Tickle My Tastebuds

Since I eat out at more restaurants than I care to admit, picking just one that I love is nearly impossible. I love to eat out for all kinds of reasons but the chief reason is that eating out means I don't have to clean my kitchen. There. I've said it. I hate cleaning my kitchen.

But my ineptness at housework is not what we're discussing here.

Crab legs are my favorite food. And land-locked Tennessee is not the primo place to find them - let me tell you. So there is really nowhere in Nashville that I'm excited about eating crab legs. :-( Now take me to Florida and I'll stuff my face till I'm sick. One of my favorite places to dine is Bud and Alley's in Seaside, Florida. I've only tasted their crab cakes (for which they are infamous) and I thought I had reached an early nirvanna.

www.budandalleys.com

Check them out. You'll see what I mean. And if you've never been to Seaside, Florida - OMG, you have just been told about a little slice of heaven and one of the best kept secrets on the entire Florida Gulf Coast. It's 7 hours due south of Nashville and I had the good fortune of having a book signing at Sundog Books, smack dab in the middle of town.

www.sundogbooks.com

They have one of the most amazing bookstores I've ever had the pleasure of visiting. Linda and her staff are amazing. Please tell her I sent you next time you're there!

But if I had to choose just one favorite restaurant I think my all-time-favorite is the Hula Grill in Hawaii. They have one on Waikiki Beach and one on Kaanapali Beach in Maui.

www.hulagrill.com

FAB-U-LOUS is all I can say. Imagine a tropical breeze blowing through your hair, cooling your sunburned skin, as you gaze out onto the most luscious sunset you've ever feasted your eyes upon. The decor is an old Hawaiian plantation home with old fans lazily moving with the tradewinds. The food is to die for but then again seafood is the kind of food that tickles my taste buds.

I've got one problem with the Hula Grill. Every time I think about it I start salivating. Inevitably that drooling turns into starvation - like right now - and I feel the need to run up to the seafood market and settle for a poor substitute. I'm just praying that one day I'll find my way back to the Hula Grill, but for now I'll just have to be happy with my HG tee-shirt.

By the way, if any of our NG Followers live in Dallas I'll be at the Chi Omega Christmas Market at the Dallas Convention Center tonight as well as in the morning. I'd love to meet you so please stop by the Barnes and Noble booth! www.chiomegaxmas.org