I normally like to support locally-owned restaurants, but on a recent holiday with my wife to Panama City, Fla., we tried out a restaurant on the water.

Located on the east end of the beach, snuggled next to a high-rise development, Schooners is a landmark.

Holly Smith, a contestant on Food Network’s “The Next Iron Chef,“ praises this vinegary tomato and bread soup as being the perfect kid food — they can get their hands messy while mashing the bread into the tomatoes. That may be the case, but the 5-year-old tester still wouldn’t touch it. He doesn’t like tomatoes. His loss. It was delicious.

Melissa d’Arabian, host of Food Network’s “Ten Dollar Dinners,“ bravely tried to tempt a picky 5-year-old with a cheesy wilted spinach dish. Would it bring back memories of the curried spinach he loved as a toddler? It didn’t. He refused to eat anything but the sauce, and then only the tiniest lick off his fork.

Alexandra Guarnaschelli, host of Food Networks’ “Alex’s Day Off,“ came up with this kid-friendly soup that is topped with popcorn. The 5-year-old taste tester who generally avoids squash loved it.

In the battle to get a 5-year-old boy to embrace vegetables, the Food Network’s Alton Brown offered up these parsnip muffins, which were the easy winner in the taste test. They could be made healthier by substituting white whole-wheat flour for the all-purpose and by cutting back the sugar a bit.

Rachael Ray described this offering to the 5-year-old tester as “a dream, rich, simple and delish.“ It’s also easy to make and is loaded with 3 pounds of spinach and chard. That’s a lot. The kid agreed it was good. Except for the 3 pounds of greens.

The next generation of marshmallow lovers is amping the flavor of their puffy confections, taking their s’mores to new heights with tricks like slicing and stuffing them. And the marshmallow industry is taking notice.

Having spent too many meals watching my son skirt around the veggies on his plate — or during more pouty dinners simply shove them off — I wanted to see if the celebrity chefs from the Food Network could persuade him to embrace produce beyond fruit.

The Sweet Briar has a lot of good food to serve in a short amount of time. It’s well worth a visit.

The site, which features toungue-in-cheek recipes and luscious photos, has received plenty of media attention in the three months since its debut. And while it may not represent a full-blown culinary trend, it does illustrate the enduring appeal of playing with your food.

Nothing could be finer than eating at the Diner ... at least that’s what the staff’s T-shirts would have you believe.

I first discovered Delectable Edibles when it was a gourmet food shop hidden in the Shops on the Circle.

It may not be really fair to judge a restaurant after it’s been open for just a few days, but nevertheless here are my thoughts on Main Street Cafe in Dothan.

Holiday Inn South General Manager Derek LaTouche has spent many a night watching local cars ride right on by the hotel.

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When it comes to sit-down chain restaurants, some similarities are expected.

I’ve been looking forward to the opening of Momma Goldberg’s Deli for some time now.

On Thursdays in June and July, the 84 West Farmer’s Market will be open at Dothan First Assembly of God Church on U.S. Highway 84 West.

The food’s great, the service is always good and the showmanship of the cooks rarely fails to impress.

An open air market is being held in Dothan on Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to noon in June and July.

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Economic conditions are tough right now, but I believe the one thing we can indulge ourselves in from time to time is good food with friends and family.

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The Pines is one of those places that works well for any occasion.

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Bill Dorminy appears to have the golden touch.

The River Nile is back in business on a smaller scale.

See how local eating establishments rank.

See how local eating establishments rank.