Zest Kitchen and Bar One Step Above the Rest

**Very amazing scallops wrapped in duck bacon!**

**Appetizers for a king and a queen, or just you and me!**

**Our veal and scallop dinners with terrific veggies!**

American Press Travel News- December 21st,-Port St. Lucie, FL.- Bob and Barb “On The Road Again” this time stopping at Zest Kitchen and Bar for dinner. And, so glad we did! We eat out quite often for reviewing all manner of dining places, and this one was quite special, indeed. We tried a couple of appetizers that were excellent, and filling enough for two, over -70 stomachs to enjoy, and comfortably feel satiated.

Snake River Farms Kobe Beef Sliders (2) were the perfect sized burgers, covered with caramelized onions, cheddar, Brioche and house fries. May I say, that the sea salt fries were extraordinarily good, and cut differently than the frozen fries from most all restaurants that use Cisco delivered fries. They were a meal treat for two without anything else. We also sliced into baked brie en croute, with cheery compote, crackers, blue berries, candied walnuts and Granny Smith Apples. We had pineapple juices, and then our main dishes came to table. Duck Bacon wrapped sea scallops, and Barb had New Zealand lamb chops. The accompaning veggies were amazingly tasty Brussel Sprouts, a sweet potato mash, and butternut squash, as well as a stuffed fat Idaho. Sauces were right on, and this meal before even, the Creme Broulet and chocolate filled cake dealie called Chocolate Panache topped with mousse and Chocolate Ganache. What a meal! Zest is located next door to Publics Food Store in Port St. Lucie, West. 772-249-4516 You can order in or out, they do have plenty of outdoor seating and their bar is complete! Give a call or drop by anytime at all. Checkout their menu and images online: zestkitchenbar.com

The Carriage Inn Bed & Breakfast – Charles Town, West Virginia – A Beautiful Place

Donn & Marie Davis, owners of the Carriage Inn B & B were spectacular hosts. On a scale of 1-10-they were an eleven! They treat their guests as true family! We saw it with other guests, not just ourselves.

The young lady business woman loves to stay at this B&B. She feels safe and happy compared to cold motels and hotels. We love the breakfasts that are made to order, hot and tasty-home-made. Marie truly made us the best breakfast of our trip to W.VA.

WWW.americanpresstravelnews.com – June 20 – West, VA. Bob and Barb “Stopping to Smell the Roses” and “On the Road Again.” This time at the Carriage Inn, Historically significant bed & breakfast. We felt the history here in the footsteps of Pres. George Washington’s brother home-a truly historic place to visit. The building is on the Federal Register of Historic Places visited by Southern Generals, Lee, Jackson, Stuart, Ashby and Northern Generals Sheridan and Grant. The rooms are large and comfortable as they were two Centuries ago. Today, with TV and Internet access, modern electricity and toiletry, so expected and important to us and every visitor as well. Note: they have excellent high speed internet. We enjoyed visiting Harpers Ferry and the Antietam Battlefields. Our visit was too short and we will come back with our bikes, so we can enjoy the countryside. Barb did try her luck at the Charles Town Casino (although we ran out from the smoke smell). The nearby Potomac River is full of small mouth bass. I fly fished a portion of it. 48-catch and release bass.

***Delicious asparagus stuffed eggs and real home-made muffins. I still miss her perfectly done bacon!***

**Our comfy room! It had a fireplace, full bath and great internet and tv.**

**Washington, General Lee, Sherman were a few of the famous historic figures who sat in this room**.

**These historic Civil War Generals and officers met at the Historic Carriage Inn in 1860’s**.

The Innkeepers Donn and Marie Davis (304) 728-8003 or (800) 867-9830. They were a delight! We enjoyed their wonderful breakfast in their historic dining room. Check out their website: www.carriageinn.com

The Great Tree Inn – Mayville, N.Y. – A feeling that you have come home

www.americanpresstravelnews.com – June 24th. When we arrived at The Great Tree Inn, we were welcomed by Innkeepers Mark and Shelia. This Inn is a 1850’s farmhouse and barn on 10 acres, in a beautiful country setting. Very private, yet just a couple of minutes to the town of Mayville. After we settled in to our room, we toured the other rooms and found that they are all furnished attractively and have private bathrooms. If you like farm animals, this is your B&B. From horses to pigs, ducks and chickens {their fresh eggs fed us our omelettes) and all manner of critters in between, this is a real down to earth spot for you.

After settling in, we decided to explore Mayville. It is situated at the northwest end of Chautauqua Lake and is the closest town to the Chautauqua Institution. The steamboat, Chautauqua Bell was parked on the lake which still operates out of Mayville and runs between Point Chautauqua, the Chautauqua Institution and the vessel’s home port in Mayville.

Mark and Sheila have a large selection of magazines, anytime coffee pot with home made goodies (great cookies) and a very comfortable living room to relax any time of the day. We enjoyed sitting outside in the cool evening chatting with touring couples who biked all over the area.

In the morning, we both were able to enjoy Mark’s creative, very tasty breakfasts that gave us a great headstart for the day ahead. The portions are extra-large, and all left overs are recycled by his many animals. Since Bob was leaving at 6:00 in the morning to go fishing, Mark insisted that he could not leave the Inn without one of his terrific breakfasts. For more information the web site: www.greattreeinn.com or call: (716) 753-7989 or (1800) 421-0082

Roanoke’s Black Lantern Inn Bed & Breakfast Excellent & Friendly Place to Stay

**Chris and Jayne Andrews, new wonderful owners of the Black Lantern Inn**

Breakfast was a healthy treat. Coffee tasted like “real” coffee, the true organic breakfast fruit plate was delicious, brioche was special, the apple egg dish was superb (her moms and grandma’s old delicious recipe) all in all a memorable and socially wonder experience talking and getting to know each other.

American Press Travel News–May 31st, Roanoke, VA.-Bob and Barb “On the Road Again” and “Stopping to Smell the Roses.” Barb and I love to stay in really wonderful mom and pop accommodations, and finding such is like picking up that silver dollar in a parking lot. No, not because these type of stop-overs are extremely rare, but finding just the right one may be if you go in “cold.” What we look for is personality, and real friendliness-people that like people. So when we were told by our hostess to the area in the guise of Convention and Visitors Bureau Media Specialist; Taylor Ricotta about this nice couple who recently purchased the Black Lantern Inn, who would enjoy inviting us to spend a couple of nights at their place while we worked on our VA. travel articles, we said “yes.”The Inn has 3-accommodation rooms. We were offered the entire 3rd floor called the “Skyline Room with en suite bathroom, king size bed, sofa, writing desk and a flat screen TV. Call for prices. Rooms are $125 and up to less that $200 per night which includes breakfast for two. Great impeccable baths, fabulous urban surroundings and chirping birds off the porches, make this a memorable and relaxing interlude for any traveler and visitor to Roanoke, VA. There is a large amount of history to be able to explore in Roanoke. We honed in on railroading. The Museum of Transportation is a worthy visit. Replete with dozens of retired trains and transportation equipment, children of all ages from 4-100 would love this easily accessible museum. The Black Lantern Inn is tops with us for a B&B. The people: Terrific! The rooms: Excellent! The breakfasts: Perfect! The Inn is located at 1526 Franklin Road SW in Roanoke, VA. 24016 WWW.BlackLanterninn.com