Quick! I say Irish food, you say???

If your mind jumps to the Irish breakfast or maybe fish & chips, I can’t say I blame you. Nor will I shudder at that because both are so. very. good.

I grew up near Paw Paw, Michigan, and yet never thought of it as a place for the so-named fruit. All that has changed now, with Sara Bir's genius new guide, The Pocket Pawpaw Cookbook. Bir knows her stuff - she's a food writer and researcher extraordinaire, and she brings those talents to this recipe zine.

Food - it's a passion of mine. I love to cook, garden, visit farmer's markets, get new recipes from food artisans when I travel, talk with chefs, eat out, peruse cookbooks (I have thousands), dream about food, plan the next meal. It's not too crazy to say that when I find similarly-minded foodies, I embrace them and talk food. 

I don’t think there are many people who will disagree with this statement: Food is an important part of every culture. It follows then that one of the great pleasures of travel is the opportunity to taste the local cuisine. There's something about sharing a favorite dish with a friend or stranger that makes it taste even better. We truly do bond over a meal.

St. John’s (one of my favorite places in the world!) has a wide variety of places to eat, from small to large, ethic to local, cheap eats to gourmet cuisine. But where are the best places to feed your kids – and yourself? No overplayed children’s menus here – these are great restaurants that serve excellent food. 

Here are my top 10 family-friendly restaurants on the Rock

(in alphabetical order so as not to play favorites - they are all favorites!)

Have you ever taken a trip where you felt as if you were on the outside looking in? That you were seeing the sights but just from a tourist’s point of view? Have you ever wished that you could connect with a place more, really get a glimpse of what life there is about?