The French Laundry, part 2
Did you read part one? Check it out here!
The French Laundry. It really needs no introduction, but if you would like one: The French Laundry has been named “Best Restaurant in the World” by numerous lists, won beaucoup James Beard awards, and has maintained three Michelin stars since Michelin started reviewing US restaurants in 2006 (I mean, they are no Michigan Pugs, but they are still pretty important). Anthony Bourdain is the man who got me into food, back when I read Kitchen Confidential in 2006, and the man, the myth, the legend himself named it: “The best restaurant in the world, period.” Basically, any person who loves food wants to eat at The French Laundry.
TFL is owned by Thomas Keller, food god extraordinaire. In addition to TFL in Yountville, he owns Per Se in NYC and Bouchon, also in Yountville. He is the currently the proud owner of seven Michelin Stars, when you add these three restaurants together. TFL is where you die and go to heaven, if heaven is a place filled with all variety of cooked duck and terrines and caviar (this heaven is clearly not a heaven for ducks or fish).
Okay. Where were we? Oh yes, our butts are in the fancy TFL cushions, and we are introduced to our spirit guide Gareth, who explains the menu options to us and lets us peruse the fancy ipad wine menu. They use team serving here, so Gareth wasn’t our only server, but he was our main guy. Like many places in CA, TFL does not serve hard liquor. I mean, it’s wine country, so I get the focus on wine, but I was really surprised when TFL and Chez Panisse did not offer cocktails at all. So, we all ordered some wine. I got a sparkling wine, Hamiltoe (Lorin, for the rest of this post, for the sake of being classy around French food) got a Chardonnay, and Jason got a Bordeaux. The cheapest GLASS of wine was $35. Gulp. We don’t know anything about wine, but it was good. It tasted like $35-45 worth of delicious tannins and ABV and leggy mouthfeel...and stuff. Moving on to the food.
The menu arrives personalized to us (“Congratulations to Yvonne and Jason”...our special event, remember?! We added "& Lorin" in sharpie) and describes nine delicious sounding courses. Some of the courses are the only option, and some have a choice of two items (sometimes for an upcharge). Obviously, we all go for the Chef’s Tasting Menu with the meat options, but the Vegetarian Tasting Menu also looks delicious. These are the only two menu options, but we hear a patron at another table asking for a lot of modifications, which the waiter handled with panache. The restaurant will apparently accommodate requests, even when they appear to be beyond all reason. The lady in question had a litany of allergies, ranging from beets to cucumbers to melons--what? Yeah, we eavesdropped. Deal with it. Every day, the options on these two tasting menu change to reflect what is fresh and available. Also, fun facts: no single ingredient is repeated from one dish to the next on a day’s menu, and most of the vegetables are sourced from their own garden on the property.
The menu is very classic French--it is not overly inventive, although it does have some creative options and mild instances of molecular gastronomy. In other words, you would not compare its to The Funky Gourmet--the menu is more traditional comparatively.
Let’s get down to business, shall we?
Amuse Bouche:
These two Amuse Bouche dishes do not change daily, and that’s a great thing, as they are both fantastic. A Salmon Tartare Coronet was the first to arrive: a light and crispy cracker cone filled with creme fraiche, chives, and smoked salmon.
The second Amuse consisted of three piping hot gougéres--light bites of savory pastry blended with gruyere cheese. Delicious! We were giddy with excitement at this point. Bring it on!
First Course
Oysters and Pearls
“Sabayon” of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and White Sturgeon Caviar
Or
Royal Kaluga Caviar ($60.00 supplement)
Alaskan King Crab, Bantam Hen Egg Mousse, Toasted Brioche, and Preserved Horseradish
The Oysters and Pearls is TFL’s most famous dish, and of course we couldn’t miss it. This dish stays on the menu while all the others rotate out. All three of us ordered this, so we can’t speak to the crab/caviar option, but this dish is perfection. The dish comes with the traditional pearl caviar spoon, nestled in a baby dish within two other dishes. The presentation is at once simple and striking.
The sabayon is light and smooth, and the texture of the tapioca, small oysters, and caviar create the most wonderful combination of flavors and mouthfeel. The sabayon has a hint of vanilla, but it’s not sweet, nor strictly savory. The flavor of the oysters and caviar shine through, and it is as though you are tasting each individual flavor as well as the combination. I know, that’s a lot to take it. Basically it tastes like a pug sitting on a cloud weaving gelato out of gold thread while singing your favorite song. We were all completely silent during this course, and the eating was not merely eating--it felt like we were having an experience. We are in one of the most renowned restaurants in the world eating their most famous dish, and we took a moment to soak in the moment. Honestly, this dish alone is worth the cost of admission.
Second Course:
Garden Cucumber Salad
Hawaiian Hearts of Peach Palm, Sicilian Pistachios, Brokaw Avocado, and Tender Garden Herbs
Or
Hudson Valley Moulard Duck Foie Gras “Terrine” ($30 supplement)
Jacobsen Orchard Peaches, Garden Pea Shoots, and Whole Grain Mustard Creme Fraiche
For this course, Lorin and I opted for the salad, while Jason went for the foie gras. Interestingly, the salad was also basically a terrine, as the bottom layer of cucumbers were jellied, with the other ingredients artfully placed atop. I loved this dish, but Lorin was not quite as impressed. I found it light and flavorful, and the blend of smooth jelly and crunch from the fresh vegetables made for an enjoyable take on a salad course.
The foie gras, however, was the better choice here. Its flavor was unmuddled and without any hint of gaminess. The pairing with the peaches was brilliant and brought out the sweetness in the foie gras. At this time, our server brought the bread course, and Jason was given brioche--the perfect accompaniment to the foie gras. Lorin and I chose the sourdough, which is honestly a standout item of the whole evening. The bread is served with farm fresh salted and unsalted butter from Animal Farm in Orwell, Vermont. The foie gras comes with a variety of six sea salts, but Lorin and I definitely broke the rules and experimented with them with our bread and butter. The table favorite is the volcanic salt (the black one).
Third Course:
Sauteed FIllet of Atlantic Striped Bass
Littleneck Clams, Hobbs’ Bacon, Summer Squash, Opal Basil, and Brentwood Corn “Velouté”
The bass is the only option for this course, and while none of us were the most excited for this course, it definitely exceeded our expectations. The fish itself was buttery and flavorful, and it was the perfect size--just enough to leave you wanting more. They kindly swapped out the corn in my dish for a tomato puree.
Fourth Course:
Stonington Maine Lobster “A La Barigoule”
Kettle Garlic Ravioli, Globe Artichokes, Chantenay Carrots, Nicoise Olives, Garden Chervil, and “Barigoule Emulsion”
The lobster was obviously a dish we were psyched for (when is one not psyched for lobster?), and, to be perfectly honest, this is where this review gets difficult, as we were not overly impressed. The flavors were rich, and the emulsion was flavorful, but we all found the lobster chewy and overcooked. We had just had a delicious lobster dish at In Situ a few nights prior, and all we could think of was the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth quality of that lobster compared to this one. It’s not that we didn’t enjoy it--we did. It was just not the caliber of what we expected going in, or from the bar set by the previous dishes.
Fifth Course:
Liberty Farms Pekin Duck
Slow Roasted Garden Beets, Vanilla Infused Sour Apple Purée, Belgian Endive, and Foie Gras “Mignonette”
Or
“Macaroni And Cheese”
Hand-Cut “Macaroni,” Roasted Chicken Wing, Romaine Lettuce, “Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Shaved Australian Black Winter Truffle ($125 supplement)
The duck is a signature TFL dish, so we eagerly anticipated this course. We had tried a copycat version at In Situ, and we were looking forward to try the real deal. The mignonette was served atop the duck, and the fat from the duck liver soaked into the meat to create incredible flavor. However, once again, we found the meat tough. I know, I know--this sounds crazy and improbable. I promise we are not overly difficult to please (maybe difficult, but not overly so), and we didn’t want this scenario to be the case, but it simply was. All three of us were in agreement--this dish was good, but not “blow your mind good,” and we were unanimous that the duck was overly chewy--tough to cut and tough to chew.
We had some regret about not ordering the truffle mac and cheese, but at this point we needed to not add to the price tag of the meal.
Sixth Course:
Charcoal Grilled Snake River Farms “Calotte De Boeuf”
Saucisson “En Persillade,” Early Girl Tomato Confit, Sungold Tomatoes, and “Bearnaise Gastrique”
Or
“Rognon de Veau a la Diable”
Marcho Farms Veal Kidney, Garden Romano Bean, Frisée Lettuce, Bean Blossoms, and “Sauce Dijonnaise”
The calotte is the cut of meat that is wrapped around the ribeye. This dish was delicious--the meat was cooked perfectly and the tomato confit was so sweet and and paired perfectly with the savory meat and bearnaise sauce. The square of sausage served alongside was fatty and rich--we all really enjoyed this dish.
Here’s the strange thing, though--I actually ordered the second dish, the veal kidney. I had never tried veal kidney, and I felt like this would be the time to try it! Lorin and Jason ordered the calotte, but all three of us received this dish. We were all surprised at the mishap...surely these things do not happen at a restaurant of this quality? But they do, of course, and everyone makes mistakes. We didn’t have the heart to tell our server and make a fuss, and the plate was perfection, and one of my favorites. So, it was no hardship to let this go.
Seventh Course:
Andante Dairy “Acapella”
K&J Orchards Figs, Pearson Farms Pecans, and Garden Honey
The cheese course consisted of Andante Dairy Farm’s Acapella goat cheese in a savory rind. The cheese was paired with a buttery, honey flavored madeline. The fig and pecan brought out the sweetness in the cheese, and the madeline added another dimension of texture and flavor. We all really enjoyed this course. Of course, we were getting full, but we couldn’t stop now...it was dessert time.
The menu states “Assortment of Desserts,” and boy, is that an understatement. They should call it an "Assault of Desserts.” It comes fast and furious, and it is overwhelming, but in a great way (I mean, it’s dessert, there is no bad overwhelming when it comes to quantity).
The first dessert was an almond cake paired with strawberries and topped with edible flowers. The cake had a lovely almond flavor, and it was light and easy to finish, despite how full we were. Paired with the cake, they served a caramel pretzel ice cream, which Lorin and Jason loved.
Next came a chocolate bar atop a marsala tart. We were not crazy about this one. The chocolate had a deep dark chocolate flavor and a fudge consistency, but the tart was the let down--we thought it may have been a pop-tart situation, but it was not filled with anything, and the marsala flavor was basically non-existent. There was nothing wrong with this dish overtly, but it was not worth eating when we were so full and so many desserts were still coming out.
Next was another famous TFL dish, the Coffee & Donuts. The coffee was a cappuccino semifreddo--the base was a creamy coffee mousse topped with cappuccino foam, and the donuts were fluffy cinnamon sugar donut holes. This was such a cute and exciting course--we really were marveling over the novelty of this dish, and we were slightly giddy from the sugar high. I nearly finished the semifreddo despite how full I was--it was so delicious.
In rapid succession from the above courses, we were brought raspberry macaroons and chocolate covered macadamia nuts. Despite how delicious these look, they went mostly untouched and were boxed up to go.
Then, our server brought around a fancy wooden box filled with an assortment of gorgeous chocolate truffles. We each got to pick one, although we had the feeling they would have let you have more if you really wanted one, but we were already uncomfortably full. These were very good, and the presentation added another special element to the dessert course.
Whew. And then we were done. As they were boxing up the final remnants of our uneaten desserts, we soaked in the atmosphere for the last few moments of our meal.
When the check came, we expected to be floored, but we also knew the exact amount to be floored by. And once we looked everything over, we were surprised to see we were overcharged...by the cost of one extra tasting meal (ie, uh, hundreds of dollars). Well, this is awkward. Of course Gareth was so apologetic and quickly fixed the error. We really felt for our server--he was such a nice guy and we could feel his embarrassment. Again, not a big deal and mistakes happen, but at this point we were surprised to have two such large mishaps at a world class restaurant.
Finally, they send every guest home with buttery shortbread to enjoy for breakfast the next morning as a sweet reminder of the night before. Also, Executive Chef David Breeden signed our menu so we could take it home as a keepsake--they do this for all guests visiting the restaurant to commemorate a special occasion. We asked if Thomas Keller was in that night, and we were told he wasn’t, but that he still comes in fairly regularly to ensure everything's running smoothly.
And that, friends, is our experience at The French Laundry. Did we love it? We absolutely did. Did we think it lived up to all of the hype? No, not exactly. Lorin, who had never been at a Michelin Star restaurant, felt this way, and both Jason and I, who have been to a few, felt similarly. It is cool to say you have visited TFL, and it is definitely a top culinary experience and I am so glad we got the chance to go. However, Jason and I didn’t feel it stood up to The Funky Gourmet, or Jason’s visit to Eleven Madison Park. The Funky Gourmet, for example, really challenged our perceptions of food and made us excited for new takes on favorite foods, flavors, and creative presentations (see--the picnic course, or the snails dish). There, we also experienced only the most impeccable service, delivered 100% smoothly without any hiccups. TFL didn't have to be more "different" or creative to impress us--we just felt they didn't execute even the classic dishes in a way that justified the price tag. Are we complaining about our visit to TFL? Hardly. Would we go back? In a heartbeat. Was it the best meal we have ever had? No, not for any of us. Lorin felt she had better food at other places in San Fran, which we will be writing up soon!
Frankie’s Notes: Eavesdropping at restaurants is a new hobby; Frankie will now only order $35 glasses of wine and will throw anything cheaper right back at your face; When Lorin eats caviar she is Lorin, when she eats pizza she is Hamiltoe; I would like to name a greyhound Gareth and ride it around The Shire; More restaurants should serve you 37 desserts that you then get to take home and eat the next day; When will I get to try veal liver?
Rating: 5 out of 5 + 1 Michigan Pug
Et Cetera:
6640 Washington Street
Yountville, CA 94599
Monday-Thursday: 5:30-9:15
Friday-Sunday: 11am-1pm 5:30-9:15pm
The French Laundry, part 1
Photo courtesy of Trip Advisor
Looking for part two? Find it here!
Here it is: the long awaited post on The French Laundry. We found out that our friends and family had no patience for the belatedness of this post--and for that we apologize. We have been very busy making up songs about pugs and working on our ukulele duet for the wedding. Also, watching football and The Real Housewives (Jason’s thoughts--thanks a lot Graham Gano; Yvonne’s thoughts--when can I travel to Glamis and go four-wheeling?).
Blogging is hard and takes time away from the television
Well, going to The French Laundry turned out to be a bit of a saga, so let’s start at the beginning.
March 2016--We find out we are going to San Francisco and desire a visit to TFL. We do research and see that you cannot get reservations until 30 days out. We wait. We stalk Thomas Keller on Instagram.
July 16, 2016--At exactly 30 days out, we set alarms on our phones to begin calling TFL right when they open (11:00 am PST, 2:00 EST). We have no luck at all getting through on the phone lines--it is busy all day long. We feel defeated. We refresh OpenTable. We stress eat.
July 17, 2016--We put on our Google hats and figure out that, as with most things in life, rich people do things differently (#liberalelite #newyorkvalues). Proud owners of an American Express Black Card can use their personal concierge service to snag a reservation at TFL for special events. Jason’s Aunt Lynn has a Black Card, and we have a special event (our engagement--it is still special to us almost one year out, ya know? Sure. Whatever it takes). So, we call Aunt Lynn and ever so sweetly ask her to help us out. She ever so sweetly agrees.
We are coming to the party, American Express!
July 31, 2016--Aunt Lynn calls Jason and tells him not to embarrass her by failing to wear a suit or by being late. THIS IS FORESHADOWING.
August 12, 2016--We leave on a jet plane for San Fran with Hamiltoe (see previous post for more Hamiltoe backstory). We feel majorly excited for all the food we are going to eat, but I still overeat on the plane, because I love plane snacks and being on a plane makes me starving. It is my body’s primordial sense that I am going on a journey and will need great amounts of fuel to sustain me. On my past life I traveled the Oregon Trail (I didn’t make it the whole way; I broke 73 wagon wheels and got dysentery). I eat a bag of goldenberries, three servings of Goldfish, and two (okay, three) cookies. We land and go get dinner in Chinatown. Oh, and a pre-dinner bubble tea. I feel very full. Hamiltoe discovers she does not like bubble tea. We feel she is mistaken in this belief.
Tapeworm City
August 15, 2016--We have eaten a lot of things. Now we all feel full. I have felt full since Friday. We are talking the kind of overeating where you wake up still full and disgusted with yourself. We eat a lot this day anyway, because the food is really, really good everywhere you go and what if we never come back here or taste these things again? We walk our way right into the hottest restaurant in San Fran right now, State Bird Provisions. No reservation, no wait. We are so freaking thrilled and we eat our faces off some more.
August 16, 2016 9:00 am--To prepare for our journey to Napa in the evening, I go and get our rental car and take it on a Dangerous Hike Alone (my hobby-copyright pending). I drove in CA and, for the first time, terrorized those on the West Coast with my driving skills. Marin County is beautiful and I drive up a mountain and go above clouds. I think that I would like to never leave here and the temperature is 65 degrees. Jason and Hamiltoe are enjoying the final day of the Xero Conference. They network and get swag. We plan to convene at 4:30.
August 16, 2016 4:30--We all meet on time and are ready to leave by 5:00, our agreed upon time. We feel pretty great about ourselves. We are fancy and going to a fancy place and we are actually not as full as usual because we finally didn’t eat four meals before dinner in preparation for this night. We are leaving at 5:00 for a 7:00 reservation, and Google Maps says it will take an hour and thirty minutes to get to Napa from our AirBnB in San Fran. We are on time. We are responsible.
August 16, 2016 4:45--We are in gridlock traffic. Not the kind we are familiar with in Charlotte, where you can occasionally move the car forward in the direction of the place at which you wish to arrive. The car is not moving. It does not move for 30 minutes. I start freaking out pretty hardcore, and Hamiltoe gets to witness Freak Out Yvonne. I try to save her for family and Jason, but she comes out.
August 16, 2016 5:45--We are still in downtown San Fran. Lorin and I have taken numerous milligrams of xanax and I have been ordered to do a crossword to calm down and stop bothering the other passengers (namely, Jason and Hamiltoe).
It's fine.
August 16, 2016 6:00--We are still in *&%^!@# downtown San Fran. The possibility of missing the 7:00 reservation seems very real. We decide that someone should call. We decided the person should be Hamiltoe (Hamiltoe had nothing to do with this decision).
August 16, 2016 6:15--We are actually moving on the highway headed to Napa, but the reservation is in 45 minutes and we are still pretty much an hour and a half away because we managed to drive one and a half miles in an hour and fifteen minutes. Hamiltoe calls and we find out she has the nicest speaking voice of all time. She is a champ. She explains our predicament, and the Powers That Be are very accommodating. “Absolutely, so will you be here around 7:15, then?” “Um. Actually closer to 8:00.” Note that not even this ridiculously late hour is the true time we will get there. They say “See you soon.”
August 16, 2016 6:23--Spirits are lifted and traffic is still moving! The Xanax is kicking in hard! We sing along to the Backstreet Boys and Adele. Star 101.3 is the bomb. We bond.
Here's the mail, it never fails
August 16, 2016 8:25--We arrive at The French Laundry. The building is a quaint house located on a residential street with other houses. The kitchen is an adjacent house, and you can see the chefs working as you walk in the door. No one makes us feel weird about being the rudest people on the planet, but we are seated upstairs right next to the bathrooms. We are not sure if this was always our slated location, but we are grateful to be sitting where we imagine famous butts have sat. Seriously. Think about it. My butt might have sat where Obama or Barbra Streisand's butt sat. WHOA.
Photo courtesy of Travel & Leisure Magazine, as we were too busy sprinting inside to get this picture
To be Continued...
Read part two here!
Frankie’s Notes: When you are late all the time, but then ONE time you try REALLY hard not to be late but are still late = major life fail; We are wondering what else Aunt Lynn’s Black Card can do; We really bonded with Hamiltoe over prescription drugs and pop music; Crosswords are proven to ease anxiety by 41%; Having a good phone voice like Hamiltoe is my life goal; Ollie’s favorite famous butt is Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s.
Icy Margaritas & Hot Salsa: Mexican Eats in the Queen City
This article also appeared in the September/October 2016 edition of Epicurean Charlotte magazine.
It’s official: Mexican food is having a moment. #TacoTuesday has entered the lexicon, we all can breathe a sigh of relief knowing avocados that are the “good kind” of fat, and absolutely nothing beats a mid-week margarita. Here’s our roundup of the current best spots in your neighborhood to dine on delicious Mexican cuisine. Looking for a quick spot to grab tacos before heading back to work? A place to share a pitcher of margaritas with friends? We’ve got you covered!
The New Kid on the Block: Babalu Tapas and Tacos (Dilworth)
Just when you thought East Boulevard’s restaurant scene could not get any more relevant, there is, as they say at Babalu, “a new guac on the block.” Babalu, located in the former Cantina 1511 location, is a tacos and tapas joint located in several Southeastern cities, and now Charlotte is getting in on the party. Babalu’s distinction from other Mexican joints is that they offer more than just tacos; their menu pulls from Cuban, Spanish and Southern cuisine, so don’t be afraid to come here and order a Baba Burger, a Torta Cubano or even the Creole Shrimp and Grits.
If you are looking for more typical Mexican fare, Babalu adeptly serves up blue corn tortilla tacos, salsa and all of the usual suspects.
Let’s talk guac: It would be a crime to come here and not get the tableside guacamole. Want to add jalapeños and bacon? Oh, do you ever. Once you’ve tried bacon in your guacamole, you’ll know that every other guacamole in your life has been missing a critical element. This combination just works, plain and simple.
Don’t skip the... desserts. From Mexican fudge to Pineapple Rum Empanadas served with ice cream from the soon-to-open Golden Cow Creamery, you’ll definitely want to save room for dessert.
Tip: The margaritas here are of the super sweet variety, so maybe go for beer or wine if that’s not your thing.
Best Choice for a Night Out with Friends: Bakersfield (Dilworth)
Don’t deny it, when you’re driving down East Boulevard, you’ve noticed the party that’s happening inside of Bakersfield. On nice days, their windows are open wide, you hear great music coming from inside and can see all of the happy, tipsy people enjoying their chips and salsa. If you’ve ever joined said party, you know that Bakersfield is more than just a pretty face. Their menu is focused and authentic, the tacos are well-seasoned, and they have a wide selection of beers on tap if you aren’t feeling tequila.
Let’s talk guac: While the guacamole isn’t made tableside at Bakersfield, it’s still a showstopper. The spices are bold and the texture is perfect—no overly puréed avocados here!
Don’t skip the... Queso dip. You can add black beans, chorizo or house-pickled jalapeños. Where most queso dips are the equivalent of heated cheese whiz, this version is real, melty cheese with a spicy kick.
Tips: The bartenders are mixing up wonderfully strong margaritas that will cure what ails you—Taco Tuesday or any other day of the week.
Best Choice for a Mid-week Lunch: Anita’s Mexican Grill (Yorkmont/Airport Area)
Don’t let Anita’s exterior fool you. Yes, it shares a parking lot with a gas station. No, you can’t get margaritas here, and it’s not exactly designed for lingering over your chips and salsa. What you can get, however, is authentic and super fresh Mexican food. The tortillas are handmade, and they serve their tacos simply, with crisp onions and an abundance of fresh cilantro.
The service is quick and friendly, and the interior, while very clean, is stark. You don’t come here for the ambiance—you come (and stay) for the tasty Mexican fare at reasonable prices.
Their portions aren’t lacking, either. Your tacos will come with enough meat inside to feed a family of three—or a hungry nurse or construction worker on their lunch break. Anita’s closes early (5:00 pm), but they open early as well, if you have a hankering for Chorizo con Huevos.
Let’s talk guac: The guacamole at Anita’s is good, but simple—no fancy mix-ins here. It’s also a bit on the smooth side, if you prefer your guacamole chunky (guilty as charged).
Don’t skip the... Chorizo queso dip.
Tip: Try to come at an off time if possible, as the line can get pretty intense during peak lunch hours.
Best Choice for a Late Night Snack: Vida Vida (Uptown)
Vida Vida is the more casual cousin of its sister restaurant, Vida, both located in the Epicentre. Vida Vida occupies prime real estate from their corner spot, which looks out onto Trade and College Streets and all the happenings of the Epicentre. While Vida Vida might not be the most authentic option for Mexican in the Queen City, the menu certainly offers some fun and tasty options, like the Mexican Tots, which are tater tots served in the style of nachos, with chipotle queso, crema, pico de gallo and jalapeños.
The tacos at Vida Vida run the gamut, from Mexican (carnitas and red chile chicken) to the decidedly not (Philly Cheesesteak, Asian Shrimp). Don’t expect to be blown away by the food here, but you can certainly expect flavorful tacos with a fun vibe. This is easily the best option for reasonably-priced food in the Epicentre, but keep in mind that a big draw here is the atmosphere. This includes some of the best people watching in Uptown, great music and a lively bar area—including a massive Fishbowl Margarita that’s perfect for sharing with friends.
Let’s talk guac: Their guacamole is a little on the bland side. Stick with the salsa or queso.
Don’t skip the... Spicy Jalapeño Margarita.
Tip: Vida Vida is open late, so come here for fuel before heading out on the town, or before heading home.
Best Place for a Meal with the Family: Azteca (Woodlawn Area)
Azteca serves up authentic Mexican cuisine in more than generous portions, and don’t forget the fabulously strong margaritas. But I know what you’re thinking, isn’t that the restaurant attached to the Days Inn hotel? Yes, yes it is, and apparently, that’s just fine, because the food here is solid and the people of Charlotte know it—this location is always bustling. The service is fast and polite, and the atmosphere is authentic enough to make you forget you’re in a restaurant attached to a hotel.
Azteca’s menu is huge, but don’t get overwhelmed—it’s all tasty. Staff and patron favorites include Pollo con Crema, Chile Relleno and the Fajitas.
Let’s talk guac: The guacamole is made tableside and it’s to die for. The seasonings and mix-ins are added with a liberal hand, which is a great thing. If you’re not into spice, you can, of course, customize the guac to your liking, so you can’t really go wrong. Make sure to tip your hard working guacamole mixologist!
Don’t skip the... Arroz con Pollo.
Tip: Azteca is great if you’re looking for bang for your buck. Come hungry and still be prepared to take home leftovers.
Best Mexican Fusion: Sabor Latin Street Grille (Elizabeth)
Sabor is brought to you by the owners of Three Amigos, another great Mexican joint located in Plaza Midwood. Hence the name, Sabor offers more variety due to being Latin versus simply Mexican, but it’s far and away one of the best spots in Charlotte to grab a taco or burrito. Standout Latin options include the arepas and empanadas. Another favorite? The Elote Loco—corn on the cob lightly-coated with mayo, cotija cheese and sprinkled with chili powder.
Sabor also offers a salsa bar, with options ranging from verde to super spicy roja, which you can check out while you wait. If you go during the lunch rush, you’ll be waiting. Sabor is no longer a well-kept secret, and the owners are responding by expanding all around the city, including a newly-opened spot in NoDa.
Let’s talk guac: The avocado flavor shines with simple seasonings—a must try.
Don’t skip the... Dominican Nachos. Yucca fries are covered in shredded chicken, sautéed cabbage, pico de gallo, cotija cheese and rosada sauce.
Tip: The ultimate #TacoTuesday is at Sabor, featuring $1 tacos all day long.
Best Places to Eat in San Francisco
Cue Full House music
Ahoy, Scallionpancake readers! We have had an extremely busy summer of eating and catching pokemon. And for one of these reasons, some of our favorite pants no longer fit (Jigglypuff catches Jigglypuff—very meta). Seriously, we have been so busy with traveling, weddings, and Grandma hang time that we have only been home about three full weeks since May. Hence, we have SO MANY yummy things to share with you.
Oh my god that is hurtful
Let’s start with an overview of our latest trip—San Francisco! This was half of Javon’s first trip in California, so we were so damn excited to eat and explore everything. Ostensibly, this trip was a work trip for Jason and his lovely co-worker Lorin to attend an accounting software conference (#xerocon), but we definitely did not let this deter us from having a truly awesome vacation together. In that spirit, this post is dedicated to Lorin (AKA Hamiltoe, AKA Peanut Butter Hamiltoe), who put up with our antics for nine full days. This includes sharing a one bedroom Airbnb with us and sleeping on a pullout couch, being awoken at 7:00 am every day to Jason’s wide repertoire of songs about pugs, and no shortage of our Jewish bickering. Bless her heart--and I mean this in the real way, not the backhanded southern way. Seriously, she is a saint. Oh, and now she has to come to therapy with us as a witness to our ineffable variety of insanity.
Come and knock on our door
Best Place to Meet a Saudi Arabian Oil Magnate: The French Laundry
No, your eyes do not deceive you--Jason’s awesome Aunt Lynn managed to score us a reservation at one of the hardest places to get a reservation in the world. They never would have let three peons like us in without Lynn’s help, so all credit goes to her. We were so hyped to go to TFL, and then it took us an hour and a half just to get on the Bay Bridge--yup: we were late. This should come as no shock if you know us, but seriously. We left with what we thought was thirty minutes of padding. Apparently S.F. traffic requires an hour and a half padding. I was having a full blown panic attack as we sat in gridlock traffic, and Lorin became acquainted with a good, old-fashioned Yvonne freak out. I had to take a xanax and do a crossword, which is the only cure for my crazy.
No chill while in traffic
Once we finally made it to Yountville (just outside of Napa), we were transported to Le France. Yes, we got to try the famed “Oysters and Pearls” dish, enjoy the cheapest glass of wine on the menu at $32, and breathe in glorious Thomas Keller air. One of the best parts, though, was the people watching. Is that a preview of the full review and distribution of Michigan Pugs? Maybe.
Best Pizza: Golden Boy Pizza
Why am I putting this directly under The French Laundry? Um, because it is that good. We ate this pizza on our last night in San Fran (on my, gulp, thirtieth birthday) after eating some really smeh pizza on an earlier night. We were staying right in Little Italy, so we knew that we could not leave without doing it right. And oh, did we ever do it right. Golden Boy is open until 2am, so it is known as being “drunk pizza,” but that is not because you need to be drunk to appreciate it. It’s just that one or two cocktails really elevates the experience of waiting in line outside, hoping to god that no one takes the last slice of clam & garlic--they make the pizzas continually until 2am, but by the time you are up to order, the last thing you want to do is extend your wait.
This thick, focaccia style pizza is truly nirvana. I think this is the one time during the trip when we are all quiet for fifteen minutes. We ate in silence at the counter and watched the Giants game, and had a truly San Francisco experience (Golden Boy has been open since 1978!). Jason had to physically restrain me from finishing his slice and buying another piece. You hear that? It got physical. Don’t miss this pizza.
All signs point to greatness
Best Place to Get Caffeinated: Blue Bottle Coffee
Lorin and I are sincerely depressed that we do not have coffee that even approximates the glory of Blue Bottle Coffee in Charlotte. Their claim to fame is their siphon coffee, but seriously everything is good here--lattés, drip coffee, delicious almond butter and avocado toasts, and even pastries from the geniuses at Tartine (match made in heaven, right there). We went to Blue Bottle more mornings than not, and truly nothing compares. As Lorin said, we are ruined for all other coffees forever. Sad face. They do ship/offer a subscription box, though!
That lady in the background is like, "Holy $%!* this is good coffee!"
Best Ice Cream: Humphry Slocombe
Bomb Diggity. Jason died twelve times over their Malted Milk Chocolate Flavor, and Lorin loved the Salted Watermelon Sorbet and the Harvey Milk + Honey Graham. We tried them out at their Ferry Building location, but I just found out that they have a location in the Mission District as well. Um, that’s one time/probably four hours straight we missed out on eating dessert in San Fran, and that is SICK. We simply do not miss ice cream opportunities. Brb, buying a plane ticket back now.
Did ancient aliens make this ice cream?
Best Pastries: Tartine
Just kidding! We totally ate dessert in the Mission District. You cray. The neighborhood staple Tartine certainly lives up to the hype and numerous cookbooks. We waited in the famous line around the block and it was so worth it. We tried two of their well-vetted pastries: the morning bun and the chocolate croissant. I have so many regrets that we did not order more delicious pastries, or try some of their bread, which comes fresh out of the oven at 4:00. Or the bread pudding. Or the croque monsieur. Or the banana tart. You get the idea.
![No picture from Tartine, but here is a short bio about us: "Some pig[s]"](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55cbe361e4b07fb58f98f398/1471953053029-LDWMMEC3RU8CVRIMO336/image-asset.jpeg)
No picture from Tartine, but here is a short bio about us: "Some pig[s]"
Best Asian Snack Combo: Boba Guys & anywhere in Chinatown
S.F. has the biggest Chinatown in the US, and this was so very exciting for Jason and me. Less so for Lorin, who was a little terrified of our choices (she doesn’t like boba, but we love her anyway). I had done my research on Boba Guys weeks out--they don’t use any powders or artificial colors in their milk tea. Everything is straight up, natural and fabulous. Our favorites? lychee green tea with grass jelly & horchata matcha latte with almond jelly (both jellies are housemade, whattt).
Best thing to pair with a bubble tea? An egg tart or a taro bun from any spot in Chinatown. We also found a cool spot called Minamoto Kitchoan near midtown that was awesome--all of their treats were imported directly from Japan, and they were pricey, but the few we tried were tasty--they even had a few things we hadn’t seen before, like tsuya and shirabe cookies and various jellies.
We brought the fat kid fun home to the Queen City
Frankie’s Notes: It’s all fun and games until none of your pants fit; Lorin and I might be sister wives and just let Jason visit occasionally; YOU GUYS, THERE ARE SO MANY POKEMON IN SAN FRAN; Getting across the bridge to escape the city can take years off of your life; Thomas Keller air smells like duck fat and angels sitting on a cloud; We got into a car accident in an Uber, but we all lived to eat another day.
Bestos
The Flipside
Grandma with the skeptical fork stance
Background: Chefs Jon and Amy Fortes decided to open a restaurant together after years in the business. They own two locations of The Flipside, The Flipside Restaurant in downtown Rock Hill and The Flipside Cafe in Ft. Mill. The Fortes’ also run a very active catering business under the same name, and they have the distinct honor of catering the #javonwedding in December, so, clearly, we are fans. Read on to see why.
Eat This: We have only eaten at the Rock Hill location, so our review will focus on their offerings.
It’s good bread city here. First, they have complimentary homemade peach butter served with their yummy sourdough bread. Eat thirteen pieces of this, then:
The Greatest Thing to Ever Happen
MOAR BREAD: You have got to go order the UAV Ricotta & Mozzarella Pull Apart Bread. Seriously. It should be the very next thing you put in your mouth after you read this. Delicious sourdough with PEPPERONI SAUCE and basil oil. You will probably be too full to eat anything after this, so plan accordingly.
Huh?
Also a hit under the appetizer category, Amy’s Pimento Cheese served with warm pretzels.
But my favorite starter, or main dish if you just ate your weight in bread, is their tomato soup. Tomato soup is one of my favorite things and theirs is perfection. It’s well seasoned, and topped with crystallized basil and grilled cheese croutons. Yes, they sandwich cheddar cheese in between two sourdough croutons. The sweetness of the basil paired with the salty soup is simply, heaven in a bowl.
Is that crystallized basil, or are you just happy to see me?
Their burrata salad is also standout, and they usually have a fun twist on it--right now they are offering a strawberry beer-rata version (beer infused burrata cheese). Grandma ordered it and was not impressed, but have you read Grandma’s take on all restaurants HERE? Regardless of Grandma’s feelings on exotic cheese, Flipside is one of the few restaurants she will still agree to visit, so that’s saying something.
Their lunch sandwiches are also creative and delicious. They have a Pressed Ham and Cheese, served with prosciutto, brie, and fig jam on a pretzel bun and a Crab Cake BLT with arugula fennel salad and tomato jam served on brioche.
When it comes to dinner offerings, Flipside offers a great deal where you can get an appetizer, main course, and dessert for $30. Not bad at all!
Our favorite main courses have been the Heritage Farms Pork Loin with sweet potato spaetzle (although the spaetzle was on the bland side) and the Hot Coal Grilled NY Strip with tasso ham and mushroom mac & cheese.
Grilled NY Strip...treat yo self!
Dessert: The desserts are the one area where we feel Flipside can go pretty wrong. We had one particularly awful experience with a chocolate torte with a citrus sauce that just did.not.work. At all. As in, you couldn’t really eat it. Actual Grandma quote: "If I served this to you all, you would think I was creepy."
On our last visit with our dear friends Tamara and Zander (#tander), we decided to try four of the desserts, which threw our waitress into a vortex of confusion.
Here was the conversation:
Us: We would like [these four desserts].
Her: WOW. Okay.
Us: …
Her: So you want *incredulous tone* [lists all desserts].
Us: Yeah...
You could try Sears?
Yeah, she said "Wow," alright. LOUD AND CLEAR, LADY. Cue everyone feeling weird over what could only be termed collective fat shaming. Four desserts for four people is not that bad, right? Is that unheard of? We didn’t know how to feel.
Awkward service snafus aside, these desserts were better than on our previous visits. The Maple Bourbon Banana Creme Brulee was a table favorite, as well as the Sticky Toffee and Apple Bread Pudding. We had high hopes for the Strawberry Pistachio Cake, but it was on the bland side, and included a fake, bright red strawberry sauce.
Maple Bourbon Banana Creme Brulée
Drink: The Flipside offers a full bar and some great local drafts.
Atmosphere: The atmosphere at the Rock Hill location is lovely: nice lighting, cozy booths, and shady patio area.
Southern Hospitality: Minus the dessert encounter detailed above, our service at Flipside has been mostly wonderful. We have also seen owner Emily a few times, and she always stops by the table and checks on us (and Grandma, especially). She is super sweet!
Grandma: not amused.
Frankie’s Notes: Downtown Rock [Thrill] is a throwback to the 1950s; You will tell Grandma that burrata is cheese four times and she will not believe you until the dish is placed in front of her; peach butter is medicinal and should probably be slathered all over everything; When the waitress is shocked that you are eating so much sugar so you go home and do 45 sad crunches; Our wedding is going to have THE BEST food, thanks to Flipside!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Et Cetera:
The Flipside Restaurant:
129 Caldwell Street
Rock Hill, SC 29730
The Flipside Cafe:
3150 Highway 21 North
Ft. Mill, SC 29715
Babalu
Background: Babalu is opening in Dilworth TODAY in the old Cantina 1511 spot. This tacos and tapas joint is a chain located in several southeastern cities, and now Charlotte is getting in on the party. Owners Bill Latham and Al Roberts named their restaurant after Ricky Ricardo's number one jam, so we were predisposed to like this place.
Eat This: Scallionpancake (plus Adam, aka A-Dizzle) was able to get the inside scoop this Saturday (#fancy #bigstars #thepress). We were ordering from a limited menu, but everything we tried was pretty darn good!
Adam "don't put me on the internet" Ackerman
The table side guacamole is the jam. Do you want them to add jalapeños and bacon? You bet your sweet behind you do. Bacon is an excellent addition to guacamole and we are gutted to have not heard of this one day sooner.
Ooh yeah girl run that game
To round out our starters, we also ordered the Yellowfin Tuna Ceviche. This was fresh and citrusy--ceviche high fives all around.
How I love le poisson
For entrees, you can choose from tapas, tortas, or tacos (alliteration station). We tried two of the tacos and two of the tapas options--but the Torta Cubana kept going by our table and we had some major ordering regret--next time, for sure.
For the tacos, we tried the Carne de Cerdo (pork belly) and the Ostra (fried gulf oysters). They serve these babies on your choice of blue corn or flour tortillas. The blue corn was a nice touch, but the Brothers Ackerman both proclaimed their tacos a bit on the dry side.
![PSA: Things that are from the gulf are [probably] cool to eat now! ](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55cbe361e4b07fb58f98f398/1469485908526-0EQWRZM8LIIETLRVY88H/image-asset.jpeg)
PSA: Things that are from the gulf are [probably] cool to eat now!
Blue Velvet Corn Tortillas
Under the tapas section, we sampled the Costillas--smoked baby back ribs with a sweet pepper glaze served atop a cilantro vinegar slaw. This dish was the winner of the afternoon. The ribs were seasoned and cooked perfectly, and the slaw lightened up the flavor profile.
"I want my..."
Right before we left, the servers offered an orphaned Seared Sesame Crusted Tuna served on a jicama round, which we were more than happy to take off their hands. This was a lovely little dish--the tuna had great flavor and the jicama kept it light and healthy.
Artsy low-carb tuna
Babalu is not really Mexican--it has shades of Mexican, along with Cuban, Spanish, and Southern elements. The menu has a lot to offer--but not so much that you are overwhelmed.
Desserts: All of the dessert options looked baller, but we could only choose one. I made the executive decision (bossy) and chose the Spicy Mexican Fudge. These are served in three, perfectly bite-sized pieces and are dusted with cayenne, crushed pepitas, tajin (chili powder, lime and salt seasoning), and powdered sugar. Yum.
Chocolate fudge alert
Drink: Adam and I each tried a cocktail--he got their signature Baba-rita (a margarita made with POM juice) and I tried the Mojarita (a margarita with mint). There was nothing about these that was offensive, but we didn't love either of them. Too sweet, not strong enough. Ricky Ricardo would have made his displeasure with such a drink known, for sure (AY YI YI).
"Why you always singing that baby-lu?"
Atmosphere: For anyone who had been in the old Cantina 1511 space, you will be blown away by the changes they have made to the interior. They took a poorly lit and awkwardly laid out space and made it light, bright, and fun. They have a mix of bar seating, high tops, and booths, and they project a film on one of their walls (on Saturday it was a black and white Western--a super fun touch). They also have colorful concert posters lining the walls along the ceiling.
One of the best parts about Cantina 1511 was their patio, and Babalu has only made it better--the patio will be open year-round, rain or shine, thanks to a retractable roof and sides.
Mexi-Cuban Southern Hospitality: The service we received was top notch! I hope it stays that way past the soft opening. Everyone was exceedingly friendly and the food came out quickly.
Frankie's Notes: Jason feels really cool and a little embarrassed going places with our big, fancy camera; Yay for Kid Cashew not being the only thing people are talking about on East Boulevard; Do you think that Johnny from Lebowski's trivia will go to Babalu with us one day? Asking for Jason & Daniela; Ricky Ricardo's best song was far and away "Cuban Pete"--no disagreements allowed; Ricky would have thrown a weak, sugary drink right in Lucy's face, both because they had a violent relationship and because the 50s were a bad time for women in America; But seriously: why couldn't Lucy be in the show?
Chick-chicky-boom
Best Restaurants in Charlotte - Summer 2016 Edition
Since we are famous bloggers now - at least to our parents - we often get asked difficult questions: What is your favorite restaurant in Charlotte? Where should I take my grandma who wants to go to a hip place that isn't too loud? When should I tell my boyfriend I'm pregnant and what restaurant should we go to after to cry? Well, without further ado, here are our top picks for summer 2016...
Best place for date night: Soul in Plaza Midwood
Salmon nigiri with fresh wasabi
y, tho?: #Javon had their first date at Soul, so clearly this is our top pick for a romantic night out. The mood lighting is spot on, their food is good, and it’s the perfect opportunity to show how adventurous you are (Rocky Mountain Oysters, google it). No one likes a picky eater--do you want a life partner or do you want to eat chicken fingers alone for the rest of your life? Man up and get the bone marrow.
You might have to wait for a table, but this is your chance to have one of their baller cocktails and find out whether or not you picked a Tinder nightmare. If you’re lucky, you will share a first kiss in the CVS parking lot.
Top menu item? You can’t go wrong with their signature item, the Pork Belly Tacos. Shoutout to the sushi.
Best place for a lady date: Dean & Deluca
The spoils of a girl celebration or commiseration
y, tho? My girls know I have to shout out our #squad’s favorite watering hole. Why is it the perfect spot to celebrate a good day or commiserate over a shitty day? You can linger for hours, munch your way around the store, laugh/cry a little, and you are likely going to want to drink away some feelings. Here’s one suggested itinerary: make two (minimum) rounds of all the free samples, purchase a bottle of wine and procure some plastic cups, eat a lot of bulk bin candy, buy a panini, buy another bottle of wine, buy more candy, call your significant other and tell them you are going to miss dinner and they shouldn’t wait up.
Do you feel disappointed that we picked a chain? Well, cheer up, buttercup, because we are lucky to have (count ‘em) three locations of this New York-based chain--the only others in the US are in California and...Kansas (we are as confused as you are).
Top menu item? A dry white wine paired with naturally colored gummy bears, obviously.
Runner up? Foxcroft Wine Bar in Dilworth (get the donuts).
Best place for a man date: Seoul Food Meat Company
Chicarrones
y, tho? Not to perpetuate a stereotype, but most dudes like meat. Most ladies do, too, but lest I digress from my category...Seoul is a nice place for the men in your life to bond over a platter of meat, soju, and K-pop. The atmosphere is chill and the food comes out quickly. Perfect opportunity to bond, eat, and get out to go home and watch sports in bed in your boxers. Livin’ the dream. Read our review of their soft open here.
Top menu item? Green Tea Biscuits!!11!! We each shed a single tear over these beauties.
Best place to take your parents: The Summit Room
Deviled eggs, with flare
y, tho? Your parents want something safe. It’s true 98% of the time. Yvonne’s mom Bea likes Futo Buta, but it’s a long shot for a lot of parental types. Go for the sure thing. The Summit Room has a lovely atmosphere and patio, amazing cocktails, and sure-fire menu items that are guaranteed to please your parents’ sometimes picky palates. Read our full review here.
Runner up? Roosters in Southpark or Uptown
Best place to go on a Sunday: TIE--Super G Mart & Ru Sans
Literally not going tomorrow YOU CAN'T MAKE ME
y, tho? It is so nice to begin a week on a note of good sushi or bubble tea. Also, Ru Sans tends to not be as crazy crowded on Sunday, and who feels like cooking when you have the Sunday Scaries? Not me. I never cook on Sundays because I am too busy freaking out about my unfinished lesson plans and grading, so I have to lie in bed for a long time contemplating my life choices. Duh.
Super G Mart is where we go for #HoneyBunSundays. Inside of Super G Mart (an oasis located off of the wasteland of Independence) there is a cafe called Honey Bun’s. Here they have delights including taro buns, bahn mi, fried rice, pho, and other wonders. Wandering around a large Asian market and looking at foreign candy and durian is a great way to distract you from the fact that you have to go to FREAKING WORK the next day. Ew.
Top menu item? Ru Sans: Curry Rice Ball & Honey Bun’s: Almond Milk Tea with Boba
Best place to go when you wanna feel healthy AF: Chopt
Oh dis beautiful
y, tho? Another chain, but seriously: Chopt is the best thing to come from New York since Jason moved back home from NYU. The salads are huge, actually healthy (unlike some takeout salads), and customizable. You can specify how much dressing you would like, just how chopped you want your salad, and all of the toppings. What is it about chopping that makes a salad so much more appealing? This place gets crazy busy with lululemon cult members around lunch time, so plan your visits accordingly.
Top menu item? The freaking tea! So good. Top off the organic green tea with the raspberry lemonade for a hint of sweetness.
Best place to go for brunch: littleSpoon
And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak
y, tho? littleSpoon straight up innovates on their menu. There is not another brunch place in town that offers such creative and delicious menu offerings. They serve a solid mix of standard brunch fare, southern favorites, and healthier items. And who doesn’t like a side of hardcore rap with their morning meal?
Top menu item? Cinnamon brûlée toast & pork belly bacon.
Best place for pizza: Blaze
y, tho? Yvonne is constantly on the search for the best pizza, because she loves pizza almost as much as she loves saltines (#deathrowmeal). She used to be a devotee of Fuel (much to the chagrin of her friends), but Blaze blows Fuel out of the water, plus the chain is partly owned by LeBron James (Ohio pride + sportiness = win/win).
Runner up? Intermezzo in Midwood
Best place to take out of town guests when you want to prove that Charlotte is the shit: Fahrenheit
YAY FOOD AND PRETTY VIEWS
y, tho? If you visit Fahrenheit and don’t take a picture on their rooftop deck with the Charlotte skyline in the back, did you even go? No, definitely not. You were at home being friendless and hopelessly uncool, so for the love of god TAKE THAT COUPLE SHOT. Take two for good measure.
Oh yeah, the food is good, too. Our favorites include the Charlotte “Nachos,” the Kobe Beef Short Rib Steamed Buns, and the Lobster Mac.
Runner up? Passion8 in Elizabeth
Best place to take Grandma: Nowhere. Literally no where.
Like, I'll go to The Punch Room, but I'm not gonna like it
y, tho? Actual Grandma quote: “You know, I was thinking, and there is really no place I like to eat anymore. There’s just nothing that's any good.” Solution? Grandma will just cook, and that’s the best cuisine in Charlotte/Ft. Mill, hands down.
Top Grandma dish? Chocolate pie. Only available on birthdays.
Frankie’s Notes: Identity crisis: are we still allowed to have a food blog if we like so many chains?; Eating fried beef testicles will either cement your love and lifetime devotion to adventurous eats, or have you driving to an Olive Garden together ASAP; Sundays are for lovers & freaking out; #sundayscaries; LeBron can ball AND sell pizza--what do you do?; Yvonne does the saltine challenge just for fun; If you go to Grandma’s and try to "order" a chocolate pie, she will cut you and press her life alert. Unless it’s your birthday, of course.
Comida
Background: Comida, opened in March of this year, is the second Charlotte project from Alesha Sin Vanata, owner of littleSpoon. Comida is located in Plaza Midwood, in the old Penguin location. They have completely gutted and revamped the space, but they did leave the original penguin sign outside, which is a great nod to Charlotte history, as so many natives feel very nostalgic about this spot. Scallionpancake loves littleSpoon, so expectations were high for Comida.
Eat This: Comida’s menu focuses on small plates, but the menu itself is rather difficult to read. Like littleSpoon’s menu, they use the clipboard format, but there are about 5 pages of items, which makes the search rather overwhelming.
What’s crystal clear? You must order the chips and guacamole. This typically goes without saying at a Mexican restaurant, but here the chips are aptly described as “chewy,” which, it turns out, is a delicious way to prepare them. Their refried “beans” are also quite good and healthier than the average fare--they are made with refried lentils and queso fresco. Not particularly healthy, but really good? The Chicharrones. Just make sure to ask for extra hot sauce. Note--these are the puffed wheat version of chicharones--no pork here.
The Nachos Jardin is also deliciously different--topped with crispy kale and cauliflower and melty queso. These make a great main dish, even though they are listed as an appetizer.
The tacos were passable; there was nothing stand-out about them, however. They do have a Nopales (cactus) taco, which is a nice and unusual addition. To be fair, on both of our visits, no one in our party got a main dish other than tacos--we made a meal of the appetizers, tacos, and delicious cocktails.
Bottom line: littleSpoon changed the brunch game in Charlotte, and Comida falls far below that bar. To compare it to another Mexican joint? We would rather have Sabor. Solid “mehs” all around.
Desserts: Oh yeah, we ate all the desserts on the menu, too. Would you expect anything less? We had a delicious chia seed ice cream topped with cubes of pumpkin bread pudding, and a custard with jellied fruit topped with popcorn. These were both fabulous.
Drink: The cocktail selection is large and in charge. My favorite is the Tamarind Margarita. I always feel like there is too little tamarind in my life, so I appreciated the option. Some of the cocktails were far too sweet, like the Paloma and the Watermelon Jalapeno Margarita.
Atmosphere: When we went, the patio was not yet open, though I am sure it is now. I think sitting outside would certainly help the atmosphere--inside was a bit cramped and freezing. Cool elements? Astroturf accents, an awesome bar, and an open kitchen. Totally revamped from Previous Penguin Style (PPS).
Mexican Hospitality: Eh. Our service on both visits, from the hostesses to the servers, was rather snotty. We often get this attitude at littleSpoon, too. Maybe that’s what the management is going for? #toocoolforschool
Frankie’s Notes: We would wait 30 minutes for littleSpoon, but not for Comida; Menus should incorporate more chia and tamarind; If you put kale on nachos you can call it a health food; Jason doesn’t really like Mexican food, but we promise he is anti-Trump; Snotty service doesn’t trick us into thinking your food is better; We are obviously on Team Diamond in the Penguin versus Diamond saga.
Rating: 2 out of 5
Et Cetera:
1205 Thomas Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28205
Here is a link to Comida’s wesbite, but it is still a shell...https://comidaclt.com/
Batch Craft
Background: Batch Craft was founded in 2015 by Zan Maddox & Tamara LaValla, a creative couple based in Rock Hill, SC. Their goal is to use their love of travel and their creative talents to produce small, limited edition "batches" of inspired treasures for our loving consumption. Their first few batches have focused on chocolate, which is a scallionpancake favorite! Their plans are to expand from chocolate to other treats and different arts and crafts.
Order This: Chocolate...duh! They are currently selling their 5th batch of chocolate bars with cacao sourced from Ecuador (limited edition of 200 bars for each flavor). They make all of their chocolate in house (literally in their house) with cacao beans that they source directly from farmers in the country which they are making their current batch. For $20 you get to pick 3 chocolate bars from their four different flavors - dark, coffee, vanilla, and salt. All the bars are 65% chocolate, which means they are considered dark chocolate, but not too dark that they taste like you're eating bitter earth. The extra ingredients - sugar, vanilla, coffee, salt, and cocoa butter - are all organic and sourced from the best places on earth. For instance, they get their salt from Bull's Bay Charleston and their coffee from Pure Intentions.
But enough about the ingredients, let's talk about the taste! All of the bars were super creamy and nutty, with the 65% chocolate being the perfect amount to bring out the chocolate flavor without getting the crappy bitter aftertaste. We ordered the dark, vanilla, and salt. Our favorite was the salt, which had the perfect combination of sweet chocolate body, cooled off and balanced with the salt; however, we are splitting hairs as all of the bars were excellent.
Riverwalk Hospitality: The chocolates come in adorable packaging with personal notes from "Zammy." Each bar is individually numbered and comes with the following inscription: "Handcrafted with love & OCD in our Rock Hill, SC kitchen." They will also hand delivery the chocolate to you if you live in the area.
Frankie's Notes: I would eat all the chocolate in the world if it wouldn't kill me; "Love & OCD" would be the name of Yvonne's memoir; Sometimes if you close your eyes and eat chocolate you can pretend you are Willy Wonka; Javon's #1 fear is leaving the chocolate on the counter and coming home to Ollie having the ingenuity to open 3 layers of packaging and committing "death by chocolate."
Rating: A must buy!
Et Cetera:
www.batchcraft.com
Asolare
Background: Asolare is located on top of Caneel Hill and overlooks Cruz Bay. It was originally a single family house that hosted some of the most famous St John residences - including Laurence Rockefeller. In 1994 Winston Bennett converted the home into the restaurant it is today. Asolare is considered by the locals to be one of the top two or three restaurants on the island.
Order This: The menu at Asolare is self proclaimed "Asian Fusion." I think it's more American with a kiss of asian and Caribbean flares. Yes they have spring rolls, gyoza, curry, and Japanese pancakes, but most of their dishes are classic American with subtle hints of Asian and Caribbean influences.
Take for instance our favorite appetizer of the night, the Japanese pancake. This pancake tasted more like a sweet american flapjack then a classic scallionpancake (#muffinsofchina), but it was filled with shrimp, calamari, pork belly, and other delicious random sea meats. It was also topped with a spicy chipotle sauce and mixed greens.
They had a special appetizer of the night, which was homemade barrata with local honey that comes from one of the chef's own honey colonies he has on his roof (#beecity). The barrata was excellent and not runny on the inside, which is the way scallionpancake thinks barrata should be made. Paired with the honey and delicious bread, this was one of the best dishes we had.
For entrees they have a variety of fish and meat dishes, including Shanghai Smoked Duck Confit Legs, Caribbean Conch Layered Mahi, and a Japanese Sous-Vide Filet. All of them were very good but none of them were "i'll remember this for the rest of my life or even next week" type of dishes.
Dessert: This is where Asolare is pure gold. We tried two of their desserts: a lavender creme brûlée and a chocolate peacan pie. Our favorite was the lavender creme brûlée, which was had the classic creme brûlée texture and taste with a subtle hint of lavender.
Drink: Asolare has an excellent bar just off the main dinning room with seasonal cocktails both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. They also make some of their own bitters and syrups here and are known for one of the best collections of liquor on the island.
Island Rockefeller Hospitality: One of the main attractions of Asolare is the view - probably the best dinner view on St John (see: Wayney's view above). Note that in order to get a prime sunset spot you need to make a reservation a few days in advance. The service provided by the staff is the best on the island, with all the servers being extremely knowledgable of the menu, St. John, and the history of the restaurant.
Wayney's Notes: Don't mess with a good steak by adding crap that no one likes - a good steak is a good steak! If a place doesn't have fireball, then you should probably burn that place to the ground. Never agree to go on a hike with Jason's dad unless you have trained for 3 to 4 months. On St John, if it's 10am and you haven't had 2 shots of rum, a cigar, a nap, 2 shots of fireball, and a turkey sandwich you aren't living your life right. (Wayne - aka Wayney - is Yvonne's dad).
Rating: 4 out of 5
Et Cetera:
6A Estate Caneel Bay
St John, Virgin Islands 00830
Dinner 6PM - Until
The Longboard
Background: The Longboard was opened in April 2015 by restauranteurs Clint Gaskins and Tyler Beckstead, both with over 15 years experience each in high end restaurants in the states and Virgin Islands. The Longboard is located right on the main restaurant/bar corridor of Cruz Bay, which is the largest town on St. John.
Order This: The menu is hipster sushi bar mixed with traditional Caribbean delicacies. Instead of a traditional conch fritter which you find on almost any menu on St. John, you'll find the "Conch and Shrimp Lettuce wraps" at Longboards - served with Fire roasted bell pepper, red onion, lemon, lime, cilantro, avocado, habanero, and lettuce cups. Everything and anything on the menu is meant to be shared, so go with some friends and order a bunch of things.
Our favorites have been the sushi wraps, which are basically sushi burritos. This last time we got the Yellow Sub, which contains spicy tuna, avocado, tamago, tempura fried scallion, toasted sesame & sushi rice, wrapped in soy paper, served with teriyaki & sriracha. We also like the calamari (despite our fear of corn), which is your traditional fried calamari but prepared just right (not too fried but still crispy).
A healthy option is to get one of their tacos and turn it into a bowl - all the cool kids from Plaza Midwood are doing this these days. We like the Ahi Tuna with roasted tomato-caper chutney, baby arugula, feta cheese, pico, cilantro, and meyer lemon roasted garlic aioli.
Dessert: There are no desserts on the menu, which hurts scallionpancake more than almost anything.
Drink: The Longboard has taken the traditional island drinks and made them frozen and on tap. Their most popular is their "World Famous Frozen Painkiller", which is dark rum, coconut cream, pineapple, orange and grated nutmeg. The Dark & Stormy is also popular, which is made with their house made ginger beer.
Atmosphere: It feels like a typical island bar - everything is outside with the bar being the main focus - but with a step up. Everything is very clean and white, with the focus being the green and white sea glass bar. There are no regular tables here - all the seating is at the bar or at high tops.
Island Hospitality: The first thing you need to know when visiting St. John is that most people are extremely nice but have little to no motivation to do anything quickly or at all. So if you're used to a fast paced, get in and out as quickly as possible lifestyle then it's going to take some getting used to. That being said, Longboards generally has some of the best service on the island.
Frankie's Notes: Make sure to ask Jason's dad the chances of dying on a hike before you agree to go with him; conch fritters are the new fried oysters, which are the new fried calamari, which are the new hushpuppies; Jason's brother and Yvonne's dad are now BFL (bros for life); if you don't get approached by a 'rastaman asking you to buy weed you probably aren't living your life right.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Et Cetera:
1 Prince Street
Cruze Bay, St John USVI
Bar 3PM - Until
Kitchen 3PM -10PM
Daily Happy Hour 3 PM - 6 PM
Momofuku Noodle Bar
Background: If you don't know about David Chang and his Momofuku empire, then I'm sorry because you haven't been living your life. Get started by reading this Wikipedia article and then read this interview on Food and Wine and then read this article on Time Magazine and that should give you an idea of how influential, awesome, and, dare I say, sexy Mr. Chang is. Fun Fact: Charlotte Chef Shortino and his team went to Noodle Bar to get ideas for Futo Buta.
But enough about him, let's talk about us. Back when half of scallionpancake (Jason) was living in New York I stumbled on Noodle Bar in the East Village. Coming from Fort Mill, SC, where the closest thing to real Asian food was one Panda Express on South Boulevard, I had never experienced anything like what Noodle Bar offered. It wasn't the noodles --which are out of this world, but it was the pork buns that changed my life. I had never tasted pork belly before (remember, this is circa 2008), with its melt in your mouth goodness, combined with the Momofuku flavors and the soft-as-a-baby's-bottom bun. This was my "finding Jesus" moment of food culture.
Order This: Really you can't go wrong with anything you order at Noodle Bar. The best thing to do is go with a few friends and order a bunch of things off the menu. But the BEST BEST thing to do is to get a reservation for the special fried chicken dinner for 4 to 8 of your best friends. You can get the fried chicken either American or Korean style. Get Korean style and put on your stretchy pants! If you can't do this here are a few of my other favorite things to order:
Buns: The pork bun is the greatest thing you'll probably ever put in your mouth (see "Jesus Moment" above), but all of their buns are fantastic. They rotate the buns a lot, but some of my favorites are the Brisket and the Egg/Bacon one, which is like the best McMuffin you've ever had.
Bowls: If it's your first time definitely go for the classic Momofuku Ramen pictured above. My second favorite is the Chilled Spicy Noodles with the Sichuan Chicken Sausage.
Dessert: Momofuku has their own dessert store called Milk Bar which is two blocks away. Noodle Bar serves a limited amount of the desserts at the restaurant, but I would recommend walking over to Milk Bar and getting either the Cereal Milk soft serve ice cream or the birthday cake truffles. Again, you can't go wrong with anything at Milk Bar, but trust me the cereal milk soft serve and the birthday cake truffles are the best and will change your life for the better.
Drink: Sake, Sake, Sake! They have two specially made Momofuku Sakes which are great sharing drinks. They also always have two alcoholic slushies on rotation which are always delicious. My favorite is an alcoholic sweet tea slushie.
Atmosphere: I used to always take visitors to NYC here because it's has a quintessential energetic New York vibe. The decor is clean and modern, and the seating ranges from booths, to bar seating, to a community table.
New York Hipster Asian Hospitality: There is definitely a "we make good shit here so don't ask us for too much" attitude from the servers, but, hey--they make good shit, so don't be so needy, k?
Frankie's Notes: To get the feel of Jason moving from Ft. Mill to New York, just play the Green Acres theme song in reverse; Ordering the fried chicken for 4-8 people and showing up as a single diner is a straight baller move; Scallionpancake has most of its "Jesus moments" surrounding food and dining; Or should we say "Moses moments?"; Being an adult is hard; alcoholic slushies ease that pain.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Et Cetera:
171 1st Avenue
Between 10th & 11th Street
New York, New York 10003
Monday-Friday 12-4:30 & 5:30-11 pm
Saturday-Sunday 12-4 pm & 5:30-1 am
Toro
Background: Co-chefs and owners Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette, of the original Toro in Boston, opened up the Manhattan location of their restaurant in September 2013, conveniently located by the bustling High Line and Chelsea Market. We dined here with Jason’s NY buddies, Vishnu and Bravo Danny. Bravo Danny because he is to be differentiated from Charlotte Danny, and because he worked at Bravo. Yes, that means he has met Andy Cohen/he is one step from God.
Vishnu and Danny have a chicken wing club where they eat chicken wings all over NYC and then rate them, one through five. Their rating system is pretty clever--in order to keep their ratings from being influenced by others in the group, they put their rating number on their phones, and then all flip their phones over at the same time. They then create an average based on everyone’s number. I know what you’re thinking--how does one join this club? We are wondering the same thing, but in the meantime, we are considering starting a Charlotte chapter.
Eat This: The menu at Toro is overwhelmingly large, but we were lucky to have a nice server who directed us to some of her favorites, although it turned out that her favorites were not as well liked by the table as some of the other options we picked. Here’s what we went with:
Pimientos Del Padron: Spicy shisito peppers with sea salt. This is a dish that we have seen on a lot of menus recently, and while the preparation is similar everywhere, the quality varies greatly. These are the best version of shisitos that we have had--the heat is multi-dimensional, not just hot. The peppers are charred enough to add a smoky flavor, but not so much that they taste burned, and the salt is wonderfully generous.
Esqueixada de Hamachi: Yellowtail with sultanas, fish pepper, quail egg, and crema. We loved the addition of the yellow raisins (sultanas) with the tuna. The flavors were bright and this was a nice, light dish for early in the meal.
Bocadillo De Erizos: Pressed sandwich of sea urchin, miso butter, and pickled mustard seeds. Jason and I both agreed that this was our “must order” of the night, even though our table mates remained unimpressed even after it was served. Whatever, this was amazing. It was all about that delicious umami flavor, and we could have easily downed another order.
Navajas: Razor clams with piquillo pepper, garlic, and lemon. Our waitress highly recommended these, but we found them just alright. They had a flavorful citrus tang, but there just was not a lot to them. Since we only got a fairly small number of dishes for four people for dinner, we probably should have gone with something a bit more substantial.
Hamburguesas: Grass-fed mini burgers with smoked tomato, aioli, and pickled red onion. These were definitely the crowd pleaser of the night. Everyone at the table enjoyed the flavorful preparation, and it was so easy to eat and share.
Dessert: We tried the chocolate churros with a caramel dipping sauce, and while these were good, they were basically what you can expect anywhere from churros. The standout was the chocolate torte. It was a rich, dark chocolate sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs and served with ice cream.
Drink: We did not try any speciality cocktails, but the beer, wine, and liquor selection included a solid variety and had everything we wanted to order.
Atmosphere: Toro is housed in the former Nabisco factory: a loft-like, cavernous space. The raucous sound of diners, along with the bumping bass of rap music means that the restaurant was loud when we arrived at 8:00, and only got louder from there. It was a little difficult to make conversation, but the music selection was a steady stream of all of my favorites, so I didn’t mind.
Iberian Hospitality: The service here was slow in that it took a while for the waitress to come over initially (over 15 minutes) and then again to come back and take our food order. However, once our orders were placed, the kitchen had the dishes out super quickly. All of the staff was polite. We did order one dish we never got (the empanadas), but we were pretty full by the time we realized it, so we let it slide.
Frankie’s Notes: Javon is currently accepting applications for the Charlotte Chicken Wing Club; If you want to be in our club, you can’t eat chicken wings with your knife and fork and you have to drink the wing sauce; I am only good at one of these requirements; Bravo Andy is to God as Orange County is to Mecca; Bravo Danny has never met table-flipping Teresa; We are going to institute a more democratic voting process when dining with friends from now on; But, FYI: Ollie is a super-delegate.
Rating: Of course, we had to do the chicken wing rating system for this meal, and our table average was a:
3 out of 5
Et Cetera:
85 10th Avenue
New York, New York 10011
Monday-Wednesday 5:30-11 pm; Thursday-Saturday 5:30-12 am; Sunday 5:30-10 pm
http://toro-nyc.com/
The Mandrake
UPDATE--The Mandrake closed in the fall of 2016. I guess we called it, huh?
Background: Jose Garcia acquired The Mandrake in the fall of 2014, and he has worked tirelessly since to breathe new life into this uptown eatery that has undergone several different owners/chefs and identities in a rather short period of time. Now, The Mandrake has found its groove as the number one spot for tapas Uptown under the creative management of chef Donnie Simmons (@thedonchef). Scallionpancake was recently invited to their media night to review their new spring menu. As Jason could not make it due to tax season, Amy and Nancy were my dates for the night.
Eat This: So, this night started off with quite a few hitches. The event time on the invite was slated as a 6:30 start time for cocktails and appetizers, and when we arrived at around 6:40 there was nothing happening. In fact, nothing happened at all until around 7:00 (the stated time for dinner to begin), when we were invited to the bar for cocktails and they started bringing appetizers around. We were not even offered water or welcomed by management during this time. We simply stood around waiting for something, anything to happen.
There was then some confusion about whether or not the cocktails and wine were complimentary. It made for some very awkward interactions between the guests and the servers (who were clearly given conflicting information, who, in turn, gave us information that conflicted with our invitation) and this hiccup definitely took away from the flow of this evening. However, it did not take away from the generosity of The Mandrake's hosting of the event and the invitation extended to us.
Passed appetizers:
- Brisket and habanero cheddar rangoon. Uh, yeah, this was money in the bank. Especially after we had been standing around hungrily for a while at this point. These were little pillows of meaty, cheesy delight. I only ate one, but just because I didn’t want to look like a hungry savage.
- Bacon wrapped alligator tails with Carolina mustard BBQ sauce. These skewers were good, but they were so large that they were a bit difficult to eat. The bacon wrapped alligator was staggered with sweet potato chunks. Pretty darn tasty.
- Lobster risotto puppies. Yes, please. These were light, flaky, and fabulous. Although we could not taste much lobster, these had a great flavor. This was my favorite dish of the whole night.
The Main Event:
- Mandrake Salad with pecans, red onions, grape tomatoes, goat cheese & bacon vinaigrette. I did not love this salad, as all I could taste was the super sweet dressing. My table mates also noted the sweetness, but they were not as bothered by it as I was.
- Fried Green Tomato with wasabi aioli. I could not eat this due to my fake and made-up corn allergy, but my table mates really enjoyed this dish. Most said it was their favorite of the evening.
- Airline Chicken with cayenne caramel sauce and grapefruit risotto. I had never seen airline chicken before, which is a boneless chicken breast with the drumette attached. It was a very beautiful dish, but it tasted like dessert. The sauce on the chicken and the risotto were both so sweet that it was difficult to eat. Most of us did not finish this dish. The chicken was cooked perfectly however, and it was not at all tough, as is so often the problem with chicken breast. I love dessert and sweet things (um, have we met?), but this entire meal was just too much sugar. As one of my fellow diners said, “I have to stop eating this or I am going to get diabetes.” Yikes.
Dessert: The final course was Key Lime Cheesecake. This dessert and their others are not made in house, but they all come from a man in Florida who produces award-winning cakes. I do not typically love citrus flavored desserts, but this cheesecake was delicious. However, at this point I was on serious sugar overload. I soldiered on and finished my slice though, don’t worry.
Drink: I know you are going to find this hard to believe, but I had a cucumber ginger margarita and it was, yes, so sweet. This could have been my personal preference, as I don’t usually order mixed drinks as I often find them to be too sweet/too weak. Usually you will find me drinking my own “signature cocktail,” a little something I call patron on the rocks. But, I wanted to try everything they were offering for us, so I took a chance on this. Nancy had a watermelon arugula gimlet that I tried, and it was much less sweet and very delicious.
Atmosphere: I really enjoyed the vibe in here. The lighting is so right; as loyal readers know I hate a place with glaring light; even if it makes the pictures better, it totally kills the mood. I also dug the artwork, particularly a picture of a turnip with a face. I liked him a lot.
Also, Chef Donnie (#thedonchef) came out after dinner and spoke to us about his vision for the kitchen and the restaurant, and he is a very lovely person who puts a lot of heart into what he is doing at The Mandrake. He is not merely cooking food, he is invested in creating a culture of inspired chefs who will invigorate the Uptown food scene. Also, congratulations to Chef Donnie on his recent glut of B.O.B awards (linked above). We will be back soon to try the regular menu to get a better idea of their offerings.
Southern Hospitality: I was really not impressed with the service we received. It could have been an anomaly at this particular event, but as previously stated there was a lack of communication between owner/management and his floor staff, which made for a very awkward interaction between guests and staff. There was seemingly no one leading this event to move us from the cocktail portion to the dinner, and we actually moved ourselves to the table at around 8:15, because it was an hour and fifteen minutes after dinner was supposed to begin and we all wanted to go home at some point (it was a Wednesday evening). Again, this does not detract from how kind Chef Donnie and others staff members were, but the entire event appeared very disorganized from this blogger’s perspective.
Frankie's Notes: Turnip with a face is my new best friend; Getting diabetes from chicken is not the way I want to go; You have to be a real boss lady to drink my sig cocktail; I feel like we don't eat enough alligator and shark--maybe if we did we could all go back in the water again; Am I the only one who stopped swimming in oceans and swamps this year?; Seriously, don't go in the shark's house; Cheers to The Don Chef whose awesome hospitality made this event worthwhile--we will be back soon for a redux with their regular menu offerings.
Rating: 2 out of 5
Disclaimer: Our meal was provided for free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Et Cetera:
333 West Trade St.
Charlotte, NC 28202
11 am-10 pm; 12 am on Friday/Saturday; Closes at 4 pm Sundays
Evoke Redux
Background: We already reviewed Evoke back in the summer (yeah, that’s right, scallionpancake is basically a Charlotte institution now), and it’s now officially the first place scallionpancake got invited for a fancy pants blogger event! This was possible mainly through nepotism, as cousin Amy (amyonfood.blogspot.com) got us hooked up with the Charlotte Food Bloggers group. Thanks, Amy! So, to recap, Evoke, located in the recently revamped Le Meridian hotel, is headed up by Chefs Oscar LaFuente and Robert Reinken. The restaurant recently hosted a media night to showcase their new spring menu. Jason couldn't make the event because #taxseason, but Amy and I had a fabulous girls' night out.
Eat This: This was such a standout restaurant for our first event. The night flowed very smoothly and the service was top notch. Here are the courses from the evening:
- Crisp Pork Belly with white asparagus, morels, and pickled ramp salsa verde. Although no one in their right mind would complain about pork belly, this was not the best I have had. It was a bit tough/overcooked. The salsa verde was my favorite part of this dish. Also, please do not tell my Rabbi that I am still regularly eating pork belly. Conversion has been a dream, minus the Kosher bit. Ahem.
- Sweet Onion Bisque with sourdough crouton, parmesan, egg yolk, and black truffle. Amy and I agreed that this dish was the best of the night! The soup was satisfying without being overly heavy, and all of the flavors really worked. It was a lovely spring soup. Also, you know we are about that truffle life.
- Yellowfin Tuna Crudo with barolo pickled onions, caperberries, celery heart, and smoked olive oil. When this dish came out, I was even more gutted than I was previously about Jason being unable to attend this event due to that IRS life (TAX SEASON IS OVER, PRAISE ALLAH). Tuna is his fave. I thought this was just okay, but I don’t love chicken of the sea, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. The caperberries were my favorite part of this dish.
- Mint Pappardelle with braised lamb, fava beans, morels, and ricotta salata. Evoke has incredible pasta, all made in house. This dish had great flavor, and it was everything a spring pasta should be (green, light, and herby). Amy and I also ordered pasta dishes from the regular menu to take home to the menfolk, and they both highly approved. Four enthusiastic man thumbs in the air.
- Pork Tenderloin with ndjua, parsnip puree, Romanesco, and violet mustard. So, I learned what ndjua is, and I didn’t hate it.--in case you are similarly uninformed, it’s a spicy pork salami puree, and it’s amazing. That and the violet mustard made this dish. The pork was perfectly cooked.
Dessert: This was the only disappointment of the evening--the tasting did not include dessert! Quelle horreur! Amy and I remedied that by taking our drinks out to the bar and ordering a dessert whilst we waited for the boy’s pasta orders. We tried an olive oil cake with honey sorbet and it was awesome.
Drink: Complimentary wine was served with dinner, and the servers were amazing and let me have some sparkling wine upon request, because you know I’m fancy like that (read: terribly high maintenance).
Atmosphere: As we reviewed last time, the decor is decent and done in a 60s mod style. They have really done a lovely job revamping this space.
Southern Hospitality: The service for this event was perfect and just the right amount of attentive without being ingratiating (a problem we had last time).
Frankie's Notes: I think we all remember where we were when Jessica Simpson couldn't properly identify her tuna #neverforget; Tax season is over and I'm ready to have my man-friend back for dinner dates; Blogger events make you feel like you could really be somebody, someday; Ps--two more events and I quit my day job; Amy is the best cousin ever and we appreciate her helping us get our foot in the door of the Charlotte blogger scene!
Disclaimer: Our meal was provided for free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Et Cetera:
555 S. McDowell St.
Charlotte, NC 28204
6:00 am-11:00 pm daily
Freud
Background: Opened in Greenwich Village in February of this year, Freud is an Austrian restaurant opened by Eduard Frauneder, a Vienna native. Frauneder also owns two East Village joints, Edi & The Wolf and The Third man. In an incredible stroke of luck, they had just opened for brunch service on the day we stopped in. Kismet!
Eat This: We had just landed for our less than 48 hour visit in NY, and we had made sure to come hungry. On the other hand, we knew we had a lot of food stops left to make before flying out the next day, so we kept it fairly light. Jason had the Rhubarb Pancakes, served with whipped sour cream. Jason (thinks he) does not like sour cream, but even he was willing to take a chance on this one. He actually had ordered the bagel, but when we saw someone at the table next to us with these pancakes, he knew he had made a grave mistake. Luckily, they happily changed his order and the pancakes were divine--light and fluffy, not too sweet.
I ordered the Albacore Confit, served with cucumbers, dill, and crispy elephant garlic, along with some toast points. They have a similar option on their dinner menu, but this dish was just the perfect thing for a light lunch. It was very #norwegianfood.
Other options that looked delicious included the bread basket and the egg options (baked, sunny, scrambled, poached).
Dessert: No dessert here, but we did head to Rice to Riches immediately after.
Drink: Even though Jason was running the NY Half Marathon the next day, he still indulged in a Freudian Cocktail with me! I had the Tomatillo Bloody Mary, which was very different from any other bloody I’ve tried. It had chunks of tomato in it, which I know would not be everyone’s cup of tea (vodka), but I really enjoyed it. It could have been a tad spicier, though.
Jason had the Nirvana, a pink concoction (duh) with Pisco, Aperol and blood orange juice. His drink was the winner between the two. They also have a cocktail called the Libido. Psych jokes abound.
Atmosphere: The space is very zen and has a European cafe feel. It’s outfitted in wood paneling and lush greenery, and there are psych books scattered about. They tacked up current newspaper front pages to the wall, including some fun tabloids. The bathroom shelves were lined with tons of tea candles, which rather shocked me. I saw this practice several times on this visit, and I had second-hand anxiety over the potential lawsuit/fire hazard. It looks cool though, for sure.
Viennese Hospitality: The servers were so kind and even asked us what we thought of the brunch, as it was their first day trying it out. There was not a big crowd when we went, but all of the staff was super attentive without being ingratiating.
Frankie’s Notes: I would like for Jason to keep running races in fabulous locales for the rest of our lives; People who think they don’t like things like sour cream or mayonnaise when they really don’t know what they like; Chunky cocktails versus pink cocktails is the new Batman vs Superman; It’s been hard to write blog posts during tax season, but we’re back, internet!
Rating: 5 out of 5
560 LaGuardia Place
New York, New York 10012
Ru Sans
Background: The first Ru Sans was opened in Atlanta by chef Wataru Nagata. Per the newspaper clippings posted on the wall that I read one night while waiting for a table, Nagata's goal was to mold Ru Sans on the business model of Wal-Mart. That sounds really bad/we are not really sure what that entails, because our table was ready so I stopped reading. Anywho, there is one thing we know for sure, though, and it’s that Ru Sans has the best darn sushi in Charlotte. Disagree? We will fight to the death over it--with chopsticks, of course.
Eat This: When we say “Best in Charlotte,” that doesn’t mean you can only go to the all-you-can-eat buffet and disagree based on that measure alone. You have got to go to Ru Sans for dinner, where you will see some truly incredible sushi chefs working at mach speed to turn out the freshest, tastiest sushi in Charlotte. Furthermore, you have to trust Jason to order you some rolls. His picks will vary, but the mainstays are:
-Always start with the Curry Rice Ball. Not to quibble over details, but it’s really more of a triangle than a ball, Mr. San. Either way, this little guy will start your evening out right.It’s crunchy fried goodness on the outside and sticky rice inside. Don’t get the teriyaki one, get the curry one. You’ve been warned. You are gonna want to start with something, though, as the appetizers are money. The house salad and seaweed salad are good options, as is the tuna poke bowl.
Our favorite rolls:
-Green Dragon Roll. Shrimp tempura and cucumber wrapped in avocado and topped with roe. The best roll on the menu.
-Atomic Salmon: Shrimp tempura and avocado wrapped in salmon, topped with jalapeno slices.
-A basic tuna or salmon roll with avocado is always a good choice. The fish will be fresh and delicious, and, one of the best things about Ru Sans: the rolls are a reasonable size for eating in one bite, just the way God intended. Tamago (sweet egg omelette) is also a great choice, either sashimi or nigiri style.
-Be adventurous and try a roll off of the specials menu. These can be hit and miss, but at least you can say you tried. A recent miss was a roll with big lemon slices on top--rind and all. Was it a garnish and we ate it? Are we supposed to be cool with eating a big bite of citrus rind? Insert that new emoji scratching its chin (best new emoji, hands down).
Dessert: We don’t usually do dessert here, but the grilled mochi cake with red bean sauce is awesome and not something you can find everywhere.
Drink: Sake, obviously. You will also get a boisterous cheer for a sake bomb, if you are at the bar. Pro tip: if you sit at the bar, you will get a complimentary appetizer, like crab (krab) or cucumber salad. Yay!
Atmosphere: The feel here is fairly utilitarian--nothing fancy pants about it. This is not a bad thing, though. The prices match the ambiance. Ru Sans is great for a casual weeknight dinner or a quality and economical meal before a fancier night out Uptown. There is no sushi Uptown that matches Ru Sans. Sorry, Enso. Why would you want to pay more to eat lesser sushi? A funky bar and expensive light fixtures? Nah.
East Asian Hospitality: The service here is mostly great...except for one consistently terrible waitress who shall remain unidentified--at one time, her excuse for being terrible was that she had only been at that job for six months? Um...as someone who has worked in restaurants, I am going to put it out there that six months is what we might call...long enough. She is an anomaly though. Mostly the service is quick and polite.
Frankie’s Notes: If you go to a sushi buffet, lower your expectations; Another pro-tip: a 30-minute quoted wait at Ru Sans is usually only 15-20; Jason loves tuna even though it is slowly giving him mercury poisoning, a la Jeremy Piven; Bad game show idea: “Am I supposed to eat this or is it a garnish?;" Wait, does this mean that Mr. Krab was made out of soy and artificial coloring?; The Epicentre does not have great food and is generally terrifying after 10:30 pm; If you have worked at a restaurant for six months, know that the rest of the world will view that as “kind of a long time.”
Rating: 4 out of 5
2440 Park Road
Charlotte, NC 28203
Monday-Thursday: 11:30-2:30, 4:30-11 pm
Friday: 11:30-2:30, 4:30-12am
Saturday: 12:00-2:30, 4:30-12am
Sunday: 3-11pm
The Pump House
Background: The Riverwalk area in Rock Hill is growing like crazy. The walking trail is busy every day and packed on a beautiful weekend. There are new apartments and homes going up at warp speed, a wine bar just opened (a second location of The Grape Vine--a Baxter staple), and a hair salon and a Brixx Pizza are coming soon. Not to leave out the pinnacle of Riverwalk, of course--the shiny, beautiful BNA building. A close second, however, is the brand new restaurant, The Pump House.
The Pump House is the vision of Ell Close and Colby Mosier, who, along with Jeff Conway, the owner of Napa on Providence and Ruth's Chris Steakhouses in Charlotte, have turned the dilapidated Celanese Textile Factory pump house into the one of the most unique and best restaurants in York County. The restaurant sits directly on the Catawba River, offering 180 degree views of the river. It is a five story restaurant--the top story is the bar, the fourth floor is reserved for special events, and the third floor is the main seating area. The second floor is used for storage and the first floor is where you enter. You can even see the original pump sitting outside of the restaurant!
Full disclosure: Jason's parents are a 1% owner in the Pump House, so we got to go the investor dinner before their official opening. Riverwalk perks!
Eat This: The menu is what we'll call "Modern Southern." Their entrees average around $20 and include three types of shrimp and grits, steak, trout and catfish, and many other southern delicacies.
The calamari was light and tasty. Other appetizer options included a rock shrimp cocktail, tomato soup, and caesar salad.
The filet and the trout were both served over pureed butternut squash and greens which were seasoned and sautéed to perfection. Also, the filet was cooked a perfect rare, as requested--only good restaurants are willing and able to cook rare steak, so that's a good sign. The southern fried shrimp and grits came with collard greens and house made bacon, and tasted like we imagine great-grandma used to make them (not a Jewish grandma, obvs).
Dessert: We tried the Cheerwine molten chocolate cake, which might have been the best chocolate cake we've ever had. It was so good that the two of us ate it all and didn't save any for Bernie (The Bern), who was politely talking to the couple next to us while we ravaged it. We then convinced our waiter to let us have another one for the table. Alas, The Bern still didn't get to eat that much of the second one. Oops. You have to be fast with your fork when you dine with us.
Drink: Some super awesome cocktail offerings--Jason tried the River Water, which was served in a mason jar and made with moonshine, blood orange syrup, and love.
Atmosphere: Sophisticated country vibes abound. Modern seating and stainless steel combine seamlessly with wood panels and a taxidermy beaver under glass ("Justin Beaver"). It was not open on the night we went, but soon the patio will be open (fifth floor), which will be so lovely for drinks and watching the sunset and wildlife on the river.
Southern Hospitality: Our bartenders and waitstaff could not have been any sweeter. The owners said that all servers would be attending training at Ruth's Chris restaurants in the next week to further hone their fine dining service skills.
Frankie's Notes: BNA is where Jason Ackerman IV will work; Just kidding, Jews don't name their kids like that; We hope the seafood is not from Lake Wylie; If only the real Justin Beiber could be preserved under glass; We owe The Bern two chocolate cakes; Expect to find the BNA staff dinning al fresco on a Friday evening in the near future.
Rating: 3 out of 5
575 Herrons Ferry Rd
Rock Hill, SC 29730
Hours: TBD
Seoul Food Meat Co
On Saturday night, Seoul Food Kitchen had its soft opening. If you want some K-pop and Korean barbeque, then you have found the promised land. This place was jammin' for a little-publicized opening, which we think really speaks to Charlotteans desire for new and interesting cuisine (we do well, but we could do better). They were only offering one option on Saturday: a tray of foods, the variety dictated by the kitchen.
Our tray included two kinds of barbeque, a sweet pork and a smokey brisket. Both were fantastic and we could have easily eaten more, but we didn't want to hog (pun) the meat from our fellow patrons--not foodies, by the way-I detest the word foodie. It's like moist. Moist foodie. Shudder.
The tray also included Sriracha slaw, pickles, sticky rice with chilis, and pimento corn cheese served with rice crisps.
The full menu was teased, and it included wonders such as green tea biscuits, soju, and something called "potato swirl." We will definitely be back soon--they are opening for real sometime in the next couple of weeks, but they told us they couldn't give an exact day. The suspense makes it even more exciting!
Very important linguistic query: What's a good alternative for the word "foodie?" Gastronomes? Culinarians? The fat kids inside of us all? Discuss.
Kid Cashew
Background: Kid Cashew. So hot right now. (see also: Hansel). Kid Cashew opened on East Boulevard about two weeks ago and Scallionpancake is here to give you the scoop. The owner, Martin Sprock, also owns RuRu’s Tacos & Tequila and Leroy Fox. This spot is what I (affectionately!) term a cancerous location--it has housed two or three failed restaurants in a short period of time. Is this the restaurant that ends the losing streak? Well, in the words of Marcel the Shell…“read on!”
Eat This: The menu is a family-style affair with selections for small plates, salads, sandwiches and “from the butcher” items--meat cooked on the grill served with a selection of sauces.
We tried--
Small Plates--Hummus, tzatziki, & eggplant caponata dips served with grilled bread. We tried all three, and they were awesome. The hummus was super thick with a strong coriander flavor, the eggplant caponata was sprinkled with golden raisins, but my favorite was the tzatziki. Sometimes this iconic yogurt dip can taste anemic--like the chef threw some cucumber slices into a cup of Dannon and called it a day. Kid Cashew’s version was thick and had that distinct tangy greek yogurt taste. At this point, we were all feeling pretty good about the state of things. Then we got the Chargrilled Spanish Octopus, and our lovely dining companion Daniela wanted to know why the heck you would go out of your way to say “chargrilled” when the flavor was anything but. We didn’t even see grill marks. The roasty, crispy giangte beans served with this dish were our favorite part. Otherwise, bland and run of the mill: skip.
Salads--We unanimously agreed that the Passionate Beet & Arugula salad was the way to go when we were ordering; it’s served with whipped goat cheese and toasted pistachios. You had us at goat cheese. However, we were unpleasantly surprised that the goat cheese was a microscopic smear on the bottom of the dish, and we could barely make up the flavor. The beets were seemingly poached in a sweet, cinnamon broth, rendering the entire dish too sweet and not at all what we were expecting. Lots of other tables had the Farmer Greek salad, which looked really tasty.
Sandwiches: We tried the Lamb Burger on a brioche bun. This was our favorite dish of the night, but it’s a little difficult to split burgers/sandwiches between more than two people. The burger was cooked perfectly, but it was served with two awkward baby potatoes that were hanging out like a garnish. Either offer potatoes as a side or don’t--this was a weird tease (and the potatoes were undercooked).
We would have liked to have tried one of the meat dishes & more of the sandwiches--maybe next time. We left feeling pretty nonplussed, on the whole. This place definitely has room to grow, but we would certainly give it another shot after they have been open a few more weeks.
Dessert: They have two options right now, a caramel ice cream and a sponge cake--we got the cake. With a dessert of this quality, it might be better not to offer anything at all. It tasted like a cake from a grocery store --bland and somewhat dry.
Drink: They have a Goat’s Breast Milk cocktail--but the name is just to shock you (uh, well played), this drink does not have milk of any kind. It’s a sweet and tangy mix of ouzo, amaretto, lemonade, and mint. We ordered a pitcher, and while the flavor was great--refreshing, and not too sweet, it was very light on the booze. It was basically mint lemonade. Still good, but not what we were expecting or worth the price tag ($30 for a carafe).
Atmosphere: This place is adorable. I couldn’t stop marveling at the details when we first walked in--water carafes in an antique bathtub, chandeliers, and cool knickknacks scattered about. My only complaint is that the lighting was harsh--why do so many dinner places insist on having lights like a supermarket? What happened to mood lighting? We are pushing 30--we need it.
Southern Hospitality: Our server was very personable, and someone else was quick to fix our wobbly table. The food came out quickly and with a smile. They were perhaps a bit too quick to try and take our plates away (before we were finished), but that’s a minor complaint.
Frankie’s Notes: Don’t take “Tax Season Jason” to dinner if you aren’t ready for him to throw expletives across the table at the top of his lungs; What does Daniela want? Grill marks. When does she want them? uh, yesterday; How do you measure the level of passion in a beet? Cinnamon, apparently; Only really good friends can split a hamburger into thirds; Restaurants that are about as romantic as a Wal-Mart on a Wednesday afternoon; We are not sure if this was worth missing Tuesday Trivia over--they need more Johnny & hot wings.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Et Cetera:
1608 East Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28203
11 am-10 pm daily
New Merch!
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