Some dinners stay with you long after the last bite, and my recent evening at Sushi by Bou Boca Raton with my dear friend and former teaching colleague, Crista, was exactly that.

One of the things I love most about Disney Springs is that there always seems to be another hidden gem waiting to be discovered, and Enzo's Hideaway Tunnel Bar has become one of my favorite escapes.

Where did they come up with the term “dog days of summer”? When I was a kid, I thought it referred to the fact that it was so hot we all walked around panting like a dog. It was only as an adult that I came to find that it is a blend of astronomy (Canis Major was bright in the sky over ancient Greece), mythology (ancient cultures thought the heat drove dogs mad), and linguistic tradition. I still like my explanation better.  Whatever the reason for the term, the dog days of summer also mean fewer tourists and local restaurants offering deals to lure us from the comfort of our air-conditioned homes.

The Host Table and Tap is right in front of your eyes on 4th Ave. (aka South Wilton Dr.), just a few doors north of Ramrod.

My husband Sebastian and I recently found ourselves doing something we rarely do these days when we are busy with everyday errands and stress: lingering. What started as a casual night at Sunness Supper Club turned into one of those evenings where the conversation flows, the cocktails keep coming, and you suddenly realize you've been sitting at the bar for hours.

There’s something about traveling with my mom that always turns dinner into more than just dinner. Maybe it’s because we both love finding places that feel warm and inviting instead of overly trendy, or maybe it’s because some of our best conversations somehow happen over pasta and cocktails. During our recent stay at the Hilton Tampa Downtown, we found exactly that at Che Vita, a Southern Italian-inspired restaurant and lounge that quickly became one of my favorite parts of the trip.