1. My mom and grandma's kitchen

I think everyone can agree that no matter where we go in the world, there is nothing better than going home to your mom's cooking. Although my mom may not be the best cook in the world, I grew up on her food, so that's what's best to me. However, my grandma from North Carolina may actually be the best cook in the world. Even though everything she makes is extremely fattening and unhealthy, it is always delicious. There's nothing like some southern hospitality and her Friday night suppers are always the best. My favorite things that my grandma makes are grits, banana pudding, cornbread and milk, and spaghetti. My favorite things that my mom makes is sword chicken and fried chicken. My favorite thing about coming home is getting home cooked meals. The thing I miss most about my mom cooking is her breakfasts. My mom cooked me breakfast every morning when I lived at home and that is easily my favorite meal of the day. I didn't realize this of course until I moved away and definitely don't wake up to cook myself breakfast. When it comes down to it, my favorite place in the world to eat is back at home with all of my mom's and grandma's superior cooking!!!!!

2. Gun Club Cafe

Everyone has those restaurants they grew up at. For me, that place is Gun Club Cafe. Every Tuesday night when I was young, me and my dad would pick up my grandma to come eat here. My grandpa would take me here for Saturday morning breakfasts after he won his races on Friday nights. This is the place where we always see someone we know when we walk in the door. The waitresses all know your name and exactly what you want to eat. My family still meets here every Sunday after church (including cousins aunts and uncles) for breakfast and then we all  head back to the house to watch football or swim. It's crazy how much this restaurant has actually brought my family closer together. No matter how busy our week gets, it is just understood that we all meet at Gun Club Sundays after church. Since I live next door to my cousins, its easy for us to all ride together to grab some lunch then head on over to the beach or mall. During the summer we usually eat here around four times a week. Gun Club is only three miles from my house, so even before we could drive me and my cousins were always riding our bikes or golf carts over to get some food. Gun Club obviously has great food, but I don't think it's the food that keeps my family going here. I think it's the memories we have made there which makes it such a happy place. The same people who worked there when I was born still work there today. Because I went here so much when I was young, the people who work here have seen me grow up and it is almost like having a second family to go eat with. Sometimes it's not the food that makes the restaurant, sometimes it's just great people and great memories. When I come home from school, Gun Club is the one thing I am guaranteed to have. Sunday morning breakfasts with my family at Gun Club is one of the things I miss most about being away from home. 

3. Okeechobee Steakhouse

When I'm back at home and can't get Blacks, my next favorite place to go is Okeechobee Steakhouse. It was established in 1946 and is probably the most popular steakhouse in the Palm Beach area. They have excellent steak of course, but my favorite thing to get there is the lobster macaroni and cheese. The first time someone told me to try it I thought it sounded disgusting, but it's the best decision I ever made. It's a great place to come to celebrate a birthday because they give you a free T-Bone steak. Okeechobee steakhouse is a high end restaurant and the steak is rather expensive. Luckily, my parents are hairdressers and they cut the owner's hair. Of course this works out to my benefit because my parents get paid in gift cards. It's a great place to go celebrate with a group of people or even go on a nice date. The food is delicious and the service is great. This is by far my favorite place to go for a great steak supper.

4. Black's Grill

Blacks

the famous slaw spoon 1946-1995

fried bologna sandwhich

My family is from Lincolton North Carolina. Every time we go back home to visit family, Black's grill is the one place we always have to stop by. It has been there since the 1940's and my grandma and two of my aunts even worked there. The best part about Blacks is that it's the same every time I go there, just how it was when it first opened. My favorite things to get at Blacks are cheeseburgers and fried bologna sandwiches. To make it better, all of their sandwiches are topped with slaw, which is different than cole slaw. It sounds gross, but I think its the best possible combination there is. The great news is, since my aunts and grandma worked there growing up, they know the secret slaw recipe. Even though blacks is far away, and the burgers and fried bologna just can't be as good in Florida, we can still get the same southern slaw that my family grew up on. I can honestly say that I would choose a Black's slaw burger over most expensive steaks any day. One more thing........you can never leave Black's without a jar of spiced pickles.

5. Coola Fish Bar

Coola Fish Bar in Palm Beach Gardens is my favorite seafood and steak restaurant. I don't really like seafood that much, but they have the best coconut shrimp I have ever had. I always get the coconut shrimp and steak which comes with this secret sauce that I am obsessed with. Coolas also has the best potatoes in the world. They shred them up like hash browns and bake them in a little dish with cheese and other secret ingredients that I can't figure out, but will. They have tons of menu options and the seafood is always fresh. It's a little pricey so it's somewhere I usually go for birthdays and celebrations. The good thing is they always give tons of food and I can finish it the next day.

6. Rendezvous

When it comes to BBQ, there is no better place to go than Memphis. Located in a sketchy ally just off Beale Street in Memphis Tennessee, Rendezvous BBQ has perfected this particular style of BBQ. Famous for their special dry rub seasoning, Rendezvous has even been featured on Travel Channel as one of the top 10 BBQ places in America. When you come to Rendezvous the one thing you must try are the charcoal BBQ ribs. The Rendezvous seasoning not only tastes delicious on the ribs, but it goes on all of their BBQ and even in their sides like the BBQ beans and cole slaw. 

I went to Memphis two years ago with my family and everyone we met kept telling us to go to Rendezvous. It took about half an hour to find it, and when I saw the sign it did't seem like anything special. I was wrong. It's a three story building crammed with people feasting on their glorious BBQ. I loved the seasoning so much that I even bought a bottle of it to grill with at home. I've tried it on a lot of things (including an apple) but it doesn't even come close to the taste and atmosphere you get from the restaurant in Memphis. When it comes to Memphis style BBQ this is hands down my very favorite. 

7. Kyoto Sushi & Grill

Kyoto Sushi in Orlando is my favorite hibachi restaurant. They give you so much food and it doesn't cost as much as most hibachi places. My favorite thing to get here is the hibachi chicken. The best part about Kyoto is that they give you unlimited white sauce. It also heats up really well and I always make at lest three meals out of it. I went here at least twice a week last year, but sometimes more. I would always see people I know there. It's the best place to go after a UCF football game, dayglow in the arena, or after countless of hours studying for exams. It tastes great anytime. I've secretly even had it for breakfast.

8. Big Mama's Smokehouse BBQ

big mommas bbq

Big Momma's is a BBQ restaurant in my home town West Palm Beach. Their secret recipe BBQ sauce is probably the best I've ever had. It goes perfectly with their delicious sweet tea. The BBQ chefs are from Memphis and slow cook all of their meat to perfection. My favorite thing about Big Mamma's are the sides. They have the best home made macaroni and cheese. I also love their cornbread and potato salad. They have southern staples which are hard to find in Florida such as fried okra and collard greens. For dessert, homemade sweet potato pie, red velvet cake, and peach cobbler are great never-fail options. 

9. Tuscany Italy Italian Restaurant

outside the village

me and my friend with the bruschetta

My senior class went on a trip to Europe. We found this restaurant in the hills of Tuscany. They had the best bruschetta I have ever had. It was fun because it was a local restaurant so everyone spoke Italian. It was hidden in the corner of a random hill and we would never be able to find it again, but I would love to go back. Me and my friends all ordered different entrees and shared them. Everything we had was delicious . They made their own pasta and sauces and even the water tasted excellent.

the streets of tuscany

10. Chick-Fil-A

Chick-Fil-A will always be one of my favorite restaurants. No matter how many times I eat here I will never get tired of it. Chick-Fil-A sauce is the best condiment anyone will ever taste. They have mastered fast food luxury. The employees are so nice and friendly. Chicken is my favorite meat and there is no better place to get it than at Chick-Fil-A.