Yvonne Ackerman 1/29/19 Yvonne Ackerman 1/29/19

Inizio Pizza Napoletano

Background:
Grant Arons opened Inizio in March 2016, and there are now two locations, the original in Ballantyne and one in Dilworth. Arons makes his pizza according to the strict standards set by the governing body of Neapolitan pizza. The flour, tomatoes—even the water used for the dough—are all imported from Italy. The pizzas cook for 90 seconds in a super-hot wood-fired oven, and they are best eaten immediately after cooking. Inizio recommends not getting the pizza cut into slices if you’re taking it to-go, as this can cause the crust to get soggy. However, we are bad pizza-eaters, and we usually get ours cut and to-go, because we don’t own a pizza cutter for some reason, and pizza is best eaten on the couch in front of the TV.

We have been to Inizio several times for blog promotions, but we are regularly there on our own dime as well. What is our go-to pizza? You’ll see below that we've pretty much tried the whole menu by now, but we certainly have our favorites!

Eat This:
Inizio is not a build-your-own pizza joint, rather they have some tried and tested flavor combinations you can get in a choice of two sizes. You can add or subtract toppings, but they recommend you go with one of their concoctions. We also think that you should trust their combinations, because they are darn good.

**PISTACCHIO**

**Rosemary, sea salt, ricotta, Buffalo Mozzarella, garlic, pistachio pesto sauce, pistachios**

**NAPOLETANA**

**Anchovy, Kalamata olives, San Marzano tomato sauce, Buffalo Mozzarella, basil**

**MARGHERITA**

**San Marzano tomato sauce, Buffalo Mozzarella, basil, garlic, Pecorino**

**CAPRICCIOSA**

**Artichoke, prosciutto ham, mushroom, San Marzano tomato sauce, Buffalo Mozzarella**

**DIAVOLA**

**Spicy salami, Calabrian pepper, San Marzano tomato sauce, Buffalo Mozzarella, Pecorino**

One of our favorite things about Inizio is their seasonal offerings. You never know what direction they’ll go in for the future, but here are the ones they’ve had in the past:

Spring Pizza

**Pizza Di Parma**

**Imported prosciutto, roasted asparagus, Buffalo Mozzarella, garlic, sea salt, & Pecorino**

Summer Pizza

**Limone Capra**

**Thinly sliced lemons, fig jam, goat cheese ricotta, Buffalo Mozzarella, & fresh thyme**

Autumn Pizza

**Pumpkin Pizza**

**Pumpkin, basil, Buffalo Mozzarella, ricotta**

Winter Pizza

**Pizza Toscana**

**Potato, sausage, & kale, with a creamy vegetable base**
**From Winter 2019**

**Patate al forno**

**Paper thin red skin potatoes, rosemary, sea salt, smoked mozzarella & Buffalo Mozzarella**
**From Winter 2018**

Dessert:
Cannoli and gelato from scratch--what more is there to say? In addition to the staple chocolate chip, pistachio, and lemon cannoli, Inizio offers a seasonal cannoli, too, and last summer had a v. v. special dessert pizza!

OG Cannoli

Spring Cannoli

**Oreo**

**Photo courtesy of** **Inizio’s Instagram page**

Summer Dessert Pizza

**summer PIzza**

**Nutella marshmallow s’mores pizza!**

Autumn Cannoli

**Pumpkin**

**with white chocolate chips**

Winter Cannoli

**Apple Crumb Pie**

**From Winter 2019**

**Peppermint Mocha**

**From Winter 2018**

Drink:
Inizio offers wine, beer, soft drinks and UpDog Kombucha, but they also have really fun house-made juices and teas, like peach iced tea, strawberry lemonade, and others.

Atmosphere:
Both locations have tall ceilings and a bustling atmosphere, since they are both constantly busy. They frequently host musicians and often hold events with the SPCA, which we think is so wonderful! There are lovely patios at both locations, too.

Napoletano Hospitality:
You order at the counter at Inizio and your order is brought out to your table. The service is quick and polite. You can also order online and your pizza will be ready when you arrive, if you’d rather eat your pie at home, like us!

The finished product of the above photo shoot!

Frankie’s Notes:
Frankie was always on Team Inizio during the Scallionpancake #pizzawars of 2017; Not sure what would be so hard about adding a pizza cutter to my next Amazon cart, but for some reason it just doesn’t happen; Inizio: we are sorry we get the pizza cut!! The Limone Capra is the best pizza we’ve had outside of Italy, no joke; Frankie loves that Inizio does pizza fundraisers in honor of pups like him––thanks, Inizio!

Rating: 4 out of 5

Jason Ackerman 1/22/19 Jason Ackerman 1/22/19

Adana

Background:
Seattle native Chef Shota Nakajima (age 28) started in the restaurant business at the age of 16, working in and around Seattle at various Sushi restaurants. He then went to Osaka, Japan, to get a more formal education, working under Michelin-starred Chef Yasuhiko Sakamoto. Afterwards, he returned to Seattle and opened up Naka, a high-end Japanese restaurant that was too pricey for its Capitol Hill location. Nakajima renovated and rebranded the restaurant in early 2017 to Adana and changed the price point to make it more affordable. We visited Adana on our December ‘18 trip to Seattle. What did we think? Read on, Pancakes!

Eat This:
The menu offers a three-course tasting for $37, which is very reasonably for a tasting (also the Chef’s lucky number!). Each course has three options to choose from, making for a fun, relatively inexpensive experience. The entire menu changes every month, so each visit will be an entirely new experience.

First Course Dishes

**Tempura**

**Delicata squash, curried mustard aioli**
**The squash was perfectly fried it still had an al dente crunch to each bite. The mustard aioli was spicy, but didn’t overpower the flavor of the squash.**

**Turnips**

**Black garlic bagna cotta sauce gribiche**
The waitress described this dish as turnip forward, and it we would like to throw in turnip empowered as well. A good turnip is one of our favorite vegetables, and combined with the black garlic, this one was a winner. Gribiche is a French sauce made with egg yolks, oil, and mustard.

Second Course Dishes

**Fried Octopus**

**Kimchi, shishito, cilantro, lime, kewpie**
**Octopus is maybe one of the hardest things to cook correctly. This lightly fried octopus was the best I’ve ever had. My favorite dish of the night.**

**Lima Beans**

**Clams, yuzu, mizuna, bonito**
**Yvonne loves beans as much as I hate them, so she ordered these to spite me, which is what you do when you’re married. I did sneak in a clam, though, which I thought was very good.**

Third Course Dishes

+elcX5wjRTCkmT7rVmqgzw.jpg — **Braised Short Ribs**

**Daikon, radish, green onion**
Short ribs are not normally my go-to. If not cooked correctly they taste too gamey and tough for my liking. These guys were cooked perfectly, with a nice maple glaze that contrasted with the saltiness of the meat.

LgwT+To8R4ucoCqDSe5CpA.jpg — Black Cod

**Celery root, dashi**
**Our waitress said the cod was the signature dish of the restaurant, so we couldn’t pass this one up. The cod tasted fresh and clean, with the celery root chips adding a nice crunch.**

Dessert

3naowET4QlCx+uHyh6zvFg.jpg — **Ice Cream**

**Foraged truffle and toasted almond**
There were other desserts on the menu, but when the waitress said “foraged truffle” we said yes and didn’t ask about the price ($12/scoop, we found out later). My favorite was the truffle, but Yvonne really enjoyed the toasted almond. To each their own.

Atmosphere:
Adana is located in the hip Capitol Hill district of Seattle, nestled in between record shops, art galleries, and plenty of restaurants. The decor is modern––clean lines, lacquered wood tables, minimal art, and serious wooden chopsticks, but yet still feels welcoming. Most of the dining room is recessed below the kitchen with a catwalk in between, so that the front of the house can keep an eye on all the diners from up above. The vibe reminded me a lot of Maido in Peru, which was a modern take on Japanese cuisine.

Japanattle Hospitality:
A big trend in Seattle is for the restaurant to include a 20% tip on every meals. On the bottom of the menu it tells you where that 20% goes to (60% to your waiter, 25% to 401k plan, and 15% to health insurance, etc). Here at Scallionpancake headquarters we love this idea, and believe it creates a living wages for everyone in the restaurant, not just the waiters. This, in turn, makes for more qualified, happier staff members and an overall better experience for the customers. Adana participates in this, and our waitress was amazing. She was there to answer any of our questions and overall led us through a great dining experience.

Frankie’s Notes:
A three course tasting menu for $37? We’ll take three!; We literally do not have the ability to pass up a truffle dish if it’s on the menu, no matter the price; One day we will have a custom fancy set of chopsticks to pass down as heirlooms to our children; Yuzu > Lemon every.single.time.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Yvonne Ackerman 1/15/19 Yvonne Ackerman 1/15/19

The Stanley

Background:
Paul Verica opened The Stanley in May 2018, after shutting down his popular Heritage Food + Drink in late 2017. The Stanley has a larger kitchen than Heritage, which allows Verica and his son and Sous Chef Alex to amp up their culinary greatness beyond what they’d already achieved in Waxhaw.

The pedigree behind the Vericas is no joke: The elder Verica was a James Beard semi-finalist for Best Chef in the Southeast in 2017, Heritage was named number one by Charlotte Magazine in 2015, and, ahem, The Stanley ranked at number three by yours truly in 2018. We think the dishes coming out of the kitchen at The Stanley are beyond exciting, and we also think it’s downright charming that they’re coming from a dynamic father/son team (Jason knows a thing or two about that magic).

Eat This:
The menu changes nearly daily; on our second visit in late December, they were already up to menu number 130 after only being open since May! The offerings are farm-driven, seasonal, and richly flavored. Recently, they started offering brunch from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on the weekends, and burgers after 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. There is also a private dining area you can reserve for larger parties or events.

**Foie Gras**

**Pecans, apples, ginger, butternut**
**The creamy foie gras on the toasted brioche was a revelation. Our favorite dish out of both visits.**

**Surf & Turf**

**Veggie slaw, beef tartare, fried oysters, truffle aioli**
**We were fighting over every bite of this one. And that presentation!**

**Beef Tartare**

**Radishes, greens, egg, capers, and flat bread**
**Can you ever go wrong with tartare? They let the flavor of the meat shine through with simple seasoning and accoutrements. A+.**

**Asparagus**

**“As many ways as we could think of”**
**The compressed asparagus on the bottom layer had a great texture and was loaded with fresh, green flavor.**

Sunchoke Chips

**Spicy mayo**
**This is one of the dishes they’ve brought over from Heritage, and we can see why. Ultra-snackable.**

**Scallop**

**Butternut, curry, carrots, sesame, pea shoots, mustard greens, ginger**
**We were huge fans of the light broth and added vegetables that highlighted the melt-in-your-mouth scallop.**

**Trout**

**Risotto, beets, spinach, red wine**
**The trout was prepared perfectly, and the risotto was a big hit with our table. Also dug the bright beet color of the risotto.**

**Raviolo**

**Short ribs, goat cheese, truffle, arugula, shrooms, broth**
**This dish wasn’t a looker, but the flavors were multi-layered and the broth added a rich umami.**

**Quail**

**Chicken-fried, cheddar grits, collards, gravy**
**I don’t eat corn (hey grits), but Jason and Olivia (of UpDog Kombucha!) described it as juicy, tender, and well-seasoned.**

**Duck Breast**

**Rutabaga, turnips, carrots, swiss chard, demi-glace**
**Jason says: carrot & duck is the new Starsky & Hutch. Is there anything else you need to know? This duck did not die in vain.**

**Steam Buns**

**Fried chicken, kimchi, Alex’s glaze**
**These put all other steam buns in our city to shame. You know who I’m talking about. Or do you?**

**Beets**

**Blue cheese, herbs, and “stuff”**
**Presentation is perhaps the best I’ve seen in Charlotte. This is the most beautiful palette of beets ever created. It tasted light and spring-like, which was perfect when we had it back in May.**

**Foie Gras Funnel Cake**

**WIth strawberries a few ways**
**This was the dish that first got us in the door back in May. You had us at foie gras. Very tasty, and obviously very fun to look at and eat!**
Also, someone commented on our Instagram that we shouldn’t be eating foie gras and that we were inhumane. We’ll tell you what’s inhumane: passing up foie gras when you have the chance to eat it. Especially in a funnel cake. Good day.

**Arancini**

**Pork belly, blue cheese, cider**
**These were a bit underwhelming, but we admittedly aren’t the biggest fans of arancini to begin with.**
**Also, who’s that pug in the background?! It’s UpDog Kombucha Olivia! YAY.**

Dessert:
The wonderful Ashley Boyd was in charge of the pastry program at Heritage, and at The Stanley, that honor goes to Morgan Romeo. Her treats are next-level delicious and innovative. Whatever you do, don’t skip dessert at The Stanley.

**Peanut Butter Cup**

**Powdered peanut butter on top and mouthwatering chocolate on the bottom. They should have this one on the menu permanently.**

**Swiss Roll**

**White chocolate, pistachio, cranberry**
**A flashback to childhood, only a million times better. Those tiny meringues!**

Drink:
Our BFF Larry Suggs helped The Stanley start their cocktail program, and boy, did he ever get things off on the right foot. Some of the most Instagram-worthy drinks in the city are served with a strong pour. Drink up.

**Honey Mocktail**

**Mr. Suggs made Jason this honey mocktail that he hasn’t stopped raving about since.**

**Queen City Duchess**

**Casamigos Reposado, cranberry cordial, Cocchi Americano Apertif, lime**
I could have had four of these, and the one I did have went down in five minutes flat. Casamigos tequila is the greatest thing George Clooney ever put his beautiful hands on. Also, can I be the Queen City Duchess? Please?

Atmosphere:
The interior is perhaps one of our favorite parts, and that’s saying something. It’s warm and inviting, and it feels like you are in your rich neighbor’s library. We’re talking carpet, strategically-placed books, and rich wood accents. Carpet in a restaurant is an unexpected surprise these days, and we really dig it. Coziness plus. The bar has a fun vibe, and we’ve seen people chilling here for hours. Bottom line: it’s the kind of place you want to linger.

Verica Dynasty Hospitality:
Not hyperbole––the service at The Stanley is some of the best we’ve had in the city. The waiters take their time explaining each dish and we’ve always felt exceedingly well taken care of.

Frankies Notes:
What happens when you drop some aioli on that carpet, though?; I want a Romeo-made version of all of my favorite childhood desserts, like the brownie that came inside of my frozen Kid Cuisine TV dinner; Great father/son duos: Paul & Alex, Bernie & Jason, Marlin & Nemo, Jason & Frankie; When they’re taking votes for Queen City Duchess, please keep me and Frankie at top of mind.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Jason Ackerman 1/8/19 Jason Ackerman 1/8/19

Top Five Dishes of 2018

Scallionpancake Top Dishes of 2018:
In addition to our top five restaurants of 2018, we decided to spice things up and rate our top five dishes of 2018, like we did last year. Sometimes, we really love a particular dish at a certain restaurant, or something smaller at a casual place that is worthy of the title of "best dish," when "best restaurant" doesn't quite make the cut. Without further ado, here are our top five dishes of 2018!

Jason

**1. FIVE AGES OF PARMIGIANO REGGIANO**

**Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy**
**Our overall experience at** **Osteria Francescana** **was a slight disappointment, but the the most famous dish by Massimo Bottura was excellent. I could have eaten 100 of these.**

**2. SHAWARMA OF CELERIAC AND TRUFFLE**

**Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark**
**You knew we weren’t going to get through this list without a dish from** **Noma**. I had to think long and hard about which dish to choose, and I ultimately chose the celeriac shawarma because of how unique it was. This was 100% vegetarian and it tasted like the best, most savory meat shawarma you’ve ever had. Of course the truffle sauce didn’t hurt, and also the sourdough bread to mop up the sauce was next level, too.

**3. Almond Granita**

**Caffè Sicilia, Noto, Sicily**
**We saw the** **Chef’s Table** on Corrado Assenza and immediately booked a flight to Sicily. We came for the almond granita, and we were not disappointed. Words can’t describe how clean and natural the almond flavor is, so just stare at the picture and then book your Ryanair flight stat.

**4. #19**

**Langers, Los Angeles, CA**
**You haven’t had rye bread until you’ve had the rye bread at** **Langers in LA. Put a pastrami reuben in between two slices of the heavenly bread and you’ve got yourself one of the best sandwiches in the world.**

**5. Aqua chile**

**Sanchez, Copenhagen, Denmark**
**This was** **one of the most unique dishes** **we had in Copenhagen. Think of a very spicy ceviche with mostly Danish ingredients and a strawberry acid broth.**

**Honorable Mention: Pickled Onion Rings**

**Majordomo, Los Angeles, CA**
**A revelation that could have easily made the top five if we hadn’t spent so much time in Copenhagen this year. These onion rings were the best I’ve ever had**.

Yvonne

**1. Mold Pancake**

**Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark**
Oh **Noma**. You are my whole life. Jason didn’t have as strong a feeling about this dish as I did, but my goodness, it blew me away. A tortilla with, yes, mold growing on it, much like the rind of brie cheese. The inside was filled with a shock of cold, creamy ice cream and a balsamic fig sauce. I can’t even conceive how someone could conceive of it, you dig?

**2. FIVE AGES OF PARMIGIANO REGGIANO**

**Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy**
**While much of our experience at** **Osteria Francescana** left something to be desired, Massimo Bottura’s most famous dish did not disappoint in the slightest, and both of us felt that it made the trip to Modena worthwhile in a single bite. Parmesan is such a rich, umami flavor, and getting all of the different ages and textures together was nothing short of mind-blowing. Also, the portion was more generous that what you would expect for a tasting menu, which pleased us thoroughly, as we both could have eaten a vat.

**3. Roast Chicken**

**Amass, Copenhagen, Denmark**
On our second visit to Amass (we also went in November 2017), we dined a la carte at the bar. During this meal, we had a roast chicken from Hegnsholt farm with a sauce made from reduced carrot and almond milk, and it blew me away. I typically don’t even like chicken, and I never order it. This changed my worldview. I could drink this sauce on the daily.

**4. Almond Granita**

**Caffè Sicilia, Noto, Sicily**
Oh, Corrado Assenza, you are a god among men. Eating the classic Sicilian breakfast of warm brioche and creamy almond milk granita was a life experience I won’t soon forget. Whereas most Italian granitas are made with a syrup (which is still delicious, mind you), Assensa’s family version is made with a freshly-made almond milk, which retains the grittiness and full-bodied flavor of the Sicilian almonds used to make it. Neither the brioche or the granita are overly sweet, and though this seems like an intense breakfast option, I promise it simply hits the spot.

**5. AS THE DRIFTER RESTS, IN REVERIE OF DAYS AHEAD**

**Atelier Crenn, San Francisco, CA**
**The coconut dessert from** **Atelier Crenn** is as if I imagined the ideal dessert in my mind and Dominique Crenn brought it to life. Imagine a creamy coconut pudding studded with pineapples inside of a bowl made entirely of chocolate. Yeah. That sort of begins to cover it. Also, the portion was exceedingly generous for a dish that comes near the end of a 17 course tasting menu, which I appreciated. Just because I’ve eaten a lot doesn’t mean I want to skimp on dessert, you feel me?

**Honorable Mention:**
**Jasper Hill Farm Cheesecake**

**In Situ,** **San Francisco, CA**
**We want to go to Spain to try this dish in the flesh. The Jasper Hill Farm Cheesecake with hazelnut, white chocolate, and cookies, inspired by Albert Adria’s dish from Tickets in Barcelona.**
**It’s cheese. It’s chocolate. It’s a party.**

**Honorable Mention:**
**Kato’s Silken Tofu**

**Upstream, Charlotte, NC**
**This beauty had soymilk, pickled shimeji mushrooms, ikura & fried ginger**
**Sad to** **lose Kato to Chicago** **(again)**

Jason Ackerman 1/1/19 Jason Ackerman 1/1/19

Top Five Restaurants of 2018

What a year! It’s hard to believe this is our fourth year of blogging and our fourth annual best restaurant list. This year was extra special, as we spent a month eating heavily in our favorite city in the world, Copenhagen. Not only that, we went to Noma, Eleven Madison Park, and Osteria Francescana this year. Which of them made our ultimate list for 2018? Read on to find out!