Food & Cooking
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Five spots to fill-up both ways

Bertie A. Kinser

Christopher Regan loves the sausage, egg and cheese at Stewart’s.

“The egg, cheese and sausage meld together perfectly with a bit of each in every bite,” the Town of Poughkeepsie man said. “The roll stays slightly crunchy but not hard like a lot of pre-prepared sandwiches get, and because it’s wrapped instead of in a plastic container, it doesn’t get moist either.”

For a long time, food sold or prepared in a gas station had been the subject of ridicule. But regional chains like Wawa and Sheetz, which have a cult following, have helped change that perception. Beyond high-quality convenience stores, there are also delis and restaurants that have purposely opened as a part of a gas station to catch the heavy flow of customers already coming through for a fill-up of a different sort. Some are gems that have been known to locals for years.

While Stewart’s Shops may

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Food & Cooking
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10 outdoor dining spots in St. Croix that’ll make you wish you were there

Bertie A. Kinser

Among the easiest of Caribbean islands to visit during these post-vax times, St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands does not necessitate COVID testing, nor does it require a passport or incur roaming charges. To top it all off, despite what the pandemic did to dining out on many islands, St. Croix actually saw a flourish of restaurants.



a group of people in a dark room: The Galleon's outdoor space overlooks the yacht harbor at Green Cay Marina


© Nicole Canegata/The Galleon Steaks & Seafood
The Galleon’s outdoor space overlooks the yacht harbor at Green Cay Marina

Its rural temperament, furthermore, is conducive to the thriving crop of artisan farms and markets that support the vibrant restaurant scene. The island’s balmy, sea-breezy climes have always equated with year-round outdoor dining, and here are 10 of the best for feasting al fresco safely and scenically.

Salt – Great Pond



a bunch of food sitting on a table: A spread of starter dishes at Salt


© Chelle Koster Walton
A spread of starter dishes at Salt

Don’t be fooled by the backroad location and roadside shack appearance,

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Food & Cooking
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Carlsbad’s Best Food And Drink Spots: Businesses Of The Year

Bertie A. Kinser

CARLSBAD, CA — Friendly staff, quality food and top-notch service are among the reasons why Carlsbad Patch readers love these local hot spots nominated as Local Businesses of the Year.

Here are the businesses in Carlsbad and across San Diego County that rose to the top, according to Patch readers:

Benihana

Location: 755 Raintree Drive, Suite 100, Carlsbad

Phone: 760-929-8311

From the nominator (who nominated the Carlsbad location): “Great lunch menu.”

Cancun Mexican and Seafood

Location: 1766 North Coast Highway 101, Suite B, Encinitas

Phone: 760-633-3333

From the nominator: “Delicious mom-and-pop Mexican tucked away behind 7-Eleven on Highway 101. Great, friendly service.”

Carlsbad Brewing Company

Location: 6133 Innovation Way, Suite 101, Carlsbad

Phone: 760-452-7229

From the nominator: “Friendly customer service, great food and an amazing beer list to choose from.”

Cat & Craft

Location: 3211 Business Park Drive, Suite 3B, Vista

Phone: 760-295-1181

From the nominator: “Great friendly service,

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Food & Cooking
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American Chinese food is the best American comfort food. These 10 spots prove why.

Bertie A. Kinser

This is a love letter to the restaurants with sprawling, triple-digit-count menus that serve up wire-handled cartons of General Tso’s chicken or beef and broccoli, the results of immigrant ingenuity melding with American tastes. Think of the varied combinations of rice or noodles and proteins swimming in mother sauces including dark, silken oyster and syrupy orange and red — you probably have your own favorite that hits a specific kind of nostalgic feeling.

In an era during which most restaurants are revamping their operations for carryout, Chinese takeout remains a surefire neighborhood staple, which made it all the more fun for chef Tim Ma to research when he was prepping to open his latest restaurant, Lucky Danger, an American Chinese pop-up in his currently dormant Prather’s on the Alley in Mount Vernon Triangle.

Ma, a Chinese American who fondly recalls his uncle’s Chinese restaurant in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., as

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