That lunch couldn't have been more satisfying! If ever you're in or passing through Richmond and are in want of good food, go to The Black Sheep. Jack has been such an amazing traveler during this very dull and long drive (we're entering hour 7), so I told him he could order a real Coke of he wanted. You have never seen a little boy light up quite so intensely.

"Really, Mom? The whole thing can be for me?"

Bless his heart. He ordered that thing before the waitress could even say hi, and good for The Black sheep, they import theirs from Mexico where they're made with real, delicious sugar rather than crappy high fructose corn syrup. Real Coke is awfully good.

J then opted for the gingersnap-crusted French toast and a side of bacon; T chose the Sultana sandwich (lamb, cucumber, sultanas, some kinda sauce); and I ordered the vegetarian wabash sandwich as well as the grapefruit, fennel, arugula salad with hibiscus vinaigrette and spiced pecans.

It was an outstanding salad, just perfect: fresh; pretty; full of zip and zing. I ate it and half of my equally delicious sandwich which was half of a great-quality baguette cut down the middle and stuffed with grilled artichokes, parsnip-white bean dip, pickled red onions, feta, romaine and tomatoes. I took the other half to go and am about to dig back in. SO good.

Tom adored his sandwich, and J had a bit of French toast with his coke. It was topped with some wonderful warm fruit compote but was, admittedly, extremely sweet so I was glad he maintained his good judgment about knowing when to say when.

Back on the road but then the restroom called so we stopped at a Cracker Barrel as I knew J would go nuts in their gift shop. True enough, he thrilled to the bins of candy and treats, and we left with a plastic dart-shooting crossbow, "a lifelong dream."

Good stuff!