It turns out to have been a very smart move. Though busy, the corner building neatly renovated a year ago by Graham downtown entrepreneurs Chuck and Jennifer Talley wasn’t so packed we wouldn’t get good service. The restaurant is divided into two rooms. The front room is set up as the soda shop with booths and tables and even a small stage for local entertainment on weekend evenings. The back room is the grill–a room dedicated to fire fighters, police and emergency responders. It is in this room that adults can order the “extinguishers,” draft and bottled beer.

The foodie tried a “Heizer” basket. ($5.99) According to the menu, Heizer is German for fireman. The basket had a well made Reuben sandwich piled with real deli pastrami on toasted rye and came with a choice of chips or fries, macaroni salad or cole slaw and a crunchy Kosher dill pickle. It was almost like gnoshing in a New York deli.

There’s a kid’s menu that even includes a bologna sandwich as well as the usual hot dogs, burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Because it’s a soda shop, the desserts are the fountain variety: ice cream, floats, sundaes and even banana splits.

When you visit The Graham Soda Shop and Grill, don’t miss the memorabilia on the walls.

The round up:

One Rolaid.

Where: 22 NE Court Square, Graham

Hours: Monday - Thursday: 11:00 AM until 9:00 PM; Friday and Saturday 11:00 AM until 11:00 PM

Telephone: 229-0501

Kids Menu: Yes.

Web Site:The Graham Soda Shop and Grill

Vegetarian Offerings: Not many. Salads.

Service: Table

Alcohol: Beer only.

Take out Service: Yes.

Health Ratings: 96 (5/15/2008)

The original Burlington Blue Ribbon Diner and its newer sibling in Mebane are traditional diners. The menus run from burgers and fries to hot dogs and fried chicken with milk shakes for dessert. The foodie is drawn to the Blue Plate Specials. For six and a quarter bucks you can get chicken pot pie, home style meatloaf, country fried steak, or the foodie’s absolute favorite–the Thursday special, Roast Turkey and dressing. Yes, it’s real turkey, and it comes with dressing, mashed potatoes and a side. The Saturday Blue Plate Special is an Angus Chuck Steak with salad and either mashed potatoes or fries. That’s fairly priced at $7.95.

The Blue Ribbon folks brag about their award winning sweet tea, which they have dubbed “The house wine of the south.” If you prefer real wine, they have a list limited to three plonks–a Glen Ellen Merlot, a Glen Ellen Chardonnay and a Beringer White Zinfandel. The latter could give their tea a run for the money on sweetness. No matter. One doesn’t go to a diner looking for a cru bordeaux. Several domestic beers are also available.

One Rolaid–watch the chili cheese fries.

The round up:

Where: 2465 South Church, Burlington and 1004 Mebane Oaks Road, Mebane

Hours: Monday - Sunday, 11:00 AM until 10:00 PM

Telephone: 570-1120 (Burlington) 919-563-7020 (Mebane)

Kids Menu: No, but lots of baskets and kid pleasers like mini corn dogs

Vegetarian Offerings: Yes, they even have a Veggie Blue Plate Special

Service: Table and Counter

Limited Wine and Beer selection. Stick with their sweet tea…

Take out Service: Yes with Curb Side pick-up.

Health Ratings: Burlington 99 (3/2008) Mebane 100.5 (4/2008)

Mi Casa has also added a $5.95 lunch buffet. Salad, rice, beans and a selection of burritos and enchiladas are offered.

We selected a $4.75 lunch special that included a cheese quesadilla, a burrito, and a guacamole salad. The meal was served promptly and hot. The salad was cut up iceberg lettuce served under a raw slice of hot house tomato and a dollop of guacamole dip. The meat burrito was tucked under the salad and helped to make the tasteless greenery more palatable. The quesadilla, served on the side, was more tortilla than cheese.

The final indignity was paying for the meal. I was presented with a check for $6.69–the total for the lunch special, a $1.35 glass of tea and tax. The lady at the register rang up $6.96. When I asked about this, I got a funny look and a receipt for $6.96 for Texas fajitas and “no drink.” It was a mistake I hope, but I’m glad I wasn’t paying for four dinners…

Four Rolaids–the art and the bill can cause indigestion

The round up:

Where: 120 E Front , Burlington

Hours: Monday - Thursday 11:00 AM until 9:00 PM

Telephone: 222-0275 222-6069 (Fax)

Kids Menu: Yes. A Selection of $3.25 Meals

Vegetarian Offerings: Yes but limited

Service: Table

Full Bar Service

Take out Service: Available for lunch and dinner menus

Health Inspection Score: 96

Higher food costs, less disposable income, and a general financial pinch kept customer counts flat at chain restaurants in 2006 and down 2% last year. According to the report 49% of restaurants reported to the National Restaurant Association that January same store sales fell, and 54% reported less traffic for the fifth month in a row.

Lone Star Steak House closed 27 stores, putting 1500 out of work. Starbucks has announced they plan to close 100 units–though the foodie wouldn’t call Starbucks a restaurant.

Randy Cox, of The Village Grill and Blue Ribbon Diner reknown, agrees that things are tough right now. He says that his food prices have gone up 3% a year in each of the past two years while economic pressure have kept the restaurants from being able to raise prices. Despite all the competition from new chain restaurants at Alamance Crossing, The Village Grill was doing a brisk business at lunch last Monday.

On a local note, the foodie is very disappointed that B’s Bistro is no longer open for lunch. They closed for lunch in December to do private, holiday parties. When Chris Russell and company decided to keep Benjamin’s open for lunch, apparently the decision was made to make the Bistro a dinner only venue. Too bad. They had good lunches, and the atmosphere is great for lunch. With Spring around the corner, we’ll miss outside lunches at B’s Bistro.

Prego’s serves everything from antipasti to pasta to risotto to tiramisu. Daily specials–at lunch and dinner–are displayed on a dry erase board. The foodie particularly enjoys the seafood specials and the home made pastas. A home made pasta is featured every day.

The foodie has been a fan of Prego’s since it opened more than a year ago. Imagine our dismay when the bread served at a recent lunch was stale and the polenta appetizer had either been fried too long or reheated once too often! To top that off, the salad that came with our entree was wilted and served with unripe, pink tomatoes. In a feat of redemption, the home made chicken ravioli in vodka sauce was excellent. The aroma alone was enough to ease the earlier disappointment. Vincente Hernandez, the owner, was not in. When he is there, he pays so much attention to what is going on that I’m sure the bread and salad would not have made it out of the kitchen.

Hernandez came to Burlington from his native Ecuador via New York City, where he worked in Italian restaurants for twenty years. If you’ve eaten in Little Italy in New York, you know what it is like to eat at Prego’s.

Prego’s serves complete lunch and dinner menus with a short but interesting wine list. On several occasions they have hosted wine dinners with good wine pairings. These are irregular so you have to watch for their ads or check the web site.

Three Rolaids–the sauces can be spicy

The round up:

Where: 2740 South Church, Burlington

Hours: Monday - Saturday 11:00 AM until 10:00 PM

Telephone: 586-0292

Kids Menu: Same as adult menu

Vegetarian Offerings: Yes but limited

Service: Table

Full Bar Service

Take out Service: Available for lunch and dinner menus