La Loma - Denver, CO

Date of dining experience: July 11, 2018

Place: La Loma Mexican Restaurant

Location: 1801 Broadway in Denver, CO

Happy Hour Appetizers: Audry and I split a number of delicious dishes.

1. Chile Con Queso ($4) - Melted cheese, Anaheim chile achiote, served with jalapeno peppers and roma tomatoes.
2. Mini Flautas ($5) - Shredded chicken rolled in fresh corn tortillas, topped with sour cream and guacamole.
3. Sarapes ($5) - Shredded chicken wrapped in crispy shells, served with a side of their famous green chili.
4. Mini Rellenos ($5) - Roasted green chiles with cheese fried in a crispy shell, served with their famous green chili. This was absolutely the best chile rellenos I have ever eaten. And the green chili they say is so famous is even better than the rellenos! This dish was so good I decided to get the bigger version as my meal.

Happy Hour Drinks: House Margaritas ($7) - 100% blue agave tequila, triple sec, their own all natural citrus mix, and, of course, on the rocks.

Entree: Chile Rellenos ($16) - Roasted Anaheim green chiles with cheese in a crispy shell, served with their famous green chili, rice, and refried beans.

This is hands-down the best Mexican restaurant I have ever been to. To add to the wonderful experience, it was a beautiful day in downtown Denver, so we got a table outside on the patio. If you try this place, and I highly recommend that you do as soon as possible, you have to try the green chili. You will not regret it. Once you pay a visit, let me know what you think. Enjoy!

China - Suzhou, Nanjing, and Changchun

Dates of dining experiences: June 13-28, 2018

Places: All of the local eateries in three Chinese cities

Locations: Suzhou, China; Nanjing, China; and Changchun, China

I just spent an amazing 16 days traveling around China, eating all of the local foods at all of the local restaurants, and presenting at a couple music teacher conferences. It is amazing how fresh and delicious all of the food is in China. Of course, the customers cook the food themselves at their table at most of the restaurants. Whether eating hot pot or Korean-style barbecue, you boil or grill the food yourself at your table. The food is always fresh, you can cook it to your liking, and the seasonings and spices of the hot pot or dry rub are simply delicious.

Some of my favorites foods in China were the grilled octopus on a stick, just about anything that you can put in a hot pot, and, of course, any kind of steamed dumpling (especially if it contains shrimp or pork). One thing that was a little hard to get used to was everything being cooked with the bones, but you get used to the way little fish bones feel in your mouth.

I did eat some rather "weird" things by American standards, such as intestine from a couple different animals, throat, pig ear, duck tongue, stinky tofu, and even a silkworm chrysalis. However, I liked it all! (The silkworm did require some spicy seasoning to get past the texture.) All of the local people I interacted with were very surprised that I tried all the foods without hesitation, and even more surprised that I like it all!

This was an amazing experience and I simply cannot wait to go back. There are still so many different Chinese foods that I have not yet tried, and so many places I have not yet seen. If you were every considering it, I highly recommend a vacation in China. (You can stay in pretty nice 4 and 5 star hotels for the same price as 2 and 2.5 star hotels in the United States.) If you visit, please let me know your thoughts on the local food cultures you experience. Enjoy!

Vivian's - Des Moines, IA

Date of dining experience: June 8, 2018

Place: Vivian's Diner & Drinks

Location: 400 Walnut St. #101 in Des Moines, IA

Meal: East Coast Eggs Benedict ($12.75) - Poached eggs, New England crab cakes, and red pepper hollandaise. Delicious!

Extra Side: Creamy Polenta ($3) - A very tasty mix of corn meal, seasonings, and cheese, similar to a cheesy mashed potatoes.

Coffee: Very good coffee (best served black).

This is a very nice restaurant in downtown Des Moines, just one block away from the main strip. I highly recommend Vivian's and the rest of the area if you are ever in Des Moines. Be sure to check out The Stuffed Olive Martini Bar as well. Try it out and let me know what you think! Enjoy!

Funny Bone - Des Moines, IA

Date of dining experience: June 7, 2018

Place: Funny Bone Comedy Club and Restaurant

Location: 560 S. Prairie View Dr. #100 in West Des Moines, IA

Appetizer: Dip Trio ($13.99) - All house-made spinach artichoke dip, black bean dip, and cheese dip, served with tortilla chips.

Meal: Blackened Salmon ($18.99) - Fresh salmon pan-seared with house seasoning and topped with mango salsa, served with starch and vegetable of the day (fries and green beans).

Drinks: Stella Artois and a frozen peach margarita. The Stella was great, as usual, but the peach margarita was entirely too sweet and may not have contained tequila.

Overall, this was not a bad experience. It is a little disappointed that the comedian we originally signed up to see did not show, but the replacement acts were decent. Try this place out for yourself and let me know what you think! Enjoy!

Hi-Way Pizza - State College, PA

Date of dining experience:

Place: Hi-Way Pizza Pub

Location: 1688 N. Atherton St. in State College, PA

Appetizer: Fried Zucchini - batter-dipped and served with horseradish sauce ($7).

Meal: 14" Medium Neapolitan Pie with ham and green peppers ($12 + $2.75 + $2.25, respectively).

Drinks: Dogfish Head Dragons & YumYums and Victory Summer Love. Both were extremely delicious!

Hi-Way Pizza might just be the best pizza I've eaten since moving to Pennsylvania. The crust was even still good the next day. Try this place out for yourself and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Gaucho - Pittsburgh, PA

Date of dining experience: May 29, 2018

Place: Gaucho Parrilla Argentina

Location: 1601 Penn Ave. in Pittsburgh, PA

Appetizer: Provoletta - grilled Provolone cheese with fresh oregano on toast, served with an arugula and olive salad ($11); one Beefy Empanada and one Veggie Empanada ($3).

Meal: Parrillada Mixta - NY Strip steak, grilled chicken, and chorizo, with two pieces of toast ($27).

Drinks: BYOB or BYOW - We brought our own wine: Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.

Gaucho is a wonderful restaurant that I will be returning to many times in the future. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Täkō - Pittsburgh, PA

Date of dining experience: May 28, 2018

Place: täkō

Location: 214 6th St. in Pittsburgh, PA

Appetizers: Chips with three different types of salsa ($7), Street Corn with sriracha mayo, cotija cheese, chili powder, and lime ($6), and Ceviche with scallops, aguachile, heirloom tomatoes, red onion, and avocado ($14).

Meal: Chicken Tacos with salsa verde, crema, avocado, queso, and cilantro ($13) and Korean Tacos with short rib, cucumber, cabbage, cilantro, and red dragon sauce ($16).

Drinks: Classic Margarita with espolon blanco, bauchant, lime, and agave ($10), Oaxaca with espolon reposado, mezcal, angostura, orange, and demerara ($10), and Negra Modelo ($5).

So, täkō has the best tacos I have ever eaten in my life. The atmosphere was perfect and the service was wonderful. I will be returning to this restaurant many more times in the future. Try it out for yourself and let me know what you think. Enjoy!