Until August 2015 I’d lived my whole life in Lauderdale County, so when I entered my freshman year at the University of Alabama I was faced with the prospect of learning an entirely new city. This experience has been important not only because it has been one of my first forays into the independence of adulthood, but also because it gave me a renewed appreciation for the Shoals and the hometown that I love--Florence. Tuscaloosa has no shortage of meat-and-threes, trains, or championships. One thing Tuscaloosa doesn’t have, though? Trowbridge’s. The bustling, classic diner has been a Shoals favorite for over a century, and one of my personal favorite downtown spots for as long as I can remember. You’ll come for the chicken salad and pimiento cheese, but you’ll stay for the deliciously iconic desserts. My personal favorite has to be the Coke float, but the restaurant’s really known for the orange pineapple ice cream (a recipe developed by Mr. Trowbridge and later sold to Purity) and the Oh My Gosh (a brownie sundae big enough for your whole party that truly lives up to its name.)I’ve yet to find an equal to the gem that Trowbridge’s is, and it’s always one of the first spots I and my other out-of-town friends hit as soon as we’re home.