There we were, shopping in Opry Mills in Nashville, TN, when I got a hungry attack!
I guess it hit everyone because every eatery was crammed with people of all sizes!! We spotted a Red Chili's Pepper and headed in that direction.After a short wait we were escorted to our booth! This was the neatest Chili's I've seen! It had a huge circular counter in the center with stools clear around and more tables and booths than I'd ever seen in a Chili's.
We had the 'Dinner for 2' for only $25! We shared a king size bowl of guacamole, each had a grilled chicken salad which we could only finish half of it was SO large, and for dessert we shared a warm skillet chocolate cookie! It was all included in the $25! Guess what had back in our room for our evening meal!
My wife and I both agree that Chili's is a good place to eat, especially this Chili's in the Opry Hills Mall! It's part of the huge Opry Mills Food Court!

We met friends for lunch at Cascones Italian Restaurant near Riverside. It was a delightful experience that I intend to repeat soon ! I had lasagna which I enjoyed very much. Even though our waitress said it was smaller for lunch I could only find room for half of it, it was a huge serving. ( She wrapped the other half for me to take home.) A salad, for only $2, was offered to accompany my lasagna, it was of good size too and quite crisp and tasty! I checked out the dessert menu! Oh my, everything sounded good, then I noticed our waitress delivering desserts to a neighboring table and there it was! Cheesecake topped with strawberries! Yes, just like it looked, totally delicious, it just melted in my mouth!
Almost all of the lunch offerings were $9.95, a great deal for a great lunch !
We were seated immediately and a loaf of fresh baked bread arrived at our table. Our waitress was very friendly and very attentative! We will definitely return to Cascones! If you like Italian cuisine, this place is for you ! Also, the Christmas decorations were outstanding, so beautiful!

The Applebee's in Salem, Illinois is a very good place to dine, probably the best place in this little town. Salem, IL is a friendly little town halfway between Kansas City and Nashville , TN, or about one-third of the way from Kansas City to Louisville, KY, depending where you are headed!
I've dined in this particular Applebee's a number of times and every time my waitress has been above average and my food has been hot and delicious!
I've also been to the this particular bar several times and the drinks are always very well made and tasty! This'Applebee's offers $1 drinks, they vary daily and are not weak! The bar tenders have been quite knowledgeable about the drinks and also about interesting sites and history in the Salem area! This is NOT the Salem with the Witch Trials, that's in Massachusetts.

Several times I've driven by The Roaming Gnome and thought what a clever name for a bar so today I decided to check it out and boy, I'm glad I did. The Gnome, as the locals call it, has a great Happy Hour, an extensive menu and a full bar.
My hotel desk had mentioned The Gnome served the best burgers in town, a Gnome patron made the same comment to me as I entered so guess what I tried, you guessed it, a burger! My wife had one also. They may be the best burgers in town, cooked just right for both of us and very delicious.
We both chose French fries which were also hot and tasty, seasoned just right.
It was Happy Hour so we each tried House Margarita, perfectly made with a load of salt on the rim, large and only $5!
Our bar tender was very friendly and gave us samples of some the local beers.
I would definitely come to The Gnome again, great food, tasty drinks, a huge selection of beer on tap and in bottles, a pool table and a huge, free parking lot!
Give The Gnome a try!