opened the backdoor to let Remus out to explore. He jumped out and began sniffing everything and marking every tree he could. I giggled at my big lug of a dog. Tristan opened the trunk and started grabbing my bags. I turned to help him, and he gave me a puzzled look.
“Why is this bag so heavy?” He lifted one eyebrow with a look that told me he already knew.
“Well books aren’t made to carry light.” I said matter-of-factly. He rolled his eyes as I grabbed the bag full of books and hugged it to me protectively. “If you knew me so well then you would know that I could never leave my books behind. Even in an apocalypse.”
“So much for packing only what you need to survive.” He shook his head smiling. “Your cabin is right this way.” I followed him to a little one-bedroom cabin with a full-size bed in a loft that overlooked a small room with a wood stove an old couch with an older afghan flung over the side of it.
“Why did you tell me to bring my tents and stuff if there were cabins here?” I asked as I flung the bag of books onto the couch.
“Well, we are trying to locate as many guardians and specials as we can to join us here. We might run out of cabins. Also, we don’t know how long we can actually stay here, and there isn’t exactly another plan. We may have to leave in a hurry. The tent is a backup plan.” He shrugged and hauled my stuff up the ladder to the loft where the bed is.
I looked out the window to see if I could find Remus still sniffing around out there, instead I saw a slim figure of a man walking towards my cabin. I gasped recognizing him right away. I sprinted out the door running towards Carter at full speed. I jumped into his arms as he caught me and tried not to fall over from the impact. He hugged me to him tightly, laughing at my reaction.
“I’m glad you finally made it.” He laughed letting me go, making sure I didn’t fall over myself in the process. “She didn’t give you too much trouble, did she?” He asked looking back at the cabin I just ran from. Tristan was leaning against a beam of wood on the small porch, smiling from ear to ear and the sight of us.
“No more than normal.” He replied smirking.
“How long have you known about all this?” I asked scowling at my best friend.
“Since I was ten.” A woman walked up behind him lacing h er hand in his. She was beautiful. Tall, thin but still curvy in the right places. She had piercing blue and grey eyes and long black hair that seemed to make them even brighter. “Mia, this is my Guardian, Kay.”
My eyes nearly popped out of my head. “Carter, you’re the kid that can see the future?!” I can’t believe he has kept this from me. We have been best friends since we were little kids. I thought we knew everything about each other. “And you!” I said pointing to Tristan, “What do you mean more than normal? I just met you today.” Tristan, Carter, and Kay all started laughing.
“He has been watching over you forever and trying to keep you safe. Which isn’t always the easiest task.” Carter said still laughing.
“Oh, right.” I turned to Tristan again, “Sorry, I’m still getting used to the idea of all this.”
Tristan walked over and put his hand on my shoulder, “No need to ever apologize to me.” His eyes were sparkling again. I looked back to Carter and Kay, who were still holding hands and standing very close to each other. I wonder how long that has been going on. Is it even allowed to date your own guardian? I looked back at Tristan. Hm, might want to file that question away for later.
“Why don’t I show you around.” Carter suggested.
“Sure.” I looked towards Kay and Tristan, “You guys coming?”
Tristan shook his head, “Kay and I need to discuss some stuff. You guys go ahead, we’ll catch up in a bit.” I shrugged okay and followed Carter to the various buildings.
We came to a few small cabins like mine that were empty. One was painted all different wacky colors. He didn’t have to tell me it was his cabin, this one screamed “Carter”.
“Kay and I stay here.” He pointed, offering a perfect opportunity to ask.
“So… you and Kay?” I looked at him wiggling my eyebrows up and down. “Why didn’t you tell me? About her? About any of this? I thought we didn’t keep secrets.” I didn’t want to sound like I was hurt, but I kind of was.
“Listen, the things I see aren’t always my secrets to tell. They also aren’t always reliable. I’ve made the decision to tell you a dozen different times, but each time I did the future I saw didn’t include us being friends. You weren’t ready to know the truth yet. As far as me and Kay… We are together.” My eyes bulged. I mean I suspected for sure, but hearing it confirmed. Wow.
“But she’s your Guardian, right? She’s been watching you forever! Isn’t that a little weird?” He looked at the ground and smiled to himself.
“Mia, she is the literal definition of my soulmate. She knows me inside and out. She has seen all my flaws and still loves me and chooses to continue to be tethered to me forever. What person in the world could be more perfect for me than that?” Wow, he was really in love. I mean Carter has always been a bit of a romantic, but I’ve never really seen him in love before.
“You have a point, I guess. Wow, Carter I don’t know what to say. I’m happy for you. Too bad you found your person just as the world is ending, huh?” He looked up at me with an odd smile I couldn’t figure out.
“That just means we can’t waste another minute pretending we don’t belong together.” Something told me he wasn’t just talking about him and Kay.
Carter continued to take me around the property. He showed me some outhouses they made and the outdoor shower stalls. I wasn’t super thrilled about having to shower outside, but Carter said that the water is hooked up to a local hot spring so at least it’s not a cold shower outside. At the top of yet another hill there was a large field with a green house and space for a garden. The place was beautiful. Like an enchanted forest fairy camp. They had a clearing in the middle of the property that had a little stage and seats for gatherings. It made me wonder how many people they planned to hide here.
After the tour, Carter and I walked back to the giant outdoor kitchen they had set up. There was a roof covering the top. Inside were a few propane stoves and a couple of barbeque grills. There was a couple of fridges and three huge chest freezers. Carter had showed me the emergency generators that powers the whole place. Apparently, a few guardians have been stock piling supplies for a while. We have enough for a couple years but with more people coming and us not knowing how long the stores will be open and available to us, we are going to continue to stock up on stuff. That is where Tristan found us.
“Well, I’m going to go find my woman and make a plan for another supply run.” He hugged me tight, picking me up off the ground, then tipped his imaginary hat to Tristan before making his exit.
Tristan leaned up against the banister that held up the roof of the kitchen. He looked at me with his half smile, dimple present in all its glory. “How was the tour?”
“I’m not super enthusiastic about the outside showers, but other than that…This place is amazing. I could live the rest of my place here even if I wasn’t being forced to by Poachers from another dimension.” I walked to one of the dining chairs and slumped into one.
“At least your sense of humor has returned.” He chuckled and walked into the kitchen and started to make two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. With everything going on I forgot to eat again. Tristan placed a sandwich in front of me and took the seat to my left.
“Thank you, PB and J is my favorite.” I said taking a bite of heaven on bread.
“I know.” He smirked before taking his first bite.
“Right.” I said swallowing my bite, “I guess there isn’t much you don’t know about me, huh?” I took another bite and noticed Remus in the clearing ahead laying in the sun, with his feet sticking straight up. He could definitely make a home here.
“I mean as much as I can by observing, I guess.” He wiped some peanut butter off the corner of his mouth as he swallowed another bite. “I mean, I can’t read your mind or anything so, sometimes you can be a bit of a mystery to me, but I have come to be able to predict certain things about you.” He seemed to finish his sandwich in three bites. I was so hungry it didn’t take me long to catch up.
After lunch, Tristan and I walked down the hill to the bridge. There was ivy and flowers growing off of it creating a curtain for the river below. Honestly, it was the most beautiful place I could imagine. I sat on the edge of the bridge, my legs hanging over the side. Tristan sat on the ground next to me. Carter and Kay were down the river a little bit sitting on the bank with their feet in the water. Kay’s head resting on Carter’s shoulder. Her long black hair blowing in the wind.
“They are so cute together. Is it allowed for a guardian to fall in love with their charge?” I asked, staring into the glimmer of water ahead.
“It’s never happened before, that I know of, but these are unprecedented times. Like I said before, we all have free will. We have the right to make our own choices. Kay chose him.” He stretched his legs out in front of him and put his arm behind his head leaning against the wall of the bridge.
“Carter said they are soulmates.” I picked apart some moss and threw it into the river as I talked.
“Makes sense. I mean they were literally made for each other.” He chuckled.
The last few hours I have learned so much and absorbed so much new information. I wasn’t sure any of this made any sense still. There were demons from another plane of existence. They broke some kind of barrier that allowed them to come here. The world was turning purple from some gas in their world that allows us to see them. I have some kind of soul that’s marked special for some reason that ties me to Tristan. But why are we hiding? What is the rest of the world going to turn into while we live in this wooden paradise?
“Can you tell me more about what is happening? I’m not sure I understand everything.” I turned myself towards him and pulled my legs up to my chest.
“Are you sure you want to know everything right now? I don’t want to overwhelm you like earlier.” He winced like the memory was painful for him.
“I’m okay now. I just want to understand why we are here. Why did we run away? Is the rest of the world going to be, okay?” I watched him move to face me. He looked at me like he was trying to gauge if I was ready to hear all of this yet. He sighed, deciding that I’d have to learn sometime or figuring I’m too stubborn to just let it go.
“The ultra-violet plane is the same as this one. Everything is physically the same except through a purple lens. The inhabitants of this plane are demons with no souls. They wonder around trying to break through to this plane. While in ultra-violet, they can see, hear, and smell everything in this realm, but they can’t interact with it. They just go right through. Since the two planes are so similar, the barrier between them is thin. Sometimes, if they are close enough and the soul is weak, they can take over a person’s body for a short time.” He looked at me to make sure I was still with him. I didn’t say anything, just listened.
“Now that the barriers are broken, they can steal souls right out of people’s bodies. They take the soul and devour it from inside. The people don’t die. But the essence of who they are, what makes them feel things; love, hate, form thoughts and opinions- is owned and controlled by the Poacher. Special souls, like yours and Carter’s are hunted by them. Your soul is important. If they get Carter’s soul, they get his ability, and because he and Kay are tethered, the poacher will control them both- but more than that, whatever it is that his soul is destined to do, won’t happen. Then, the fate of this world will change.” He looked me in the eye to make sure I understood what he was telling me.
“If they can see what is happening in this world, then isn’t it possible that they could find our hideout here without us knowing?” I really loved this place so far, but I don’t want to get attached if we will just have to move on again soon.
“Yes, it’s possible, but most of the time the poachers are going to be attracted to overly populated areas. They want to be where there are a lot of souls around. Being out in the middle of the woods not close to anything is the best place for us. We still have to be ready to flee at any moment, but I like our chances of being comfortable for a while.” He shrugged.
“How long is it going to take for them to completely take over the world?” From the sound of it, this soul sucking thing could spread faster than a zombie infection.
“The poachers are pretty mindless. They don’t have plans or strategies. They run on pure instinct until they have consumed a special soul. They can use specials to control and gain their knowledge, conscience, and thoughts. It’s like they gain a brain. The barrier has only been broken a few hours. Only one Poacher has been let out and chances are it’s going to be a while before another one figures out how to come through. That’s why we need to find as many specials and guardians as we can before more come over.” I let out a long sigh, letting my legs hang over each side of the wall.
“Is there any way to kill these things? Or close the hole in the barrier?” Seemed like a dumb question, if it were that easy, we wouldn’t be hiding out like this, right? But I needed to hear it.
“I don’t know. Nothing like this has ever happened before, but when it comes to you, I’m not willing to take any chances.” He shifted so his whole body was facing me. “Keeping you safe isn’t just in my best interest because I’m tied to you. It isn’t just about whatever task you have to complete to keep the fate of the world in the right direction. You are my whole life. Your safety and well-being means everything to me.” His eyes were wide and determined.
“I get it. You are the guardian. Keeper of my soul and destiny.” I gave him a little salute, trying to lighten the tension. He was literally created to keep me safe and on track. I get that.
He let out a little exasperated sigh and stood up. “I’m not sure you will ever get it. Not really.” He kicked a small rock across the bridge and walked away slowly.
I watched him walk away, then turned my attention back to the water. Carter and Kay were making their way back down the river. I couldn’t wrap my head around Tristan’s weird mood swing. Did I say something wrong?
“Hey, slacker!” Carter yelled up at me. I looked over the side of the bridge at him. “Let’s get some of the other cabins ready. We’re expecting a few more arrivals tonight.” He started to climb the bank and I met him at the end of the bridge.
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4
We went to each of the other cabins and laid out sheets, blankets, and towels for the new arrivals. We talked about his gift and Kay, and all the stuff he’s always wanted to talk about but couldn’t. Being a “seer” as he calls it, he has to be careful not to reveal too much about what he sees because it can alter the course of the world. He told me that he can also read peoples pasts, and their past lives. He has lived through twelve other planes of existence and can remember them all.
“What about your parents? Do they know what you are? Where are they?” I’ve known Carter’s parents for a long time. They were odd but very caring people. They always let me crash with Carter when things at my home were really bad.
“I never told them straight up, but they knew I had a gift of some kind. Yesterday before any of this happened, I told them where I was going and begged them to come with me. I explained things the best I could, but they didn’t want to come.” He shrugged and sat on the edge of the bed we just made.
“Why not?” Why would anyone want to stay in a city that was about to be infested with soul devouring poachers?
“I explained how we were trying to keep the special souls safe. They wanted to stay behind and try to help the rest of the souls who don’t have guardians to look out for them.” I sat on the chair across from the bed.
“That sounds like them. What about Paisley? No way they would have taken her into battle with them. She is only five!” I jumped up in an outrage thinking about that sweet little girl facing a poacher.
Carter smiled and took my hand dragging me to his cabin next door. We went up the colorfully painted stairs to a small room. In the middle of the room was two small children. One was little Paisley, her long brown hair that has never been cut in her five years on this plane, tied up in a ponytail that still almost reached her butt. She was wearing overalls and a pink tee shirt underneath. She looked up at me when I walked in and ran to hug me.
“My Mia!” She exclaimed; she always called me that.
“Miss Paisley!” I hugged her to me, relieved that she was safe with us instead of back in Portland in the danger zone. “And who is your friend?” I asked motioning to the little boy she was playing with. He was about her age, he had short black hair and large brown eyes. He was wearing some blue jeans and a plain blue shirt. He was pale with freckles all over his button nose.
“That is Milo. He is Paisley’s guardian.” Carter answered. My jaw hit the floor.
“He’s a guardian?! He is only a child!” I couldn’t even process the fact that Paisley was a special. How could this child protect her?
“When Guardians are in their physical form, they will take on the age of their charges. Technically that is their age too. They are born when we are born.” Carter explained.
I looked at the little boy and smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, Milo. Take care of my miss Paisley, okay?”
Milo looked at me and smiled. “Always.” Paisley went to join her Guardian and continue playing. Carter and I walked out of the room and back down the stairs.
“So, Paisley is special too?” It wasn’t really a question.
“Did you ever really doubt that?” Carter said laughing. I giggled with him shaking my head no.
Kay walked in and caught us in our giggle fest. Her eyes softened and she smiled at the sight of us. “Some of the others are arriving, my love.” She grabbed onto Carters hand, and we all walked out to greet the new comers.
Tristan walked up to meet us. Before we go to where the approaching car was going, he grabbed my arm to hold me back. I stepped back and turned to look at him.
“I just wanted to apologize for walking away like that. I haven’t been in this human body for every long and I still trying to get used to all the emotions and feelings that comes with it.” He looked up at me apologetically.
I smiled at him and shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. I know I’m not always the easiest person to talk to.” He returned my smile, and we walked side by side to meet the new recruits.
There was a tan Highlander parked next to the car Tristan and I stole this morning. Wow, that was really just this morning. The sun was just starting to set now. Inside the back of the SUV was more supplies that Tristan and Carter were starting to unload. In the front seat sat a gorgeous, blonde, bombshell of a woman. She was tall with blue eyes and full lips. She wore simple blue jeans and white tee shirt. She got out of the car and walked to Tristan. They shook hands and my heart panicked when they touched. I tried to suppress whatever discomfort was bubbling up. While they said their hellos, I went to the other side of the car and helped the other young girl out of the car. She wasn’t as tall as the other girl but just as pretty. She has long curly black hair and beautiful smooth dark skin. She wore trendy round glasses. She was wearing baggy jeans that were rolled up to the middle of her calves, a black crop top and jean jacket over the top, and a red and black flannel shirt tied around her waist.
“Hi, I’m Mia.” I said reaching my hand out to help her out of the huge car. She grabbed my hand and hopped down from the car and quickly turned and reached back in for a heavy looking duffle bag. Swinging the bag over her shoulder with an “oof” she looked back and me and smiled, pushing her glasses up her nose. “Hi I’m Abigail.”
“Can I help you with that?” I grabbed one of the straps of the duffle not waiting for an answer.
“Thanks.” She replied. The bag must have weighed at least 80 pounds.
“What’s in here?” I asked.
“My books. Sabrina told me I shouldn’t have packed them because they weren’t essential, but if the world is ending or whatever, there is no way I’m leaving my books behind.” I grinned at her in agreement. This is a girl after my own heart.
“Tristan gave me the same lecture, but there is a backpack full of books in my cabin too.” She beamed at me. I had a feeling that this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. “So, that supermodel is your Guardian?” I asked.
“Yeah, a little intimidating, right? But she is very down to earth and very kind. We really connected right away. Although I suppose it’s hard not to connect with the person who is tied to your soul and has watched over you your whole life, right?” We started to slowly climb the stairs to her cabin, one step at a time. “Tristan is your Guardian then?” She asked when we finally made it up the stairs.
“Yup.” What else could I say about the guy I just met this morning? “I mean I don’t know much about him. I’ve only known about all this for a few hours.” I said shrugging.
She looked at me like I had two heads. “You really didn’t know? Like he just sprung it on you today?” Her reaction kind of through me off. Was I the only one who didn’t know about this before today?
“Um, yeah. I was on my way to school and the whole world turned purple and Tristan was just there, and we ran. How long have you known?” She opened the door to her cabin, and we began to drag the bag of books inside. “A few months. Sabrina came to my apartment one night and explained everything, then said that these Poachers were about to break through the barrier to our plane and that we had to pack and start driving. We avoided highways when we could and have been on a non-stop road trip since.” She plopped onto her couch and wiped the invisible sweat form her forehead. “Drove from Maine. One side of the country to the other.”
“Wow. That must have been an exhausting trip.” I sat in the chair across from her.
“Yeah, but Sabrina was good company. It was nice to have that time to get to know each other before we got here ya’know? Well at least it was good for me to get to know her, since she already knows me better than I know myself. Anyway, it will just be good to sleep in an actual bed again!” She grinned up at me.
“I bet.” I laughed, “It was really great talking to you, but I think I’ll give you some time to unpack and get to know your new home.” I stood up and walked out into the darkness. No city lights, no streetlamps, and the moonlight wasn’t as bright with the purple fog covering it up. The kitchen had some Christmas lights strung up, and there were a few tiki torches lit up around the property. In the middle of the clearing, I saw Kay and Tristan starting a fire in the designated pit.
I decided to go to the kitchen and get some kind of dinner started. Everyone has had a long day, and I’m sure they were all hungry. Remus was laying down under one of the tables in the dining area. This new life obviously agreed with him. I chuckled at him and went to check the food supply for ideas on a dinner. I decided on spaghetti since I knew I could make a lot of it very quickly. I turned on the propane stove and started to boil the water I got from some jugs I found in the pantry. There was plenty of sauce and noodles in the cupboards. I found some ground hamburger in the chest freezer, and I began to brown the meat in a frying pan. I searched for some kind of seasoning not very hopeful given the circumstances, but I was able to find some salt, pepper and garlic powder. I seasoned the meat and added my noodles to the boiling water. Once the meat was cooked, I added the sauce and strained the noodles.
The whole process took about a half an hour, but I made enough to feed us all and a few more. Which was good because while I was puttering away in the kitchen, two more cars drove up. One was a small Subaru with an older couple in the front, I’m guessing a 20 something year old man and a young girl, about Paisley’s age if not a little older, climbed out of the back. The other vehicle was a large truck, the bed of which was filled with stuff, and it was hauling a small pop-up trailer behind it. Two people jumped out, a tall very muscular and good-looking man with dark skin and almost no hair, I’d guess to be in his late 30’s, and a woman about the same age. She was cute, long shiny black hair, looked like she could have been Native American. The woman opened the back door to the truck and let out a beautiful husky, not quite as big as Remus. Of course, my dog was already running to sniff his new play mate. I ran after him to make sure the meet and greet didn’t turn into a fight over territory.
“Don’t worry he is very friendly.” I said to the woman, I didn’t have anything to worry about though. The Husky was female and more than happy to meet my hunky mountain dog. “His name is Remus, and I’m Mia.” I extended my hand to her. She shook it eagerly.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Nell, and this is Sophie.” At the sound of her name, Sophie trotted away from Remus and to her owner’s side licking her hands. Nell bent down and rubbed her head.
“Nice to meet you too. I have dinner ready if you guys want to eat before unloading all this stuff.” I looked toward the rest of the group helping the older couple unload their car. “You guys too.” I yelled, “Soups on. Get it while its hot!”
Everyone muttered their appreciation for the food and made their way to the kitchen, leaving all the stuff at the cars for later. Tristan walked up to me with a smile on his face.
“Thank you for doing this. We were all so busy none of us thought about needing to eat.” We started to walk towards the kitchen together.
“You have to remember that your human body needs food to survive.” I said jokingly.
“You know you aren’t good at doing that either.” He laughed back. He had a point. I was always forgetting to eat.
“Touché. I guess we will just have to look after each other then.” I jabbed him lightly with my elbow.
He laughed harder pushing me back. “Deal.”
We all grabbed plates full of pasta and sat around getting to know each other. Kay grabbed the kids and gave them all their own space to eat and play. I sat at a picnic table next to Tristan and across from the older couple. Geraldine and Raymond, but they like to be called Geri and Ray. Geri is the special soul, she can manipulate the elements, which I thought was the coolest ability ever. Ray is her guardian, but he has been in his physical form for 35 years. She didn’t realize her gift until she was in her early twenties, and when she figured it out, she had some trouble controlling it. Ray came to help her, and they were married after six months. The older man that came with them is their son, Michael, and the young girl is their granddaughter, Millie. My eyes budged from my head. My head snapped to Tristan.
“I thought you said Kay and Carter were the first special-guardians, to fall in love.” He rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged.
“As far as I knew they were. But from the looks of it, it isn’t an uncommon occurrence after all.” I looked around at all the new people. I could see what he meant. It seemed that all the specials were smitten with their Guardians and vice versa. My faced burned red at the implication of it. Am I expected to be all romantic with Tristan? I just met this man today! As far as I can tell everyone else has had a lot more time to get to know their Guardians and build a relationship with them. Nell and her Guardian, Aaron, the good-looking man she drove up with, have been traveling form Alaska for the last two weeks. Abigail and Sabrina have been together for a couple months. Kay and Carter first met when he was ten.
“It just makes sense tho, donit?” Geri exclaimed, “If there was one person in the universe that was gonna love ya and take care of ya forever, shouldn’t it be the one who is tied to you anyhow?” she took another bite of her pasta and snuggled closer to Ray. “Not to mention, these Guardians are all cuter than a baby pig in a bonnet.” Tristan and I both laughed at that, but we were both still red. Glad to see it wasn’t just me.
After dinner, Geri and Ray shooed me out of the kitchen, refusing to let me help with the cleanup. I walked over to the truck and began to help unload all of the supplies instead. With all the people here now, it didn’t take us long to get everything put away. Nell and Aaron set up their pop-up trailer, instead of taking a cabin like everyone else. In the clearing Paisley, Milo and their new friend Millie were trying to catch fireflies with their bare hands. Everyone seemed to be settling in just fine.
I walked down the hill to the bridge. This was quickly becoming one of my favorite places. I laid on my back and looked up at the stars, but they weren’t visible through the purple fog, so I just listened to the rushing of the river below me. Remus trotted himself down the hill to me and laid with head on my stomach, like he always did. I rubbed his head and kept looking at the dark sky, wishing I could see the stars and moon again.
“We got the fire going up there.” I jumped at Tristan’s voice. I didn’t hear him coming. I sat up, so did Remus although he protested. “There is talk of breaking out the marshmallows soon.” I nodded to acknowledge, but I wasn’t really feeling being around all that right now.
Tristan took a seat next to me. Remus went to him demanding pets. “Look Mia, I know all that soul-mate stuff at dinner kind of freaked you out. I just want you to know I don’t expect anything. I just don’t want you to feel weird or uncomfortable around me.” I didn’t know what to say. I mean on one hand I was relieved that I wasn’t expected to just suddenly be in love with a guy I just met, but on the other hand, I don’t know, I didn’t want him not to want that. Why was everything suddenly so confusing?
“Thanks.” I muttered. “I think I’m just going to head to my cabin.” I got up and started to walk up the hill. Tristan grabbed my arm to get my attention.
“You don’t have to do that you know?” Concern flooded his face.
“Do what?” I turned to look at him.
“Distance yourself from everyone. You don’t have to keep pushing people away.” I took a couple steps back feeling a little defensive.
“I’m not its jus-“
“Look I understand why you’ve had to it in the past. When you were little, you did it to avoid drawing attention to your situation, in foster care you had to because you moved a lot and it was easier not to make ties you had to break later, but here. You don’t have to. These people understand and they want to be here for you. Someday you may need a community like thi-“ I Held up my hand to stop him. This who I-know-everything-about-you thing is getting on my nerves.
“Look. I’m not trying to avoid them. I’m not trying to push you all away. I just need to process. Everyone here has had weeks, months, years, even decades to process all of this and to make sense of it. I have had hours! My entire life changed today, and I just need to be alone and process. Just for tonight, okay? Tomorrow, I promise I will be miss social, or whatever, but tonight I just need some space.” He looked hurt. I didn’t like that I made him look like that.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you so much today.” He gave me a little smile, but it didn’t hide his sadness. “Goodnight, Mia.”
“Goodnight, Tristan.” I walked up the hill feeling guilty, but I was telling the truth. I just needed some time to process everything.
I made it up the hill, winded, and feeling the burning in my calves. Everyone was in the clearing around the fire. The kids were eating burnt marshmallows and laughing. I smiled at the sight. I made my way back to my cabin. It was dark inside, but there were some gas lanterns around I was able to light. I went upstairs to the loft where my bed was. My bags were on my bed. I thought about unpacking but I remembered what Tristan said about maybe having to leave at a moment notice and decided against it. I pulled out some pajama pants and an old Green Day tee shirt to sleep in. I pulled the bags off my bed and noticed something that must have fell out of my bag. I pick it up, my heart skipped. It was my book. My copy of the Outsiders I left on the bus this morning. I held it up and a note fell out of it.
You forgot this. Wouldn’t want you to miss it.
I know how important it is to you.
-Tristan.
I held the book to my chest and sat on the edge of my bed. I don’t know how or when we went back for it. I felt the tears well up in my eyes. My chest began to heave. I laid back and start to cry out all the emotions of the day. Everything I’ve been holding back. All the frustrations, fear, confusions, it all came up at once. I laid in a ball on my bed clutching the book to my chest, until I drifted off to sleep.

price : $1400 total for three people, that included the $325 pp tasting menu, and 5 cocktails (plus tax and 20% tip)
winners - * the carrot cocktail is a MUST, it tastes like liquid carrot cake. The other cocktails were .. meh, fine. * smoked quail egg * potato and cacao ice cream
service - felt just okay
Overall it was delicious with inventive flavors, but I felt both the space and overall experience didn’t match with my other 3 star experiences, and that the price was a bit high

Hoping this can serve as a resource for the many hungry people visiting Pittsburgh!
​
I only used posts within the past year whenever possible. Many of these also have dozens of older posts, some of which I included for categories with fewer recent posts. I did not include posts with only a couple of comments on common requests (Indian food, Mexican food, etc). There are additional restaurant recommendations also located in the FAQ for the subreddit. This obviously cannot be comprehensive short of me going through every post in the subreddit, so I did my best :)
​
Affordable

• May 2023 – Best large serving, low price, tasty foods in Pittsburgh
• September 2023 – What’s the best bang for the buck food item in the Pittsburgh area?
• January 2024 – Best Bang for Your Buck Lunch Downtown 2024
• February 2024 – Cheap Eats in Pittsburgh

(potentially outdated – 2022 Where are the cheap eats in Squirrel Hill?, 2022 Cheapest Meals Downtown, 2021 What’s your favorite meal in Pittsburgh for under $10?, 2021 What are good fairly cheap restaurants?)
African

• July 2023 – Restaurant Recommendation Request: Ethiopian
• February 2024 – Ethnic restaurants

(potentially outdated – Good African Food in Pittsburgh)
Bagels

• April 2023 – Fresh Bagels
• June 2023 – Who makes the best bagels in the city?
• October 2023 – Any bagels in Pittsburgh as good as the legendary Bageland and Bagel Nosh bagels were?
• October 2023 – Where can I get an amazing bagel?

(potentially outdated – 2022 Best bagel, 2022 Best Nova Lox?, 2021 Pittsburgh’s best bagels?)
Bakeries

• July 2023 – Where should we get our wedding cake from?
• August 2023 – Bakeries in North Hills
• November 2023 – Good Filipino bakery?
• November 2023 – Best bakery around for a cake?
• November 2023 – Best Black Forest cake in the area?
• January 2024 – Bakery crawl?
• January 2024 – Bakery suggestions for a wedding cake?
• February 2024 – Update: Valentine’s Bakery Crawl

(potentially outdated – 2023 The must try desserts of Pittsburgh’s bakeries, 2022 Best bread in town?, 2022 Best Cakes in the Burgh?, 2021 Any good bakeries?)
Barbeque

• November 2023 – Best BBQ in the City
• March 2024 – I want some sloppy barbeque

(potentially outdated – 2022 Best BBQ, 2021 Best BBQ in Pittsburgh)
Breakfast/Brunch

• May 2023 – Best place for brunch?
• May 2023 – Best Brunch Spot
• June 2023 – Best Breakfast in Pittsburgh
• August 2023 – Best brunch spots in Pittsburgh?
• January 2024 – Best Brunch Spots
• January 2024 – Breakfast burritos
• March 2024 – Gluten Free Breakfast Options

Burgers

• January 2024 – Best burger in Pittsburgh?
• March 2024 – Best burgers in town?

(potentially outdated – 2022 Best burger in Pittsburgh, 2022 Best burger downtown or near dt?, 2021 Best Burger in Pittsburgh?)
Cheesesteak

• May 2023 – Best place to get a cheesesteak?

(potentially outdated – 2022 Is there a good philly cheesesteak in Pittsburgh?, 2022 Best Philly Cheesesteak in Pittsburgh?)
Chicken/Wings/Fried Chicken

• June 2023 – Who has the best wing night in Pittsburgh?
• July 2023 – Favorite non-chain fried chicken restaurants?
• October 2023 – Best wings?
• December 2023 – Best Wing Spots
• January 2024 – Where is the best chicken parm in Pittsburgh?
• February 2024 – Help with my pregnancy craving: chicken salad sandwich
• March 2024 – Best wings in/around the burgh

Chinese

• June 2023 – Best Chinese food in Pittsburgh
• August 2023 – where are the best Chinese buffets
• September 2023 – Chinese restaurants that serve alcohol?
• December 2023 – Best greasy spoon Chinese food

Dim Sum

• September 2023 – Best dim sum in the ‘burgh?

(potentially outdated – 2021 Any legit dim sum restaurants?, 2023 Is there anywhere in Pittsburgh to get Dim Sum?)
Diner

• October 2023 – I want diner food
• October 2023 – Any 24/7 Diners in the city, or relatively nearby?

(potentially outdated – 2022 Best diners in Pittsburgh?)
Donuts

• April 2023 – Best Donut
• November 2023 – Any recommendations for the Best doughnuts in/around Pittsburgh

(potentially outdated – 2022 Who has the best doughnuts in the Burgh?, 2022 Any donut shops in the area sell old fashioned donuts?)
Filipino

• April 2023 – Filipino food
• November 2023 – Good Filipino bakery?

Fish Fry

• February 2024 – Fish fry
• February 2024 – Best Fish Fry on the East End
• February 2024 – Worst Fish Fry
• February 2024 – Favorite Fish Fries in Pittsburgh
• February 2024 – Fish Fry – Not associated with a church
• February 2024 – Fish Fry
• March 2024 – Best Fish Fry in Pittsburgh?

Food Bucket List
June 2023 – Food bucket list
Food Pantries

• November 2023 – Food Pantry?
• December 2023 – Best Food Pantry with Decent Produce

Gluten-Free

• November 2023 – Where do you eat in Pittsburgh if you’re vegan and gluten free?
• December 2023 – Upscale restaurants w/ Gluten Free Options?
• March 2024 – Gluten Free Breakfast Options

(potentially outdated – 2022 Best Gluten Free finds/restaurants, 2022 Gluten free restaurants?)
Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt

• June 2023 – Best Ice Cream in the Burgh
• August 2023 – Is there a list of ice cream shops around the city that have walk up windows?

Indian

• May 2023 – In your opinion, what’s the best Indian buffet in Pittsburgh?
• June 2023 – What’s the best Indian restaurant in Pittsburgh?
• July 2023 – What are some good Indian and Middle Eastern food restaurants?
• November 2023 – What is the best restaurant for Indian food in the Burgh?
• January 2024 – Best Indian restaurant in/around Pittsburgh?
• February 2024 – Do y’all like Indian food

Italian

• May 2023 – Best Pasta Place?
• December 2023 – Best Italian restaurant in Pittsburgh?

(potentially outdated – 2022 Best Italian food in Pittsburgh?, 2021 Where is the best authentic Italian food?)
Japanese/Sushi

• March 2023 – Japanese Restaurant recommendations
• December 2023 – Sushi Recommendations?

(potentially outdated – 2022 Best sushi 2022?, 2022 Best sushi boat in Pittsburgh?, 2021 Where’s the good sushi at?)
Korean/Korean Barbecue/Hot Pot

• July 2023 – Best All You Can Eat Korean BBQ in Pittsburgh?
• January 2024 – Korean drinks/food

(potentially outdated – 2022 Good Hot Pot?, 2022 Korean BBQ, 2021 Best Korean food in area, 2021 Best Korean food in town?)
Mexican/Tacos

• May 2023 – Where can I find churros in Pittsburgh?
• May 2023 – Who has the best nachos in the burgh?
• June 2023 – What’s the best Mexican restaurant in Pittsburgh?
• August 2023 – Best Mexican restaurant in the Burgh?
• August 2023 – Best Birria Tacos
• October 2023 – Looking for the best & authentic Mexican restaurant
• November 2023 – Why can’t I find a good burrito?
• December 2023 – Good Mexican food in PGH?
• March 2024 – What’s your favorite burrito in town?

Pierogi

• April 2023 – Pierogies?
• October 2023 – Best place for pierogies in the Pittsburgh area?
• January 2024 – What’s a restaurant in the city that has really good pierogis?
• March 2024 – Fresh, frozen pierogies: where to buy today (not Pierogies Plus)

Pizza

• September 2023 – Where can I get a Pittsburgh pizza?
• October 2023 – What’s the worst pizza in Pittsburgh?
• October 2023 – Best deep dish pizza places?
• November 2023 – Best pizza close to Oakland
• December 2023 – NYC style pizza in the burgh?
• December 2023 – Take and Bake Pizza

(potentially outdated – 2023 Best place for a white pizza?, 2022 Pizza Recommendations?, 2022 Best pizza in North Hills?, 2022 Best Pizza in South Hills?, 2023 What is the worst pizza in the area?, 2021 Staying in Cranberry-where is decent pizza)
Polish

• September 2023 – Best Polish food in town?

Ramen

• June 2023 – What’s yinzes favorite ramen joint in the Burgh?
• August 2023 – Ramen
• December 2023 – Best ramen place in the burghhhh

Sandwiches

• April 2023 – Best bacon egg and cheese?
• May 2023 – Best Cuban in Pittsburgh?
• August 2023 – Sub sandwiches
• October 2023 – Best Italian hoagie in the city?
• January 2024 – Best Pastrami Sandwich?
• February 2024 – Who makes the best fish sandwich in the ‘burgh?

(potentially outdated – 2022 Best breakfast sandwich, 2022 Quest for a Good Sandwich, 2021 SOS: looking for a good deli sando place)
Seafood

• September 2023 – Best Fish & Chips?
• October 2023 – Best seafood restaurants in the Burgh
• January 2024 – Best place for a date to get Seafood Boil in the PGH area?

(potentially outdated – 2022 Best places to get a seafood boil?, 2022 Best place for all you can eat crab?)
Soup

• September 2023 – Soup?
• November 2023 – Seeking your best takeout soup spots

(potentially outdated – 2022 Who delivers the best soup in Pittsburgh?, 2021 Best soup in Pittsburgh?)
Steak

• June 2023 – Best place to eat a steak in Pittsburgh?
• June 2023 – Best steakhouse
• September 2023 – Best steakhouse in Pittsburgh?
• December 2023 – Best steak you’ve ever had in Pittsburgh?
• March 2024 – Best steak in Pittsburgh that’s not a steakhouse

Thai

• August 2023 – Best Thai food vegetarian options
• December 2023 – Favorite Thai Restaurants?
• February 2024 – Best Thai food in South Hills?

(potentially outdated – 2022 Thai restaurants, 2021 Best Thai takeout)
Vegan/Vegetarian

• August 2023 – Vegetarian Friendly Fancy/Romantic Restaurants
• August 2023 – Best Thai food vegetarian options
• October 2023 – Where can I find a vegan take on Primanti Bros?
• November 2023 – Where do you eat in Pittsburgh if you’re vegan and gluten free?
• November 2023 – Looking for a nice vegan (or mostly vegan) restaurant that does reservations
• January 2024 – Best vegan/vegetarian spots
• January 2024 – Showing small biz vegan places some love
• March 2024 – Vegetarian or vegan restaurants for fancy date night

Vietnamese/Pho

• June 2023 – Best Vietnamese Restaurants in the City limits?
• December 2023 – Looking for pho places
• January 2024 – Best pho in pgh?

(potentially outdated – 2022 Best Vietnamese food in Pittsburgh?, 2021 Best Pho in Pittsburgh?)
​

UNFINISHED list of Birmingham restaurants! Help me complete it! This is what I have so far after combing through a few threads, but I know the list is not complete, and there are probably typos. My brain is fried. Post omissions, typos, anything wrong with this list in the comments! Ultimately I would like to break the list up by cuisine type, but that will take a while and I wanted to get the raw list up for your review first. It's currently in alphabetical order so you can quickly search for your suggestions. When the list is complete and to everyone's satisfaction I will re-post and sticky. Thanks for this all-hands-on-deck effort!

Full List:

• Abhi Eatery and Bar - Asian Fusion - Mountain Brook
  
• Acapulco Grill - Mexican/Tex-Mex - Homewood
  
• Ahki's - Middle Eastern/NYC street food - Downtown
  
• Al's Deli & Grill - Mediterranean/American, lunch, dinner, & late night - Southside
  
• Alabama Biscuit Company - breakfast - Cahaba Heights
  
• American Ranch House - soul food - Tarrant
  
• Amore - Italian casual fine dining - Greystone
  
• Ampersandwich - sandwiches - Avondale
  
• Archie's Bar-B-Q & Burgers - BBQ & burgers - Hoover
  
• Automatic Seafood and Oysters - casual fine dining seafood - Avondale
  
• Avondale Common House - gastropub - Avondale
  
• Bamboo on 2nd - Asian fusion - Downtown
  
• Bar La Fete - French - Downtown
  
• Bawarchi - Indian - Hoover
  
• Bay Leaf - modern Indian - 5 Points South
  
• Bettola - Italian casual fine dining - Pepper Place
  
• Big Spoon Creamery - ice cream - Avondale & Homewood
  
• Birmingham Wings & Waffles - chicken wings - Downtown
  
• Bistro 218 - French - Downtown
  
• Bistro V - French - Vestavia Hills
  
• Black Market Bar & Grill - pub food - Five Points South & The Colonnade
  
• Blue Pacific - casual Thai - in Hoover Food Mart (gas station), Hoover
  
• Blueprint on 3rd - American fine dining - Pepper Place
  
• Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q - BBQ - Bessemer
  
• Bocca Ristorante - northern Italian - Downtown
  
• Bongiorno - homestyle Italian - Mountain Brook
  
• Bottega Restaurant & Cafe - Italian casual fine dining - Highland Park
  
• Brick & Tin - lunch/sandwiches - Downtown & Mountain Brook
  
• Cafe Dupont - Southern bistro - Downtown
  
• Cantina - casual Mexican-inspired - Homewood
  
• Capella Pizzeria - Neapolitan pizza - Trussville & Inverness
  
• Carlile’s BBQ - BBQ - Lakeview
  
• Carrigan's Public House - gastropub - Downtown - 21+
  
• Cayo Coco - upscale Cuban - Downtown
  
• Cedar House Cafeteria - meat & three - Tarrant
  
• CharBar No. 7 - burgers & steak - Mountain Brook
  
• Chez Fonfon - French casual fine dining - Five Points South
  
• Chez Lulu - French casual cafe - Mountain Brook
  
• China Way - Chinese - Eastwood
  
• Chubbfathers - burgers - Alabaster
  
• Costa's Famous Bar-B-Que - BBQ & steak - Wildwood
  
• Creekside BBQ - BBQ - Pelham
  
• Creole Connection - Creole & Cajun - College Hills
  
• Crestwood Tavern - pub grub - Crestwood
  
• Daddy Hot Bird - Nashville Hot Chicken food truck @ TrimTab Brewing - Avondale
  
• Daniel George - American fine dining - Mountain Brook
  
• Davenport's Pizza Palace - thin crust pizza - Mountain Brook & Vestavia Hills
  
• Demitri's BBQ - BBQ - Homewood
  
• Diplomat Deli - soups & sandwiches - Vestavia Hills
  
• Dos Hermanos - Mexican taco truck - Downtown, Homewood, & Bessemer
  
• Dreamland BBQ - BBQ - Southside
  
• Drift Kitchen - food truck @ Continental Drift - Downtown
  
• Dyron's Low Country - seafood - Mountain Brook
  
• Eagle’s Restaurant - soul food - North Birmingham
  
• EastWest - Asian Fusion - Downtown
  
• El Barrio - Mexican-inspired - Downtown
  
• El Gran Cafe Castillo - Mexican - Hoover
  
• Eli's Jerusalem Grill - Israeli - Hwy 280
  
• El Zunzun - elevated Latin American - Cahaba Heights
  
• Eugene's Hot Chicken - Nashville hot chicken - Uptown, Hoover, & * food truck
  
• Falafel Cafe - casual Middle Eastern - Downtown
  
• Farm Bowl + Juice Co. - fruit bowls & smoothies - Homewood
  
• Fat Charles BBQ - BBQ food truck - location
  
• Fife's - southern/soul food - Downtown
  
• FoodBar - farm-to-table American casual fine dining - Vestavia Hills
  
• Fuku Ramen 280 - ramen - Greystone
  
• Full Moon BBQ - BBQ - multiple locations
  
• Galley & Garden - American fine dining - Southside
  
• GianMarco’s - Italian fine dining - Homewood
  
• Giuseppe's Cafe - casual Italian - Southside
  
• Golden Rule BBQ - BBQ - Irondale
  
• Golden Temple Cafe - vegetarian/vegan - Five Points South
  
• Gordos - Authentic Mexican bakery, cafe, and market - Homewood
  
• Great Wall Chinese Restaurant - Chinese - Homewood
  
• Green Acres - southern/soul food - Downtown
  
• GreenHouse - salads/sandwiches - Homewood
  
• Gus’s Hot Dogs - hot dogs - Downtown
  
• Hamburger Heaven - hamburgers - multiple locations
  
• Hattie B's - Nashville hot chicken - Lakeview
  
• Helen - fine dining steakhouse, Downtown
  
• Hero Doughnuts - Breakfast & Lunch - Birmingham Parkside, Homewood, & Trussville
  
• Homewood Gourmet - salads, soups, sandwiches - Homewood
  
• Hot & Hot Fish Club - Southern/French fine dining - Pepper Place
  
• Hot Box - Asian fusion food truck - located at Good People Brewing in Birmingham Parkside
  
• Ikko - ramen & sushi - Five Points South
  
• Iron City Pizza - stone fired pizza - Five Points South
  
• Irondale Cafe (Whistlestop Cafe) - meat & three - Irondale
  
• J & J Grocery & Deli - burgers - Bessemer
  
• Jack Brown's - burgers - Lakeview
  
• Jake's Soulfood Cafe - soul food/Jamaican/Caribbean - Hoover
  
• Jasmine's Cafe - soul food - Pratt City
  
• Jim 'N Nick's - BBQ - multiple locations
  
• Jinsei - sushi - Homewood
  
• Johnny’s Restaurant - Southern meat & three - Homewood
  
• Juniper - cocktail/gin bar with elevated food menu - inside Birmingham Museum of Art (lunch only) & Forest Park (dinner only)
  
• K & K's Elegant Pastries - bakery - Birmingham
  
• Kabob-Licious - Pakistani - Hoover
  
• Kool Korner - sandwiches & Cuban - Vestavia Hills
  
• La Calle Tacos & Snacks - authentic Mexican - Trussville
  
• La Libertad - Salvadorean - Pelham
  
• Last Call Baking - micro patisserie - Downtown
  
• Le Fresca - northern Italian - Downtown
  
• Little Donkey - Southern influenced Mexican - Homewood
  
• Los Amigos Mexican Restaurant - Tex-Mex - Lakeview
  
• Luca Lagotto - upscale Italian - Homewood
  
• Luna Latin Cuisine - Latin American - Avondale
  
• Makarios Kabob & Grill - Middle Eastern - Five Points South
  
• Margarita Grill - Tex-Mex - Pelham
  
• Martin's Bar-B-Que - BBQ - Vestavia Hills
  
• Marty’s GM - bar food - Irondale
  
• Marty's PM - late-night bar food - Southside
  
• Marty’s TV - bar food - Trussville
  
• Masaman Thai Kitchen - Thai - Vestavia Hills
  
• Maya Mexican Restaurant - Mexican/Tex-Mex - Homewood & Alabaster
  
• Melt - grilled cheese & melts - Mountain Brook & Hoover
  
• Mexico Lindo Bar & Grill - Mexican/Tex-Mex - Mountain Brook
  
• Mezon - Mexican food truck outside Mayawell bar in Lakeview
  
• Michael's Restaurant - fine dining steakhouse - Birmingham parkside
  
• Mi Pueblo - authentic Mexican buffet - inside Mi Pueblo Supermarket, Homewood & Pelham
  
• Miss Myra's Pit Bar-B-Q - BBQ - Cahaba Heights
  
• Mr. Chen's - Chinese - inside Hometown Supermarket in Homewood, & standalone in Hoover
  
• Mr. P’s Deli - sandwiches/lunch - Bluff Park
  
• Mr. Shawarma - Middle Eastern - Five Points South
  
• Mr. West's - Asian fusion - Lakeview & Trussville
  
• Munchie's on 5th Bar & Grill - American - Avondale
  
• Naji's Pita Gourmet - Middle Eastern - Homewood
  
• New China Town - Chinese - takeout only - Five Points South
  
• New York Butcher Shoppe - deli sandwiches - Cahaba Heights
  
• Niki's West - Southern meat & three - Finley Ave
  
• Nola Ice-Broad Street Peaux Boys - Cajun - inside Pizitz Food Hall, Downtown
  
• Nori Thai and Sushi - Thai/sushi - Cahaba Heights
  
• Ocean - upscale seafood - Five Points South
  
• Okinawa Sushi & Hibachi Steakhouse - Japanese steakhouse & sushi - Wildwood
  
• Olive Branch - Mediterranean - Cahaba Heights
  
• Ono Poke - poke bowls - The Summit, Homewood, & in the Pizitz Food Hall Downtown
  
• OvenBird - Southern-tapas fusion casual fine dining - Pepper Place
  
• Pappas' Grill - Greek - Vestavia Hills
  
• Paramount - barcade - Downtown
  
• Pazzo Big Slice Pizza - Sicilian and thin crust pizza - Hoover
  
• Pies & Pints - pizza & craft beer - Downtown
  
• Pizza Grace - upscale pizzeria - Downtown
  
• Pollo Lucas - grilled chicken - Hoover
  
• Pop's Neighborhood Grill - American breakfast & lunch - Five Points South
  
• Post Office Pies - wood fired pizza - Mountain Brook
  
• Pupuseria Lupita - Salvadoran food truck - Pelham
  
• Ranelli’s - deli, lunch only - Five Points South
  
• Real & Rosemary - fast-casual farm-to-table - The Summit, Homewood, & Crestline
  
• Red Pearl - Chinese - In Super Oriental Market, Homewood
  
• Red Sea - Ethiopian, Mediterranean & Cajun - Homewood
  
• Rib-It-Up - BBQ - Downtown
  
• Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ - BBQ - Homewood & Trussville
  
• Rojo - American/Mexican fusion - Highland Park
  
• Roots & Revelry - American fine dining - Downtown
  
• Ruscelli's - Italian fusion - in Mojo Pub, Lakeview
  
• Rusty's Bar-B-Q - BBQ - Leeds
  
• Saigon Noodle House - Vietnamese - Hwy 280
  
• Salem’s Diner - American breakfast/lunch - Homewood
  
• Salvatore's - pizza/pasta - Hoover
  
• Sammy's Sandwich Shop - sandwiches - Woodlawn
  
• Sam's Deli & Grill - Middle Eastern - Homewood
  
• Sam's Super Samwiches - American breakfast & lunch - Homewood
  
• Samurai Japan - Japanese/sushi - Vestavia Hills
  
• SanPeggio's Pizza - New York style pizza - multiple locations
  
• Sarris Cafe - meat & three - Pelham
  
• Satterfield’s - Southern fine dining - Cahaba Heights
  
• Saw's barbeque - Avondale, Homewood, Crestline, Hoover, Leeds,& Southside
  
• Seoul Restaurant - Korean - Homewood
  
• Shangri-La - Chinese - Eastwood
  
• Shu Shop - Ramen - Downtown - 21+
  
• Silver Coin - Indian - Hoover
  
• Sitar Indian Restaurant - Indian - Southside
  
• Slice - stone oven pizza - Lakeview, Crestline & Vestavia Hills
  
• SLIDE Cafe - sliders - Five Points South
  
• Slim's Pizzeria - upscale pizzeria - Mountain Brook
  
• Slutty Vegan - vegan burgers - Woodlawn
  
• Snapper Grabbers - sandwiches - Vestavia Hills
  
• Soho Social - new American - Homewood
  
• Southern Kitchen & Bar - upscale Southern - Uptown Birmingham
  
• Spice of Life Jamica Restaurant - Jamaican - Downtown
  
• Station 31 Kitchen - American - Chelsea
  
• Stone Age Korean BBQ - Korean BBQ & hot pot - Hoover
  
• Surin West - Thai & sushi - Five Points South
  
• Sushi Village - sushi - Crestwood
  
• Taboon Noon o Kabab - Persian - Hoover
  
• Taco Casa - Tex-Mex - Wildwood
  
• Taco Mama - Tex-Mex - multiple locations
  
• Taqueria Juarez - taco truck - Hoover
  
• Tasty Town - upscale casual Greek - Birmingham Parkside
  
• T-Bone's - Philly cheesesteaks & hoagies - Five Points South
  
• Taco Morro Loco - tacos - Avondale
  
• Tacos Don Tacho #2 - Mexican - Homewood
  
• Taj India - Indian - Lakeview
  
• Ted’s Restaurant - Southern/Greek meat & three - Southside
  
• The Barbeque Stop - BBQ - Clay
  
• Thai Basil - Thai/sushi - Trussville
  
• The Battery - upscale tavern - Homewood
  
• The Bright Star - historic Southern/Greek - Bessemer
  
• The Depot Deli & Grill - American - Helena
  
• The Electric - sandwiches & more - Bluff Park
  
• The Essential - Italian casual fine dining & brunch - Downtown
  
• The Fig - Southern fine dining - Cahaba Heights
  
• The Filling Station - casual pizza/pasta - Crestwood
  
• The Fish Market - Southern/Greek seafood - Southside
  
• The Garage - soups & sandwiches - Southside
  
• The Mayor - Asian Fusion - Lakeview
  
• The Paw Paw Patch - meat & three - Homewood
  
• The Pita Cafe - Mediterranean/Greek/Lebanese - Hoover
  
• The Pita Stop Express - Mediterranean - Cahaba Heights
  
• The Pit BBQ - BBQ - Downtown
  
• The Purple Onion - casual Mediterranean/American - multiple locations
  
• The Refinery - upscale American - Lakeview
  
• The Rougaroux - Cajun - Forest Park & Mountain Brook
  
• The Six Sixteen - upscale American - inside Tutweiler Hotel, Downtown
  
• The Standard - hamburgers & hot dogs - inside Pizitz Food Hall, Downtown
  
• The Yard - American fine dining - inside the Elyton Hotel, Downtown
  
• Top That Grille II - American - Birmingham
  
• Tortuga's - Chicago style & thin crust pizza - Southside & Hoover
  
• Trattoria Zaza - casual Italian, brunch/lunch/dinner - Downtown
  
• Umami - Asian fusion - Lakeview & Trussville
  
• Uncle G's Pizza - Detroit style pizza - in Ghost Train Brewing, Avondale, and coming soon to Hoover
  
• University Tacos - tacos - Southside
  
• Unos Tacos - authentic Mexican - inside Pizitz Food Hall, Downtown
  
• Uptown Cantina - upscale Mexican - Uptown Birmingham
  
• Vino - Italian & Mediterranean - Mountain Brook
  
• Waldo's Chicken & Beer - American - Cahaba Heights
  
• Wasabi Juan's - sushi burritos - Downtown
  
• Yo' Mama's - southern/soul food - Downtown
  
• Yum Yai - Thai - Greystone
  
• Zatie's Southern Cuisine - soul food - Center Point