Want to know some ways to get started with weight training? Check out my guest post for Anne over at Fannetastic Food! I hope you pay her and my tips a visit. 🙂

I was not a happy camper when I discovered our family couldn’t get a table at my all-time favorite restaurant. Peter could see my disappointment at the thought of going a year without dining at Aunt Catfish, so he offered to take me on a special lunch date there just the two of us. It meant eating an extra meal out and spending some extra money, but eating at my favorite place was certainly worth it. Even better that we got a date out of it! 

Aunt Catfish may not be a high-end restaurant with a notorious chef and intricate delicacies, but it is without a doubt my favorite restaurant of all-time. Favorite! I credit it to five things:

1) The Memories

I vividly recall going to Aunt Catfish and playing on the wooden pirate ship playground when younger. I remember walking along the docks with my sister and cousin chatting about the cute boy we saw on the beach when in high-school. Now, I continue sharing moments at this restaurant with my own family.

2) The Salad Bar

They have a delicious salad bar with a wide variety of items. You have your standard salad toppings and dressings, but also a “hot bar” with amazing corn bread, cinnamon apples, and other fresh foods.

3) The Crab Cakes

I would fill up on the salad bar alone if not for the most wonderful crab cakes I have ever found. They do them right here – baked, crabby, and a perfectly flavorful basil aioli for dipping. Let’s just say I always leave there a bit past full. Worth it.

4) The Cinnamon Roll

Instead of a mint or other complimentary treat, Aunt Catfish gives you a warm, gooey cinnamon roll with your dinner. We always save ours to have with our breakfasts the following morning. Even reheated the next day they rock my world.

5) The Charm

I don’t know what it is, but Aunt Catfish just has this undeniable charm and quaint personality that I love. The waiters all introduce themselves as “Cousin ___". The drinks come in Mason jars. The decorations provide a splash of energy and fun to the atmosphere. Even when having to wait for a seat, which undeniably happens in the always packed restaurant, you feel at ease and at home.

6) The View

The restaurant is right on the inter-coastal waterway and has a ton of windows all around the dining area of the restaurant. No matter where you sit, you can count on getting to watch a beautiful sunset as you have dinner. Or, in our case, sparkling waterways over lunch. A perfect finishing touch to an already wonderful dining experience.

I am so glad we went for lunch today. I know I would have regretted not going if I chose to save the money. Some things hold such special places in our hearts that they warrant that extra attention and effort. Aunt Catfish is one for me. I have a happy belly and a happy heart now.

• Do you have a favorite restaurant? What makes it so special to you?

Keep those entries for the Physique 57 giveaway coming! And hello to all the new faces I'm seeing in the comments. 🙂

I may have made up the word “fluboos”, but it fits really well with happenings going on yesterday. I mean - wouldn’t it figure that on one of the last days of our trip we faced storms? We missed out on any and all beach time because of rain and overcast yuckiness. Luckily, we had planned for such a rainy occasion and turned to Groupon to get us through.  We had a deal for two hours of unlimited bowling for up to 6 people to occupy us on a rainy day. We’ll just pretend the sun didn’t come out to play right when we decided to go, okay? That sun. What a jokester.

Even though we missed some extra beach time for an activity we very well could have done at home, all wasn’t lost. We got to have all the siblings together for our bowling fun. We have to take advantage of our time with my brother, since he returns to Arizona on Sunday night. We needed another occasion to nab as many Tommy-grabbing photos as possible. It’s our signature pose.

As for the actual bowling – I scored my best game ever!! A high score of 104! I even scored the first strike out of anyone. Go me.

We’ll just pretend we didn’t have the bumpers up for Makenzie.

Speaking of Makenzie, she enjoyed her first game of bowling so much!

Undoubtedly she is a child of the 21st century. Her statement on bowling? “Daddy, this is better than iPhone bowling”. I kid you not. She at least knows a real good time when she sees one though. And we had a great time.

After bowling, we knew we had to head back to the condo to quickly get ready for dinner. Upon arriving to our condo we quickly learned about vacation fluboo number two of the day. Our most favorite restaurant couldn’t fit our family in for dinner that night. Sad day!

We ended up at my G-Pa’s favorite place for round two of Stonewood.

Instead of feeling annoyed at having to hit up the same place just a few days after eating there, I decided to use it as an opportunity to try something new. I usually have favorites at each of the restaurants we visit and will never branch out on the menu for fear of ordering something that doesn’t live up to my favorites. I went the daring route tonight. And it paid off. Instead of a blueberry martini, bruschetta, and a filet dish…

…some cabernet to drink…

…some pretzel and cranberry bread to nibble…

…sharing an ahi tuna with asian slaw appetizer…

…and a steak salad as my entree.

The steak salad didn’t wow me. It tasted like any salad with mixed greens, blue cheese, walnuts, and meat I can find anywhere. The wine had no depth and tasted kind of cheap. The ahi tuna impressed me, though. I could have made that my meal with some of their creamed spinach I adore and called it a night. Even though I much prefer my typical choices, it felt nice to branch out.

Now, its time for me to live up my last day at the beach. Last day! Why do the good weeks always have to go so quickly?

• Do you have any “signature poses” for pictures?
• Do you have trouble ordering different things at restaurants?