Lola Bistro (2058 East 4th Street, Cleveland OH)

Located right in the restaurant district of Cleveland just down from the Indians Stadium, Lola provides that ease and comfort to fine dining that most establishments miss the mark on.  Celebrity Chef Michael Symon (native to Cleveland) has put together an amazing menu.  Now, given that it is fine dining...and we all know that means $$$, the food definately hits the mark and backs up the reasoning for the big bill at the end.  I started off with the Beef Cheek Plerogi with wild mushrooms, horseradish, and crème fraiche.  While I wasn't a fan of the Plerogi's texture, the flavors simply melted in your mouth.  For my entree I ordered the

Smoked Berkshire Pork Chop with chilies, cheesy polenta, and BBQ onions.  I first would like to thank the FDA for finally giving their blessing for pork to be cooked Medium.  The pork chop was juicy and flavorful and the cheesy polenta gave it that extra burst of flavor.  Thoughts of licking the plate were definately on my mind...  Now I'm not normally one for dessert, but The 6 a.m. Special just could not be resisted.  It's brioche french toast, maple-bacon ice cream, and topped with caramelized apples.  Now I know what you're thinking....maple-bacon ice cream?  Trust me...simply amazing.  The staff was friendly and helpful.  If you enjoy fine dining, this is a bistro that is a must visit when in Cleveland.

Lola Bistro

Koopers Tavern (1702 Thames Street, Baltimore MD 21231)

Located in the historical Fell's Point area.  There are many bars in this area, but few with as good of food as you will find at Kooper's Tavern.  Quick and friendly service, great beer selection on tap, and a very comfortable atmosphere.  They claim to have the best wings in Baltimore, so I had to try them.  They were just okay...Not bad, but not great.  Now....I would definately recommend thier crab cakes.  Two 7oz. crab cakes loaded with nothing but backfin crab meat and very little filling.  If you're in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore, skip all the chains and overpriced options, stroll east about 5-6 blocks and give Kooper's Tavern a try!  You won't regret it.


Kooper's Tavern

Bagby Pizza Co. (1006 Fleet St., Baltimore, MD 21202)

This is the perfect place to get a great thin crust pizza!  Gourmet toppings, quick and friendly service.  They also sell beer and wine.  Prices are very reasonable.  Definately worth giving this place a try if you're in the area and don't want to empty your wallet on overpriced crab in the inner harbor.

Bagby Pizza Co.

Alba Restaurant & Wine Bar (2480 Canyon Blvd, Boulder, CO 80302)

Great decor and lighting, but a little odd in placement as it sits in a little mini strip mall.  Alba is a small place and only holds about 10 tables outside the bar seating.  Being an Italian restaurant the wine list is mostly Italian, but gave a good choice in variety from the different regions.  The food selection was good.  We started off with a typical anti-pasta consisting of meats, cheeses, olives, and oils.  For dinner I had the Gnocchi alla Cinghiale, which is a potato gnocchi with wild boar ragu, parmigiano-reggiano, and sage.  The food was excellent, but unfortunately the service was very slow.  Only 2 servers working the entire room didn't help the fact.  The food was priced along the lines of fine dining with dinners costing $18-30.  I'd suggest giving it a try if you like fine dining Italian food.

Alba Restaurant & Wine Bar

Parrain's Seafood Restaurant (3225 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808)

On our last night in Baton Rouge, we wanted to get one more night full of Cajun seafood.  We were directed to Parrain's Seafood Restaurant.  The restaurant sits back from the road and can be tricky to spot.  The entire establishment is wood and gives off that warm and comfortable feeling.  The server we had was very polite, knowledgable, and speedy.  I started off with Fried Alligator (you can also get is served blackened).  The batter they use has an amazing flavor and it's accompanied with a horseraddish dipping sauce.  If you've never tried alligator, you must.  It was delicious....and NO....it doesn't taste like chicken.  A colleague of mine got the grilled oysters.  They were simply delicious.  No grit and all flavor.  For dinner I got the half and half fried seafood platter with shrimp and crawfish.  Very reasonablly priced and the plate was huge!  The seafood was cooked perfectly.  If you're a seafood fan and you're in the Baton Rouge area, you absolutely must give Parrain's a try!

Parrain's Seafood Restaurant

Poor Boy Lloyd's (201 Florida St., Baton Rouge, LA 70801)

So one of my goals was to find myself a good Shrimp Po'Boy while I was down there.  Everyone I asked all pointed me to Poor Boy Lloyd's.  The Shrimp Po'Boy was perfect.  Friend shrimp, lettuce, mayo, and tomatoes all on a soft french loaf.  This place is only open for lunch, but you absolutely much try this place!

Poor Boy Lloyd's

Harrington's Cafe (329 Florida St., Baton Rouge, LA 70801)

Harrington's Cafe is a small little gem in "downtown" Baton Rouge.  The cafe is old and it shows, but thankfully the food made up for it.  I had the Crawfish Etouffee with white rice.  Delicious, especially that it's not technically crawfish season.  If you're in Baton Rouge and looking for a quick place, you definately need to stop in and give this cafe a try.

Harrington's Cafe