Pink

I've been traveling a boat load this summer, so I haven't eaten at any new places in Philadelphia in weeks upon weeks. On the way down to Asheville Tim, Jonny and I stopped at the Pink Cadillac diner. This tiny, Elvis themed eatery is located right of the interstate, and seems to be a stop for locals and passerbys alike.

The decor here is crazy. As the name indicates, a Pink Cadillac is sitting in front of the

restaurant. Oddly, there is also a King Kong and Humpty Dumpty out front. Once inside, it seems like a 1950s diner, one that understandably pays homage to Elvis with nearly every inch of wall space.

The service here is fine. Our waitress was pleasent. I don't expect the same speed or quality that I'm used to in Philadelphia, which is good because the South operates at a slower speed.

We got to the restaurant shortly after 11am, which is when breakfast ends. I wasn't thrilled about this, but looked over the menu and ordered the Elvis burger. It's a basically a good version of the Big Mac, right down to the bread in the middle. Maybe it's because I wasn't expecting much from a roadside diner, or maybe it's because the food was great. Either way, the burger here was great. The patties were perfectly cooked and all of the ingredients were to perfect proportions. It was topped with a "special" sauce, and overall was a very enjoyable

burger.

The excellent fries I had as a side order were thick and crispy. Tim ordered onion rings as his side and they were some of the best I've had in a long time. Great meal overall, and a fun place to stop.

Bottom Line:

If you're driving through VA on I-81, Pink Cadillac is a great place to stop at and an even better place to eat a cheeseburger.

Essentials:

4337 S Lee Hwy

Natural Bridge, VA 24578

540-291-2378

Sazon

A faded blue sign hangs over an exterior that needs a lot of TLC. From the outside, Sazon does not look impressive. I didn't know what to expect as I walked into this Venezuelan BYOB. The inside looks much better than the outside, and as we were walking through the dining room to our table, I stole a couple of looks at other people's dishes. I was instantly hooked.

I was out with my fried Sean; we split a bottle of Pinot Noir from Chile. The wine was okay. Our server was nice and attentive. While we were eating, the jovial owner stepped out of the kitchen to check in the with tables. He's passionate about the food and this was a really nice touch. The menu here is pretty extensive. They offer a good mix of appetizers, sandwiches, and entrees, making this a great place for lunch or dinner. The prices are a little bit higher than I expected, but it's offset by the fact that you can bring your own alcohol.

Our appetizer dish came with an empanada stuffed with black beans and cheese. It was basic, but not bad. The corn pastry stuffed with shredded pork was a step up. The meat was well seasoned and cooked, making for a nice little treat. To finish this dish, there were three cheese sticks, but they had puff pastry dough instead of a deep fried shell. The result was the best mozzarella stick I've ever had.

For dinner, we split the huge surf and turf special. The shrimp was decent.The chorizo was excellent, it was well cooked and had a perfectly spicy flavor. The serlion tips were my favorite part of this dish. They were well cooked and incredibly tender. There was a huge flavor to them, but the texture was so good that I didn't care. The dish came with a side salad, avocado, and fried yucca, all which went fantastically with the meat and seafood. It was a great thing to share, because it was a lot of food.

At this point, I was happy with my dining experience at Sazon. But it wasn't quite over. We were staring at a menu with several different hot chocolates that were too enticing to pass up. I can't put into works how good this was. It was a perfect dessert, depite being the middle of summer. I can't imagine how much better it would be on a wintry night. The classic hot chocolate, which is a "must taste", is a thick blend from five different kinds of chocolate. It's reason enough on its own to visit Sazon. We also ordered the orgasmo, which was a blend of peanut butter and Kahlua. It was good, but nothing compared to the classic.
Bottom Line: Sazon is a unique spot that is definitely worth visiting. The food, service, and atmosphere are all good, but not amazing. The hot chocolate, however, is fantastic.

Essentials:

9th and Spring Garden

T&W 5:30-9, TH 5:30-10, F 5:30-11, S 11:30-10, S 11:30-9

Accepts Cards

BYOB