by Megan DiMaria
If you’re looking for an adventure and want to explore the area to find a good spot for dinner on Friday night, one option is to hop on the light rail and head south to Park Meadows at the County Line Road exit. It’s a short ride, only four stops south of Belleview Ave. The Belleview station is on the bottom right side of the map.
The light rail
is about a five minute walk from the hotel, and the fare is $2 each way/$1 each way for seniors. The fare box takes quarters or bills but returns change in dollar coins only.
Park Meadows might be considered a shopping mall by some, but since its inception, they’ve marketed themselves as a retail resort. It’s a lovely center, with comfy chairs scattered around and a mountain-themed décor. In addition to the food court, which is called the Dining Hall, there are restaurants inside the mall as well as in the parking-lot areas surrounding the shopping center.
Today we will only discuss the restaurants in the Dining Hall.
When you exit the train, take the stairs or elevator down to the parking lot of Park Meadows. You’ll be on the east side of the mall. The food court (Dining Hall) is located on that side of the mall.
The restaurants located in the Dining Hall are reasonably priced, probably similar to restaurants in the food court of a mall by you. Here’s a list of restaurants in the Dining Hall:
Ben & Jerry’s – Ice cream, of course.
Cajun & Grill – The menu includes a signature item called Bourbon Chicken. Bourbon Chicken is succulent marinated chicken, but contains no bourbon and is not spicy. In addition, the menu contains delicious seafood, fish, pork and other chicken entrees.
Chick-fil-A – Lean, whole-breast chicken sandwiches and nuggets. They also have some of the best Waffle-Fries in town.
Dairy Queen/Orange Julius – Soft serve cones, dipped cones, sundaes, shakes/malts, banana splits, parfaits, blended frozen frozen treats, logs, novelties, lunchtime snacks, carbonated soft drinks and coffee.
Johnny Rockets – A menu of all-American favorites including juicy hamburgers, hand-dipped shakes and malts.
Panda Express – Flavorful, hot Chinese food.
Paradise Bakery & Café – Baked goods made from scratch every morning from the finest ingredients available. A variety of light meals including soups, salads and sandwiches.
Renzios – Serving authentic Gyros and Greek Fare, Renzios is a healthy, traditional alternative to the every day fast food. Beef Gyros, fries and Greek salad.
Sbarro – Whole pizzas, pizza by the slice, spaghetti, lasagna and salads.
Squeeze – Smoothie and juice bar.
Starbucks – You need a description? Really? Okay, high-quality whole bean coffees, rich-brewed, Italian style espresso beverages, and a variety of pastries and confections.
Steak Escape – Cheesesteaks, served any way you want it. Steak Escape says your fries were whole potatoes the night before as well as the lemons for their lemonade.
Subway – Sandwiches, soft drinks, chips, cookies.
Wasabi Jane – Japanese Cuisine, hand-rolled sushi and sides. Their specialties include chicken dishes, made-to-order wok dishes such as teriyaki beef, and vegetable dishes.
One of the best things about eating in the Dining Hall is that you and your friends don’t need to agree on restaurant to visit. You can each pick your favorite and join one another at one of the tables in the hall.
A prisoner of hope,
Megan DiMaria
Bio:
Megan DiMaria is an author and speaker who enjoys cheering on other writers in their pursuits and encouraging women to embrace life’s demands and delights.
She is an active member of ACFW and several other writers groups and is the author of two women’s fiction novels, Searching for Spice and Out of Her Hands.
Out of Her Hands, Tyndale House, October 2008
Searching for Spice, Tyndale House, April 2008