Roasted Vegetable Quesadillas

I'm not big on anything with lots of gooey, oozing cheese, so I usually steer clear of quesadillas. However, I have a great recipe for Italian quesadillas, which use a mild cheese and roasted red peppers - and being able to control how much cheese goes in has really helped open my eyes to the world of quesadillas. So when I saw it on the menu with a variety of yummy roasted vegetables, I went for it. And what a great decision!

Enveloped in a crunchy tortilla and drizzled with a Chipotle-tomato sauce, roasted peppers, mushrooms, squash, and onions are bound together with havarti (a mild cheese that has the same stringy consistency as mozzarella) to make a perfectly fresh and light summer lunch meal. The only thing better than my roasted vegetable quesadilla was possibly the cup of creamy tomato soup I started out with. The atmosphere and style of Sweet Loraine's is fresh, casual, and fun - a perfect spot for a lunch date and catching up with friends.

Where you can enjoy this yourself:

Sweet Loraine's Cafe & Bar
U.S. 202 (intersection of 202/Lower York Road and Street Road)
Lahaska, Pennsylvania
http://www.sweetlorraines.com/

BEST Tomato Pie

Unusually cut and spectacularly delicious, this super-thin crust pizza still makes it to my BEST list, even after having eaten real Italian pizza. The stiff, crisp crust and thin layer of cheese merely act as a vessel for the glorious chunks of tomato and sauce exploding all across the top layer. The pizza shines with olive oil (not grease) and the seasoning is light but good; it really only complements the three aforementioned ingredients, not adds to or overpowers. If you like pizza, or you like tomato pie, don't miss out on the best there is!!

Where you can enjoy it yourself:

It's Nutts
1382 River Road (Route 29)
Titusville, New Jersey
http://www.itsnuttsrestaurant.com/

Usually we split a family size pie and a large salad to share between four of us - but I also frequent It's Nutts with my best friend and we share the crab & avocado dip and the family size pie - just between the two of us! They also have individual pies (see below!) that don't take too long to make, in case you didn't get enough the first time (thin crust pizza - which I also found in Italy - is much lighter and doesn't fill you up as much)!

Wild Mushroom Fajitas

One word: DELICIOUS. I never thought to forget about the chicken or steak and throw a variety of mushrooms in with the peppers and onions and wrap it all up! They were generous with the guacamole (which I love), and there were just enough wraps to accommodate the sizzling platter of filling. The shredded Monterey Jack cheese was just enough to bind the ingredients together, and the mushrooms were juicy and flavorful but not overpowering - all in all, this was a really tasty meal. They also use local/organic ingredients - so you know that most of the dishes on their menu are going to be great, if for nothing else than their ingredients!

Where you can enjoy it yourself:

Empire Brewing Company
Armory Square
120 Walton Street
Syracuse, New York
http://www.empirebrew.com/

Zodiac Dining Room

Though I usually focus on one dish - my own - per restaurant, it seemed here that the other dishes ordered outshone mine, so I'm featuring a selection of foods from The Zodiac, located in the King of Prussia Neiman Marcus department store.

First: the crab and tomato soup (mine). This soup had quite an unexpected kick of spice to it - since I'm not a fan of spicy foods, I actually let mine cool and ate it after my meal to tone the spiciness down a bit. Apparently it's great for those of you who do like it hot!

Second: Fish & Chips (mine). I feature this mainly to give you an idea of the type of food they offer. To be honest, the fried fish didn't have much flavor and then house tartar sauce was a bit of a disappointment - but they do have a comfortably-sized menu with an array of American dishes sure to please everyone.

Third: Mandarin Orange Soufflé (not mine). Chicken salad - which is much more chicken than mayo, fruit salad, and fruit cake, plus the soufflé itself: a light, smooth texture with a delicate flavor of orange. This was the winner!

The Zodiac is also neat because everyone at the table gets a hot, fresh popover, strawberry butter, and a palate-cleansing hot chicken consommé (essentially broth). They also have excellent strawberry lemonade.

Where you can enjoy it yourself:

The Zodiac, Neiman Marcus Department Store
170 Gulph Road
King of Prussia, Pennsylvaina
http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/info/store.jhtml?storeId=30/KP