Your Pie

Background: 
Your Pie was opened in 2008 by Drew French, after he visited his wife's family in a small town outside of Naples, where he fell in love with the simple and delicious art of wood-fired pizza. Today, Your Pie is a franchise with tons of locations across the Southeast and Midwest. Charlotte's very own Your Pie opened in July 2017 in Southend, and we were honored to be included on the invite for their media preview day. There are so many create-your-own pizza places in Charlotte now, but we really felt that Your Pie distinguished itself with its food and service. 

Eat This: 
Obviously, the name of the game is the create-your-own pizza, but if you aren't feeling particularly inspired, Your Pie has created some topping combinations for you. Ankor Patel, the owner of the Southend franchise, recommends the Southern Heat--a blend of buffalo sauce, chicken, red onions, mozzarella, and jalapenos. The pizzas can be made on white or wheat crust, or even a 50/50 blend of white and wheat if you want to go healthy, but you don't want your pizza to taste 100% like cardboard. All of the veggie toppings used at each franchise are locally sourced, and the freshness really comes through in each pie. 

I got the white crust okay JUDGE AWAY

Not feeling pizza? How about a panini, or a salad in bread bowl? Salad in a bread bowl is a game changer for me--like, I want to be healthy and have vegetables and fiber and things, but you know: CARBS. Talk about the best of both worlds. 

The bowl is BREAD/image courtesy of the YourPieClt Instagram page

The best thing we tried, though? Their cheesy bread sticks. These reminded me of eating Papa John's at middle school sleepovers, and I freaking loved it. 

Dessert: 
Part of what makes Your Pie stand out from the other pizza places like it, is their gelato and sorbet offerings. It seems as though most pizza places offer a shrink-wrapped cookie or brownie, and that's it. While Your Pie offers those trusty staples as well, their gelato steals the show. We tried the blood orange sorbet, which was perfect for a sweltering July day. I can't wait to get back and try some of their other flavors soon. 

Drink: 
In addition to soft drinks, Your Pie offers a large selection of wine and beer, and they always offer beers that are local to the franchise area. 

Atmosphere: 
There is ample seating, if you are not taking your pizza to go. A fun local touch? This beautiful green wall created by Torri from The Savage Way

Pizza, love, and hoppiness//image courtesy of the YourPieClt Instagram page

"Make Your Own" Hospitality: 
Sometimes, the service at create-your-own places is lacking, and of course, there is always the completely legitimate concern that the employees are skimping on the topping options. This is not the case at Your Pie--you can rest assured they will load up your pizza with a smile. 

Frankie's Notes: 
Salad in a bread bowl solves the timeless conundrum of: I don't want to die of malnutrition, but I'm freaking starving; Southern Heat is also the name of Frankie's basketball team; Cheesy bread sticks plus John Hughes movies equals pure nostalgic joy; Shrink-wrapped desserts by the register are kind of sad, but it doesn't mean I won't eat them; There is nothing like the stress of watching an employee neglect to put enough cheese on your order. 

 

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

Tea Fusion Cafe

Background: 
Tea Fusion Cafe opened in 2016 in the University area of Charlotte. It's a popular hang among college students and Charlotte millennials who need their bubble tea fix. Other menu options include shaved ice cream, bahn mi, and a blended mango and chili powder/mango smoothie called a mangonada. If driving to the University area seems like too much of a hike, let us assure you that Tea Fusion is well worth the drive. Put on your favorite podcast, and get ready for the best Asian field trip this side of Super G Mart. 

Eat This: 
We always go for the bahn mi, although savory offerings also include a variety of small bites, including popcorn chicken, calamari, fried tofu, and edamame. When it comes to bahn mi, you have a choice of ten filling options, ranging from a simple fried egg to unagi (eel). Picture below is the M8--Bulgogi, or Korean barbecue beef. All of the sandwiches also include the traditional mix of pickled vegetables, including carrots, cucumber, cilantro, and daikon radish. 

Bulgogiiiiiiii

Dessert:
Although there is a dessert case filled with various cakes and macarons, we can only recommend the shaved ice cream. It is not easy to find shaved cream ice outside of a major city, and you would be silly not to jump on this opportunity. The only other place to get this delicacy in Charlotte, that we are aware of, is the pop-up Snow Fluff Shavery. If you know of any others we are missing, let us know in the comment section! 

Shaved ice cream is made by freezing large cylinders of ice cream, and then shaving those cylinders into ribbons of deliciousness using a magical unicorn machine. The result is a light and creamy texture somewhere between traditional ice cream and a snow cone. The flavor options at Tea Fusion Cafe are green tea, strawberry, taro, and coconut, and we always go green tea or taro. Once you chose your flavor, then you can load up your ice cream with all of the traditional Asian toppings: red bean, sweetened condensed milk, mochi, popping boba, and a wide variety of fruits. 

Green tea shaved ice with mochi, red bean, condensed milk, and strawberries

Taro shaved ice with popping boba//Photo courtesy of Charlotte Agenda

Drink: 
The drink selection is one of the best things going at Tea Fusion Cafe. Their most popular option is their mason jar tea refresher, which is a blend of sweetened tea with a wide variety of mix-in options ranging from chopped fresh fruit to chia seeds and jellies. They also have all of the traditional bubble tea options, which you can get as simple milk tea, or blended up as a smoothie. Popular flavor options include Thai tea, green tea, taro, and avocado. 

Mangonada//Photo courtesy of Charlotte Agenda

Bubble teas with boba and jellies//Photo courtesy of Yelp

Atmosphere: 
Check out that Ikea light fixture, though! I feel like I see that thing in so many restaurants these days. Tea Fusion is filled with comfy seating options, and even a highly sought after couch where you could comfortably sip your bubble tea for hours. There are lots of college kids here socializing and working on laptops, and it's the kind of place where you feel comfortable enough to stay a while after your meal. 

Ever-popular Ikea light//Photo courtesy of Yelp

Bubble Bubble Bubble Tea Hospitality:
Although Tea Fusion is a counter service cafe, the employees go out of their way to make you feel welcomed. They are very patient with customers taking a long time to navigate their menu, and they are quick to offer suggestions if you are unsure of what you're craving. The service is also super quick, and don't be discouraged if there is a long line—they keep it moving at a fast pace. 

Frankie's Notes: 
Cool Asian college kids will never let you get that prime couch spot; Why doesn't Super G Mart have shaved ice?; What kind of weird science makes popping boba pop?; I bet Ikea gave out those light fixtures as a free gift with purchase; If you are driving all the way to University, you should definitely make a quick stop at Ninety's Ice Cream, too. 

Rating: 3 out of 5

 

Aliño Pizzeria

Background: 
If you read our post on Barcelona Burger Bar, then you already know we are huge fans of Michal Bay's work (not to be confused with Transformers director Michael Bay--we are decidedly not fans of his work). After our awesome experience on the right side of the converted Mooresville mill (AKA the burger side) we were invited to head back on a recent night to check out the left side (AKA the pizza side). Aliño Pizzeria has been serving up authentic Neopolitan-stye pizza since February 2015, and the people are loving it. There are regularly lines out the door, although you won't wait long, as the staff has the process of getting you in and fed down to an art form. 

How authentic is their pie? For starters, every week the restaurant gets shipments from Italy of San Marzano tomatoes, Buffalo Mozzarella, and "00" flour, a designation which means the flour is very finely ground. The pizzas are baked in custom wood-fire ovens for a mere 90 seconds. All of these steps are part of the process of making true Neopolitan pizza that has a signature soft and doughy crust with the perfect amount of chew. The ingredients used are of the highest quality, and it is evident that each pizza is made with a great amount of care. 

Eat This: 
We went with our friends Jess, Andrew, and Lorin, and splitting two pies turned out to be the perfect amount of food. 

Bellucci

Cremini mushrooms, caramelized Cipolline onion, fresh garlic, truffle oil (no sauce)

Sorrento

Pepperoni, San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil, fresh garlic

The pizzas were incredible. The crust is like nothing else I've ever had, and the toppings were all flavorful and oh so savory. 

We also tried a caprese salad, and we were so glad we did. I have never tasted Buffalo mozzarella as fresh as this. The spicy greens and the late summer tomatoes drizzled with some high quality olive oil--ugh. I was just in heaven eating this salad. Which is really saying something when the pizza was so delicious. The caprese was the perfect accompaniment to our meal.

Caprese Salad

Fresh, ripe tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil

One of my favorite parts about Aliño was their sauce and condiment bar. As a gal who likes a lot of red sauce for dipping, this allowed me to get as many servings as I wanted without feeling embarrassed. Hooray!

Dessert: 
As we mentioned on the Barcelona post, all of the gelato and the cannoli are made in house. There is also a wide variety of cakes from a local bakery, so no matter what you are craving at the end of your meal, Aliño has you covered. 

Chocolate raspberry Cake

cannoli

Chocolate chip & pistachio

gelato

Drink: 
Like its sister restaurant Barcelona Burger, Alino has a large assortment of wine and beer, and the ever-popular freestyle Coke machine. 

Atmosphere: 
Whether you want to sit outside in Alino's covered patio area, or inside in the spacious dining area, you will be comfy and cozy. 

Napoletano Hospitality: 
Everyone at Alino is so friendly, and everyone always seems to be in a good mood. The folks at the counter who take the order are knowledgeable and efficient and the food runners are fast--seriously, the last time we were here our pizzas beat us to the table because we took so much time playing with the Freestyle Coke machine. 

Frankie's Notes: 
If they can make mozzarella from buffalo milk, imagine what they could make from pug milk; We covered Alino and Barcelona on episode one of the podcast, and you should definitely give it a listen here; Jason plus a Freestyle Coke machine = unbridled joy; If there is a condiment, sauce, or salsa bar, you can rest assured that I will come back with seven to nine varieties just for me; Don't touch my sauce. 

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

 

Restaurant Tim Raue

Background:

Tim Raue is broadly considered to be the best chef in Germany. He had a hard upbringing ; he was abused by his dad, and raised by his mom and grandmother who had little money. Raue joined a gang when he was young, he describes himself as angry and violent. After being unsuccessful at school, he was given three career paths at a vocational school --a gardener, painter, or chef. He chose chef, and it is lucky for us and the culinary world that he did. Raue was talented at school, but couldn't get hired because he was from the wrong part of town. He was given at chance at Chalet Suisse, where he honed his craft and learned the basics. He eventually wound up at Schloss Glienicke under the tutelage of Johannes Klapdohr. He first became a head Chef in 1998 at Kaiserstuben. In 2005, he was named "Rising Star of the Year,” while head chef at Swissotel, where he earned his first Michelin Star. He was also named Gault Millau Chef of the Year, the highest award for a chef in Germany.

Raue opened up his first restaurant in 2008 called Ma Tim Raue, which was heavily influenced by his previous trip to Asian a few years prior. He loves the ying and yang that Asian flavors bring to dishes. He opened up Restaurant Tim Raue in 2010, quickly earning two Michelin Stars and at one time the restaurant was as high as #36 in the world rankings. The restaurant is currently ranked #48 in the world.

A West Berlin Side Story

Eat This:

We went to Tim Raue for lunch. We appreciated that you could order a tasting menu or a la carte, and you could mix and match these options for the table. Yvonne did a four course tasting, and I did the Signature six course tasting menu.

Picked Ginger, cucumber and garlic, and red pepper marshmallows

Spicy Cashews

Dance for your spicy cashews

When you arrive, they immediately start putting little dishes in front of you—eight in total, because this is the luckiest number in Chinese culture. These dishes included spicy cashews, pickled ginger, cucumber & garlic, red pepper marshmallows, and smoked trout. Our favorites were the spicy cashews. We were off to a, dare we say, spicy start.

Wasabi Langoustine

We both ordered the Wasabi Langoustine, because this is Tim Raue's signature dish and my favorite dish in the entire world. We first tried this dish at In Situ in San Francisco, and we specifically wanted to come to Tim Raue to try this original.

In many ways, Tim Raue is our Mecca, and this dish did not disappoint. The spiciness of the Wasabi mixed with the butteriness of the langoustine, as well as the sweet, spicy, and crunchy mango sauce beneath adds up to something incredible. It's perfection, and gave us more faith that there is a god. I almost ordered another one at the end—it's that good.

PikePerch

with kamebishi soy ten year, leek, and ginger

Next up was the pikeperch. This was brought out in a steamed bamboo box and served over the ten year soy. After the wasabi langoustine, this dish seemed pretty average.

Suckling Pig

with Japanese mustard and pickled ginger.

This was my second favorite after the wasabi langoustine. The pork was cooked perfectly and paired nicely with the spicy Japanese mustard—again, the ying and yang Raue loves. Pork is hard to cook right and is often served overcooked and tough. What made this nice was the crunchiness of the skin and the tenderness of the center.

Dim Sum

Pork, green pepper, and mayonnaise

Raue is known for his modern take on dim sum. The pork dumplings were cooked perfectly and the green pepper added a nice flavor.

Chicken egg

with morning glory and black truffle.

Talk about an explosion of flavor in your mouth! The delicate black truffle with the egg combines in your mouth like two lineman clashing at the line of scrimmage (sports reference). The presentation seemed to be almost a play on Dr. Suess' green eggs and ham.

Peking Duck

Raue's other signature dish is peking duck. He uses the entire duck, serving it in three separate dishes. The main dish is the fried duck breast with leeks, apple, and a duck feet sauce. The second dish is duck liver mousse with cucumber, leek and crispy skin. Finally, you are presented with a duck broth containing the tongue, heart, and gizzards.

Duck Liver Mouse

If it ain't chocolate mouse, we'll take duck liver mouse

Duck Gizzards

Gizzards for dayzz

yuzu Cheesecake

How cute is this little guy? A chocolate and caramel coated koi yuzu cheesecake with yuzu ice cream. The koi had a really nice crunch to offset the creaminess of the cheesecake. The yuzu ice cream added a nice acidity to compliment the dish as well.

Drink:
Tim Raue has an extensive wine list and cocktail list—over 1,200 wines in total. This was lunch, so we didn't partake in any alcoholic beverages; however, I did get a sparking grape juice from South Africa that was very nice. Yvonne enjoyed tea and coffee.

Atmosphere:
Tim Raue feels mid-century modern, with brown wood and different shades of blue chairs. Raue describes Berlin as a Blue city. I'm not sure what that means, but it seems super German. There is really interesting modern graffiti art and bird cages with fake birds. Yvonne's favorite piece of art was the painting of trash bags you see pictured below. This painting should not work in a dining room setting, and yet, it totally does. There are table clothes on the tables, but they don't cover the whole table, which I think plays to Raue's edgy style. For a nice restaurant, it has a really relaxed, comforting, approachable vibe. 

The Chicken Egg was served with cute, colorful cuttlery (say that 3 times fast)

Edgy tablecloths: so hot right now

German Hospitality:
The wait staff couldn't have been nicer, but they definitely gave off the stern German vibe. Basically they didn't laugh at my jokes, and I don’t like that. Other than that the service was exactly what you would expect it to be for a restaurant of this caliber— everyone was knowledgable and the service was exceptional.

Frankie's Notes:
Frankie is an East Berlin pug with West Berlin dreams; We are only stocking our next kitchen with bright green plastic spoons; Is it weird I ate the koi's head first so it wouldn't suffer a painful death?; After four tasting menus in four days on this trip, all we ate after this were kebobs and salad—we're still professional eaters though.

German bird cages hang behind the reception desk.

Oh yeah, they served stuff in these cute things, too

Rating: 5 out of 5 + 1 Michigan Pug