I have two favorite restaurants. As a point of fact, that doesn’t sound like any profound statement, does it? The complexities of just how favorite these two favorite restaurants are becomes apparent when it is discovered the lengths I will go to in order to eat at my favorite restaurants.

One of my favorite restaurants is located in St. Louis, and the other one is located in Chattanooga. I currently live in neither of these places. During the last 12 years of moving around, the farthest I’ve lived from either of these restaurants has been approximately nine hours and/or roughly 600 miles. I have been known to telephone the restaurant from my home to make reservations a week in advance, and plan a trip revolving around visiting the restaurant.

You’re probably wondering just what these two restaurants could be all about to cause me to travel great distances just to partake of their fare. One is Kanpai of Tokyo (http://www.kanpaisteakhouse.com/), which offers the Teppanyaki style of Japanese cuisine prepared at the customers' dining table, and the other is Charlie Gitto's 'On The Hill' (http://www.charliegittos.com/), the premier Italian dining experience in St. Louis.

Kanpai has an amazing hot sauce that “must” contain something that acts as an addictive agent, because I am totally addicted to this stuff. I’ve even bought bottles of it to bring home to use in my own cooking. It is good with rice, vegetables, chicken, shrimp, beef – anything you put it on becomes that much more delicious. And, Charlie Gitto’s has a portabella mushroom that is also quite addictive; it literally melts in your mouth. With a starter salad, an entrée of fish or freshly made pasta, and the to-die-for desserts, a meal at Charlie Gitto’s is an entire dining experience. Each restaurant is a total package – great food, great wines, great service and a great atmosphere!

In fact, I’m planning a trip this weekend . . . I’ll be indulging in flaming shrimp appetizers, miso soup, salad with ginger dressing, hibachi chicken with ginger sauce, fried rice, hibachi-style vegetables and plenty of hot sauce! Bon Appétit!

(Susan Reno-Gilliland is a Chattanooga-area native, who has traveled extensively, and is now living and working in Georgia. She is a freelance writer, columnist, photographer, artist, interior designer, and owner of “A Southern Belle’s Life.” She can be reached at
southernbelle@susanrenogilliland.com)