Just across the Tennessee state line in Corinth, Mississippi, is a restaurant like few others.  Like my beloved chicken salad, not all pizzas are created equal.  There's definitely good pizza and bad pizza out there.  Pizza Grocery (http://www.pizzagrocery.com/) is not just good pizza, it's exceptional everything.  A friend from Alabama told me about this restaurant they stop at every year to get food while visiting family.  My husband and I stopped several years ago and gave it try.  We are now forever hooked.  I want to share my most recent visit with you so that you can decide for yourself whether or not it's worth the drive.  

If you find yourself travelling through North Alabama, stop by the downtown square of Huntsville. Follow the people headed down the sidewalk to the Moon Bakeshop (https://www.themoonbakeshop.com/) and see what the hype is all about.  When my mom and I stopped by this past week, I had heard only good things about this place.  I have been following their social media pages for awhile and knew I'd have to stop by when I came to the area.  Huntsville's downtown has had bakeries come and go, but none have brought that traditional bakery feel that you'll find at Moon Bakeshop.  The seating area outside the shop was full, which I find to always be a good sign.  Upon entering, you'll catch a whiff of fresh baked goods wafting from the oven.  The staff immediately greeted us and offered to take our order.  I saw something taken out of the oven and placed on the counter.  I knew just based on what it looked like, that would be my choice.  The woman at the counter said that was their "cruffin", which is croissant dough rolled in sugar and filled with almond pastry cream.  However, this was not their traditional pastry cream, this was PUMPKIN pastry cream! My mom and I both ordered one and eagerly anticipated their arrival.  When the staff brought out our pastries, we immediately broke them in half and dug in.  The cinnamon sugar outside of the croissant and the creamy pumpkin cream filling were a match made in heaven! Imagine the flavors of fall combined with butter, sugar, and dough.  If pumpkin isn't your thing, there was an entire display case filled with delicious treats.  Coffee and tea lovers will find Muletown Coffee (https://muletowncoffee.com/) from Columbia, Tennessee and local Piper and Leaf Tea (https://piperandleaf.com/) on the menu.  They even had a Pride and Prejudice drink menu that I plan to return to try out! This was the perfect end to our day and we'll definitely be back.  I cannot sing Moon Bakeshop's praises enough.  

One of my favorite places to eat when I'm in Huntsville, Alabama is Edgar's Bakery (https://www.edgarsbakery.com/).  Edgar's has locations all over the state of Alabama and for good reason.  Every time I go inside, the place is packed with people.  They have two locations in Huntsville and they're always bustling with energy and delicious smells.  When my mom and I were in town we decided to stop for lunch.  When my mom tried the chicken club she declared that it was the best sandwich she'd ever had.  That's high praises from someone who loves to eat sandwiches on a regular basis! I had the "Marilyn Monroe" which consists of turkey, pepperoni, mozzarella & marinara sauce on cheddar bread.  It is phenomenal!  The combination of flavors with the soft, cheesy bread was the perfect meal for our trip.  If sandwiches aren't what you're looking for, check out their dessert cases.  Edgar's is known for their exceptional cakes, sticky buns, petit fours (my favorite!), and a long list of other delicious concoctions.  Take a drive to north Alabama and see what makes Edgar's so popular!

Have you ever heard of Buc-ees (https://buc-ees.com/) gas stations?  If you haven't, you need to Google their locations and find one near you.  They were originally a Texas thing, but have started to expand into other states.  My husband and I had seen the construction for a Buc-ees off the interstate in Athens, Alabama on our way to visit family.  When it finally opened, we knew we'd have to plan a trip around Christmas. My family had been and recommended giving ourselves a couple hours (yes, hours) inside. 

About 30 minutes southwest of Huntsville, Alabama, is the small town of Hartselle.  While visiting family, we decided to check out the antique stores in the area.  There were lots of adorable places to shop with Alabama made products.  I'm always looking for bakeries while travelling and when I walked past Main Street Bakery, I knew I had to go in.  Upon entering, the owner immediately greeted us with a friendly welcome.  She offered us samples of some of the desserts in her case and answered questions I had about the products she sold without being pushy.  Main Street Bakery offers pastries, breads, cakes, and more.  They haven't been open long but have already mastered the small town feel of a Hallmark-esque bakery.  I took a cream cheese brownie home for myself and chose a cinnamon roll for my husband. They were delicious! The brownie was rich and fudgy with a delicious swirl of cream cheese mixed throughout. My husband is very picky about cinnamon rolls but loved this one.  I can't wait to visit the area again so I can try another selection from their shop.  Stop by Main Street Bakery and show this friendly, new small business some love!

Since the 1920s, ( Big Bob Gibson BBQ  ) has been serving award winning barbecue in Alabama.  Ever tried white sauce at a barbecue restaurant?  The founder of Big Bob's, Robert Gibson, invented it! I have Alabama born friends who have moved to other states who will come back home and buy multiple bottles to take back with them.  I've heard from those who love it that it's not the same in other states and restaurants, the real deal is in Decatur, Alabama where it originates.  My Alabama native husband turned me on to this delicious establishment years ago when we first met.  Each time we're in the area, we try to make a stop at Big Bob's.  When we were in town at Christmas, we met some friends for dinner at their 6th Avenue location. While their pork bbq is delicious, I highly recommend their hickory smoked boneless turkey breast, it's my favorite.  I ordered the Little Bob Gibson Sampler with pork bbq, turkey breast, macaroni and cheese, and green beans.  The turkey breast was hands down my top choice.  It was pull-apart tender, had delicious smoked flavor, and immediately left me wishing I had ordered more! Of course, I couldn't leave without sampling some of their chocolate meringue pie, which tasted like the best chocolate pudding with fluffy meringue topping.  It was an icy cold day, so not many people were eating inside (it's usually packed to the gills with people) but that didn't stop the locals from ordering carry out orders to pick up and enjoy at home.  This place is known all over the South for its phenomenal meats, sweet tea, desserts, and of course, that white sauce.  If you're in north Alabama, this is a must to add to your places to check out.  

While planning a recent weekend getaway to Atlanta, I decided to find the best bakery in town.  Hands down, Highland Bakery (Highland Bakery) came up over and over during my online searches.  Once you try this bakery, you'll see why it's so popular.  I noticed while looking at their menu online that they offered more than just a bakery case of bites, although those looked amazing too.  Highland Bakery offers a full menu of breakfast and lunch entrees.  My friend and I order two different flavors of pancakes: ricotta pancakes with warm blueberry compote and sweet potato pancakes with warm carmalized brown sugar butter sauce and toasted pecans.  My favorite cheese is ricotta and you can't go wrong with sweet potato, so we decideed to split the orders so we'd both get to try the two flavors.  We had the hardest time trying to decide which pancakes we liked best.  The ricotta pancakes were fluffy and sweet and pair perfectly with the blueberry compote.  The brown sugar butter sauce sent the sweet potato pancakes over the top.  Neither entree needed any syrup, they were amazing without adding anything to them.  By the end of the meal, we found it hard to leave.  We didn't want the experience to end! The staff was super friendly and willing to answer all of our questions.  If you make your way to Atlanta, be sure and add Highland Bakery to your breakfast musts.