Pizza Puffs

Hello again, readers! It is still December 12 and I'm going to hit you with a recipe that I made for Nate and I last week but first I must fill you in on some less-than-cheerful news: this past Sunday, I woke up to find Raleigh under a thick blanket of fluffy white snow. It was beautiful, but as you're about to find out, I may never want to see snow again for a very long time.

While bundled up on the couch reading a book I noticed a large water spot beginning to form on the living room ceiling. Upon investigation, this water spot was the least of our worries because there was a large leak in our second bedroom/Nate's office/cat room that was saturating the carpet and quickly on track to ruin all our belongings. We moved all our stuff out of the path of destruction, which was lucky because less than 5 hours later our ceiling fell. Our spare bedroom is currently under construction and my mood is definitely not very Christmas-y. Truthfully I want to just cover my head with a blanket and sleep until everything's fixed. I haven't really been cooking, sleeping or thinking of anything other than the chaos of my home-life.

 

So let me take you back to last week, before my home was turned upside down, and give you the recipe for Pizza Puffs: my take on a Chicagoland classic.

Pizza Puff

Less-than-golden Pizza Puffs

1/3 box of phyllo dough sheets, thawed and cut into 8X10 inch sheets (you'll use 4 sheets per puff)
4 Tbsp salted butter, melted
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 Tbsp tomato paste
1 can fire-roasted tomatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
8-10 meatless meatballs, thawed and cut in half
2 C mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 C parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with foil. Set aside until use.

In a saucepan, saute onions in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. Spoon in the tomato paste and dump in the can of fire-roasted tomatoes (liquid and all). Stir to combine and let the mixture come to a boil. Season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Lower the heat and cover until you're ready to assemble.

Thaw the meatless balls and cut in half. Set aside.

Layering 3 sheets, butter the outer inch around each sheet using a basting brush. Spoon 1/2 C of sauce in the center of the square and smooth out as much as possible. Try not to overfill! Remember phyllo sheets are extremely delicate and will rip easily.

Top the sauce with 3 slices of halved meatlessball.

Sprinkle with 1/2 C of mozzarella cheese.

Fold the bottom half of the phyllo dough up toward the top. The goal is to have the top of the bottom portion of the dough in the center of the filling (super confusing I know, think fold "hamburger" style from when you were in elementary school). Brush the exposed dough with butter and repeat the fold with the top portion of the phyllo dough, again meeting the top in the middle of the filling. Brush with more butter.

Fold the sides in toward the middle of the filling to complete your pizza puff. Wrap this entire package in another sheet of phyllo dough, repeating the folding and buttering like before.

Place your newly formed puffs fold-side-down on your prepared baking sheet and top with *gasp* even more melted butter. This dish is equal parts decadent and comfort food.

Sprinkle the top of the puff with 1/4 C of shredded parmesan cheese.

Repeat with all remaining ingredients until you have 6 perfectly portioned Pizza Puffs (try saying that 5 times fast).

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until flaky and browned. You can tell from my picture we were not as patient and therefore our puffs did not achieve golden brown nirvana, still tasted delicious though! And please be careful as these little pockets will most likely have a temperature akin to the surface of the sun - remember, patience is a virtue!

Here's hoping my living situation quickly improves and I can get back to my holiday sprit-filled self in no time, for I fear I'm becoming a Scrooge.

Lindley Park Filling Station

Good morning, readers! Happy December 12 (that's a thing, right?) and welcome to my blog! December is rolling right along and I have a number of things to fill you in on so let's get crackin'!

The last weekend of November our dear friends Seth and Abbey began their 9-years-in-the-making life as a married couple! Nate and I were fortunate enough to attend the happy union. The wedding was held in Stokesdale, North Carolina and everyone was staying in nearby Greensboro. We left on Friday afternoon with our sights set on delicious food and wedding bliss.

Because it's me, I was not going to go to a new place and just eat anywhere, I wanted to plan! After some Googling, I discovered the Lindley Park Filling Station. This neighborhood eatery located at 2201 Walker Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27403 really packs a punch with their food and drink specials! We arrived just around 6:30 PM on Friday night and were the last people to be seated before the wait-time stretched into the 30-40 minute range.

 

 

Lindley Park Filling Station

Décor:  This space is narrow. We walked into the door and I had to take a double take to make sure we weren't entering through a side-entrance. You are immediately face-to-face with a 15-seat mirror-backed bar and surrounded by a few high-top and low-top tables. Handwritten specials boards hang on the walls. The restaurant also features a fenced-in outdoor seating area, however it was in the 30s and sitting outside was not very enticing.

Food appearance: food is served in metal trays lined with wax paper. Napkins are paper, utensils are silver and nothing looks fancy, but boy-oh-boy does it taste good.

Food taste: We began our culinary adventure with Fried Pickle Chips but these were no run-of-the-mill pickle chips, instead of being battered in a beer batter these were battered in cornmeal. I will say they had a great flavor and texture, but the cornmeal batter (similar to a fried green tomato batter) didn't adhere itself to the juicy pickle slices, thus leaving the diner with some lukewarm batter-less pickle chips. The Roasted Chili-Dill Aioli the chips were served alongside was a revelation! Perfect dip-able consistency, a little heat from the chili and a whole lot of cool from the dill. The sauce created the perfect bite if you were lucky enough to get a still-battered pickle chip.

Fried Pickle Chips with Chili-Dill Aioli

After much deliberation (really their whole menu sounded phenomenal), I settled on The Mayflower Sandwich. This hot sandwich has a great meatiness from a portabella mushroom cap, topped with provolone cheese, red peppers, basil aioli, sprouts and served on a pillowy potato roll. Everything about this sandwich was heaven. The flavors were so well balanced and the textures were interesting and complex. Basically, this sandwich was great and you need to order it now. I ordered a side of tater tots with ranch dressing because there's no better dynamic duo than potato and ranch. Come at me, I'll wait.

The Mayflower with Tater Tots

Nate ordered a burger of some variety. He can fill you in on those details.

After we had eaten our entrees and were wondering what our next move should be, we decided we absolutely had to get one of their desserts. We settled on their Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake, because peanut butter and chocolate is possibly the only rival to potato and ranch. The chocolate cake was moist and decadent and the peanut butter buttercream was fluffy and sweet. My only suggestion for this cake would be maybe add some mini chocolate chips between the layers of butter cream for a different texture.

Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

Service: things are a little jarring here, I won't lie to you. We walked in, looked around like lost puppies for a few minutes and then were told to take a seat at the bar by one of the bartenders. We never had a specific server per se and in the chaos of the constant flow of people in the door we were occasionally overlooked for beverage refills and condiments but I never felt ignored or neglected.

Cleanliness: due to the high demand, tables were quickly cleaned and reset. The restrooms were clean and orderly.

I would absolutely recommend a trip to Lindley Park Filling Station if you're ever in the area! The food is good, the beer is cold and the desserts are decadent!

We spent the rest of the weekend celebrating Seth and Abbey and recovering from the celebrations.

Maple Syrup Tomato Sauce

Good morning, readers! Here we are at Thursday, or as I like to refer to it "Friday, Jr." I hope your weekend is filled with fun and exciting plans, good weather and lots of relaxation!

Last night my co-worker/work bestie Amy came over to our apartment to watch the Christmas classic, Elf. Now, if you've never seen this wonderfully charming family film, first off: have you been living under a rock for the last 15 years? And secondly, shame on you!

Being that I'm a huge advocate of theme dinners, I wanted to make something special for this get-together. If you're a fan of the movie, you'll definitely remember the unforgettable scene in which Will Ferrell's character drenches a plate of spaghetti in maple syrup. Well, I didn't want to be that drastic so I tried to think of a way to incorporate maple syrup into the spaghetti and then it came to me like a lightbulb! Replace the sugar usually added to tomato sauce with syrup! And thus the following recipe was born.

Maple Syrup Tomato Sauce

 

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 C yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz canned no-sodium added tomato sauce
3 Tbsp tomato paste
14 oz canned diced tomatoes
1/2 - 1 C vegetable stock or 1 vegetable bullion cube and 1/2-1 C water
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp real maple syrup
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1/2 Tsp red pepper flakes

In a saucepan over medium heat, sauté onion in oil until translucent. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant.

Pour in the tomato sauce, tomato paste and diced tomatoes (liquid and all) and stir to combine.

Depending on how thin you like your spaghetti sauce, add in 1/2 C to 1 C of vegetable stock. I personally like my sauce to be on the thick side so I use less liquid, but this it totally personal preference! If you're using a bullion cube, toss in the cube whole and add water to thin. Stir frequently to disperse.

Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Now add in 2 Tbsp of maple syrup to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. If you prefer your sauce a little sweeter, add in more syrup! However taste check constantly! You don't want your spaghetti to end up tasting like Will Ferrell's, unless you're into that.

Drop the heat to low and simmer the sauce for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use immediately or store in a mason jar in your refrigerator for up to a week.

This sauce is flavorful, chunky and delicious. The maple syrup gives the sauce a rich and decadent flavor that regular sugar just can't compare to, truth be told I may start making my tomato sauce with maple syrup from now on.

Chunky Maple Syrup Tomato Sauce with Meatless Meatballs, Garlic Toast and a nice Chianti!

I paired my delicious sauce with some plain ole' spaghetti noodles and meatless meatballs that I cooked in the sauce while I was reheating it on the stove. I also made some garlic toast using wheat sandwich bread, butter and a variety of seasonings.

We enjoyed our dinner with a bottle of Chianti and then sat down to watch the cinematic genius that is Elf.

Stay tuned for some more exciting things ahead, readers!

Salmon en Croute

Hey readers, welcome to the home stretch of this blog post marathon! Congratulations, you did it! Basically you and I both deserve a medal, or at least a cocktail. Saturday night I was bitten by the inspiration bug and decided I wanted; no I NEEDED to make use of the leftover phyllo dough taking up space in my freezer from the last time I made Spanakopita and decided Salmon en Croute was the perfect way to do it!


Salmon en Croute

Tell me that doesn't look delicious

2 3-oz salmon fillets
6 sheets thawed phyllo dough, cut in half length-wise
4 Tbsp Spinach Pesto (recipe to follow)
Salt and pepper, to taste
3-4 Tbsp melted butter


Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.


Dry both salmon fillets with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper.


Layer 2 of the cut phyllo dough pieces on top of each other and brush the outer edges with melted butter. Place one of the seasoned fillets in the center of the layered dough and top with 2 heaping  tablespoons of Spinach pesto and spread evenly.


Fold the phyllo dough around the fillet and brush with butter. Flip the dough-package onto another cut piece of phyllo dough and brush top with more melted butter. Fold the phyllo dough around the dough-package and brush with even more butter. This recipe is absolutely not for someone watching their cholesterol. Place the 3-layered fish packet on the prepared baking sheet.


Repeat with remaining fillet.


Bake your wrapped fillets for 22 minutes. And allow to cool for at least 3 minutes before serving. The pesto will be extremely hot.


Inside the flaky and buttery pastry is flavorful pesto and expertly cooked fish. My salmon was a delicious shade of pink and perfectly tender and moist. Plus who doesn't like something flaky and buttery?


I enjoyed my fish with some packaged quinoa mix from Aldi.


This recipe really couldn't be simpler, and now I have another fun dish in my repertoire to prepare whenever I have an excess of phyllo dough.


Spinach Pesto


4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
4 C fresh spinach
3 whole garlic cloves
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 C pecans
1/2 C shredded parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp lemon juice


Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet and wilt spinach.


In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together wilted spinach, garlic, salt and pepper, pecans, cheese and lemon juice while slowly drizzling in the remaining 3 Tbsp of olive oil. Scrape the bowl as needed.


Pulse until the mixture looks...like pesto. I prefer my pesto to be on the thicker side rather than the oily side but you do you, boo boo. Taste check and use on whatever you fancy!


Store in a jar in the fridge for up to a month, adding more oil and stirring as necessary.


Hope you enjoyed these recipes, readers! Stay tuned for my Elf Watch Party post coming up on Thursday!

Pumpkin Bread

I'm sure you've been reading my glorious posts and thinking to yourself, these restaurant reviews and trip recounts are nice and all - but where are her recipes?! You wanted it, now you got it! Here's my recipe for delightfully moist and deliciously spicy Pumpkin Bread.


Pumpkin Bread

Fresh Out the Oven

2 C canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 C canola oil
2/3 C water
3 eggs
1 C plain Greek yogurt
3 1/2 C flour
2 Tsp baking soda
1/2 Tsp salt
2 Tsp pumpkin pie spice


Preheat oven to 350.


In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, oil, water, eggs and yogurt until well mixed.


In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.


Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until combined.


Spray 2  loaf pans (or 1 loaf pan and 1 9X9 casserole dish) with non-stick baking spray and pour half the mixture into each pan using a spatula to smooth out the top and ensure everything is evenly dispersed.


Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean. Your house will also smell absolutely wonderful.


Remove the pans from the oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before moving to a wire rack (or until slicing and devouring).


This bread has a light and fluffy texture and is impossibly moist with all the great flavors of Fall.


I hope you enjoy this recipe, readers!

Mike's Chicago Dog (and More)

Hey again, readers! I know you just read my brilliant Seoul 116 - Korean Kitchen & Bar blog and wanted to know where else I've been eating lately. Well, I'm here to fill you in on that very subject!


On Friday Nate and I ditched the big box stores and shopping malls for a walk in the woods. We loaded up my Ford Escape (affectionately named Sully) and headed toward the Uhwarrie National Forest. After a scenic hour and a half drive spent singing along to Christmas music, we arrived at a trailhead. Unfortunately for us, there was a deep creek standing between us and the rest of the trail and even more unfortunately for us, the footbridge was inaccessible. Deciding we weren't interested in walking the remaining 9 miles of our hike with wet feet, we regrouped and found another trailhead.

Heading out of Raleigh toward the Uhwarrie

We walked a peaceful 7-ish miles in the woods running into very few other people but hearing plenty of echoing gun shots from nearby hunters. I have to say, there's nothing quite as unsettling as knowing there are people actively shooting bullets nearby and having no idea where they're aiming. Thankfully we were never very nearby a target.

We found the Uhwarrie is home to many a strange-looking tree

After 3-ish hours of walking, we were cold and tired so I did some passenger-seat research for a coffee shop. I found Coffee XChange in downtown Asheboro, North Carolina. We set the GPS for the 108 Sunset Avenue location and sped toward warm beverages and possibly pastries. We went into the cute little coffee shop and were looking at the menu and you'll never guess what happened next! We left. Yep. We were never served here. The girl behind the counter helped the customer in front of us and then disappeared to the back to not return for another 2 minutes at least.


So we went back outside to find another option which was right around the corner at Mike's Chicago Dog (and More)!


Mike's Chicago Dog (and More)


Now, you may be thinking, as we certainly were, of all the gin joints in...wait, that's not what we were thinking. We were actually wondering what on earth is this Chicago street food-style eatery doing in middle-of-nowhere Asheboro, North Carolina?


Décor: The bright yellow awning and red and yellow Vienna Beef branded umbrellas are like a neon beacon just inviting guests into this unique eatery. The interior is painted an equally bright yellow and walls are absolutely covered in Chicago sports memorabilia - there's even an entire wall dedicated to the Chicago Cubs (my late-Uncle Norm would be proud). The tables are covered in red vinyl, as are the seats of the metal yellow chairs. There is also an 8 stool lunch counter if you want to be right up and close to the action. Basically, this place is inviting. You can't help but feel welcome.

Food appearance: This place is very elbows on the table. Everything is served in paper boats, with plastic cutlery and in Styrofoam cups.


Food taste: This establishment is a love letter to Chicago-style fast foods. Hot dogs, Italian Beef Sandwiches, Pizza Puffs and Supreme Tamales. As disgusting as they are, I love hot dogs. I always have. And Chicago-style hot dogs are by far the superior hot dog. Everything about them just works! The tangy mustard, the briny and spicy sport peppers, the slightly sweet relish, the crunch of the pickle, the fresh juicy tomato, the celery salt and the texture of the poppyseed bun. Basically, if I could marry a hot dog - this would be it. So you can imagine my sheer delight when I found VEGETARIAN HOT DOGS on the menu! WHAT!?! Yes, this unassuming restaurant even caters to those of us who do not eat meat.


Not surprisingly, I ordered a Chicago Dog with a veggie dog, add giardiniera. You know my affinity for this pickled condiment.


Nate and I also split an order of Mozzarella Sticks and Jalapeno Poppers. Both were crisp, hot and perfectly melty. Basically this meal was the best thing I could've had post-hike.


Nate ordered a Chicago Dog and a Carolina Dog (topped with chili and slaw).


Service: Service here was fantastic! We were promptly greeted and told to sit wherever we liked. Our server/cook was very friendly and accommodating and ensured we had everything we needed to enjoy our meal. We also met the restaurant's namesake, Mike! Yes, we met THE Mike. This gruff Chicago transplant talked football with Nate while he rung up our check and sold us some giardiniera to take home.


Cleanliness: Everything was clean including the restrooms.


I eagerly await my next trip through Asheboro to take another stop at this cute neighborhood joint. I would absolutely eat here close to daily if we lived closer. Really, it's that good! So if you are moseying through or near Asheboro take a pit stop at 103 N Fayetteville St and treat yourself to a Chicago Dog or two!


With our bellies full of happiness, we headed back toward Raleigh to decorate for Christmas.

Hart Christmas Corner

Seoul 116 - Korean Kitchen & Bar

Good morning, readers! I hope that your Monday was short and your Tuesday will be even shorter! I'm still playing catch-up with my blog posts  so prepare yourself for 4 comin' attcha today! I hope your boss wasn't hoping you'd do any actual work today!


Seoul 116 - Korean Kitchen & Bar


Last Wednesday Nate and I decided to ditch our pots and pans for a meal out. We have a rule that if one person suggests a restaurant and the other person disagrees, they have to pick. Well I had suggested The Angus Barn which admittedly was a tad of a stretch considering the price tag but Nate rules are rules so Nate needed to come up with an alternative. He somehow found Seoul 116. After looking at the menu and confirming that it was pescatarian-friendly, we were off to 116 N West St, Ste 100, Raleigh, NC 27603!


Décor: This space is absolutely beautiful. The floors are marbled concrete, the bar is rough brick, the tables are dark natural woods and there are a lot of interesting light fixtures here. Not only are there hanging Edison bulbs (my personal favorite) but there are large industrial-style lamps and canvas light boxes. Basically, their interior decorator was worth every penny.


There are a few different dining areas through the restaurant but each is sectioned in a way that nothing seems too large. It's all very intimate and private without feeling over-crowded or squished. The muted color palate allows the diner to focus on what's really important here - the food.


Food appearance: Can I just say wow? Everything that came out of the kitchen was beautiful and I must confess that one of the dishes even made me question my commitment to pescatarianism. If that's not a testament to this place I don't know what is. The plates are a rustic ceramic and even the disposable chopsticks match the wood grain of the tables and chairs.


Food taste: the menu is tapas-style and therefore you're encouraged to sample a few items to share. We settled on the Spicy Tuna Tart, Shrimp Pancake, Bulgogi Sliders, Kimchi Fried Rice with Fried Shrimp, Side of Kimchi and the Green Tea Ice Cream with Churros.


The Spicy Tuna Tart is a little misleading. This is not a tart. The tuna, besides being extremely fresh, is a magnificent texture. It appears to be finely minced yet it retains a nice meaty bite. The flavor of the mayo, truffle oil and micro greens are an exceptional match to the spicy tuna and the fried wonton chip are the best vehicle for this dish. Basically, order 2 orders because you'll want to eat a plate by yourself.

Spicy Tuna Tart

The Shrimp Pancake was a little disappointing just in the sheer amount of tempura'd items on one plate. The delicately flavored scallion pancake is overflowing with fried shrimp, fried red onion, fried green onion and soy pickled jalapeno. Each element of the dish was delicious on its own, but far too fatty when eaten all together. I found myself craving the slightly spicy jalapeno rings and funky kimchi with every bite. Maybe this dish should be a de-constructed approach rather than piled on top of each other.

Back: Shrimp Pancake
Front: Kimchi Fried Rice with Fried Shrimp

The Bulgogi Slider are what almost broke me. The slightly sweet aroma wafting off the rib eye, the fluffy slider buns, the cucumber kimchi and the sesame mayo all looked like heaven to this veteran pesci. I stuck to my guns though. However, I did indulge in the pickled eggplant on the side of the dish. It was...different? I can't really describe the flavor but the texture was unexpected. Who knew that eggplant could stand up so well to pickling?

Bulgogi Slider

What can I say about the Kimchi Fried Rice other than it was incredible. The rice was fluffy, the kimchi was prevalent, the fried shrimp were succulent and plump with marvelous tempura texture. The whole dish is topped with a fried egg (our yolk was a little disappointingly overcooked) and dusted with black and white sesame seeds. I think the only thing that would have made me love this dish more would have been the egg yolk to be runnier to ooze all over the rice. Nate however said he would've preferred the rice the way it was intended to be ordered - with sausage.


The side of kimchi was definitely a good order. The cabbage was crisp and spicy and was a great addition to every dish we ordered.


We ordered 2 sakes to enjoy with our meal: the Shochikubai Nigori to pair with the savory and a glass of Dragon God to enjoy with the Green Tea Ice Cream with Churros.

Green Tea Ice Cream with Churros and Dragon God Sake

Now this dessert is quite possibly my favorite dish of the evening. The green tea flavor was most definitely present but not bitter or unpleasant. The ice cream was slightly sweet and made even better when paired with a piece of STILL WARM cinnamon-sugar coated churro. Oh and guess what the side of the bowl was lightly swooped with? CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SPREAD! This surprising addition made this seemingly simple dessert luscious and decadent.


Service: we were promptly greeted by the hostess and our server was knowledgeable and friendly. She checked on us throughout our stay and made sure we had everything we needed to enjoy ourselves. A+ for service, Seoul 116.


Cleanliness: this restaurant looked pretty much impeccable. Nothing looked dirty or dusty, tables were cleaned quickly and the bathrooms were nice and tidy.


I will return to Seoul 116 for the Green Tea Ice Cream with Churros, Kimchi Fried Rice with Shrimp, Spicy Tuna Tart and to try one of their Souju Capris - basically a boozy juice pouch with a light-up ice cube. Can you think of anything more fun because I sure can't. Definitely go give this spot a try! Also I recommend ordering a few things and then seeing where you are hunger-wise. We were utterly stuffed with our 4 dishes, one of which I didn't even eat!

Trip to D.C

Hello again, readers! I know just finished reading my utterly brilliant Virgil's Original Taqueria blog and are eager for some more or my wit and Pulitzer-Prize winning journalism; so I must oblige.


Veteran's Day weekend Nate and I took a trip to D.C. and packed in quite a lot in the short day and a half we were there. We walked, ate, drank and saw a whole lot so I guess let's get started!

Friday

We were on the road by 12 with our GPS headed toward a restaurant in Richmond, VA I had found online called The Naked Onion. The entire day I had been dreaming about what I would order, how great it would be, how I would plan out my snacks so we could reach Richmond with growling tummies. Guess where we didn't make it? Yep, around 30 minutes outside of Raleigh our stomachs started growling so we decided to stop in Rocky Mount, NC. After some quick research from the passenger's seat, we had found our destination and were just about to turn into the parking lot when Nate spotted Gardner's Barbecue. So we went there instead.

I promise he likes me more than he looks like he does.

Gardner's Barbecue


Décor: we visited the flagship location at 1331 N Wesleyan Blvd, Rocky Mount, NC 27804. The outside of the restaurant looks more like a giant warehouse but don't let that fool you, there are delicious foods inside, even for the pesci's like myself. Upon walking into the restaurant, you are immediately at the cashier's station and there was a line when we got there. After standing by the door for a few minutes, the cashier called over a hostess to seat us - apparently we were in the wrong line.


This space is huge. There were at least 3 sizeable dining rooms not including the large buffet area in the center of the restaurant. This space easily can accommodate 200 people.


Food appearance: No fuss or fills here folks. Plates are plastic, utensils are cheap metal and napkins are paper. What can you expect from a buffet style establishment? Everything looks like your mama or grandma made it.

The remnants of the various desserts we sampled

Food taste: Out of the dozens of items on the buffet, I decided to fill my plate up with salad, hush puppies, macaroni and cheese and broccoli and cheese casserole. The macaroni and cheese was everything I would've hoped it could be! It was cheesy, it was gooey, it was greasy (in the good way) and I had 2 helpings. Another strangely addictive item was the broccoli cheese casserole - it was literally just steamed broccoli and cheddar cheese? WHY WAS IT SO GOOD?! I will never know.


And of course, since no buffet experience is complete without dessert, Nate and I indulged in a few - we were only going to be there once after all! I picked up a slice of cherry cobbler, a frozen ice cream-product cup and he selected a few cookies and cream cups, a different cobbler and also ate some of my ice cream-product. When in Rome, right?


Service: there's not much service here past the initial greeting but there was a friendly woman walking around refilling drinks and making sure everyone was happy with the food.


Cleanliness: everything was very, very clean. I would assume a place that offers dine-in and to-go buffet would have a high turn-over rate yet nothing on the buffet looked messy or dirty. Also the fanciest looking bathroom a buffet has ever had.


The desserts, broccoli and cheese casserole, macaroni and cheese and $8.59 lunch price tag all make Gardner's worth a stop if you're passing through. Wouldn't necessarily say it's worth the drive just to go there, however.


With our bellies full, we headed onward to D.C. It was a long drive that toward the end got frustrating for the both of us. I'd always heard of the horrors of D.C. traffic but my goodness! It took us about an hour to go 4 miles! I can run faster than that! However we finally checked into our room at the Kimpton Rouge hotel, changed and set out for a night on the town.

First stop was Sudhouse located at 1340 U St, NW, Washington, D.C 20009. This little dive bar, according to the Internet, has one of the best happy hours in the city. After being there, I am inclined to agree.


Décor: this narrow 3-storey bar somehow fits 50 people in various alcoves and tables. There is a brick wall behind the rows of liquor bottles and unique murals on the walls with various alcohol-related quotes by our Founding Fathers. Neat, huh?


Food appearance: being as this is a dive bar, how much can you really expect plating-wise? Plates are durable and the only real glass is the one your beer is served in. No fuss, no frills, no fancy.


Food taste: after looking at all the items on the happy hour menu (and still being full from lunch), we ordered the Quench & Crunch. For $20 you get a giant mountain of nachos and a pitcher of beer. The nachos were piled high with veggies, jalapenos, cheese and sour cream (also meat if you're into that) and the beer was cold and refreshing. How can you go wrong?!




Quench & Crunch

Service: We were never "served" per se, but our table was cleared of empty glasses and plates pretty quickly.


Cleanliness: everything was clean, guess it has to be when you're the best happy hour in D.C.


The original reason we traveled to D.C. in the first place was to see a show at the Black Cat theater. Who'd we see? Have you ever heard of Municipal Waste? No? How about Toxic Holocaust? Them neither? Haunt?! Yeah, no I hadn't either until that night. These were all bands that my darling husband listened to in high school. Despite never having heard of them, I had a great time! It felt nostalgic in a way to be caught in most pits, dodging crowd surfers and standing next to speakers so loud I'm pretty sure my ears are still ringing.


Still pumping with adrenaline, we stopped at Shake Shack for some fries and a shake before hitting the hay.

Saturday

After waking up with a slight headache, we got ready to start our day! Kimpton Rouge does not provide breakfast so we researched for something close by on our way to the Newseum and settled on Lil'B Coffee Bar & Eatery located in the Darcy Hotel.

Lil'B Coffee Bar & Eatery

Décor: this space is small but cozy. The tables and chairs are dark wood, the walls are brick and there is a large mural on the wall dedicated to New Orleans.

Food appearance: there is definitely care to plating here, maybe that comes with being located in a $200/night hotel.

AM-Wich on Buttermilk Biscuit, Beignets and Dressed Grits

Food taste: I ordered an AM-Wich with egg and cheese on a biscuit. The biscuit was soft, flaky and buttery, the cheese was soft and the egg was perfection! The only downside was it was a tad small for $6. Maybe opt for something else or do what we did - share a plate of fresh Beignets! These little pillows of delight were practically swimming in powdered sugar and gave me the perfect boost for the morning ahead.

Nate opted for the Dressed Grits with bacon, cheese and chive.

Service: This is a pick-up-your-own-order spot. You order at the counter, get a buzzer and grab your order out of the window when it's ready. The counter people were friendly enough though.

Cleanliness: As with the picking up your order, you also buss your own tables. Which of course means a few people totally forget this step and leave their trays and plates everywhere.

After being here once, I probably wouldn't return unless I was in a pinch. There are so many fantastic restaurants in Washington, why go to the same place twice?

We headed off to the Newseum and I cannot recommend going here more. They should seriously pay me for the free publicity! This museum is informative, relevant, at times interactive and important. There is history here that is at times heartbreaking. Just trust me and go.

In front of the West side of the Berlin Wall

We had a 12:00 PM White House tour to get to, luckily our Newseum admission was good for 2 full days so we jetted off in search of a big white house. Fun fact, it's free to take a white house tour, yes, you read that correctly. Simply contact your House or Senate representative and request a tour. That's it. Obviously there's a vetting process involved but nothing more complicated than sending a few emails.

Hour 2 of line.

After waiting in what felt like the Disneyland of waiting lines, we got into the White House and were rewarded with beautiful antiques and living, breathing history. Fun fact, this was actually the second time I've been to the White House. I went when I was a teenager and Obama was in office.

View from inside the White House

Working on his presidential wave

We returned to the Newseum for the rest of the afternoon and then back to the hotel to rest up before another night out.

Special Exhibit at the Newseum

Feeling rested and refreshed, we went to a liquor store to take advantage of the fact Washington, D.C doesn't utilize government-regulated liquor prices and Nate was like a kid in a candy store. His eyes were absolutely lit up by the racks upon racks of whisky, bourbon and scotch. Many dollar signs later, we headed over to Black Jack.

Black Jack

Décor: This upstairs joint was definitely popping when we showed up around 7:00 PM on Saturday night. The lights were low, the music was loud and the drinks were a-flowin'. I can't say really too much about the décor because truthfully, I couldn't really see it. Yes, it was really that dark in there.

Food appearance: the food didn't look that great if I'm being 100% honest. I think this was actually my least favorite place we ate in D.C. Our pizza looked undercooked (spoiler: it was) and everything else was served in paper baskets.

Mushroom Pizza

Crawfish Fritters

Food taste: the Mushroom Pizza was pale and undercooked, the flavor was alright but nothing was spread out very well. The Crawfish Fritters were ok but definitely more fritter than crawfish.

Service: The place was utterly stuffed with people so all ordering was through the busy bar. Bussers came through frequently to pick up empties.

Cleanliness: there certainly weren't any empty glasses left laying around but it was honestly too dark for me to say if everything was clean.

This spot is definitely more bar than restaurant. And expensive at that. I would not go back here. Drinks were good but far too pricy and food was absolutely not worth the price.

Sunday

After much deliberation on how to spend our morning before venturing to Mount Vernon, we settled on breakfast. Where would we be without Google? A quick search of "breakfast near me" led us to Ted's Bulletin at 1818 14th Street NW. Just a short (and cold) walk from our hotel and filled with 1940s charm.

Ted's Bulletin

Décor: this restaurant is like a soda fountain, a diner and a bakery had a big, beautiful baby. Menus look like newspapers, select items are highlighted on chalkboards on the wall, I Love Lucy and the Andy Griffith Show are played on projectors and old-time television sets. Everything is detailed and stylized.

The hostess stand is located between a coffee bar and a very tempting pastry case and the main dining room easily seats 80-100 including a long breakfast bar.

Food appearance: this place is upscale diner fare and the plating reflects that. It's nice but still familiar.

Florentine Benedict

Carrot Cake
*Nate's head for scale

Food taste: I had maybe indulged at Black Jack a little much the night before and needed something carb-filled and greasy. After wanting to order one of everything on the menu, I settled (with help from Nate) on the Florentine Benedict. The hollandaise was just what my stomach needed! the luscious sauce coated my stomach like a suit of armor so I could take on the day! One of my eggs was slightly over-poached but still magnificent.

After breakfast, obviously we needed an extra boost of sugar and carbs since we were going to be traipsing all over George Washington's estate, so it would've been absolutely silly of us to not order the 4-layer carrot cake to split. The cake was moist, flavorful, and the cream cheese frosting was absolutely perfect in the balance of sugar and cream cheese. Basically this cake was perfection and you're an idiot if you don't order it.

Service: our server was friendly, fast and efficient. Our drinks were never empty, we never went without condiments and he was just plain good. The bussers, hostesses and cooks all seemed equally friendly and efficient.

Cleanliness: There was a short wait when we arrived at 8:30 AM but when we left around 10:00 there were at least 20 people eagerly waiting for tables. Tables were quickly cleaned and reset to accommodate the waiting patrons.

I definitely recommend a trip to Ted's Bulletin! Enjoy one of their magnificent desserts, hearty plates or indulge in a boozy milkshake. I would suggest either making a reservation online or arriving early!

We trekked over to Mount Vernon to look at literally every standing property on George Washington's estate and learn more about our first President. I had never visited Mount Vernon but was glad we went. The property is beautiful and picturesque and obviously there is a ton of history to learn about there. However, after about 3 hours, I was a little history'd out. We tried to get a table at the Mount Vernon Inn restaurant but unfortunately the wait was too long for us so we started our trip back home.

Front of George Washington's Mansion

Behind George Washington's Mansion

A short 4 hours later, we were home playing with our cats and doing house chores (yay adulthood?). I hope we can fit in another trip to D.C before we move away from the Southeast! There's just so much to see and do!

Thank you as always for taking the time to read my humble blog, I wouldn't be anything without you guys!

Lookin' like I'm about to go solve an X-File







Virgil's Original Taqueria

I'm not even going to apologize, I am probably the world's most inconsistent blogger. I constantly promise to do better, and yet here we are. It's been almost a month since my last post but that just means you get a slew of posts all at once! YAY YOU! So let's start way back at the beginning of November - November 7th to be exact.


I am attempting to be more social in my office. Despite being "the face" of my office, I don't have a whole lot of social contacts. I don't really get invited to lunches, and most people don't talk to me beyond "hey how are you doing" as they sprint past my enormous desk; so I decided to stop throwing myself a pity party and instead invite someone else out to lunch! After much deliberation and research, I settled on Virgil's Original Taqueria.


Virgil's Original Taqueria


Décor: Virgil's is located at 126 S Salisbury St, Raleigh, NC 27601 and shares a building with 2 other establishments. The Virgil's side of the building is long and narrow with a "living wall" covered with leaves and foliage. There were only a few inside tables inside the restaurant with a 6-seat bar in the middle. There were also a few tables available outside.


Food appearance: The plating is about a half-step above taco truck. There are real plates and silverware but that's where the fanciness ends. The flavors and interesting takes on street tacos are the star in this Taqueria.


Food taste: I was feeling fancy and ordered a Mango Pina Aqua Fresca. The flavor was amazing! The mango was fresh and fruity, there were subtle notes of coconut and a warming kick of ginger to round everything out. I had to stop myself from chugging it all immediately.

Chips and Guacamole with a Mango Pina Aqua Fresca

After seeing the giant bowls of guacamole being carried though the dining room, I decided I needed some in my belly ASAP so I ordered some to share with my lunch date. The guacamole was fresh, chunky and bursting with fresh lime juice and chunks of tomato; also did I mention how large it was? For $6 I think I got the equivalent of 4 avocadoes plus a mountain of fresh tortilla chips! What a bargain! The chips were also a delight - they were crisp, crunchy and slightly sweet. It was an unexpected but appreciated take on your classic tortilla chip.





Left: Poblano Rajas Con Papas
Right: Fried Avocado
Back: Sweet Plantains with Chili Vinegar

After much debate, I settled on 2 street-style tacos for my entrée. I ordered the Fried Avocado and the Poblano Rajas Con Papas. Let's start from the bottom with the tortillas: the white corn tortillas were definitely not your average out-of-a-bag job. These were tender, delicious and warm. The Fried Avocado Taco was by far my favorite with the great texture of the breading, the spicy refried beans, the crunch of the fresh cabbage and the vinegar from the pickled onions. Everything about this taco had me salivating. I would return to Virgil's for this taco in a heartbeat. The Pobano Rajas Con Papas could definitely use some work. Everything in this taco had the same texture - mush. The poblanos were mush. The potatoes were mush. This taco desperately ached for crunch. Maybe fry the potatoes instead of steaming them? It was also somehow very, very bland. Maybe rethink this taco, Virgil.


My date ordered a Torta, which was also massive and one of the items I was also eyeing. I'll have to order it myself the next time I venture and report back! As a side she ordered the Sweet Plantains with Chili Vinegar. Normally I do not care for sweet plantains and instead opt for their starchier cousin, but these were great! The Chili Vinegar really helped to make them savory and let's be honest, in my opinion, palatable.


Service: This was definitely a sore spot for Virgil's. However, it's possible it was just our server wasn't the best because the rest of the restaurant seemed to not have our issues. After being greeted and choosing a table, we were left alone for at least 5 minutes. A bartender took pity on us and brought us some menus and water, there was then more waiting before 3 separate servers came by to say "I'll be right with you!". After another few minutes we were greeted (for real this time), we ordered our food and were left to chat.


Noticing we were short on time, we asked for our checks as soon as our food arrived. As it was not extremely busy inside the restaurant, I didn't think this would be an issue - evidently I was wrong. After our server assured us he would bring that right back, he disappeared for another 10 or so minutes. He returned to check on us and I asked again if we could bring our checks, this time he actually did. However, they were not correct and we had to flag him down a third time to correct them. We also asked for boxes several times which was a little ridiculous.


Being as I managed a restaurant, I can forgive a lot of things when the place is busy, however this was just laziness. We saw him routinely go back to the bar to check his phone, pal around with co-workers and generally just ignore us. Not a great time. But like I said, no one else seemed to have this issue.


Cleanliness: everything was neat and tidy, down to the living wall.


I would very much like to return to Virgil's to try more of their tasty treats and indulge in one of their many margaritas and other specialties. My advice? Maybe go at dinner time.


Stay tuned to read all about our trip to Washington, D.C.!

October Catch-Up

Good morning, readers! I know I've been a ghost for the better part of a month and for that I sincerely apologize! October flew by in a whirlwind of visitors, travel and of course, food. So I thought I'd do a quick catch-up so we can start November off on the right foot. This one will be a doozy filled with restaurant reviews, anecdotes and fun stories about October.

Basic Fall Photo

Only Burger


On October 17, Nate and I saw the one and only Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live! at the Durham Performing Arts Center. The show itself was hilarious, entertaining, interactive and a fun experience for any age. I highly recommend seeing a show if they come anywhere near your home - or at least watch episodes of the show! Also bonus, I got to see one of my favorite Partners from my firm out-and-about in real life! Before the show we decided to stop by Only Burger's brick-and-mortar store at 359 Blackwell St, Durham, NC 277701.


"It Stinks!"

Décor: The restaurant itself is not very spacious - probably only about 40 seats inside with a few picnic tables outside. The interior is sparsely decorated with a replica of the food truck that started it all above the register/ordering station.


Food appearance: food is served in paper-lined baskets, to-go boxes or paper cups depending on what you get. No frills, no fuss - just burgers, fries and fried sides.


Food taste: The menu is not very expansive with just a few burger options and traditional sides. I ordered a create-your-own burger with a veggie burger, lettuce, tomato, pickled jalapenos, grilled onion, Dijon mustard and pepper jack cheese. The veggie burger itself was a little soft for my liking and I had issues with it falling apart while I was eating. Perhaps they should use more binder in their mixture. The flavors, however, were all delicious together - I love create-your-own anything for that reason.

Create-Your-Own Veggie Burger

Nate and I split The Sampler. This little basket of fried goodness includes fried green tomatoes, onion rings and pickle chips served up with Chipotle Buttermilk Ranch and Sriracha Mayo. All the fried goodies were crisp, golden and I could've drank the Ranch - the mayo however left much to be desired. It was gloopy, heavy and tasted far too much like plain ole' mayo.


Nate ordered the Famous Fried Green Tomato Burger, which in addition to being topped with the obvious, included a grilled egg and pimento cheese. I'll let him describe the particulars. We also split a side of hand-cut fries. The fries were thin, crisp and perfect.

Famous Fried Green Tomato Burger with The Sampler

Since we were spending the night having fun, I decided to order a beer to go with my dinner. However I was severely disappointed to learn ALL their canned beers in the beer cooler had a colony of dead gnats on the pop-tops. I discovered this before I opened it (thankfully) and asked the cashier if I could grab another and what would she like me to do with the original can. I was disgusted to hear her say "just put it back in the cooler". She also made no moves to clean the beer fridge or tell any other employees about it. We then switched to draft beers without issues.


Service: This establishment is one where you walk up to order, pick-up when your name is called and bus your own table. There is very little by way of service. My cashiers looked bored and annoyed when I decided what to order. Plus the gnat debacle.


Cleanliness: Aside from the gnats in the beer cooler, the restaurant itself appeared to be clean.


I would recommend a trip to Only Burger if you were in the area but I wouldn't say go out of your way to eat here. It was good but not worth a special trip, in my opinion. However they are VERY affordable with all menu items being under $10. Also check their hours before you go, they close at 8:30 PM most evenings. Maybe also opt for a draft beer rather than one from the beer cooler.


A few days after MST3K, my best friend Casey came to visit me all the way from Lubbock, Texas. Casey and I have known each other since my sophomore year of high school - which seems like a lifetime ago and I haven't seen her for about 2 years so I was delighted that she came to visit.


We went to a local pumpkin patch to pick pumpkins, ate homemade macaroni and cheese (per our tradition), and enjoyed each other's company.




*Insert Corny Caption Here*

After the pumpkin patch, Casey and I met up with my best friends here in Raleigh, Natalie and Sharron for dinner. Natalie and I met while working at Spring Rolls Parkside back in 2015 and have been great friends ever since. Another one of our former co-workers recently opened a restaurant so we had to go and show our support.


Glenwood Seafood Kitchen


Glenwood Seafood Kitchen is located at 222 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 103, Raleigh, NC 27601 and conveniently in the center of the Glenwood South bar district - really it's prime location for anyone who wants to eat before they enjoy some cocktails or dancing.


Décor: this restaurant is beautiful and my friend did an excellent job decorating, which a few exceptions. There is a unique wood back-bar with pastel-lit cut outs running throughout which house an assortment of vases and liquor bottles. There are also floor-to-ceiling windows on the front half of the restaurant. There are also some kitschy elements that I didn't find quite so charming. There were several lines of fishing nets along the walls that included plastic fish. It really distracted from the beauty of the rest of the space. The fishing lines made me think I was dining at a fast food rather than an upscale restaurant.


Food appearance: our friend and owner, Michael Ma (who was also the chef the night we went) took care plating everything so it was a feast for both the eyes and the palate. The menu is entirely his and definitely puts his mark on every plate.


Food taste: the menu is a unique blend of seafood classics, creole and Cajun specialties and nods to Michael's Asian heritage. This diversity is both a good and a bad thing. The diner is left feeling a little confused as to the direction of the menu. However with such a wide variety of options, there is something for everyone. I ordered the Caesar Salad with Seared Scallops - kind of basic and boring, but I was unfortunately still a little full from lunch. The romaine was crisp, the dressing was absolutely house-made, the parmesan crisps were the perfect light crunch to balance everything out and the scallops were shear brilliance. They were succulent with a great crust. I have never had a more perfect scallop in my 25 years and I got a PILE of them for a reasonable price.


Since the menu is so unique, we each ordered something different and sampled each other's dishes. Casey ordered the Pan Seared Salmon, which she said was a tad dry but redeemed by the mango succotash. I was a tad surprised when our server didn't ask how she'd like the salmon cooked - I can only hope this was an oversight on his part.


Sharron ordered the Kalbi, Korean BBQ short ribs served with romaine lettuce wraps and a side of kimchi. At $25 this dish was definitely a steal. You easily got enough food for 2 people and she said it was one of the best dishes she'd eaten in a long time.


Natalie ordered the Double Cooked Chicken. She similarly said it was some of the most moist fried chicken she'd eaten in recent memory.


Had I not been so full, I would've ordered the Seafood Pasta, squid ink pasta tossed in garlic white wine sauce with shrimp, scallop and octopus - yummy!


Service: It was a little discouraging to see the restaurant so empty at 7:00 PM on a Friday night but I will chock that up to being a relatively new restaurant on the scene. I was immediately greeted by a hostess who led me to our table and asked if I had parked in their underground FREE garage.


Our server was attentive and very helpful when a few of us had questions about the menu. He was friendly and fun.


Cleanliness: this space is gorgeous and the staff definitely does a good job to keep it that way.


I would recommend a trip to Glenwood Seafood Kitchen for the daily drink specials, to gawk at the *mostly* impeccable interior, and enjoy some of this awesome food. Everything that came out of the kitchen looked divine and you can tell there was a lot of heart put into the menu. I sincerely hope that Michael Ma's fledging restaurant makes it in the industry.


Casey had done some independent research on places to eat in Raleigh and found Whiskey Kitchen. I unfortunately mis-read their menu and was slightly disappointed to learn they only offered brunch on Sunday mornings, but we were able to cash in on the $10 lunch menu offered on Saturdays.


Whiskey Kitchen


Décor: this wide-open warehouse space is filled with natural wood tables and picnic tables with a twinkle-light-lined outdoor patio. There is a large semi-abstract mural behind the long marble bar and a few televisions switched to sports. The lights are industrial and exposed.


Food appearance: there is definitely detail to attention here. Everything is plated with care and presented beautifully.


Food taste: I ordered the Tofu Bahn-Mi, which gave me fond memories of eating at the Bon Me! Food truck in
Boston earlier this year. The tofu was flavorful and the sambal mayo was the perfect spread for the crusty baguette. I would return to WK just for this dish. I opted for the malt vinegar seasoned Wedge Taters and smoked ketchup as my side. The taters were thick, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. And the ketchup was a revelation! I typically do not use ketchup because I find it to be overpoweringly sweet, but this is smoky, spicy and amazing.

Tofu Bon Mi with Wedge Taters

Service: we were the first table in the restaurant at 11:00 AM and it was a little awkward. Our server seemed slightly annoyed to have to be serving us and came across as if we were an inconvenience when we needed extra time - dude, what else were you doing?


Cleanliness: considering we were the first table in the door, everything SHOULD be spotless, which it was. I'd be interested to return during peak hours to see how they handle table busing.


Whiskey Kitchen has an expansive list of all varieties of whiskey and bourbon from around the globe. This is clearly where they focus the majority of their energy. The food is good, but in my opinion the menu is a little limited. There's not a whole lot of creativity in the dishes. But I of course encourage you to judge for yourselves.


The Raleigh Wine Shop where Nate and I are members of their monthly wine club was hosting a Cheese and Wine Pairing Class so I bought the 3 of us seats. The class was informative, fun and best of all - DELICIOUS. We tried 5 wine and cheese pairings of various varieties and strangely, my favorite pairing was a pungent Stilton Blue Cheese with a sweet and syrupy dessert wine.


We were also taught how to properly taste wine and cheese and how to narrow down the flavors and aromas. All-in-all a fantastic class.


We threw a psudo-Halloween party as well with cheesy horror movies that were picked via spinner, pumpkin-shaped pizzas and of course, beer.

We took a trip to The Upside Down and forgot what to do with our hands.

The last weekend of October was spent at dancing to 80s tunes with Nate at a Stranger Things-themed Halloween party, imbibing with Natalie and Sharron at the North Carolina Wine Festival (totally worth the $43 ticket!) and preparing for the Holidays. Can you believe it, readers?! Christmas is 7 weeks from today! WHAT?! How has this year zoomed by so quickly?! Are you freaking out? Because I definitely am.

I hope you enjoyed my recap of October and I will attempt to post more regularly. 

The Three Duos at the Wine Festival

Happy eating!