After one of my daughter’s recent soccer games, a few friends invited us to go out for breakfast and suggested Brooklyn’s Deli. They were shocked when I said I hadn’t been there before. I’m always excited to try a new deli, but I’m often disappointed. My friends assured me that even as a former New Jersey resident, I would be pleasantly surprised.

My friend has been talking about her meals at Sugo for weeks. When she convinced me to give it a try, I understood why she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

If you know me at all you know that I am a big fan of little dive bars and diners, especially quirky places that serve breakfast around the clock. My husband and I were regulars at the Waffle Shop near Metro Center in DC for many years and my friend Cindy and I have eaten breakfasts at truck stops and diners all over the United States. I know the one thing that makes these places special – it’s the service.

Every time I eat at Wild Tomato I have a blast. I’m not sure if it’s the food, the drinks or the atmosphere, but my friends and I always leave happy and we immediately talk about going back again.

When my family decided to go to Baltimore for the day, I knew I wanted to check out Cafe Hon, which was recently featured on Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmare. While the cleanliness of the restuarant and freshness of the food were never in question, it was a controversy over a trademark of the word “Hon” that was having a negative impact on the restaurant. I really wanted to check it out.