The Truth is Out There: Siggy's Good Food

Background:
When we first heard of Siggy’s, we weren’t sure what to expect. The name and logo came off as a bit kitschy, and the alien theme threw us off a bit. But we had heard good things, especially from New Yorkers who went to the original locations in Brooklyn Heights and the Village. And if a New Yorker says something is good, we always believe them. So we headed on over to Belmont, an up and coming neighborhood in Charlotte in between NoDa and Plaza Midwood, to see if the alien hype was to be believed. Whether you believe in aliens or not, Siggy’s Good Food does indeed have good food, and it’s worth a visit.

Siggy’s is owned by Siggy Solitto, a feisty Israeli who isn’t afraid to tell you how it is, like that Charlotte needs some good bakeries, or that the NYC restaurant scene is becoming too expensive for small restaurants like hers to survive. Her restaurant is 100% organic, and she doesn’t accept crappy produce. Quality shines through in her simple and thoughtfully prepared menu. You think you’ve had a good beet and goat cheese salad? Wait until you’ve tried Siggy’s. The flavors and textures of her dishes are outstanding, craveable, and left us wanting more days later.

Eat This:
Siggy opened up her first restaurant in Brooklyn in 2005, her second in lower Manhattan in 2012, and she decided to move south in 2018 for a better lifestyle. In Belmont, she is recreating the neighborhood feel of her first location in Brooklyn. Her menu has changed somewhat from its NYC iteration, most notably missing is her famous Happy Burger, which she says she might reprise once the restaurant settles in.

The current menu is broken up into three main sections: Salads, Sandwiches, and Bountiful Earth Sides. We haven’t tried everything on the yet, but what we’ve tried has been great.

Artichokes

Siggy serves baby artichokes with the stems intact. These were tender and simply flavored with oil oil and salt.

Red Beets, almonds, & Goat Cheese Salad

tender beets, sliced almonds, baby greens, creamy goat cheese, in lemon vinaigrette

The beets were perfectly al-dente. The combination of the crunchy almonds, creamy goat cheese, and earthy beets made for a healthy and delicious combination.

All Mighty Tuna - Wild caught

in olive oil, lemon & paprika, clover sprouts, tomatoes, baby greens, and vegan mayo.

This is not your average tuna sandwich. We’ve all had crappy canned tuna, and I wouldn’t wish that upon my worst enemy.

Organic steak sandwich grass fed

Marinated in rosemary, sautéed mushrooms, onions, baby greens, and herbs vegan mayo

Try and find a better $12 steak sandwich, I dare you. The magic here? It’s the marinade, which makes the steak so juicy.

Drink:
Siggy’s is known for their organic smoothies and juices, which range from Jason (all fruit) to Yvonne (all vegetables). All are made right in front of you with all natural, organic ingredients.

Raw Almond Protein Shake & Flu Shot

I tried the Raw Almond Smoothie, which had raw almond butter, dates, banana, and almond milk. It was delicious, and a meal in itself. Yvonne tried a Flu Shot juice, which contained greens, lemon, ginger, cayenne pepper, and echinacea. Yvonne had one sip of my Raw Almond Smoothie and claims she has been thinking about it since.

Atmosphere:
Siggy’s designed the restaurant herself, and the vibe is very relaxed and inviting. There are floor to ceiling windows and a very large patio. You order at the counter, and you can sit and relax or take your order to go. Siggy told us she’s happy when people hang out, and she’d love it if people would treat Siggy’s as the neighborhood hangout. Of course, keep an eye out for all the aliens—they’re everywhere.

Alien Hospitality:
Siggy, her niece, and the rest of the alien crew are fantastic. They treat you like family from the moment you walk in and remember you the next time you show up. What more do you want from a neighborhood spot?

Frankie’s Notes:
Belmont is up and coming, but definitely not quite there yet; Make sure you stop and look both ways at the stop sign in front, because it’s not a four-way stop sign, and we almost killed ourselves twice; We are 100% Ancient Astronaut Theorists, I mean, how were the pyramids built?; We didn’t even talk about the parsley hummus, but that stuff is good, too; Never mess with an Israeli, because they can kill you in less than seconds.

Disclaimer: This meal was provided free of charge in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are our own, and we were not compensated for this review.

 

Halcyon, Flavors from the Earth

Scallops & pork belly

Background: 
Halcyon, located in Uptown Charlotte, shares a building with the Mint Museum and overlooks downtown Charlotte from its second story venue. Halcyon sources local ingredients and makes all of their food to order daily. Chef James Stouffer does not even serve previously frozen items--the only food kept in the freezer is their homemade ice cream. 

Our good friend Stephanie from @lifebychipsahoyt invited a large group of bloggers out one Thursday in February to sample Halcyon's fresh and seasonally rotating menu. We had such a blast, and although Jason and I had been to Halcyon in the past, it had been a while, and it was so great to see all of the fresh offerings for spring 2018. 

Hi! We are cute

Eat This: 
We started the night with a smorgasbord of snacks, spreads, and shareables. Diners can customize these small bites in whatever combination they choose. 

House-made bread & pita

Whipped Butter. Lemon Oil. Paprika.

Ate about five pieces of that bread in the back. And allll of that monogrammed butter. 

House-Cured Duck

Assorted Cheeses. Pickles. Mustard.

Chicken liver pate, n'duja, smoked salmon spread

hamachi crudo

Jardiniere Vegetables, Castelvetrano olives, artichokes barigoule

Oysters

Horseradish. Mingonette.

Lyonnaise Salad

Frisee. Benton’s Bacon. Poached Egg. Mustard Vinaigrette.

Roasted Kale & Farro Salad

Farro. Kale. Cauliflower. Golden Raisins. Marcona Almonds. Tahini Dressing.

Brussels Sprout Salad

Sea Island Peas. Hominy. Peanuts. Tobago Aioli.

Scallops & Pork Belly

Local Maitake Mushrooms. Roasted Green Onions. Spicy Aioli.

Braised Bison

Trumpet Mushrooms. Roasted Shallots. Poached Egg. Grilled Baguette. Bacon.

I am usually not a chicken girl, but this was my second favorite dish of the night. The mole and the phyllo made this such an unexpected delight. 

Salmon Koulibiac

Carolina Grit Rice. Cabbage. Mushroom Duxelle. Spinach. En Croute. Swedish Mustard.

Chicken Pastilla

Stewed Chicken. Potatoes. Capers. Olives. Green Mole. Chipotle Glaze. Phyllo. Herbs.

My favorite dish of the evening. Sooo much dill. Dill forward, even. 

Bloggers hard at work!

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Venison Saddle

Braised Red Cabbage. Parsnip Puree. Cocoa Nibs. Toasted Oats.

Dessert: 
I forgot to snap a photo, but we were served the most delicious hand-rolled dark chocolate truffle for dessert. Other dessert options include house-spun ice cream, warm apple cake, chocolate mousse, & chevre cheesecake. I can't wait to go back and try them all!

Drink: 
Halcyon has an epic wine selection, and we enjoyed a dry white on this particular evening. Seasonally rotating cocktails are also available. The first time Jason and I came here, it was for his birthday in October 2014, and we enjoyed an epic pumpkin cocktail. That was pre-blog days, so no photo, but I still think fondly of that drink. 

Atmosphere: 
Halcyon is stunning, and the decor parallels their natural approach to cuisine. Some of the tables are made from long slabs of petrified wood, the light fixtures look like bird's nests, and there is a vibe that is at once upscale and woodsy. The restaurant faces the west, so if you come at dusk you can catch a gorgeous sunset over the Queen City.

Earthyyyyy

You seriously do not want to go out to eat with any of us

Locavore Hospitality: 
Halcyon is owned by the Mother Earth restaurant group that also runs Fern, Flavors from the Garden and Something Classic Cafe and catering company. On this visit and on our previous visits, we received top-notch customer service and servers who are attentive and well-informed about the cuisine. 

Frankie's Notes: 
If you go out to eat with bloggers, you just need to accept that your food is gonna get cold before you can eat it; Bird's nest chic is the new black; The way we swooned over the salmon koulbiac you would have thought it was a Backstreet Boys concert circa 1998; Monogrammed butter is how we do fine dining in the south; What is petrified wood so petrified of, pray tell? 

Disclaimer: This meal was provided free of charge in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are our own, and we were not compensated for this review.