Trudy’s is fun. It’s very casual and the food is great - Tex Mex and southern.

Kenny enjoys the stuffed chili relleno - a chili stuffed with shredded meat, cheese and spices and smothered in a sauce.

I like the array of vegetable sides I can order for Titus, since he’s still adjusting ever-so-slowly to “big people” food.

The vegetarian combo plate is my favorite. I like to request the enchilada to be filled with spinach and mushrooms stuffed in the whole wheat tortilla covered in chipotle sauce.

Stay tuned ’cause tomorrow I’m going to teach you to make my version of these little pretties.

Hudson’s is a lovely little hill country restaurant just outside Austin. The building is a smallish cottage with odd levels and quirks and beautiful Texas stone and rustic charm.

The menu is adventurous featuring all types of game, as well as more standard steak and seafood fare.

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Kenny’s brother Gene is our window into a tres chic world. He’s brilliantly funny, highly educated and successful and travels the world for work and fun. We like to learn from him.

We’ve contributed to his life too. We’ve given him Titus as a nephew. He came to visit Titus over the weekend and invited us to dinner at Fonda San Miguel.

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I stumbled on Torchy’s Tacos through an Austin online paper That Other Paper. Our friend Fletcher was back in town. He’s young and very cool and I thought Torchy’s Tacos sounded like the place to take him.

I was right. Torchy’s Tacos is young and very cool. Well, at least it’s very cool. I don’t know that it’s very young, as I didn’t see very many overwhelmingly young people there. It is definitely not classy or upscale which seems to appeal more to those of us with…eh…shall we say a bit more life experience?

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Since moving to Texas I’ve seen prickly pears on the occasional Tex-Mex menu. I really didn’t know much about them.

Do you know what they are? They are a type of cactus.

This past week they were on sale in the grocery store. I found the produce clerk and asked for the full run-down on prickly pears.

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Yeah. I did it. I went to a catfish restaurant and ordered…SHRIMP!

Who does that?

Here’s the deal. I’m a little scared of catfish. The whole catlike face just kind of freaks me out. And the whole bottom-feeder thing…let’s just not even go there.

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For a minute I’m going to sound like a snob. I assumed, before my six month stint this year in Valdosta, Georgia, that it was merely a jerk-water southern Georgia town. You know, one of those I75 exits on your trip south to Disneyworld?

But no, no, no people! It’s cute! Really. It’s cute! Areas of Valdosta are really cute. Take the campus and surrounding neighborhoods of Valdosta State University for example or maybe the renovated downtown? They are really cute. If it’s mealtime and you want to see the real deal of a Southern town on your trip to Disneyworld, do stop in Valdosta.

And DO, most definitely DO, eat at The Bistro downtown. I had one of the best steaks there I think I’ve ever consumed in my life - a filet with a sweet bourbon reduction sauce on top. I think it melted in my mouth. I had a hard time picking from the menu, because all the food was elegant and enticing. The wine list was impressive as well.

The atmosphere of the bistro was very pleasant too. The restaurant had a modern loft sort of feel, as it’s housed in a renovated brick storefront downtown. Huge canvases of modern art covered the walls.

I’m sorry I don’t have pictures. I ate there before I was really in full blog-swing. Maybe if you’re in the area or planning a trip in the area, do check out the website here. The Bistro is Valdosta’s best-foot forward. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

One evening during our visit to Savannah, Kenny and I drove to Tybee Island. I grew up near the Gulf of Mexico and nothing in the world makes me happier than a beach. All is right in the world when waves are crashing in front of me. I feel like I can conquer any dream when I can see all the way to the horizon. (Incidentally, driving country roads in Texas makes me feel this way too.)

That said, if you can help it, don’t plan a vacation to Tybee Island. Go to another beach. Which one? Any other one.

Why?

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Do you know Paula Deen of Food Network fame? Her restaurant Lady and Sons is in Savannah.

We didn’t eat there.

Why?

Eating at Lady and Sons requires a bit of planning. You have to stand in line early in the morning to get a reservation to come back to the restaurant for lunch or dinner. Then you stand in line at the time of your reservation waiting to actually get in the restaurant.

Since we only had one full day in Savannah, we didn’t want to spend all our time in lines.

Instead, we opted to spend time in the line at Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room.

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What do people do in Savannah? Why does it get attention as a tourist destination?

Well, honestly, I can’t answer those questions for the masses. I can only tell you why I liked Savannah.

SAVANNAH IS A HISTORICAL TOWN
Savannah was founded in 1733 by General James Oglethorpe. It has one of the largest historic districts in the country. Streets and streets are filled with gorgeous old row houses with wrought iron detailing. Towering beautiful trees shade everything.

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