Wood Fired Oven (VA) - General/Restaurant Review/Recommendation

If you're looking for an authentic wood fire oven cooked Italian pizza recipe and on the East coast, "Wood Fired Oven" in Grottoes, Virginia is the place to be!

The drive through the valleys and mountain roads is immaculate and no one road there gets you the same view twice and driving to Grottoes in the evening is just spell binding. Speaking of spell binding, the food at Wood Fired Oven will have you going back again and again and again! All their recipes are homemade and you can appreciate them in any dish you order. 

Believe me when I say that there isn't a dish on their menu that disappoints and having gone back so many times kudos to their consistency in the kitchen because that's always concerning when it comes to either a restaurant with a large menu or a restaurant that tends to have a lot of recipes with various sauces. Well this place is delicious to the core!

If you're just wanting a big ass pizza that has the dough perfectly made to only be perfectly cooked no matter the toppings, then you are going to be in for a huge treat eating your pizza here. There is honestly so many ways I can provide kudos to this place and they aren't some fancy location or place, its environment is comfortable yet cozy in the cold and refreshing in the heat. Then their hole in the wall location allows for a family friendly atmosphere which is always appreciated. OH and one of the best parts is that they provide you deliciously homemade and fluffy garlic rolls-to die for! Moving on though...

My personal favorites there are the Lemon Chicken Piccata (that's the image of my plate above), their Chicken Alfredo, the kids spaghetti and meatballs (by far NOT a kids portion but awesome nonetheless), and their create your own pizza of thin crust with mushroom, chicken, pineapple, with marinara sauce. Yup always arrive with a much grown appetite and always leave deliciously satisfied! My kids would sometimes have the leftovers but otherwise I always finished my food. 

https://www.woodfiredovenitalian.com/

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman 

Mimslyn Inn Luray, VA - General/Restaurant Review/Recommendation

Whether it's for a peaceful getaway or just a weekend reboot or a little deliciousness in a relaxing environment on a Sunday to start your upcoming week, the Mimsyln Inn is the place for you!

Driving through Virginia is already a beautiful experience with many hidden gems and treasures, but the drive into Luray is definitely one I recommend with the winding roads and beautiful landscape, looking over the lush valleys of the Shenandoah area-its an experience to remember no matter the time of year. Our venturing here is many time and the experience of the drive, food, and easy walk throughout the facility is always enjoyable. 

It may look a little dreary or outdated on the outside and though the textures and colors on the inside also imply a similarly outdated feel, the Inn itself is quite surprising and leaves you feeling nice and cozy without the rush to depart any sooner than the three hours you can possibly spend their. Their walkways inside and outside the building are extensive and refreshing, their restrooms are clean and accommodating, the staff is both friendly and intuitive in being able to know when to just leave you alone to enjoy...and though the main dining area of the restaurant makes me think of my grandmother's home back in the 80s its cozy, comforting, and doesn't make you feel icky in the least. Their new addition to the dining experience is both refreshing and clean and just as cozy as well. All in all wherever you sit for their dining experience you won't be dissatisfied. NOW, the food is worth the drive and worth the time you take in eating it. Deliciously fresh and they don't always have the same items every Sunday. Correction outside of their main brunch items that most if not all restaurants have, they provide a good amount of surprise dishes every Sunday. My kiddos and I are always nicely satisfied every time we leave! Then with their kid friendly environment! What parent wouldn't be able to enjoy the experience! 

Now we have never stayed there but their accommodations do like pleasant and quaint, so I wouldn't see why someone wouldn't want to stay there...So take a look and see about booking your next stay or just pass through for their Sunday Brunch:

https://mimslyninn.com/luray-hotel-dining/

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman 

Cinnamon Bear - Restaurant Review

If you're craving something delicious, made fresh, and with fresh ingredients at anytime of the day then this is the place for you. Granted its in Virginia, but it's still a worthy pit stop whether you're passing through or in the town to stay-this is a place to frequent!

First off, the owner and chef has a refreshingly humble personality with the patience and conscientiousness of your diet needs. They don't necessarily advertise or publicize that they provide gluten free options, healthy substitutes, and have lactose free options for some of their menu items so if it's your first time trying this quaint little hole in the wall, then make sure to ask.

Second, I don't I can do him (the owner) justice on how conscientious he is of the gluten free items and diet. Lets just say that he has family affected by both the gluten intolerance and celiac disease...so if you're a little timid or cautious in trying their food this should help ease some of that concern, a concern that he's more attentive to than most other restaurants you'll frequent or go to (especially in the Virginia state). 

Third, they did once upon a time have a reward program at their kiosk, that you would enter in your telephone number and the account/profile would be found. Why do I say "once upon a time", well because it's been a while since I've been personally and NO for any of you nay sayers or negative people it's not because I don't like it or that I'm not standing behind me review of their quality of establishment and food. Just personal circumstances-let's leave it at that ;)

Lastly, I haven't even expanded on their actual menu items specifically but know that at this restaurant you don't want to leave without having tried one of their freshly in house made pastries/desserts. And yes for those of you who may be wanting to ask, they even have gluten free dessert options! 

I know I was always excited to try something new or even if I ate my "norm" selection; in case you're wondering, my favorite all time menu items were their gluten free lemon bar, muffins (both blueberry and chocolate chip), their breakfast wrap, their breakfast sandwich but as a wrap instead of a sandwich, tuna AND chicken salad, turkey avocado wrap, Italian chicken breast, with the last of my favs being their pear and gorgonzola salad!

My mouth has literally just watered as I'm typing and reminiscing on their menu items I would eat...as I've said before, don't just take my word for it, go take your palette on an adventure and try it out for yourself!

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman 

J Petal - Restaurant Review

If you're traveling north and going through JMU university city (aka Harrisonburg, Virginia) then you need to put this on the stop for you!

(This is not my image but used after googling “J-Petal”. My pictures from being here are on the blog's instagram page "truthbetoldlifeblog".)

What seems to be a simple family owned restaurant with your typical rolled up ice cream flare that's taking America by storm everywhere, is definitely more than meets the eye! You see we've come to know the owners and their family, who is about 98% of the staff - well it was once upon a time they may have changed that recently but I'm not sure, but regardless that's not the focus of this post. As I was saying, with coming to know the owners well you get to see firsthand how they run their business as well as seeing the quality of what they put into not only their business but their products. Not only are they delicious but the options are unique! The options are not overbearing for someone who is indecisive and yet there is just enough options for someone who comes in craving one thing but contemplating another. Ok before I confuse you with what I'm trying to get at, let me break it down. 

This wonderful place started off with their marketing and go to being the rolled up ice cream, then they ventured into not only the delicious ice cream and toppings but the crepe side of deliciousness! So when cold season rears it's pretty chilly weather, this place has people covered with not only sweet crepes but a twist on seafood and even breakfast style and flavor crepes! Oh but they didn't stop there! By early spring of 2019 we noticed that they were reconfiguring their kitchen area towards the far back area of their entrance meanwhile they had added some delicious drinks to their menu. Granted if they served it with liquor it would've been even more of a delicious surprise, but thankfully their flavors and mixed drinks of flavors and fresh fruits didn't even need the additional boost of liquor. Their mixed drinks were of milkshakes and mixed teas then into some fizzed drinks, etc. All leading into the best thing that could happen to someone, especially someone who loves food as much as I do! They finished their in-house kitchen reconfiguration to surprise all with the poke bowls! I know it may seem that it's a lot for an establishment to do, to become such a versatile one stop shop for a variety of deliciousness, but that's exactly what they did and I was thrilled to see their success when it happened-I'm hoping it continues that way for them! 

The quality of their raw fishes and fresh ingredients never disappointed, their portions/serving sizes were perfect for whatever you're appetite, their lunch specials were becoming legend, AND to top if off inside the environment was so relaxed and chill that it fast becomes your go to spot everyday...from their comfy lounge like open area of couches with tables to the games they provided to those who stayed a while, and warm family that owned it. 

Believe me when I say I wish more of the these locations were this delicious and consistent on their deliciousness while also serving quality with spoonfuls of flavor!

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman 

Heritage Bakery & Cafe - Restaurant Review

So the weather was beautiful and warranted a walk around the downtown Harrisonburg, Virginia area where my family and I happened to fall upon a little quaint location. After lots of walking from a downtown festival that was going on, the sun was beginning to pinch the skin to the point of having the urge to go indoors for a while. Considering that we were wanting to be out and about, we opted for the longer walk to our vehicles, when we spotted this cute little entrance to a bakery and some aesthetically pleasing outdoor decorations and setup. We were already contemplating what we would be doing or had a hankering for dinner, so I suggested for us to go inside this cafe and see what they had, the decision was made pretty quickly too since two family members in attendance had to use the restroom-thank you mother and my oldest daughter!

Inside was another wave of such a charming feel. The kitchen was nowhere as big as you might think and the staff was so friendly, it made you feel as if you had just entered into a long lost friend's house. In the charm appeal of a rustic country family farm on the inside, there was some history about the location and restaurant, so while you wait for your food to be ready you could easily peruse around the first floor of the building to soak up some history and some interesting facts. Their menu isn't large by any means and I must admit that the food wasn't as mouth watering delicious as I had anticipated (definitely didn't have a light in comparison to my other favorite place downtown, Lola Mo's) however, is think its because the whole environment and fresh ingredients as well as the calm and charming feel of the establishment inside while you ate...well why wouldn't you want to waste time there and eat while window watching the rest of the world.  They do also offer minimal (to nothing) of some dessert but that wasn't out of this world either, by any means. Still there was something just captivating about the spot, that we took a little bit of a while to leave. 

So as much as I would like to give them a five-star, unfortunately for me, I would have to rate them at about a 3.5 from 5. Now if only they amped up their food tastes and items...also if you should ask the reason for that rating was more because of the environment and the calming feel the entire establishment had. Either way, it's good food and I'm sure you would enjoy it as well.

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman 

Lola Mo's Delicatessen - Restaurant Review

Whether you're passing through Harrisonburg, Virginia this is a must visit place to eat at in downtown Harrisonburg. Not just for the quaint feeling of downtown itself but for this great deli with your not typical tasting deli sandwiches! Their prices are a little more than your Jersey Mikes, Jimmy Johns, and other sandwich chain establishments but let me tell you that the price you pay for one of their sandwiches is worth EVERY bite! If you're craving something fresh and delicious this is the place for you, if you're craving something like a hot toasted sandwich then this is the place to pit stop at, if you're needing authentic and homemade ingredients incorporated into your sandwich (and we're not talking about just the sauces they may use) then this is a place for you.

Being a gluten free individual myself, you know it's hard to find the places to be able to cater to your dietary needs and I'm happy to say that this restaurant continued to receive a five-star recommend feel every time I eat here! My daughters already aren't your typical children in society but even with their expansive palette they love any and all sandwiches from here. So if you asked me if kids would eat well here, I personally can say yes they will!

So the next time you're possibly going to a JMU game, or perhaps moving into town, or just passing through on your travels and not wanting the norm pitstops then I highly recommend this for you! Don't take my word for it though! Stop by and help this restaurant continue on (even after everything that happened with COVID in this town) because they are worth it! Let me know what you think!

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman