With the holiday season comes lots of eating. Large meals, turkey, ham, vegetables, desserts, it’s all part of the game. But what do we like the best? I can’t speak for everyone, but here’s what I go for:

Thanksgiving …

Turkey obviously, but for vegetables I enjoy corn, green beans and mashed potatoes. Squash, cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes have always been on the table, but I usually keep my plate stalked with turkey and skip out on the rest. Oh, and don’t forget the stuffing.

I always flood my plate with gravy too and soak up the leftovers with dinner rolls. Mmmmm good.

For dessert we’ve got to have Pumpkin and Apple pie. Pecan Pie is usually on the table too, but I don’t care for it too much. There’s plenty of other desserts I’d rather have. With the apple pie is vanilla ice cream, the two go together so well. We usually have cheesecake, gingerbread and plenty of cookies to pick from too.

Then after pigging out all afternoon nap time is definitely in order.

Every family serves different food on Thanksgiving but there’s just a little taste of mine.

Buffalo Wild Wings officially opened its doors Thursday in its new Alamance Crossing location next to the also new Red Bowl Asian Bistro.

BW3’s as it’s often referred to serves up some of the tastiest wings I’ve enjoyed and offers a sports bar atmosphere that in this area can’t be matched.

I attended a VIP opening with a group of four and the night was set up for the staff to get a night of work under their belts before officially opening the doors. The food was free and the drinks were cheap. It was a well run event.

The dining room is split in two with the main area boxed in with large flat screen TVs lining the walls. The other half is the bar area which offers tons of seating and it too is loaded with flat screen TVs.

Wherever you sit at Buffalo Wild Wings you can see at least five TVs. But in case you’re not there for sports, you can pass the time while waiting for your food with a trivia game or some poker.

Waiters hand out electronic gaming boards which are hooked up to several of the TVs in the building and display trivia and poker. You watch the TVs for the questions or to see the game of Texas Hold’em. Our table played trivia and had a great time.

Now for the food. Since “wings” is in the restaurant’s name, obviously that’s their specialty and they do it well. Fifteen flavors of sauces give you all sorts of tastes from Teriyaki to Honey Barbeque, Parmesan Garlic, Asian Zing, Mango Habenero, Hot and Blazin’ to name a few.

Wings come in servings of six, 12, 18, 24 or 50. Our table ordered hot barbeque and a southwestern kind of sauce. Both were great, but I preferred the southwestern.

They’ve got all sorts of appetizers, but what caught my eye were the Cheeseburger and Pulled-pork Slammers. These mini sandwiches looked like the real thing just smaller. The Cheeseburger Slammer comes with fries and the Pulled-Parked Slammer is served in whatever sauce you choose.

We ordered the Crispy Southwest Dippers which were filled with fajita-spiced chicken, Pepper Jack cheese, tomatoes, onions, jalapeños and black beans. They were served with Southwestern Ranch dressing.

Other items on the menu include wraps, burgers, ribs and more. Someone at our table ordered a Ribs and Wings combo which looked really tasty. The ribs of course come with your choice of sauce. They also have tons of sandwiches to choose from.

The prices were reasonable and the wings were actually cheaper than some other local wing places.

Buffalo Wild Wings is a great place to watch a big sports game or to go on Saturday and Sunday to watch football.

I like nothing better than to enjoy some delicious wings and a cold beer while watching football and this is the place to be for that. Also, look for promotions highlighting specials on drinks and wings. Most Buffalo Wild Wings locations offer special nights with discounted prices and deals.

After seeing the new Batman movie over there a few weeks ago I made sure not to forget to go back for some tasty ribs.

Tasty is exactly what I got.

Shane’s Rib Shack isn’t a traditional sit down restaurant and it’s not fast food either. When you walk in you place your order at the counter, you’re given a number and then you have a seat.

The menu is packed with lots of barbecue items including ribs, wings, pulled pork and chicken. They have sandwiches, appetizers and combination meals too. Check out the complete menu here.

The service behind the counter was extremely friendly too and made the experience even more enjoyable. In the seating area they have flat screen TVs with the news and ESPN playing.

We ordered a combo to split for two people. In it we got ribs, chicken tenders covered in spicy barbecue sauce and pulled pork. It also came with two sides, Mac and cheese and greens beans for us, and a piece of Texas toast.

When ordering you can choose from a variety of barbecue sauces. We chose spicy. They also have sauces available in the condiment section incase you want more which I almost always do. I’m a sucker for barbecue sauce.

It only took about 10 minutes or so for our food to arrive and I was pretty hungry. Everything was delicious, especially the green beans. I wasn’t expecting much from the sides, especially something as simple as green beans, but they were great.

My only complaint was that compared to the portions of chicken and barbecue we got, we should have had more ribs. Our entire meal was surely filling enough though.

As we left I saw a waitress delivering a pulled pork sandwich and I decided that I need to go back for lunch because it looked so good.

If you’re looking for a quick bite and some delicious food, I’d head to Shane’s Rib Shack. It’s a great place to go before or after the movies with its convenient location in front of the new theatre.

This very popular chain is very busy from it’s 11:00 AM opening until it’s 10:00 PM closing every day. The big draw seems to be unlimited bread sticks–often served hot from the oven–and a bottomless salad bowl for $5.95. The pasta dishes are better than one would expect from a national chain. On a recent visit, the foodie had a nice, spicy linguine alla marinara ($9.75), while the foodie’s partner had spaghetti and meatballs ($11.95). The linguine was cooked a little damp, while the spaghetti was a nice, al dente. Most dinner entrees are in the $11.50 to $16.00 range.

We went to the Olive Garden at 4:45 in the afternoon. We were seated at 5:35. Although we got bread and drinks quickly, the rest of the service was slow. That in a nutshell is the problem with a too popular restaurant.

The round up:

Two rolaids.

Where: 1770 Glidewell Drive, Burlington

Hours: Sunday - Thursday: 11:00 AM until 10:00 PM; Friday and Saturday 11:00 AM until 11:00 PM

Telephone: 584-1171

Kids Menu: Yes. Small pizzas, spaghetti

Web Site: OliveGarden.com

Vegetarian Offerings: Yes. Linguini all Marinara; Eggplant Parmigiana, Capellini Pomodoro

Service: Table

Bar Service: Yes

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

Health Ratings: 96 (3/28/2008)

Pulcinella’s on North Main Street in Graham reminds me of The Antlers. Nothing is fancy, but the food is hearty and the prices are right. They serve full dinner menus with everything from antipasti plates to salads, pizza and a host of pasta dishes. The pizzas come in two styles–thin crust like the foodie loved at The Antlers and Sicilian style with a thick crust. Since they are located in Graham, Pulcinella’s is restricted to serving only beer and wine. That said, they have the cheapest wine prices I’ve seen in a restaurant in years. Both reds and whites are either $32.5 or $3.50 per glass, and there is no bottle listed on the menu for more than $18.

At a recent lunch we had the manicotti special–$5.25 made with good ricotta cheese and served with a tasty red sauce. The manicotti wasn’t served mouth-scorching hot, and it wasn’t cold. Just not quite warm enough. A basket of toasted bread was served with the meal. A small dish of oil might have perked that up a bit. As well as seven pasta specials for lunch, they serve Panini subs, pizza, Stromboli and Calzone.

Pulcinella’s has been a favorite in Graham for years and is likely to remain so.

One Rolaids Rating.

The round up:

Where: 302 North Main Street, Graham

Hours: Monday thru Thursday 11:00 AM –9:30 PM  Friday and Saturday 11:00 AM–10:00PM.  Closed Sunday

Kids Menu: Yes

Vegetarian Offerings: Yes , many of the pastas and pizza

Bar Service:  No bar.  Wine and Beer served with meals.

Service: Table

Take out Service: Available for  lunch and dinner menus.

Telephone: 222-8777

My Life in France delightfully chronicles Child’s years in France with her husband, Paul Child. Not long after their marriage in 1946 they moved to Paris, where Paul worked at the US Embassy with the USIS, a pre-cursor to the US Information Agency. Child’s first meal in France (at La Courrone in Rouen) was a revelation. Julia Child had discovered fine food lovingly prepared. It changed the course of her life. After settling in Paris, she enrolled in the Cordon Bleu cooking school, assembled trunk loads of kitchen equipment and began work on her wonderful cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, co-written with Simone Beck and Laurisette Bertholle. That classic is now in its 39th printing and available in both hardcover and paperback.

My Life in France moves along like a well-paced novel as Child develops recipes, describes delicious dinner parties and struggles with publishers. Some of the food descriptions are so enticing that the Foodie kept his copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking at hand to check exactly how Child suggested one make Sauce Hollandaise or Beurre Blanc.

The Foodie has one caution about this book. If you’re on a New Year’s diet, don’t read it now. Each page will make you hungry.

My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud’Homme. Anchor Books, New York 2007

Feedback from early diners is that they love the decor. The restaurant has a bar area, complete with the requisite flat panel TV, and three distinct dining rooms. One area is modeled after a French bistro. Another is modeled after a wine cellar with a vaulted, brick ceiling. The third room has a New Orleans Garden District theme. French posters and Jazz prints adorn the walls.

With the name and all of the decor, the foodie and friends were sure they’d find Coq au Vin, Boeuf Bourguignon, Bouilliabase, or mussels steamed in garlic on the menu. Alas, Mimi’s Cafe doesn’t serve French food! Rather the fare is mostly American cuisine with a significant dose of Mexica–carne asada, black bean and chicken chorizo dip, tostada salad–thrown in. There is also a pasta menu with traditional Italian restaurant selections.

There are no French wines on the limited list. The list offers a selection of eight whites and five reds–most from California with two from Australia. Dinner prices range from$13 to $16. Large sandwiches run from $7.39 to $9. A children’s menu is available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Vegetarian options include a portobello mushroom, squash, bell pepper, red onion, smoked gouda cheese and sun dried tomato pesto on grilled ciabatta bread; fettucine with Asiago cream sauce; soups; and a Bleu cheese and walnut salad.

Mimi’s Cafe also offered low fat and low carb selections.

Portions are more than ample, and the food is tasty.

The round up:

Where: Alamance Crossing, Burlington

Hours: Daily from 7:00 AM until 11:00 PM.

Kids Menu: Yes

Vegetarian Offerings: Yes with good variety

Service: Table

Take out Service: Available for both breakfast and lunch and dinner menus.

Telephone: 584-6363 FAX: 584-9259

Web Site: Mimi’s Cafe

The good news is that Roaster’s is a great place to have a quiet lunch. Choices include an array of deli sandwiches on white, wheat or a kaiser roll; five different styles of Panini sandwiches grilled on focaccia bread; and a good selection of salads. Recently we opted for a Mandarin grilled chicken salad. The presentation was blah at best. My order was delivered very fast, and I realized why when I found that the chicken had been roasted but not recently.  Several hunks of sliced chicken sat atop a pile of what appeared to be the wrong end of iceberg lettuce. We girded our loins and dug in. What a surprise!

The iceberg lettuce hid spinach leaves and slices of red cabbage. Tasty Mandarin oranges and slivered almonds were mixed liberally into the salad. Served with a creamy poppy seed dressing, the salad had just the right tang to make it appetizing.  $6.00 and worth it…

Deli sandwich prices run from $3.95 for grilled cheese to $5.95 for a club.  Panini’s cost between $5.00 and $6.50.  Salads are $3.25 for a house to $6.25 for a chicken salad plate.  In winter Roaster’s offers soup specials by the cup or bowl.

Wash it all down with a fresh latte.

The round up:

Where: 404 Spring St., Burlington

Hours: 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM for lunch. Monday through Friday only

Kids Menu: No

Vegetarian Offerings: Yes. Salads and Soups

Service: Self

Take out Service: Available. 229-6308

No Bar Service

Web Site: no

In a review of Benjamin’s several weeks back, the foodie grumped that $1.99 a pop was too much to pay for fresh oysters. Diners, or someone at Benjamin’s, must have agreed. Oysters are now on the menu for 99 cents each. There is a Friday and Saturday early evening special of 50 cents apiece.

Bon appetit!

The esteemed list includes The Carolina Hotel in Pinehurst, which
has earned 26 consecutive Four Diamond awards.

At first I was taken aback because The Fearrington Country House Inn in Chapel Hill was not on the list. Fear not. There’s a reason. Fearrington has a AAA Five Diamond Award (and a Mobil Travel Guide Five Star Award).

Here are the AAA Four Diamond Award winners for 2008. The number in parentheses is the number of years each has held the award.

Carolina winners and consecutive years won:

Asheville

Accommodations: Richmond Hill Inn (17); The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa (7);
Albemarle Inn (5); Inn on Biltmore Estate (7)

Restaurants: Gabrielle’s at Richmond Hill (16); Horizons (15)

Boone

Accommodations: Lovill House Inn (11)

Restaurants: The Gamekeeper Restaurant and Bar (First-time winner)

Cary

Restaurants: Heron’s (First time winner)

Chapel Hill

Accommodations: The Siena Hotel (12); Carolina Inn (11)

Restaurants: Il Palio Ristorante (18); Carolina Crossroads (6)

Charlotte

Accommodations: Marriott-Charlotte SouthPark (4); Omni Charlotte Hotel (7);
Ballantyne Resort (5); The Westin Charlotte (4); Duke Mansion Historic Inn
(3); Hilton Charlotte Center City (First-time winner)

Restaurants: McNinch House (11); Zebra Restaurant and Fine Catering (5);
Bonterra Dining and Wine Room (4)

Duck

Restaurants: The Left Bank (4)

Durham

Accommodations: Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club (8); Arrowhead Inn Bed and
Breakfast (5)

Restaurants: The Fairview Dining Room (16); Four Square Restaurant (7)

Glenville

Accommodations: Innisfree Victorian Inn & Garden House (14)

Greensboro

Accommodations: Grandover Resort and Conference Center (9); O. Henry Hotel
(9)

Restaurants: Di Valletta (2)

Highlands

Accommodations: Old Edwards Inn and Spa (3); The Lodge at Old Edwards
(First-time winner)

Lake Toxaway

Accommodations: Greystone Inn (22)

Pinehurst

Accommodations: The Carolina Hotel (26); Holly Inn (6)

Restaurants: 1895 Grille (7)

Raleigh

Restaurants: Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern (4)

Wilmington

Accommodations: Graystone Inn (9); The Verandas (6)

The Alamance Foodie’s take. Three that should be on the list and are not: Magnolia Grill in Durham and B. Christopher’s in Burlington and in Chapel Hill.

Bon appetit.