📍 Address: 323 Hanover St, Boston

⭐ Stars:⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4)

Came here with a friend who thinks very highly of this place and I can see why. We shared the Lobster fra diavolo for one and the aglio olio black pasta. I loved the seafood in the fra diavolo but didn't really like the pasta noodles. I liked the black pasta a lot better, the texture was chewy and the regular pasta noodles was too doughy. Staff was super friendly. Highly recommend this place! Even if you have to wait in line, it's worth it!

📍 Address: 309 Nelson St SW, Atlanta

⭐ Stars:⭐⭐⭐⭐ (3.5)

I went to Smoke Ring's soft opening during Flux and was blown away by the food. Eventhough it was a limited menu, everything we got was excellent. As a longtime resident of Castleberry Hill, I was stoked about a new place just across the street from my loft. The decor is pretty cool and the wait staff was first rate. Between the four of us, we had the wings, pulled pork, pork rinds, and kobe beef dog. The pulled pork was some of the best I've ever eaten. The Kobe dog wrapped in bacon was off the charts. The pork rinds were tasty as were the wings. The owner Chris came out and chatted with us. What a great guy that promises to bring our neighborhood a great place to eat. He even wrote down my suggestion to offer a Scoutmob to get this place rolling. I am curious however, how they will BBQing the meat. They had a portable smoker outside the restaurant on this night but the smoke was so thick inside, my eyes were watering. Not sure how they are going to overcome this but I'm sure Chris is on it. You gotta try this place out when it actually opens the end of Oct 2013.

📍 Address: 7325 Lake Underhill Rd, Orlando

⭐ Stars:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)

I've been wanting to try this place out even before they were mentioned on Guy Feri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. I knew if they were good enough to be on Guy's show, they had to be really good for my taste buds and boy did they deliver.I got a chance to speak with the owners, Jeff and Isabella and they were the nicest people ever. They are you're typical Italian cooks who enjoy making people smile through their food. I came in looking to try out some of their signature meatballs. I ordered the meatball smash which is pretty much a meatball sandwich. I ordered mine in buffalo bleu style which is meatballs drenched in buffalo sauce and topped with crumbled bleu cheese. I have never had meatballs in any kind of buffalo sauce and this tasted amazing! The sandwich comes with a salad. If you check in with your Yelp app, you qualify to receive a free cannoli. They offer happy hour specials from 3-7pm which includes specials on meatballs and alcoholic beverages. This place truly feels like an authentic Italian restaurant. I really hope Jeff and Isabella continue their success for this place and I would recommend everyone to come in and try this place out.

📍 Address: 210 Thurman Ave, Columbus

⭐ Stars:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)

This place knew what a Cubano was! Seriously Cincinnati learn your coffee drinks!I'm not from around here. I was in the area and searched for coffee nearby. Their pastries look absolutely marvelous! I wish I could have tried more than one. This one had lemon and blueberries. It was so good! It went down fast. The Cubano was a typical Cubano. I'm just so glad that despite it not being on the menu, they knew how to make it!This is a great little place! If I were to change anything it would be the seating. There needs to be more and with better placement.I would definitely come back!

📍 Address: 222 West Ave, Austin

⭐ Stars:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)

After reading some solid reviews from some fellow yelpers, I decided to check this place out for lunch... with a group of coworkers convinced I make great lunch recommendations... NO PRESSURE! When we arrived, we instantly noticed how unique this place is. Cool vibes is an understatement. The floor plan is really open. The kitchen is exposed for all the guests to see what is going on, and even the ceilings are high and unfinished, adding to the feeling of big spaces. On top of it all, there are plants and herbs growing or decorating every table, nook, and cranny, so the entire restaurant smells like a fresh garden. The one negative atmosphere-wise was that the acoustics of the setup really amplify sound. I couldn't hear anyone two people down from me because the restaurant was filled with the clatter of the kitchen and the conversations of other tables.Once we got over the shock and awe, we all ordered and waited eagerly for our food. Coming in on an empty belly, the open kitchen was a little bit of a torture. I desperately hoped every dish I saw thrown on the grill or passed out to a waiter for serving was mine. Cool to watch, but not so great to have your stomach grumble through.When my turkey burger arrived, I was completely impressed. Really well done. All of the ingredients were fresh and flavorful, and I made a complete mess of myself trying to stuff it all in as quickly as possible. Seriously, ask for extra napkins because this burger is held precariously together with guac and other condiments that are bound to get all over you. Some of my coworkers opted for the grass-fed steak tacos, and although they were pleased with the flavor, they were disappointed by the portions and price point. $20 for two small tacos when you are used to $20 for ten small tacos at authentic Mexican joints? No thank you.

📍 Address: 5000 E 4th Plain Blvd, Ste A101, Vancouver

⭐ Stars:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)

For lunch today, I decided to check out Thai Wok Kitchen. As I looked over the menu, I found it showed options (from 1 through 4) as to how spicy you wish your dish to be; some dishes start at 0, and others at 1. I ordered the Panang Curry, which starts out at a minimum of 1; I requested it at a 2, and it was perfect in my book. The ingredients were fresh, delicious, and appealing to the eye.I'm always happy to find a little gem like this on my few occasions of eating out. I look forward to trying more of the menu the next time I eat here, hopefully with J in tow.