Summer + COVID means a road trip.  Different scenery but still social distancing.  This trip was Dallas to 30A with stops in Little Rock, Memphis, Alabama and Louisiana.

Hotel: TownePlace Suites Memphis Olive Branch
Would I stay again?  Yes.  It was clean and the checkin was contactless.  We checked in around 9:30pm and were back on the road by 7:30am but breakfast was available and I took a cup of coffee to go.

Restaurants:

Lunch to-go (Little Rock, Arkansas): ZAZA Fine Salad & Wood Oven Pizza Co.
Would I dine again? Yes.  Great salads, pizza and gelato when they are open.  I had been here years back for work travel so I knew it would be a family friendly experience.  Eating in the car was not ideal BUT good food!

Snack (Memphis, TN): Gibson’s Donuts
Would I dine again? Yes.  We stopped in Memphis to visit friends on the way to 30A, not on the way but a must do trip.  They picked up Gibson’s as a treat and they were delicious.

Breakfast (Birmingham, AL): Tip Top Grill
Would I dine again? Well, we tried to dine.  We showed up and saw the view but they closed early for breakfast due to a large lunch order.  All I wanted was a biscuit!

Breakfast (Birmingham, AL): Edgar’s Bakery & Cafe
Would I dine again? Yes.  I got my biscuit.  And the whole family had a great meal, sitting outside with lots of distance between the tables.

Breakfast: Charlie’s Donut Truck
Would I dine again? Yes.  We biked from the house to Alys Beach and found the truck with a short line.  Donuts and Smoothies and a shady spot to eat!

Breakfast: Big Bad Breakfast
Would I dine again? Yes.  We ate outside, had a great breakfast and were lucky to get there early because there was a short wait when we left.

Dinner: 30a Burger
Would I dine again? Maybe.  My daughter loves burgers.  She got to choose dinner so burgers it is.

Dinner: Pizza by the Sea
Would I dine again? Yes.  Regardless of where we are, we will always order italian and this spot was easy to pick up on the way home.

Dinner: goatfeathers
Would I dine again? Yes.  We picked up fish, we had them cook and even got tuna sashimi.  There are multiple markets so it was an easy option for dinner one night.

Dinner: Lola Coastal Italian
Would I dine again? Yes. I used to live in Atlanta and found out about a new Tom Catherall restaurant on 30a so I had to try it. Wood fired chicken with an amazing lemon sauce, a shrimp scampi that made me smile and spaghetti and meatballs with a sauce I wish I could eat daily. Happy we started our trip with takeout from Lola.

Dinner: Perfect Pig Grill and Fish House
Would I dine again? Yes. Another great takeout night in 30a! Tonight was pork tenderloin medallions over gruyere grits with a blackberry pinot noir sauce and a tomahawk pork chop with grilled veggies and a pineapple chutney.

Dinner: Seagrove Village MarketCafe
Would I dine again? Maybe.  Fried fish.  And a burger for our daughter.  Sometimes you just need some fried food.

Snack (Louisiana): Cafe Du Monde
Would I dine again? Yes.  Of course.  Now I will admit this was not in New Orleans, but at a small spot on the way back to Dallas.  Regardless, we had to introduce our daughter to a beignet.  She wasn’t that impressed but I think doing beignets via drive thru took away some of the thrill.