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.

 

Bad Daddy's Burger Bar

Background: 
Frank Scibelli, Charlotte restauranteur extraordinaire, opened the first Bad Daddy's on East Boulevard in 2007. In 2015, Scibelli sold the prolific local chain to Colorado-based restaurant group Good Times. There are already a ton in CO, and pretty soon there will likely be locations all over the country. If you have ever visited a Bad Daddy's then you likely are not wondering what all the hype is about--it's freaking delicious! For years, the OG location in Dilworth has been Scallionpancake's favorite place to grab a burger and tots. A few weeks ago, we were invited in to try some of Bad Daddy's finest so we could share them with you all. Read on to check out what we sampled! 

Eat This: 

Fried Pickles

Served with traditional ranch dressing

Bad Daddy's is known for their fried pickles. They are unusual in that they are long slices instead of chips like you see at most restaurants. The breading is slightly spicy and holds up well on the pickles. We had never tried these, and we loved them! Definitely a new go-to order now. 

Nick's Patty Melt

On rye toast with Swiss cheese, grilled onions, mayo, and Dijon mustard

A patty melt is such a classic burger joint order, and this iteration does not disappoint. I ordered mine medium, and it was cooked perfectly--such a pleasant change from most burger places that overcook their patties. What puts this melt over the top is the inclusion of the sweet and savory caramelized onions. 

We must take a moment, however, to talk about the side: TOTS. Hands down, Bad Daddy's has the very best tater tots in town. We will come back again and again just for these. 

Bad Ass Burger

A massive 10 oz. beef patty with house-made American cheese, buttermilk fried bacon, horseradish mayo, lettuce, tomato, and pickle. Lives up to its name in every way!

The Bad Ass Burger is the ultimate on Bad Daddy's menu. When you have the meat shakes and nothing else will do--you've gotta go Bad Ass. Jason switched out the buttermilk fried bacon for regular bacon because he really is the picture of health. This one simple swap basically makes the order a dry salad, calorie wise. The burger is juicy and savory, and satisfies that craving you get when you need a big fat burger and nothing else will do. 

And again: tots = life. If you get the fruit on the side, well, we will need to talk about that, okay? 

Oh yeah, and see that Bad Daddy's sauce? Dipping your tots into that goodness just takes everything to a whole 'nother level. Bad Daddy's sauce is made with mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, and a blend of spices. Seriously, so good. I dip my burger in it, the tots, my fork--basically everything in reach. 

In addition to their speciality burger options, Bad Daddy's also offers create-your-own burgers, chili, and salads. When I don't feel like going full-on, I like to do a create-your-own salad with a grass-fed burger patty. Another thing I love about Bad Daddy's is that they are one of the few restaurants that offers grass-fed options and unusual protein options like buffalo burgers 

Dessert: 
We didn't get dessert because we were stuffed. However, Bad Daddy's offers soft serve with toppings that we have had before, and it's fabulous. 

Way too full to even think about dessert

Drink: 
I love love love the milkshakes at Bad Daddy's! I went with the Oreo shake, because that's a flipping American classic, you know? 

If you aren't a five year old like me, Bad Daddy's also offers tons of local draft beers and a full bar. 

Oreo Milkshake

Heaven

America's favorite cookie, amiright?

Atmosphere: 
We have been to this location in Dilworth, as well as one in Ballantyne. At both locations, the atmosphere is family-friendly and clean. When the weather is nice, we like to sit outside on the patio--there are lots of fans, so it's usually lovely in the Charlotte heat we get 9 months out of the year 

Also, one of the best parts of the Dilworth location is the door to nowhere. Seriously, it's half connected to a wall, so instead of going through it, you can just walk right around it. It's a mystery to us, but we like to walk through it instead of around, just in case it turns into a magical door to Narnia someday. 

Shady & green patio

Hello. Is it me you're looking for?

Medium Rare Hospitality: 
The servers at Bad Daddy's are always polite and efficient. We have never had any issues with service on any of our visits. 

View of the bar

Frankie's Notes: 
Maybe we would eat more salads if we used Bad Daddy's sauce as a dressing; What if exiting through the door to nowhere made all of the calories from tater tots disappear?; What is it about putting potatoes in a cylinder shape that makes them taste like unicorns prancing through fields of pugs?; How many different ways can you cut a pickle?; Jason and I prefer drinks made from Oreos to drinks made from grain alcohol; Bad Daddy's cured all my meat shakes, and it was glorious. 

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. 

 

Brixx Wood Fired Pizza

Is that sky a backdrop?

Background:
Brixx is well-known in the Charlotte area as a dependable spot for delicious wood fired pizzas, as well as pasta, salads, and sandwiches. In addition to North Carolina, Brixx is in ten other states, including our friends right across the border, South Carolina. Brixx kindly invited us out one afternoon a couple of weeks ago for their grand opening in the new Kinglsey neighborhood in Ft. Mill. Kingsley is seriously lovely--it is owned by the Springs family and the design and architecture calls to mind the rich history of textile factories in this area, the most prominent of which was owned by the Springs family themselves. Kingsley is a mixed-use development with shopping, housing, and several restaurants. The Kingsley Brixx is a standout lunch and dinner spot in this already bustling neighborhood. 

All shiny & new

Brixx recently added seven new sandwiches made on focaccia bread, the recipe for which was developed by James Beard Award winner Peter Reinhart, who is basically the supreme god of bread. Seriously, he has his own TED Talk on bread, so his expertise is definitely to be trusted. Check out everything we tried below! 

Eat This: 
In an effort to order outside of the box, we decided to try the Korean BBQ Meatballs for an appetizer. I truthfully did not have high expectations for these--they were Jason's idea, but they were winners! We devoured them in .25 seconds. 

Korean BBQ Meatballs

House made meatballs sautéed in Korean BBQ sauce with fresh pineapple, green onions, sesame seeds, and Sriracha

Meatballs so good that Jason needed to catch his breath

Of course, we had to try one of their new sandwiches. Jason went with the muffuletta. 

Brixx Muffuletta

House-made olive tapenade, shaved prosciutto, pepperoni, & fontina cheese topped with a fresh spring mix dressed with vinaigrette on fresh-baked focaccia

Fortunately, this new Brixx is super close to Jason's work, so we have both been back again already. Brixx Kingsley is quickly becoming our new favorite lunch spot in the Ft. Mill/Rock Hill area. 

On one of these subsequent visits, I tried the new turkey sandwich. I had not been able to stop thinking about it after my blog buddy Stephanie (LifebyChipsAhoyt on Instagram) posted it--her picture made it look so good. And trust me--it's not just the picture. This is an amazing sandwich and now my go-to order at Brixx. 

Turkey & Pecan-Cranberry Chutney

Thick carved turkey with sliced Asian pears and pecan cranberry chutney topped with honey-herb arugula on fresh-baked focaccia

The dressing on this bad boy really makes it. Some turkey sandwiches can veer into the dry territory, but this one doesn't even come close thanks to the vinaigrette and the chutney. I think next time I might even ask for extra chutney on the side, because that's just who I am. Jason has had the mozzarella sandwich a couple of times when he visited with co-workers (no picture--guess he doesn't want to get too "blogg-y" around his work buds. Rude!), and that's his new fave. 

And we can't forget the pizza! Everyone knows Brixx pizza is awesome, but did you know they offer regular and whole wheat crust, and that both of these options are vegan? They also offer vegan cheese if you want to make your whole pie vegan-friendly. I am a card-holding member of Cheese Lovers Anonymous though, so I went with the classic Margherita pizza. 

Margherita Pizza

Fresh, house-made mozzarella, Roma tomatoes, and fresh basil on an olive oil base

The pizza was so good! Looking at it makes me want another one right now. Very few restaurants make their mozzarella in house, so this is a truly special pizza. 

Dessert: 
We didn't have dessert on our visits, but by perusing their menu, I see they have a S'MORES PIZZA! I am definitely getting this on our next trip. Have any of your tried that?! If so, please leave a comment describing it in great detail. Thanks in advance.  

No dessert pizza, but check out this picture of Jason SMIZING! Tyra would be so proud.

Drink: 
Brixx offers 24 craft beers on tap, most of them local. They also offer 14 different varieties of wine and speciality cocktails. We didn't drink on this visit, but since this location is open until 1 am six nights of the week, this would be a great place to grab an evening adult beverage. 

Atmosphere: 
This location of Brixx is much more bright and open than other locations we've visited--there are lots of windows that allow natural light in the dining area. There is also an outdoor seating area that seats sixty people, and it will be amazing once fall rolls around. 

It was shady under there, but since the temperature outside was approximately 200 degrees farenheit, we sat inside.

Wood Fired Hospitality: 
On all of our visits, not just the one where they were expecting us, the servers and hosts/hostesses were so welcoming and friendly. The food comes out super fast, which makes this a great choice for a lunch break during the work week. 

Where the magic happens

Frankie's Notes: 
A comically blue Carolina sky makes your feel like maybe you are living in The Truman Show; Jason orders his tomato and mozzarella sandwiches without tomato because he is a monster; Does Tyra offer an online course in smizing? If so, I would like to enroll ASAP; Ordering meatballs always feels like a gamble, but those tasted like they were made by your Korean Nona; "Grandma's Cooking"/Asian fusion would be a great concept for a restaurant; I will be getting a s'mores pizza for a lunch dessert in the near future; Lunch dessert is a highly underrated activity that I partake in regularly. 

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.