Bring Back Family Dinners in Cartersville

Why and how to put this important ritual back into your busy family’s schedule.

If you found one thing that would help your child perform better academically, grow up with a solid sense of self-esteem and resist drugs, alcohol abuse and sexual promiscuity, would you do it? What if it was as easy as having dinner together regularly as a family?  Research by the Emory University Center for Myth and Ritual in American Life (MARIAL Center) showed that having family dinners together around the table has the potential to provide a child with all of the above benefits. Here are some ideas and resources that can help you make having a nightly family dinner together a reality. Great Tips for Really Busy Families in The Family Dinner The thought of trying to sit down together to a homemade meal every day may seem like an …

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Restaurant Review: Armando's Italian Restaurant and Pizza

Get a great Italian meal at an affordable price!

Armando’s Italian Restaurant and Pizza is an unpretentious place with really good food.  Imagine the way your grandmother’s kitchen smells after she’s made a batch of her famous red sauce and that’s what it’s like to walk into Armando’s. I went for lunch on a Saturday with my husband and our son. We arrived around noon and were seated immediately. There were a few other families eating, but the majority of the restaurant was empty. Having never been to Armando’s before I asked the waitress what she recommended. She said the most popular menu items are the lasagna ($7.95 lunch, $10.25 dinner) and the fettuccini alfredo ($7.75 lunch, $11.95 dinner), both of which come with two hot garlic rolls and a homemade soup or salad. The menu is …

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Restaurant Review: The City Cellar and Loft

A dimly lit restaurant with food that shines.

The City Cellar and Loft is a dining and music venue in Cartersville and if you haven’t been there yet, it’s time to check it out! Expect a dark, moody atmosphere that feels equal parts casual and classy. The centerpiece of the restaurant is a unique copper bar that reflects shimmers of light around the room. The bartenders and wait staff are decidedly hip but not intimidating; they’ll greet you with a smile, engage you in small talk and offer you the best seat in the house. My husband and I went for dinner on a week night. It was 100 degrees outside and the cool temperature of the restaurant, which is below street level, was welcome and refreshing. We were seated at a comfortable, private booth and immediately placed our drink orders. We …

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Restaurant Review: Moore's Gourmet Market

A quaint place to enjoy a great meal.

Nestled among the historic old houses on Fite Street, Moore’s Gourmet Market is a local gem offering down-home good cookin’ in a quaint restaurant. Moore’s is also one of the few places in town that offers outside seating, making it a coveted destination spot on a beautiful day. I went for lunch with my husband on a Thursday. On the way to the restaurant, I told him that I wanted to sit outside but it was hot out and he wasn’t feeling it. However, when we got there and he saw that they have giant fans outside to keep their customers cool, he had a change of heart. I thoroughly enjoy drinking a glass of cold white wine outside on a hot day, so I was very happy that he decided to humor me. The inside of the restaurant is rustic and country …

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Restaurant Review: Barbecue Street

In true southern barbecue fashion you can expect large portions at a good price.

I don’t think it’s possible to leave Barbecue Street located at 650 Henderson Drive still hungry. In fact, the best piece of advice I can give you is to save up your appetite because with their All You Can Eat dinners, you’re sure to get your money’s worth. I went with my husband for lunch on a Saturday and thankfully, we were both hungry. The overall vibe of the restaurant is casual and comfortable with southern décor. We were greeted as we walked through the door and were immediately seated at a padded booth by a window. Our waitress, dressed in jeans, a T-shirt and a baseball cap, took our drink orders and we placed an order for Southern Fried Pickles ($4.99) for an appetizer. The fried pickles are long thin slices of dill pickles that …

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Dinner and a Movie

'Cars 2:' Horsepower to Be Big at Box Office

This week's dinner and a movie features the latest Disney/Pixar installment.

Those crazy cars with human-like features go 3-D and go global. Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines because Cars 2 is coming to a theater near you. Owen Wilson is back as the voice of Lightning McQueen, teamed with Mater, who is inspired by Larry the Cable Guy. The car and truck team up in an international race challenge against a world-class Italian car, voiced by John Turturro, while Michael Caine is the voice of a James Bond-like car, Fin McMissle. Much like the first film in 2006, Cars 2 is not a bad movie, and the set scenes, the 3-D and the colors are a feast for the eyes. But the lack of character content may leave you hungry. Amid the predictable plot, country-bumpkin tow truck Mater stands out as the star. Disney Digital 3-D …

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Dinner and a Movie

'Green Lantern' May Leave You a Bit Jaded

The superhero action flick falls short, according to Patch film critic, Brett Martin, former Entertainment reporter and Road Warrior for Fox 5 and Good Day Atlanta.

Ryan Reynolds squeezes into a green unitard and joins an intergalactic, evil-fighting fraternity in Green Lantern. I'm a fan of the Green Lantern comic book series, but not of this film. Reynolds plays Hal, a test pilot transformed into a superhero after getting a special ring from a dying alien. He has issues concerning the death of his father and the lack of a mother, and he battles the evil force called Parallax, which floats across the universe gobbling up anything that gets in its way, in 3-D. Peter Sarsgaard plays Hector, a nerdy scientist who gets Parallaxed, and Blake Lively is Carol, Hal's former and possible future girlfriend. Reynolds struggles to carry this film, which is more of a setup for a series than a stand-alone story. …

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Restaurant Review: Okinawa Hibachi & Sushi

A taste of Japan in Cartersville.

Knowing where to go to get good sushi is something that cannot be overrated. When you try out a new sushi place it’s hit or miss and often results in more misses. The good news is, we have an excellent sushi spot right here in Cartersville and if you decide to check it out, I think you’ll find it’s a homerun. My family and I went to Okinawa Hibachi & Sushi located at 1010 N. Tennessee St. on a Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. for dinner. We were greeted warmly by the hostess and shown to a table on the lower level of two dining rooms. The restaurant is spacious and dimly lit. On this night there was an assortment of diners ranging from couples and families with children to individuals dining alone. Next to where we were seated there was a family …

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Restaurant Review: Louie's Café

Eat well, drink well at Louie's.

I recently went to Louie’s Café for the first time and ended up having a great lunch while making friends with the owners. I’d like to think I’m special, but from what I could gather, most of the people who stop by the café become friends with the owners. It’s just that kind of place, where a customer is a friend. I visited Louie’s Café on a Monday at 1:45 p.m. with my 8-month old baby in tow.  We were greeted by the familiar sound of a baby laughing. That laughter was coming from 1-year-old little Louie who was in residence, running around the restaurant keeping everyone entertained. The two babies hit it off and had an informal play date while I placed my order for a grilled chicken salad and talked (baby) shop with little Louie’s mom, …

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Shouldn’t Every Day Be Mother’s Day?

A typical day in the life of a modern-day mom shows "mom” is actually a giant umbrella that covers at least a dozen other roles.

Our family is by no means typical, yet it isn’t out of the ordinary either. With divorce rates more than 50 percent, blended families are becoming more and more prevalent; families just like ours. It’s such a nice sounding term, “blended family,” until you start to realize blended and BLENDER share the same root. And that’s how it feels most days in our household; like we’ve been dumped in the machine and set to puree! First, my wife an I have four girls between the ages of 9 and 14. Before any of them awake, I am out the door by 5:30 a.m. Some may call this a dreadfully early hour. I call it a well-timed retreat away from impending hostile fire. By the time my car is backing out of the driveway, the first alarm clock is going off and the …

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