Whenever I need my spirits lifted all I need to do is go and hang out with some foodservice/restaurant people: purveyors of good food, beverage and hospitality. I did that tonight by attending the 7th Annual Delaware Restaurant Association Industry Cornerstone Awards at Dover Downs Hotel and Casino. Betsy LeRoy won the Restaurateur of the Year honor for her work at Pizza by Elizabeths (celebrating its 15th anniversary in Greenville, Del.).

As soon as I can get my directions from Mapquest to figure out where Greenville is ... I'm on my way for a Davis pizza: spicy blackened chicken, bacon, fire-roasted peppers, cheddar and provolone, drizzled with honey mustard. For the honey wheat crust, they grind their own wheat berries. Betsy began the restaurant as one of two blonds (Betsy and Betty) with the ideal of serving the finest ingredients with stellar hospitality. From their early inexperienced beginning, they have evolved into a restaurant that also provides a home for a loyal staff with health and vacation benefits. On the current economic times, LeRoy said, "We must provide levity and a whole lot of hospitality to survive." And it was then she told her peers to close her acceptance of the award,"I am Betsy LeRoy and I approved this message."