Scattered across the country are tiny family-owned restaurants that took up the cast-off shell of the little Dairy Queens that those of us with a few years under our belts remember from childhood. Usually closed for the winter because of the lack of indoor seating, these places fill the niche left behind and serve as a gathering place for those wanting to cool down with some soft serve or those hungry for a quick supper. One of those places is Ice Cream Corner, located at 2302 Main St. in Scott City. ...

Several years ago, my siblings and I threw an anniversary party for our parents. It was kind of a big deal, and we invited family from out of state, as well as friends and co-workers from the area. Since our family is awesome, a good number of them drove the twelve or so hours to get here just to honor my mom and dad. ...

When the Fruitland Area Fire Protection District wanted to go to a 24-hour manned station, I remember getting a letter in the mail informing me that this fire station covered a large area full of about 9,000 people. The very first thought I had about this fact wasn't about fire safety. ...

A good sushi roll has unique and distinct parts that are separated visually and physically. Through the magic of chewing, all of these separate flavors, colors, and textures come together in a human mouth to create something spectacular. Very much like a simple sushi roll, Rock N' Roll Sushi (3069 William Street in Cape Girardeau) has two components to its name: Rock N' Roll and sushi. ...

Coming back from a hectic vacation and facing a column deadline that I absolutely could have planned for and yet put off for another time, I found myself fixated on a simple food subject that's been the topic of conversation around me lately: McDonald's has revamped its burger recipe. ...

This week, I visited Cora's Taste of Manila in Cape Girardeau. This required a little planning, because Cora's just has a pickup area located at 2502 Tanner Drive, behind Applebee's. This building has been a hotbed of new restaurants and flavors lately, so I'm curious to see what might pop up next. But with Cora's, I had to order online at corastasteofmanila.com and then choose my pickup time. I showed up on a Friday, and my food was hot and ready to go...

I have an apple obsession. It is my favorite fruit, but I'm not sure why. Apples are not a rare food, exotic or hard to find. So my attention soon turned to discovering the best apple, an apple that can be enjoyed raw, filled with sugar, juicy, crunchy and with a wonderful flavor. ...

I do a little bit of online sleuthing before writing any article, nosing around for new places to try or places that are creating buzz. This time, I was poking around in the Southeast Missourian's "What's for Dinner" spread, looking at a list of this area's favorite places to go to avoid cooking at home. ...

At 115 N. Jackson St. in Perryville, Missouri, pretty much right across the street from Mary Jane's Burgers & Brew, is a white, clean, pert little building with a "CANDY" sign sticking off of the side. This is Hadley's Candy Shoppe, and I knew that it was a serious candy store because of the extra "pe" on the end of Shoppe. These folks aren't messing around with their candy...

Recently, Marble Hill Cakes moved to 4215 State Highway 72 in Jackson, and so there was really no excuse not to visit anymore. Be aware, the door is a little hidden. Just follow the bakery signs around to the back of the dark gray building and look for the neon sign in the window...

I watch a YouTube channel fairly regularly called Early American. It features a young lady named Justine, who lives in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, and in a very zen and peaceway way, cooks recipes from the late 1700s and early 1800s. She does this while in her period-appropriate log cabin and dressed in her pioneer woman clothes. ...

Being exposed to different cultures is one of my favorite things to experience. And no surprise to anybody, one of my favorite ways to learn about a culture is through the cuisine. Now we all have the opportunity to experience a unique part of Japanese culture through a new restaurant in Cape Girardeau -- Yuzu Izakaya...

On an absolutely beautiful and crisp fall day, I visited Broadway Bistro and Vintage Trade at 811 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. The sunshine was warm, and the breeze was gentle. The leaves were turning into multicolored versions of their formerly green selves and then drifting slowly down, returning to the earth. I was feeling cozy already, and then I walked into Broadway Bistro...

Sitting on the corner at 2 Main St. in Cape Girardeau is a special place, Green's Garden. Green's Garden is a family-owned and -operated business, and let me tell you, you can see the care put into every corner of the building. It feels very much like old-world street vendor carts, with shining bright vegetables displayed beautifully and stacked perfectly. ...

I was humbled by a reader of Ask a Foodie this week, and it sent me down a rabbit hole. At my day job, one of my regular customers, also a friend, had just realized that I wrote in the paper. "Yes, yes, that's me, did you like last week's column, etc., etc.," is usually how this conversation goes, and that is certainly how it started. ...

I went to Benton, Missouri, this time with my sister, Jessica. It was a pleasant drive, mostly because of the company. Jess has a wicked sense of humor, and we always have fun. This time, we were absolutely delighted that the eatery we were visiting, Yvonne's, was on 25 West Twappity St. ...

The heat has finally broken (temporariy), giving us a much-needed respite and letting us breathe with comfort. But over on social media, things are heating up with talk of Chick-fil-A's new sandwich, the Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken. It's a long name for a sandwich, and it sounds like there's a lot of different things going on, and there absolutely is. Let's discuss...

Winding a long and deeply forested trail from Fruitland to Cape Girardeau is one of my favorite drives, Highway 177. Now I have more than scenery to send me down that road. At 7564 Hwy. 177 in Cape Girardeau lies a string of small, interesting buildings, and the cutest of the bunch is Rosie's Bake Shoppe...

Writing for this column has taken me down roads I probably never would have traveled and that was the case this week as well. Most of the time, I was the only car on numbered county roads and lettered state highways as I drove a winding path to Sedgewickville, Missouri, which, according to the 2020 Census data, has a population of 191 people...

How about those awful grocery prices, am I right? This has been a topic of conversation for some time now, the woes and realities of rising food prices understandably important. Living creatures need food to stay alive, and humans have tied procuring food and income tightly together. Sometimes, a burger from McDonald's is just not in the budget and having someone else prepare food is a luxury that cannot be borne...

I do a lot of over-thinking, but I try (and sometimes fail) to put at the uppermost part of my brain the fact that I'm thankful. Life is good, and I am thankful for my family, the things I am able to see and experience, the good in living. Lately, this hasn't been difficult. This has been a swell summer so far...

I had never eaten at the Honey Baked Ham Company before this visit I'm about to tell you about. Not sure why, because I enjoy a fresh sandwich on soft, chewy bread. Maybe it's because Honey Baked Ham is ever so slightly off the beaten path, in a little line of businesses nestled into the area behind Panera (at 201 S. Mount Auburn Road, Suite G in Cape Girardeau.) It's just not as blatantly visual as the restaurants along the main road, so I'd never thought to go there "off the cuff"...

I love this part of the country. Most people are kind, good-hearted souls, and thankfully most of them also seem to have an appreciable sense of humor. That can most definitely be said for Smelly Butts BBQ and Other Fine Food. I found the food truck parked at its World Headquarters Sunday around noon. ...

I've been waiting for the perfect moment when the stars and all of the various schedules align to visit Carson's by Chef Adam Glenn at 105 E. Center St. in Sikeston, Missouri, and it finally happened. I visited Carson's Facebook page to set up a reservation. You can also call (573) 475-6457 if you'd like to do it that way. I didn't really have a time preference, so the nice person I was messaging set me up for 5 p.m., right when the restaurant opened...

Right behind Applebee's in Cape Girardeau is a lovely little shopping hub called City Centre. When you walk in the main door, the building resembles a small, sweet cobbled street, with storefronts to either side leading into individual businesses. On the opposite end of the "street" from the door is Ikhatta, an Indian fusion restaurant run by A La Carte Catering. ...

Acting on a tip from a friend, I found a place that was surprisingly well developed with an excellent business model, lovely website and an emphasis on service. Pulse Fitness and Nutrition has three locations, in Jackson, Dexter and Cape Girardeau, but the one I visited was at 318 E. Main St. in Jackson. The process for getting an excellent supper from Pulse started with an online order, but don't tune me out yet! There are other ways to try the food — you'll see...

My goodness, have we been having some beautiful days. Spring flowers are blooming, grass is that lovely shade of eager green that heralds spring, and trees are just beginning to unfurl leaves to the sun. And the redbuds, my favorite, are on display, revealing pinks and magentas to whoever takes the time to look...

It's road trip weather! There's a nifty place in Farmington, Missouri, called The Factory, which is a huge brick building that used to be a shirt factory. Someone had the bright idea to put what is essentially a mall inside of the big old empty factory, and it was dark and a little dingy, but it was unusual, and it worked for me. I entered on the ground floor, walked down a few concrete steps, and was staring at what looked like concrete streets going in three different directions...

It's been four years since TJ's Burgers, Wings and Pizza has been featured in this column. In that time, TJ's has not only become a staple in Fruitland, but it has closed, moved and then reopened. I thought it was high time I checked it out at the new location and answered that all-important question: TJ's is back, but is it better than ever?...

Late-ish on a Thursday night, I recently had a good meal in a restaurant that is absolutely like no other in our area. After a twisty and dark drive down State Highway C through the metropolis of Pocahontas, I turned right onto County Road 532. After an even more twisty-turny drive, I saw a long horizontal pole on the left side of the road, and a small "OPEN" sign was attached to it. ...

Pizza has often been on my mind lately. It has become a kind of treat food for me, a forbidden delicacy that I can only gift myself once in a great while. I know, I know, I can put a metric ton of emotional importance on food, but I've accepted that. ...

I was surprised to realize that I have been writing for this feature since October 2018. It truly hasn't felt like this long, and I have enjoyed 99.7% of the places I visited (yes, that's very scientific and accurate, like everything I do.) But this time, I thought it might be interesting to take a look back at how the landscape of food has changed in the area, and perhaps spare a moment for those we have lost and still yearn for...

There are some foods that I never want to cook at home because of the bother: pork rinds, a real steamed Christmas pudding, anything fried, especially chicken. Juicy, crispy, delicious fried chicken definitely tops that list. So the last couple of weeks, I started asking people where they like to get their fried chicken. Much to my (probably naive) surprise, many people told me Food Giant...

Don't be afraid to take chances, grasp for that brass ring, step outside of your comfort zone and experience the "other". For the fortunate among us, a mentor may present themselves and help us to take those first shaky steps into the unfamiliar and exciting unknown. If this happens, take their help joyfully and let the adventure begin...

Foodies inherently have a deep and abiding interest in all things food. I enjoy seeing how food springs from various cultures, how it impacts traditions and holidays and how food even makes its way into art. Art created with food, such as pudding finger paintings when we were in kindergarten, haven't particularly interested me, but movies where food is the leading character, well those, those are intriguing...

The holidays are fast approaching, and with Thanksgiving's imminent return, I am already starting to feel the crunch. Cookies to make and freeze, family members to organize into a gathering where all can be present, presents to buy ... on and on and on, and most of the time, I kind of like the bustle. It makes my heart warm and fills the cold days with something to do. But sometimes, I need a breather, and I found the perfect place for that...

We can take for granted a person or an item that we interact with daily, but if you change the backdrop, suddenly they become new again. On vacation, you may notice the way the tropical sunset hits your loved one's face and remember how beautiful you find them. Or maybe when you are hiking and you find a lovely scenic spot to eat and pull out your favorite sandwich, and it tastes better because of all of the fresh air and the view. The backdrop matters...

When I was a kid in Michigan, one of my favorite things to do after the first frost was pick apples from my great-uncle's farm (that was tradition up there, folks said it made the apples sweeter). It was an old apple orchard full of huge, gnarly trees, and it had been let go for some time. ...

This Spooky Season, I got an invitation from a friend to go see the doubleheader of new Halloween movies at Marcus Cape West Cinema. The third and final installment is coming out soon, and she thought it would be fun to have a refresher so we wouldn't miss any of the third movie's references. ...

It was that quiet time between storms, that magical couple of hours between lunch and supper when most restaurant workers can catch their breath and people like me can eat without braving a crowd. Speck Pizza + Street Food at 430 Broadway in Cape Girardeau, having just opened for business on Sept. 1, still had a decent crowd but it was by no means full. Perfect...

Coming off of a spectacularly hectic weekend that saw me taking three trips to St. Louis in four days, I found myself on a Monday staring at a Tuesday deadline for this article. Honestly, this is nothing new. Procrastination is life for me. It's when I'm most productive, precisely because I have to be. ...

Teaching oneself how not to take things for granted is a hard path to choose. The love of people, the reliability of businesses, and even the weather for the day; it is far too easy to take these things for granted. Sometimes, I just need to stop, recenter, try to see things in my life with new eyes and appreciate them. That is the trick, the appreciating. And to let those we appreciate know it...

The more I travel twisty back roads looking for new places to eat, the more I love this part of the country I live in. This is a beautiful time of year to drive a country highway. The rain has been kind to us (sometimes too kind), and the trees are green and full of leafy glory. ...

Once again, writing this article every two weeks has led me to a place I would have never found of my own volition. Following a tip from my friend, I visited Vitality Market at 117 W. Main St. in Jackson. Disclaimer time: The food I am about to talk about at Vitality Market is a small but vital part of this multifaceted store. ...

When I was younger, it never crossed my mind that my immediate world would change: That the same stores and restaurants wouldn't be in the same places forever, that I wouldn't enjoy the same hobbies until I died, that the faces of my parents, siblings and grandparents wouldn't always look the same, that people I loved wouldn't be with me forever. But this life changes, and while I've come to embrace the changes, I also deeply appreciate those things that remain constant in my life...

In the beginning swells of the Mississippi River Hills, in a tiny town named after a Native American princess, lies a cinderblock building with a robust pavilion behind it. For many years, this was a business built and owned by a wonderful couple, who founded a restaurant called the Bayou Bar and Grill. ...

This week, I took a step back in time a few decades at Ewald's Bar-B-Q in Perryville, Missouri. Located in the lovely historic downtown, Ewald's is in an unassuming building that always seems to have vehicles lined up outside. The name of the restaurant is printed on a fading Pepsi sign up on a pole outside, and the Pepsi logo is not a modern one. Before stepping foot inside, I already loved it...

I try to spend more time outside in the warmer months in a futile attempt to tame nature and nurture my plants. I know that the weeds will regrow, but that's OK. Year by year, I get to watch my plants grow taller and stronger, bloom more and spread their own offspring across the flower beds. ...

Ideas for this column tend to hit me at odd moments in my day. This article was no exception. When I was waiting at a doctor's office scrolling through the current day's news and saw an article about a new beverage trend called "dirty soda," I knew that I had to know more...

My favorite thing about trying new places is discovering a dish that I've never tasted before, something brand new and unique. I went to Smokin Double Barrels BBQ in Perryville, Missouri, last week, hoping to find just that, and boy, did I! Smokin Double Barrels BBQ is in a small white building, unassuming but neat as a pin inside. ...

Anticipation can be so sweet. Being able to wonder, to imagine what an experience will be like, to have something to look forward to; that feeling can be like magic. This excitement, to varying degrees, is how I feel when a new restaurant is about to open. ...

The sense of smell is tightly linked to memory. A quick Google search confirms that our olfactory nerve that lets us process smell lies close to our hippocampus, that part of our brain that is most important to storing memories. It even has a name: the Proust Effect. ...

Galati's Ristorante is located inside of a small building tucked into the corner of an intersection in downtown Perryville, Missouri. When you walk in the door, you will see a small place, only 10 tables, and a visibly busy pizza baking station to the left. Galati's is intimate, and if you want to be sure to get a seat, arrive early...

When my friend, who lives in Scott City, told me that the country fried steak at Sandy's Place was huge, as big as the plate, I was sold. This was not the first time that a Scott City resident had recommended Sandy's Place to me. The locals seem to love this eatery...

When I decided to try Bandana's Bar-B-Q as a possible food article target, I already knew it was a chain restaurant. Lately, I've been trying to give chains the benefit of the doubt, because we know that all franchises are not created equal. Bandana's has been in town since 2019, and I had not visited it yet. ...

Hack: v. to use a computer to gain unauthorized access to data in a system. But when did the word "hack" come to be used as a term for breaking into a computer system instead of just roughly chopping something up? According to tripwire.com, the current use of "hack" started in 1961 with MIT's Tech Model Railroad Club. ...

Peace, tranquility, kindness, the perfect drink; all can be found at Mana Tea at 411 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. As I was searching for somewhere new to go, I found Mana Tea online and instantly smiled. "If," I thought, "this company doesn't take advantage of that pun and use a manatee for a logo, I will be highly disappointed." I wasn't disappointed. ...

Recently, I found myself up at the ungodly hour of 6 a.m. and driving around Cape Girardeau, evidently the only soul on the street at that hour. The city was eerie then, like traveling through a ghost town, and I was struck with the thought once again that we don't really know what goes on in the world for the dark half of the day. ...

"New Year, New Me" always seems like an exercise in futility to me. Don't get me wrong, I am an optimist, a mostly happy person, and I do keep trying to improve myself, but I don't want a completely new me. I want to strive for new experiences, new knowledge, new joy and awe, but that doesn't mean I place a greater value on the new than those experiences, learnings and joys that have come before. ...

My favorite part about food is running into a unique dish that leads me to a flavor I've never experienced before. I have an especially good time if this new flavor comes from a culinary destination I think I am familiar with, that I think doesn't hold any surprises for me any longer, like Mexican food. ...

Fast food is a necessary evil, and sometimes I just want something fast that doesn't come between two pieces of bread. You know, what I refer to as "real food." (I still love you, fast food, don't be hatin'.) And I've found the ultimate place to get fast, real food. ...

Life is hectic, and I am a terrible planner. I can't plan a menu for a week like my mom. I do try. I always end up throwing out food that has gone bad before I can even think of cooking it. I love food, but I don't always like giving up the time to cook it. Convenience has become an issue for me, though, with the diabetic diagnosis. A burger and fries won't work and eating a bunless burger and side salad gets old really fast. I wanted to share one of my favorite go-tos lately...

Foodie experiences can reveal themselves in myriad places. Sometimes, it's a restaurant that tickles our taste buds, makes our eyes widen in pleasure and surprise. Sometimes, it's a recipe that reminds us of a childhood memory, brings us back to that time in the kitchen when we couldn't see over the counter yet. And sometimes, a foodie experience will be inspired by a movie...

Acting on a tip from a friend, I visited the cutest little place this week. At 1326 Main St. in Scott City, tucked into an old brick building with the door diagonal to the corner of two streets, is a little shop, Southern Charm Nutrition. My friend told me there was a tea place in Scott City. ...

Not too terribly long ago, Watami in Cape Girardeau reopened after what felt like a very long closing due to a remodel. I didn't suffer too badly, but I did finally get to revisit them recently to see if it was still as delicious as I remember. I feel like I write about sushi often because I love it, and while I did order sushi, and it was incredible, you won't hear me desperately urging you to try it if you haven't yet, or praising its complexity and vivid play of flavors. ...

This week, I went back to Sikeston, Missouri, to test a lofty claim that I noticed on a previous visit to the town: "Best catfish in town." Merick's Sandwich Shop still had their logo on the sign out front when I pulled up, and I was excited to see if it could be true. ...

I found myself in the frozen north again on Labor Day (that's St. Louis, for those who don't understand my brain) and decided it was a fine opportunity to find a new place to eat. Despite the holiday, I found a wonderful little nook in Chesterfield called the Balkan Store & Bakery. Located in a tidy little strip mall at 13393 Olive Boulevard, "A Taste of Europe" was proudly proclaimed on its sign...

I'm not sure how I missed this place for so long, but I did, and I apologize to you for this oversight. In the town of New Hamburg, Missouri, down the street from a beautiful Catholic church that dominates the crest of the hill and overlooks State Highway A, sits a building that dates to 1848 (all dates and fun facts were confirmed or given by our awesome server, Megan). Schindler's Tavern, founded in 1934, still occupies this aged building...

There are certain things we take for granted, simply because it is so accessible to us. One such thing is the Mississippi River, which is the fourth largest watershed in the world. The Mighty River drains 40% of the land mass of North America. Being a transplant from another state as a teenager, I still feel a certain amount of awe at seeing the river, wide and muddy and fast-flowing -- so much water. ...

In Perryville, Missouri, not far from Interstate 55 at 1700 Alma Ave., sits a large dark brown building. It is currently ringed with Missouri Amish tomatoes and stacks of watermelons of all kinds. Eight-foot palms and curling, blooming mandevilla vines stand guard at the awnings' supports, and lovely wooden and metal wishing well yard ornaments pepper the parking lot. I'd found Frank and Bridget's Produce, and what a unique place it is!...

This week I'm going back to Perryville, which I have come to view very much as ground zero for great individualistic restaurants. I've had some wonderful experiences in Perryville so far, and I added to the list this week. Visiting Southern Roots at 15 West St. ...

After a quick drive up to the St. Louis area, I found myself among friends and hungry. My friend used Google Maps to scan for restaurants around us (a wonderful tool), and we picked a place called Kar'is Surf & Sirloin. The mention of steak was enough for my husband, so two minutes later, we were piling out of the car at 13090 Manchester Road in Des Peres and walking into the most charming, classical Greek steakhouse that I've ever frequented...

At its new location at 2146 William St. in Cape Girardeau, My Marie's certainly did the job of catching my attention. I had heard of My Marie's before it moved but kept forgetting to check it out. Now, in its newly painted building, a brilliant golden orange, I took the time to go inside of its doors and see what kind of unique Creole soul food it could offer...

Every once in a great while, as I journey across our part of the country in search of somewhere new and exciting to eat, I stumble upon a place that delights me to the core. Susie's Bake Shop and Restaurant in Sikeston, Missouri, is just such a place...

The floodgates at the Mississippi River are open again, and I was there, watching the water scroll endlessly to the right. I wasn't born in this part of the country, so I try not to take the river for granted. There is so much water there. It boggles the mind how many gallons are passing, and yet, still the river runs. ...

A couple of weeks ago, we headed to Montgomery, Alabama, for a dream trip that's been on my list for some time: An island in the middle of the Alabama River called Jackson Lake Island. Jackson Lake Island is home to about 50 goats who were having kids at the time — tiny, jumpy, cuddly, fluffy kids that you could pet and who would make me laugh. ...

In the scramble to find new, unusual places to eat, sometimes I forget about the survivors, those restaurants that have stepped into the gladiator arena and somehow beaten Father Time to a draw. One such restaurant that stands victorious through the sheer act of surviving for 53 long years is Pagliai's Pizza & Pasta in Cape Girardeau...

Sometimes, finding a new place to simply buy groceries can be just as exciting for me as eating at a new restaurant. This week, I had one of those moments as I stepped into Emory's Little Store in Fruitland. My absolute delight requires just a tad of background information to understand...

Freed from the chains of snow-clogged roads, I found myself driving down a winding country highway, on my way to try another restaurant in the wilds of Missouri. Or maybe just in Patton. Either way, I was happy and free. I've been meaning to visit Suzie's Country Kitchen for some time now, but I could never work out the timing. I have several relatives who make the drive regularly, and that means Suzie's was well worth checking out...

I found myself faced with a dilemma this week. I was supposed to find a cool restaurant, eat there, write about it, but I'm snowed in, and even if I could drive downtown, most places aren't open anyway, and it's Snowmaggedon everywhere. It's all just too much. So I took a deep breath, looked outside and decided to make do with what I had...

A new place opens; new food is cooked; a new article is written. Ah, it's like a much more pedestrian circle of life, and I enjoy it. This week I ate at a new restaurant in Jackson — Tokyo Sushi and Steakhouse of Japan. Tokyo Sushi just opened last week, and I couldn't wait to go, so I didn't. ...

Well, it seems I'll never learn. Procrastination has morphed in my life from a choice that I make occasionally to now becoming simply a lifestyle. Procrastination got me again this weekend when I was recovering from a wicked bout with a stomach issue. ...

Unlike many people, nostalgia still runs deep in me this time of year. When most are looking forward to new things and new experiences, I find myself craving the good old days, the before times, the eating-out and movie-going days. In that spirit, I revisited somewhere I haven't been in far too long...

Chocolate in cookies and steaks I have bitten Bright shining serving plates washed in the kitchen Brown, spiced-up burgers all dolloped with greens These are a few of my favorite things When the gut growls And the void stings When I'm feeling mad I think the Mudcat in Oak is the thing...

I enjoy flavors now that I did not as a child. I think most of us can say that. According to howstuffworks.com, we have a higher concentration of taste buds when we're children, predisposing us to enjoy sweeter foods. As we grow into teenagers, we are able to discern more and differing flavors, preferring less sweetness. ...

In my unending quest to continue eating out without really eating out, I have gotten far more introspective and aware of the places I pick. Because of this increase in thoughtfulness, I realized I had neglected to write about one of the places I often turn to for lunch. I mean, I thought I had written about it, or maybe another foodie had covered it in full, but no, somehow I had missed giving this place its due...

I had it on very good authority that Tuesdays in Perryville, Missouri, were special for one reason: homemade chicken and dumplings at Incredible Edibles. Fall and the cooler weather had made this the perfect time to test that theory. The leaves were showing their color and falling in buckets across the road. The time had changed, and the world seemed to be moving slower and breathing a sigh of relief. I adore fall...

As a foodie, I sometimes feel as if there is that jump never taken, that food never tasted and that opportunity missed to try something that everyone else seems to love. Usually, this missed chance is accidental, just simple oversight on my part, but sometimes it is willful and stubborn...

Writing about food is a good gig, and sometimes the gigs just fall into my lap. I was invited to try Notre Dame's "Sunday dinner during the week." And so, at 4:30 p.m., I arrived at the Notre Dame Regional High School just outside of Cape Girardeau on Highway K, at 265 Notre Dame Drive. ...

Off to Perryville, Missouri, where I taste-tested a place that I know well when it comes to doughnuts but was totally clueless when it comes to savory food. Hoeckele Bakery & Deli is well known for its absolutely amazing sweets, but they also have a fairly extensive menu that utilizes other baked goods in a fresh and succulent way. It's easy to overlook the "& Deli" part of the name, but I would encourage you to not make that mistake...

I am guilty of a horrible crime. I have this wonderful platform with which I can steer you, the fellow members of my community, in the direction of worthy or quirky or just darn tasty restaurants. My crime is that, so often, I take for granted the places I visit the most and don't think to share them with you. ...

I took a road trip to Oran, Missouri, recently. I had never visited before and was following up on a food lead. The drive to Oran was breathtaking. Wild hyacinths were blooming in the ditches, immense white flowers rarely sprinkled with the odd pink specimen. ...

BG’s Olde Tyme Deli is one of the few restaurants to which I’d give the title of “Cape Girardeau Staple.” It has been around since 1980, forty big years. I will admit that I haven’t visited BG’s that much lately. We would go in when my husband got a craving for their potato skins, but that was it. I remember when the menu was enormous, a long rambling thing that had a little bit of everything on it, a little overwhelming. Well, that’s all changed...

Katie's Pizza & Pasta Osteria is an award-winning restaurant in St. Louis. Like everyone else, Katie's is doing its best to adapt to these rather unusual times, and its solution has been to start a frozen pizza mail order service. Since I am always in the mood for pizza, and especially award-winning pizza, I placed an order and let the food come to my front door...

Like a lot of you, when I was a kid, my small-town ice cream shop closed up for the winter. Those white-smeared windows would appear, looking so desolate and barren, and I would know that the cold, soft ice cream was done until next year. For me, when those windows were scraped clear and the sugary wonders behind revealed once again, that was the true start of summer. ...

Bring on the food trucks! I was on the search for something new and lighter, fresh and flavorful. I'm not ashamed to say that I searched for food trucks online and stumbled upon LT's Street Tacos. Most of the time, you can find it parked at 515 W. Main St. in Jackson, but like so often with food trucks, check the Facebook page first to make sure that's where the truck really is...

"And if you gaze long into your food, your food also gazes into you." This irreverent morphing of the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's quote was uppermost in my mind when I unpacked my to-go order from SEMO Crawfish Company. Crawdads galore, all tails and claws and heads with antennae. Huge head-on shrimp, which supposedly deepens the sweet flavor that processed examples lack. Eyes, eyes everywhere, and I couldn't wait to dig in. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

Saturday, I finally caught my elusive prey. What I sought wasn't really that elusive; I'm just an inconsistent hunter. The German Cook travels around our area serving authentic, homemade German food out of a pop-up tent/food truck. The German Cook's Facebook page is the best place to find out when and where he can be found. I found him at the Cape Riverfront Market, but I know he also frequents the Cape and Jackson Farmers Markets...

This is a weird time to be writing about eating out. There is no way to share the atmosphere of a place with you, because I am unable (or, as of now, unwilling) to experience said atmosphere in a restaurant. Good eateries have souls, given life by the people who create their passion and imagine new flavors to delight. ...

When I was a kid, my dad listened to a lot of classic rock, which means I listened to a lot of it as well. I loved it, soaked those guitar riffs and gritty voices into every pore. My favorite band was Creedence Clearwater Revival: CCR. Every time he played one of their songs, I'd recognize Fogerty's gruff growl. ...

I have been forced to search out new places for carry-out in the wake of current events. I haven't really wanted to leave my county, and that has limited me in ways that I really loathe. I will be so glad when I can roam afar again, but for this week, I did find a meaty gem that I have driven by many times. This time, I stopped, in the drive-thru at least, and I'm so glad that I did...

I'm ready for something fun and light, so it's time for a Spicy Chicken Showdown. And boy oh boy, do we have a bunch of chicken places in town. I made a loop of Cape and picked up a sandwich from fast food joints that make one (and I'm so sorry if I missed someone! I didn't mean to.)...

In this time of caution and uncertainty, the last thing on our minds is probably locating the hippest, freshest new or undiscovered places to eat. I'm saying this so that you know I am not tone deaf. I know things are stressful and scary. However, I am also a firm believer in finding joy in the little things, and with this in mind, I'm going to continue to order curbside service from restaurants, and let you know where you can, too...

Ah, spring! Its coming heralds budding trees, blooming bulbs and my interest in food trucks once again. Some food trucks serve their customers all year long. I just don't think of patronizing them when the weather is cold, but when that first warm gust of spring air caresses my face, I know it is time: Time to find the food trucks again...

Rally's Drive-In recently opened a restaurant in Jackson, and its claim of "Famous Seasoned Fries" is what really inspired my trip. Any time a place claims "famous" or "world's best," well, that just has to be proved to me and my taste buds. Rally's is on the corner of highways 34 and 25 where Rhodes 101 Stop convenience store used to be. ...

On a quiet country road lies a cool old brick building reminiscent of the proud brick storefronts found in old downtowns everywhere. This building houses Gordonville Grill, a restaurant serving up good steakhouse eats with a sprinkle of Cajun cuisine since 2007...

We traveled to Benton this week to eat at a farm/hardware/anything-you-can-think-of store. M Kay Supply, located very close to the off-ramp of I-55, truly and honestly surprised me. One of you gave us a tip to go try out their deli sandwiches, and wow, are they tasty and huge...

Drive down Broadway in Cape Girardeau often enough and you will find yourself looking forward to the clever and pun-riddled sign that stands outside an unassuming restaurant named Burrito-Ville. Nineteen years ago, that is exactly what drew me inside to try the food. I wanted to know what kind of flavors would come from the minds of people with such finely honed senses of humor. Burrito-Ville's sense of taste is just as good as its sense of humor...

It was two days after Christmas and I was looking for something to eat that wasn't leftovers. Not that my leftovers aren't fantastic, but one can only have so many rich casseroles and slabs of candied ham before one stops appreciating it as much as one did two days ago. I pulled out my trusty list of places to try and picked one out that sounded like it was full of simple home cooking and friendly people...

As I'm deep into the spirit of the Christmas season, I thought it fitting that I share my favorite places to eat around the area and what I best like to eat there, giving the gift of great food ideas, if you will. Most of these places I have mentioned before, but that is a very good thing. They all have true staying power and are genuine keepers...

Downtown Cape Girardeau has become the go-to place for fine dining for those of us south of St. Louis. I have watched with pleasure as new restaurants have opened, filling Cape's destination crown with glittering culinary temptations. 36 Restaurant & Bar is a very large gem in that crown...

Sometimes, food and fun are married into such a perfect union under one roof you wonder why someone didn't think of it before. In Dogwood Social House's case, someone has thought of it before, but never in Cape Girardeau, and never on such a grand scale...

Tucked away on Broadway in Cape Girardeau is an honest-to-goodness chocolate factory. Chocolate Works has an adorable storefront window where you can see long glass cases filled with all manner of tiny, intricately crafted fresh chocolates and fudges...

Whenever I make the trip to Marble Hill, it is inevitable I will end up at Jay's Bar-B-Que. The restaurant is a well-known staple of the town, a true family restaurant, adapting with the times while managing to maintain home cookin' quality of the food. ...

As a rule, I don't like to write about chain restaurants. I don't have anything against them; it's simply these are the places people are more likely to visit, the places everyone already knows about. With that in mind, this week I am writing about a chain restaurant. Straight outta Chicago, I give you Rosati's Pizza...

Sometimes when I walk into an eatery new to me, I have the thought, "Why have I never been here before?" or "Why haven't I heard more about this place?" That was my immediate reaction upon stepping foot in the RiverHouse. Located just outside of Scott City right on the Mighty Mississippi, RiverHouse has been hiding from me since 2014. The proprietors bill it as "a wine place," and that is certainly the case, but don't believe that's all there is...

Every once in a great while, a restaurant will come along that is so unlike any other place around that it makes me happy to be alive. Mariscos El Barco at 1001 Broadway in Cape Girardeau is one such restaurant. It is indeed a Mexican restaurant, but before you shut down on me, give me a chance! This place, whose name translates to "The Seafood Boat," pays homage to the oft-ignored cuisine of the coastal regions of Mexico in a way no other local Mexican restaurant does. ...

Whether a person has a philosophical distaste for eating things that were once alive, or they just want to eat something with an advertised smaller carbon footprint, meatless "meat" has long been the holy grail of new food development. I remember trying my first meatless patty made by Morningstar 20 years ago, out of sheer curiosity rather than any sort of deep statement about food. I thought the taste was bland and though the patty looked like meat, it really tasted nothing like it...

I took a short trip a little off of my beaten path last week and ended up in Carbondale, Illinois. It's been a bit since I've been able to go there, and now that the bridge and connected highways are thankfully open, we were on our way. Of course, I took the opportunity to try somewhere new and hopefully exciting. ...

My daughter and I drove to McBride, Missouri, this weekend, just a few miles past Perryville. We had never been there before, and I didn't get much to see of the small town. We saw a huge factory and a truck stop. We took a hard right turn down a county road, drove over the railroad tracks twice and made it to Al's Place...

You may have noticed my focus on food has shifted a bit since I started writing this column last year: more salads, more color, less fried and sugary things. The truth is I simply can't eat whatever I want anymore. Being recently diagnosed as diabetic, I've been scared straight, and the best way I know how to control this disease is through low-carb eating...

Mary Jane has expanded beyond its Perryville burger empire to create a smokehouse kingdom in Cape Girardeau. In a move that confused me at first, Mary Jane announced that the new restaurant would not be a copy of the restaurant in Perryville. Indeed, they would be more of a BBQ joint, with a completely different menu. ...

Don Carlos Authentic Mexican Restaurant & Taqueria is nestled just inside the front entrance of West Park Mall. I will admit, I have walked by it many times, but I was never curious enough to stop and eat. Recently, when I read Don Carlos was opening a restaurant in Jackson at the old site of a barbecuse joint in front of the Riverside Regional Library, which is just a little closer to home to me than Cape, well, you can color me curious. ...

The river was up and raging, and we found ourselves in downtown Cape Girardeau looking for a new place to eat. After finding an amazing 110-year-old children's book in one of the antique stores, my daughter and I were ready for a meal. We walked by Socials Cafe and Catering at 31 Main St. ...

This week, I finally visited the Pacific Rim Market at 1537 Independence St. in Cape Girardeau. The Pacific Rim Market is truly a grocery store, but I walked in expecting to find a store full of mostly Chinese and Japanese dried goods. They do have these things, such as all the noodles you could ever imagine, but they also have a wide variety of fresh and frozen fares as well. Let me tell you about some of my favorites I found there...

It was Easter Sunday evening, and my family and I found ourselves in that awkward spot all Americans face at some point: we were all holiday-ed out, tired and lazy, and we didn't want leftovers. We wanted someone else to feed us, and on a holiday, the only places you can be guaranteed are open (at least in this neck of the woods) are Chinese buffets. We are so, so thankful for this, and thank you to all those people keeping them open for those of us who need some cookin' on a holiday!...

When a new restaurant opens its doors, I like to give it a month or two before I visit -- let them get their feet under them and figure things out. Waiting also helps me to avoid those crazy rushes of people eager to try something new. Sugarfire Smoke House opened in Cape Girardeau in September, and now, after finally visiting, I'm not sure why I waited so long to try it...

I love the sheer romance of Italian food. Shaped by hand, crafted with skill and soaked in flavor, you would be hard-pressed to find a cuisine more comforting. Ciao is an Italian word rife with meaning, and can informally mean both "hello" and "goodbye." Two years ago, the Italian restaurant Ciao Ristorante + Enoteca in Cape Girardeau was taken over by new owners. ...

Egypt Mills is a small community tucked back in the rolling river hills of Southeast Missouri. Just a short drive from either Jackson or Cape Girardeau, to get there you must drive on some of the most winding and drop-off-skirting roads in the county. ...

Opened in 1996, Bistro Saffron in Cape Girardeau is a well-established name in date-night restaurants. While I tend to go in for lunch, the atmosphere and sophisticated decor lend themselves well to a romantic night out. But romance is not why I go to Saffron. I go to Saffron for the pad thai...

As their Facebook page says, ABSeafood is "owned and operated by fisherman from the Gulf Coast." What this means for you and me is that approximately every six weeks, we can taste the bounty of the Gulf and not have to go any farther away than Cape Girardeau or Sikeston...

In Scott City just over the tracks is a squat little building with an "OPEN" sign hanging on the door. No outside signage, nothing in the windows, just that simple "OPEN" sign. This is Berghoff's Cafe, and if you can see white lattice through the windows, you're in the right place...

It will probably come as a surprise to nobody the internet has made food trends very popular and accessible. Trending now is taking common fast food items and adding them to others. Sometimes the combinations are disgusting, and sometimes they are magical. I have no interest in trying food already vetted as disgusting, but the ones people rave about interested me. I tried them and if you're curious, you can, too. Here are my takes on some supposedly delicious fast food mashups:...

I've got the post-holiday doldrums in the worst way and I'm blaming it all on casseroles -- heavy, creamy, cheesy casseroles that I only get to eat twice a year. They are amazingly rich, gut-bustingly filling and my favorite thing about holiday meals. ...

Cape Girardeau is lucky to have a restaurant such as Gabriel's Food + Wine gracing its downtown. Personal and cozy, classy and chic, Gabriel's lends a much-needed boost to upscale dining in the River City. Reservations are recommended, but Gabriel's definitely didn't give off that intimidating "reservation restaurant" feel. ...

Opened in 1999, Reis Meat Processing in Pocahontas has perfected tasty meats and taken them to the next level. Family owned and operated by the Reisenbichler family, Reis Meat (pronounced RICE) has earned its reputation of creating wonderful brats, sausages and snack sticks...

Every year after Thanksgiving, West End Tavern and Grocery in Frohna, Missouri, partners with Whitetails Unlimited to honor hunters and the animals they hunt. Keith LeGrand of West End Tavern gave me the details. Hunters can buy raffle tickets for a Deer Contest in which 14 firearms are awarded to: 1) those with the biggest buck, 2) drawings for youth who successfully hunted a deer, 3) drawings for adults who successfully hunted a deer, 4) and even those who didn't get a deer are given a chance to win. ...

In Perryville, a food renaissance is quietly taking over, and Jackson Street BrewCo is a major player on this scene. Boasting a three-barrel nano brewery and a stone wood oven, the brews and pizzas are honest and delicious. Our JStreet tasting journey started with the brews. When asking about the different kinds of beer, we requested something light and pale. The bartender poured us a sample, and we settled on Blonde Ale, light and nutty, with the tiniest hint of sweetness...

On a corner of Broadway in Cape Girardeau sits an unassuming green and white building with a clock on the front. Inside of Zoi's Gyro Corner, foodie magic has been happening since 1994. Zoi has always greeted me at the drive-thru window with a smile without fail. I feel like I have walked into my favorite aunt's house, and she only wants to sit me down and feed me. I have to believe that Zoi makes everyone feel this special and welcome...