For as long as I can remember, I've always enjoyed eating alone in public. Perhaps it's the solitude and chit-chat free hour that I love, or maybe the confidence boost I get knowing that there's no shame in my solo dining game; whatever it is, I think people should take themselves out to a nice dinner at least once a month.

That opportunity arose for me last Friday night when I got sick of waiting for my boyfriend, Jason, to wake up from a nap. The temps were searing, we don't have A/C and I was hungry; talk about a bad combo. That's when I took it upon myself to say "screw this, I'm taking myself out tonight."

You'd think it would be easy to decide where to go, but I was struggling; there are so many food and restaurant choices in the Rockford area. That's when I asked for your help on Facebook. The question was, "If you were going to take yourself out for a nice dinner in Rockford, where would you go?"

These were the best responses:

  • Stone Eagle Tavern
  • Tavern on Clark
  • Showgun
  • Aero Ale House
  • Merrill and Houston's in Beloit
  • The Butterfly Club
  • Social
  • Deli Italia
  • Ciao Bella
  • Marc's Fusion
  • Rusty Nail
  • Franchesco's
  • The Olympic
  • Rathskeller
  • Spider Sushi
  • Ali Baba
  • Octane
  • Fresco at the Gardens
  • Kuma's on State

What would you add to the list? Where is your favorite place in Rockford to dine alone?

Not a fan of going out to dinner by yourself? This is a great read from Huffington Post that explains the benefits of treating yourself to a nice steak dinner and never calling yourself again.

Catch Mandy James on “The Steve Shannon Show with Mandy James” on 97 ZOK from 5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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