After living here for 6 years we finally had dinner at Kamakura on Neil St in Champaign, IL. Now we’re wondering why we waited so long. We had a great meal. I really like the atmosphere at Kamakura. There is a teppan grill and small sushi bar. We opted to eat in the restaurant area.

We both ordered Kamakura dinners. Mine came with a delicious clear soup, a salad (which seemed out of place), teriyaki beef, and fried rice. Sarah had miso soup, a salad, and yukisoba(sp?) which is a noodle dish. I also tried sake for the first time. It was tasty, but too delicate to pair with beef, so I went with a glass of merlot for dinner. Both meals were excellent. My beef was bite sized chunks which were perfectly cooked and very tender. The fried rice was also a pleasant surprise. The best in this area, IMO. Sarah’s miso was also very good, as was her entree. I think Kamakura will become one of our regular restaurants.

Tonight we’re staying at the incredible Amelia Island Plantation. You could spend a week here and never have to leave the property for anything. There are shops and restaurants and a spa right here, as well as a great shuttle service so you don’t have to drive. We took the shuttle tonight down to PLAE (which stands for People Laughing and Eating) for dinner. PLAE was listed as casual dining and as I packed only short and jeans, we needed casual. The atmosphere at PLAE was really a notch or two above casual, but no one gave me any grief about my jeans.

The service at PLAE was outstanding. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive and she knew the menu and specials inside and out. We started off with a Domed Caesar Salad for Sarah and a bowl of Potato Leek Soup for me. The “dome” on Sarah’s salad was some toasted grated cheese over a well prepared Caesar salad. My soup was delicious and also had some sort of cheese added to it. Sarah ordered Snapper with Asiago crust and I went for the Prime Rib special. Sarah’s fish was served over garlic mashed potatoes. My prime rib was huge and came with au gratin potatoes and Yorkshire pudding, which is really more of a popover pastry. I also ordered a wine flight consisting of two California Syrahs and an Australian Shiraz. I was so impressed with the Shiraz that I ordered another glass. My side dishes were really good. The prime rib, which I had requested medium rare, actually was very close to rare, though. It was good, but not at the level of, say, Lawry’s Prime Rib. There was just something a little bit off about it. Sarah’s fish was quite tasty and the presentation was unique, to say the least.

If you stay at Amelia Island Plantation, be prepared to pay High End prices for food. This meal, with tip, ran to $150. Breakfast for two runs between $36 and $40.

Tonight we returned to the Athena Restaurant on Cathedral Place in old St. Augustine, Fl. We had eaten there during another Christmas trip two years ago and we were eager to return. We were not disappointed. The restaurant was full, but not so packed we couldn’t get a table. The waitstaff was friendly and quick. We had drinks and an appetizer in short order. Our appetizer was tzatziki with pita and veggies for dipping. It was perfect. The tzatziki had a nice tang and the pita and veggies were perfectly prepared. For entrees we ordered Pastitio for Sarah and the Greek Combo #2, with gyro, Greek salad, tzatziki, and stuffed grape leaf for me. Sarah’s pastitio was very tasty, especially with the tomato sauce, which came on the side. My gyro and salad were perfect and the extra tzatziki was an added treat. We were both very pleased with our meals. It’s a shame it may be years before we get back there again.

No, this isn’t about a restaurant. It is about Christmas Eve dinner at my sister Donna’s house and the best BBQ ribs I’ve ever eaten. Plus some great chicken, baked beans, and potato salad. I couldn’t stop eating, it was so good. Her husband, Jack, said the secret is to cook the ribs most of the way in the oven and then finish them on the grill. I’d say it worked. Awesome meal.  Thanks, Sis.   

Tonight we decided to try the pizza buffet at the new Villa Pizza shop in Charleston. Yes, I know it has the fancy name above, but a Villa Pizza by any other name….yada, yada.

The buffet menu includes a salad bar and the pizza. Drinks are extra. We also ordered a half loaf of garlic bread, although we were almost done eating pizza by the time it reached our table. And the “half loaf” is misleading. It’s really one side of a sub roll with butter and garlic. Sauces are 50 cents extra. We got a cheese sauce and a marinara sauce. Both were ok, as was the bread. The salad bar is very basic. Tonight the lettuce and tomato sections were almost empty. And we got caught behind another two groups at the pizza buffet, so the choices there were pretty slim as well. They did eventually bring out more pizza, though. The pizza itself is not the best I’ve every had, but it’s not bad. The comparison to Jerry’s Pub Tuesday and Thursday night buffet is unavoidable. The difference is that Jerry’s has better pizza (IMHO) and Jerry’s serves beer, which I prefer with my pizza. Jerry’s is also somewhat less expensive as the garlic bread is included in the price. We usually get out of Jerry’s for around $14, and that includes a beer for me. No beer tonight at Villa, but it still cost us a tad over $17.