See how local restaurants and other eating places rank.

Entertaining — and doing it with panache — on a shoestring boils down to using food savvy in the market and in the kitchen, as well as some creative sleight of hand with the presentation.

The food is good, but service needs work.

You know McLin’s Fine Foods must be good when you stroll up to a stranger in a convenience store and ask, “Where’s a good place to eat around here?”
“If you like seafood, go to McLin’s,” was the response.

Houston County health scores for food and lodging establishments from July 21-25 as provided by the Houston County Health Department.
Establishments are listed in alphabetical order by the name, street address, inspection date, score and type of establishment. A score of 1 means the establishment is new and has not been scored yet, or it is a food processor that does not get a score.

Smokey’s serves up barbecue with a Wild West flair.

Ratings for local food and lodging establishments between July 7 and July 11.

See how local restaurants fare in health ratings.

Chain restaurant’s new menu offers some good choices for diners.

The latest among the home-cooked fare is the southeast location of Blue Plate Restaurant at 1975 Ross Clark Circle.

Summer in south Alabama comes with certain musts.

A good swimming hole for fishing and splashing, bug spray to keep the mosquitoes at bay, a wide-brimmed hat to shield you from the sun, the juicy sweetness of a watermelon and a cool afternoon breeze when you’re sitting on the porch.

But nothing quite says summertime like ice cream. Bring on the vanilla, chocolate, the multi swirls of flavors. Top it with whipped cream and cherries. Bowl or cone. Blend it with milk for a shake. For every person, there’s a different concoction of this frozen treat.

If you’ve ever been to Bistro for lunch, prepare to be blown away at dinner. It is, without a doubt, the most exquisite meal I’ve had in the Wiregrass.

Alabamians still have a taste for tomatoes. Slocomb prepares for annual festival.

Tips for picking the best tomatoes.

Eurasia Cafe mixes Asian cuisine for broader appeal.

Buying tax-free produce from local markets helps the economy and your budget. 

You have few reasons to visit restaurants:
A) You’re hungry to the point you can eat whatever is closest; B) A restaurant is new in town, and you want to be the first to try it; C) You’ve gotten tons of recommendations and want to see for yourself; or D) The place has been there for so long and you just wanted to see if it was really occupied.

Get ready for a hearty meal at longtime Ozark eatery. From Boston butt to polish sausage, this place has meat covered. 

“Nothing says I love you like a sack full of vending machine food.” That’s what I told my special lady friend when we sat down Monday night to a dinner consisting entirely of dollar-and-quarter-bought foodstuffs from the shiny new vending machine downstairs at the Dothan Eagle.

As a lifelong devotee of food and television, it’s no wonder that I’ve become somewhat of a Food Network addict. It’s like a delicious drug that I can’t get enough of, and Paula Deen, Rachael Ray, Alton Brown and Bobby Flay are my personal pushers. 

When you think of going out for a top-notch meal, a hotel wouldn’t usually enter your mind.
Goodness knows there are plenty of traditional restaurants in Dothan to choose from.