I do like to talk about chain restaurants sometimes. But for the most part, I’m more interested in local establishments.
I receive tons of e-mails and press releases from the corporate guys, and I usually give them a polite scan before hitting “delete.” Today, though, a Carrabba’s spokeswoman sent me an e-mail that grabbed my attention.
That could be because the sender, Amelia Turner, opened by saying she grew up in Southwest Virginia. She had also checked out my column and my blog, which I think is nice. But it also has to do with the fact that Carrabba’s is sponsoring a contest, starting today, with a grand prize that includes a free trip to Las Vegas.
All you have to do is log on to the Carrabba’s Web site and write a love letter to your favorite food. Sounds bizarre, I know, but once you check out the site, you’ll see a few examples there. The contest starts today and runs through the end of March.
If I had to write a love letter to my favorite food, it would probably begin, “Dear Macaroni and Cheese, you are so creamy and delicious. But I love how you can sometimes be all crunchy on the outside…”
If y’all enter, good luck. If you win, I want a postcard from the Sin City.

On this New Year’s Eve, I want to raise a glass to Billy’s Ritz, which is closing after tonight.

Billy’s has occupied an elegant, solid corner of downtown Roanoke for about 20 years. During that time, I surprised my mother on her birthday at Billy’s, had many lively discussions about journalism and celebrated the marriage of two wonderful friends, all over some very fine food.

Good luck to the new owner of this beautiful space. And Happy New Year to all!