After a bit of dry spell, I have received several field reports about places to eat in the area and look forward to checking the places out for myself.

The first note came from “a friend of the cook” at Hogmaster on the corner of Third and Vine in Ironton. The barbecue is prepared on the spot with a big smoker and cherry wood is used to give the meat its distinctive flavor.

“The barbecue sauce is made from scratch, and you will find no better pulled pork sandwiches or ribs anywhere that I know of,” the cook’s friend wrote. “I promise you are in for a treat.”

Here’s the tricky part — Hogmaster is only open from 2 to 10 p.m. Fridays, and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays.

Barbecue is an entree highly subjective to personal taste, so if anyone gets by there before I have a chance to try it, please let me know what you think.

Renovations complete

Nancy Tilton at Katie’s Corner Cafe reports they have completed renovations at the restaurant on the corner of 15th Street and Greenup Avenue. The well-known downtown diner will be having music on the patio, and employees planned to grill hot dogs and Italian sausages to bring additional flavors to the June First Friday Art Walk and Downtown Live event.

I’ll stop by there and check it out for next week’s column.

Gyro King returns

Also on the “to do” list, the OPEN sign is again lit at Gyro King at 36131/2 13th St., Ashland next to the Shell Station.

I talked to one person who stopped in and tasted the new Gyro King’s baklava and found it to be outstanding. The new restaurant is not associated with the former owners, who have relocated their business to Kyova Mall.

Now open

Lifelong Learning Center & Resources recently opened at 419 Diederich Blvd. next to Hobby Lobby with services and materials aimed at helping everyone from young children to mature adults reach their academic goals.

The business is operated by a team of educators including founders Pat and David Haymond along with Anna and Wayne Chaffin and a team of certified teachers. The business provides tutoring for all ages and serves as a resource center for parents and teachers alike.

Pat Haymond said the shop takes purchase orders from schools and all teachers receive a 20 percent discount. Lifelong Learning Center & Resources offers an online catalog and Web site at www.lifelonglearningctr.com, or you can call (606) 326-1107 for more information.

Long-distance

endorsement

In response to my ongoing investigation about good places to eat in Carter County, I received a short note from a reader in Nederland, Tex., this week.

Carolyn Burdette advises her favorite place to eat in Carter County is Randy’s Roadside in Grayson. I haven’t eaten there, although Randy himself did offer to grill a cheeseburger for me during a brief visit there during a political event a few months ago. One thing I liked about Randy’s place was the selection of old-timey “fruit pop” in the cooler with brands including Nehi and Frosty.

Burdette said she likes Randy’s Roadside because, “The hot dogs are awesome and the ambiance is one of a kind.”

Windows and siding

Owner/operator Gerald Davis recently opened Tri-State Windows at 8140 U.S. 60 in Mead’s Station Plaza near Rajah’s Family Restaurant.

The new business specializes in residential windows, siding, soffits, shutters, porch columns and other home products, including “tax credit windows.”

Davis has 15 years of experience with the products he sells and installs and welcomes people to call with any questions they may have. Tri-State Windows is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information visit www.tristatewindows.net on the Internet or call (606) 615-7737.

TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2651.