I know this blog is about eating out, but I hope for a minute you'll allow me to describe a recent trip to Giant Eagle. I need a platform.

So my boyfriend and I started counting calories at the end of May, and I've really learned a lot about myself in the process. For one thing I naturally operate on the Too Much Too Fast diet - I want big portions and eat them in the blink of an eye, which leads to more eating. To become painfully aware of how we're all Pavlov's dogs - yours truly included - grab "The End of Overeating" by David A. Kessler, M.D. from your local library. It's awful news.

Don't panic, though; I wouldn't blog here if I didn't have something positive to say about food. After all eating keeps us ticking, it's enjoyable, it's social (unless it's on my couch) and if Nietzsche believes art is a wonderful distraction than food can't be far behind, right?

What I'm getting at is, there are foods I know I should eat, but there are also foods I want. So going into this diet I knew I needed to find a way to eat them, or at least some of them. I needed to find a way to blend Health and Too Much Too Fast.

A couple of my mind-blowing personal revelations seem nutty to anyone not currently obsessing over calories, so I'll merely say they involve cheese and El Patron in Chardon (yes, this is a diet-breaking plug) and granola and yogurt for breakfast.

But my greatest moment by far, and the one I think you'll most likely understand, befell me somewhat unexpectedly as Jamie and I recently explored our hot dog options:

Do we buy standard buns (110-120 cal/each) and Ball Park beef franks (180+ cal/each) - or Ball Park Fat-Free franks (50 cal/each) and Schwebel's Lite Hot Dog Buns (80 cal/each)?

That's 290+ calories vs. 130 calories. It's a free hot dog, friends. And they taste the same.

Hands down the most lasting thing I'll take from this diet, long after bathing suit season has ended, is that little things add up. I can eat a big breakfast if I eat a light lunch. Exercise is essential. Putting a little thought into my meal makes a big difference. And the hardest part is over once I get myself to utter the words "without cheese."

I am eating two hot dogs, after all.

-- Sandra M. Klepach, SKlepach@News-Herald.com

Legacy Village, that is.

For foodies seeking the triumvirate of gastronomic benchmarks (food, service, ambiance), the cluster of inviting restaurants in Lyndhurst's Legacy Village stand as worthy offerings.

Bar Louie's pear and pecan salad drizzled with blue cheese ... California Pizza Kitchen's meat lover's pie ... The Melting Pot's savory array of dips and dippables ... Brio's flavorful Italian sauces ... Cheesecake Factory's litany of decadent desserts ... and the list goes on.

Seeking a treat to munch on while strolling through the living center's winding, brick walkways? You'll find thick and tasty cookies, creamy and cool gelato and marvelous mocha drinks to please your palate along the way.

Mix in musical entertainment offered on weekend evenings and you've just put together a relaxing and delicious culinary experience without breaking the bank or traveling far from your often too familiar kitchen.

-- Jean Bonchak

The new Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty from Wendy's is just as it sounds: It's a (vanilla) Frosty twisted with coffee and toffee. And it's delicious. If you like all of its components, you will like this ice cream treat that's best eaten with a spoon to scoop up all the crunchy goodness of the toffee. And, it's best eaten quickly in the Northeast Ohio sun, which will melt the ice cream just about as fast as you can say Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty.

As much as I dislike having to clarify that I want a "chocolate" Frosty when I order a Frosty at Wendy's (the original chocolate flavor should be permanently considered the default), I'm really enjoying that the introduction of the vanilla flavor has opened the door for tasty variations on the classic fast food dessert.

Just remember that the Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty IS a milkshake and cannot stand in place of your morning coffee (not that I won't try that sometime ...).

Wendy's
Various locations
Opening times vary based on location
Visit www.wendys.com for store information

-- Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com