Charlotte, North Carolina

Despite Charlotte only being a 3 hour train-ride/car ride away from Raleigh, I have yet to visit Charlotte before. In addition to the convenience for me, Charlotte is located 4 hours from my Aunt Bev. We recently figured out that it's been 7 years since we've spent any time just the two of us and we were definitely overdue for a visit.


I left work at 4:00 PM and took the short 5 minute walk to the Amtrak station in downtown Raleigh. The weather was perfect for a walk and the Raleigh Anamazement convention was going on at the Convention Center, so my walk was also peppered with many a teen and elderly in various costumes. It was interesting to say the least.


My train was scheduled to leave Raleigh at 5:16 PM and arrive in Charlotte at 8:44 PM - this did not happen. Due to unknown delays, I didn't leave downtown Raleigh until 6:06 PM and was not deposited into Charlotte until closer to 10:00 PM. The train dubbed "The Carolinian" was nice enough though. Plenty of over-head luggage space, clean, seats, a relatively clean restroom. All in all it was far superior to driving, even with the added hour of travel.


I took an Uber from the Charlotte Amtrak station to our hotel and it was utterly insane. Unbeknownst to myself, every Memorial Day weekend Charlotte hosts a NASCAR race that is attended by people around the country - and people pay through the nose to attend.


We stayed at the Embassy Suites Uptown hotel and it was absolutely the fanciest hotel I've been to in a long time. The rooms were lush and modern, and every morning there was a complimentary hot breakfast (including a made-to-order omelette bar) and every evening there was a complimentary social with light snacks and alcoholic drinks. SCORE RIGHT? However, this hotel has no on-site parking and charge $28/day to valet. Kinda a bummer.

Day 1

After waking up and perusing the breakfast area, we decided to go out for breakfast to a spot I read about online called Amelie's French Bakery, we visited the Uptown location at 380 S. College St.

Décor: this restaurant is a feast for the eyes with everything from crystal chandeliers to copper pots and pans to trash cans disguised as flower pots. It's funky and modern yet still somehow chic and upscale. The space is also massive with a coffee/wine bar, downstairs event spaces for rent and a few tables set up with view into the bakery to see what goes on behind the scenes.

Food appearance: all the pastries in the pastry case looked divine. I could've stood there all day just drooling over the tea cakes, danishes, macarons and other delicious delights. Their hot food, which was cooked to order, was equally tantalizing.

Macarons: Strawberry Chiffon (left) and Caramel Buttercream (Right)
Create-Your-Own Sandwich: Baguette, Gruyere Cheese, Portabello Mushroom and Mixed Greens

Food taste: it was so difficult to narrow down my meal with all the delectable treats in sight. I finally settled on a caramel buttercream and a strawberry chiffon macaron to-go (they were both amazing! Perfect textures and flavors. They were also the biggest I've ever seen in my life). For my breakfast I ordered one of their create-your-own breakfast sandwiches. For a reasonable price, you can select 3 items plus egg to be sandwiched in a baguette, croissant, multi-grain bread or a gluten free option.

I chose portabello mushrooms, mixed greens and Gruyere cheese to be housed in a baguette. This was phenomenal. The mushrooms were marinated and hot, the cheese was melty and flavorful and the baguette was expertly baked. Excuse me while I drool over the nirvana that was this breakfast sandwich.


Service: the staff were all helpful and willing to answer any questions we had about menu items or what was in the pastry case. Wonderful customer service if you ask me!


Cleanliness: the restaurant had several team members circuiting through to clean up tables and take out any trash, etc. Very organized.


Stop by Amelie's for a pastry or a breakfast sandwich immediately!

After watching the bakers do their thing for a few minutes, we set out for our next adventure: The Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden.

The Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is located at 6500 South New Hope Rd, Belmont, NC 28012 and has a variety of activities to delight kids and those young at heart. We originally decided to go here because Aunt Bev heard that there was a corpse flower that was in bloom, apparently they only do this every 3 years. However, that was actually happening at the UNC Charlotte botanical gardens and not the Daniel Stowe. Admission is $12.95 for adults and $6.95 for children under 12.

After walking through their main administration building you are greeted by a lush green grass patch and cement wrap-around walkways that lead you to the many unique and beautiful flora at the gardens. One could easily spend a sunny afternoon sitting among the flowers and reading a book.

Additionally, the Garden offers a butterfly house where visitors can get up-close and personal with butterflies and caterpillars (is there anything more magical than having a butterfly land on you?), a Pollinator put-put course, a number of statues and fountains and even an outdoor wine and beer garden.

We lucked out that the weather cooperated with us despite the looming dark clouds overhead. There also happened to be an Italian ice cart serving up some truly delicious and refreshing Strawberry Lemonade Italian ice.

By the time we left the Botanical Garden, after first indulging in a glass of white wine at the outdoor wine garden and listening to a local musician strum a few chords on his guitar, it was 2:30 PM and we were pretty much starving. Knowing our next stop was Ikea, we decided to see what was along our route and ran into a cute little cottage café called Seven Oaks Café. However unfortunately for us, this restaurant definitely did not have their stuff together.

The view from our second table

I wonder what the food was like?

Upon entering the small foyer, we were seen by what appeared to be all of the front-of-house staff working but were not seated until several minutes later. After being shown to a 2-top table in the center of a 4 ft-wide hallway, we were told to take our time with the menu and that our server would return with waters shortly.

After moving from the hallway table to a table in the main dining room, we were again ignored for several minutes while other servers ran around like unorganized chickens.

We ended up leaving and therefore I cannot give an accurate review. I certainly hope this restaurant gets their act together because the menu sounded appetizing and the small cottage setting was beautiful and picturesque.

Just hanging out in shark-heaven.

We decided to just carry on and go forward to Ikea. I don't know why but Ikea is fascinating! They have everything you'd ever want and it's all so affordable! We settled on some Ikea pizza and cinnamon rolls for lunch (because we didn't realize that the GOOD food was on the second floor). Ikea pizza wasn't bad, but certainly not as good as Costco pizza.

Ikea pizza and cinnamon buns

After wandering around and browsing we moved our party to Burlington Coat Factory, TJ Maxx and Walmart. No luck purchasing anything in those places either so we returned to our hotel to indulge in the complimentary happy hour.

2 free Manhattans later, we walked across the street to "Charlotte's #1 rooftop restaurant" Fahrenheit - 222 South Caldwell St, Charlotte, NC 28202.

If you look at this restaurant's website and their extensive wine menu, you'd think this was quite the swanky place. But you'd be wrong.

Décor: The views overlooking Charlotte's skyline are spectacular. The restaurant is rather small which adds to the exclusive atmosphere. Everything is dark woods, rich leathers and plush chairs. There are also several floor-to-ceiling windows that open to allow easy access to the patio and fire pits. However the fire pits outside give off a constant odor of propane.

Food appearance: I will admit that I was expecting much more from a chef with so many accolades. We ordered some bread to start (served in a paper-lined basket), Buttery Spiced NC Shrimp (served in a cast-iron crock with bread), and the Carolina "Nachos" (state fair food, at best).

Buttery Spiced NC Shrimp

Carolina "Nachos"

Food taste: the bread was warm, yeasty and served with a delicious chive butter.

The Buttery Spiced NC Shrimp had an almost curry-like flavor and was bar-none my favorite thing we ate at Fahrenheit. It was smoky, spicy, earthy and just downright delicious! The shrimp were plump and succulent and soaked up so much of the sauce. The shrimp were also served with thick slices of buttered and griddled Texas toast. All in all, a big hole-in-one!

The last dish, which I was frankly disappointed in totally was the Charlotte "Nachos". These were ribbon fries coated in pimento cheese "Fondue" and topped with scallions and bacon (which we asked to leave off). After sending the first order back because there were giant slices of bacon on top, we got our order of "Nachos" and they just weren't what I was expecting from a restaurant charging $15 for drinks. The ribbon fries were greasy and soggy. The sauce wasn't very flavorful and the entire dish was in desperate need of both salt and heat. Aunt Bev loved them but I felt they definitely were one-note.

Service: the bar area and outside patio are all seat-yourself so take that into consideration when choosing to visit this establishment. After being greeted by the hosts and informed of this arrangement, we took a lap around the patio and decided to head inside rather than fight for a table on the patio.

After being seated for several minutes an overloaded cocktail waitress came and grabbed us a few menus. After ordering our drinks and food she disappeared for several minutes. Our food arrived and I had to flag down a manager for plates and silverware.

I don't think our server was being lazy or anything, just overworked. The "reserved" section of the restaurant was virtually empty yet 3 cocktail waitresses and 2 bartenders were left running around like chickens to serve the 50+ people on the patio and 20 or so people in the non-reserved seating inside.

Also after I indicated to the food runner that our "Nachos" were supposed to be bacon-free she gave out an exasperated sigh and shot me a look ugly enough to make me lose my appetite.

Cleanliness: the restaurant appears to have a high turnover - at least the non-reserved sections and as such everything runs like a machine.

I would recommend a trip to Fahrenheit for their cocktails and their views. I however wouldn't recommend the food. At least nothing other than the Buttery Spiced NC Shrimp, and even that I believe was pretty over-priced.

A delicious bourbon and blood orange cocktail from Fahrenheit

Killer views

Day 2

After enjoying the magnificent hotel breakfast, we went out to explore Charlotte! One of my favorite things about our hotel was how close to everything it was. We were about a 5 minute walk from a number of restaurants and bars and maybe 10 minutes from museums!

We saw beautiful buildings, quaint parks, families walking together, the Bank of America Stadium where the Carolina Panthers play, the Spectrum Center where the Charlotte Hornets play and even a minor-league baseball stadium! Who knew Charlotte was so sports-centric?

After wandering around the city for a few hours, we retired to our hotel for some rose on the 2nd floor sundeck and relaxation before heading out again. As I mentioned before, this weekend was a huge draw to the Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race. Do I sound like I know what I'm talking about? Conveniently located across from our hotel was the NASCAR Hall of Fame and when in Rome, right?

The Hall of Fame, located at 400 E M.L.K. Jr. Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28202 was much more fun that I would've ever guessed it being. There are full-size cars, interactive exhibits, activities for kids and even a NASCAR simulator where you can strap in and race against your friends (or total strangers) in a race! The simulator was a total highlight for me. I was so immersed that whenever I hit the wall (which happened more than I'd care to admit) I would jolt and curse. Both Aunt Bev and I had our hearts racing long after we left the simulated car.

2018 better watch out for the most fire album drop

Tickets for the Hall are $25 for adults with an additional fee for the simulator. However ask about discounts, nowhere online does it mention AAA discounts but our ticket salesman said my simulator purchase was free if I were a member.

After another 2 Manhattans at the hotel bar, we were off to dinner!

Essex is located at 101 S Tryon St, Ste 14, Charlotte, NC 28280 and had my favorite food of the entire trip!

Décor: a beautiful covered outdoor patio, large indoor dining area and huge bar are what this eatery bring to the table. The indoor dining room has rustic hard wood tables, tufted chairs and interesting light fixtures while the outdoor patio is all wood and natural lighting.

We really liked their patio chairs

Food appearance: this is a tapas bar, although I wouldn't say that anything on the menu is "small". There is a mixture of different styles of cooking and techniques applied and everything that came out was a work of art.

Left: Fatoush, Right: Bang Bang Grouper, Not Pictured: Coconut Curry Shrimp

Food taste: we ordered the Fatoush (a fresh Mediterranean-style salad), Bang Bang Grouper (light and crisp chunks of fried grouper in a flavorful sauce) and Coconut Curry Shrimp.

The Fatoush was a great fresh addition to the heaviness of the other dishes. The vegetables were crisp and the feta cheese and Greek dressing added the perfect balance of salt and citrus.

The Bang Bang Grouper was out of this world! Giant chunks of fried grouper that were light, crisp and airy. They were easily my favorite thing. Plus THE SAUCE. Imagine the best bang bang sauce you've ever had, now forget it because this sauce is going to be better. It was smoky, spicy, vinegary, sweet and umami-y.

I think the Coconut Curry Shrimp were Aunt Bev's favorite, and certainly a close second for me. The curry was bright and fresh, the shrimp juicy and great and the mushrooms were just so darn cute!

Of course we had to get dessert because a meal this fantastic is just begging to end with something sweet. We shared a slice of the White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake, and if you're not drooling or licking your screen right now I just have no idea what's wrong with you.

Service: our server was friendly, knowledgeable and eager.

Cleanliness: everything was clean and organized.

Please go to Essex and eat all the fantastic food that I wanted to try but didn't have the stomach to! Did I mention they even have a sushi menu?!

Day 3

After another hotel breakfast, we made yet another stop at Amelie's for pastries and reminiscing, it was back on the Amtrak to Raleigh. Luckily this time I was able to leave on time and returned back home without incident.

Macarons: Café au Lait (front), Mixed Berry (back)
Raspberry Tea Cake

I'd love to go back to Charlotte to do more exploring and indulge in one of their many breweries! Maybe I can convince Nate to take me back if I entice him with a trip to Bank of America Stadium!

Enjoy your week, readers and as always, thanks for reading!

Vegetable Stir-Fry: A #HartPartyof1 Series

Good afternoon, readers! I know you just read my super awesome Missoula, MT Review and just couldn't wait to read more of my words! MY PEOPLE NEED ME - I DO THIS ALL FOR YOU!


Anywho, per tradition, I'm ridin' solo this summer and decided to start a new series called #HartPartyof1, during which I'll post recipes good for 1-2 people, or recipes for people who really like having leftovers. Let's face it, cooking for 1 person sucks. It's slightly discouraging to put forth so much effort to make food that only one person is eating. What if the meal doesn't turn out right either? Then you're stuck eating your own awful food or throwing it away knowing that you wasted your time making the awful food.


After a hard run at the gym, I came home and decided to make something easy and filling - Stir Fry. Who doesn't love a good stir fry?


Vegetable Stir-Fry

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1/2 C frozen green peas
1 1/2 C mixed frozen veggies (I used a "Stir Fry Mix" containing snap peas, carrots, water chestnuts, broccoli and bell pepper)
4 Chick'n Nuggets, heated through and diced (I used the Quorn variety)
2 C cooked rice (Boil-in-Bag rice is my new favorite thing)
2-3 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
3-4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp Sriracha sauce, if you like spice, if not, omit it
2 Tsp ground ginger
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste


In a deep skillet over medium-high heat, sauté garlic, onion and bell pepper in olive oil until softened. Add in the peas and mixed veggies and cook uncovered until the veggies are heated through and the water has evaporated. About 10 minutes with minimum stirring.


Add in the rice and chick'n nuggets and stir to combine.


Season everything with the sauces, ginger and black pepper and stir to combine.


Serve and enjoy.


This recipe yielded 3 2-cup servings or enough for a bowl at dinner and 2 days worth of lunch leftovers! Also, fun fact, this recipe was only 370 calories per serving!!! WHAT?!
I also may or may not have had the song Stir Fry by Migos on repeat the entire time I was cooking...


Stay tuned for more quick solo recipes and thank you for reading!

Missoula, Montana Trip

Good morning, readers and happy Friday Eve! I hope that your work week has gone by quickly and you're eagerly looking forward to the weekend as I am!


Last weekend Nate and I escaped from 90+ degree with humidity Raleigh, North Carolina to beautiful Missoula, Montana for his little brother's college graduation! Nate has visited him once before but this was my first time being that far West and North in the United States and I've got to say I'm a fan. Also, buckle up because this post is going to be a long one.


After some travel mishaps (a 3 hour layover in Salt Lake City that was spent drinking Wasatch Brewery beers and eating nachos), we were finally deposited in our hotel room to sleep for a glorious 4 hours before our bodies decided we needed to be awake.

Our beers at the Squatters Pub Brewery located in the Salt Lake City International Airport

Day 1

Our first stop was Paul's Pancake Parlor. This Missoula institution has generated quite the reputation for itself, as evidenced by the seemingly permanent line out the door. The restaurant was founded in 1963 and the interior décor definitely reflects the times.


Décor: The restaurant itself is located in a strip-mall (2305 Brooks, Missoula, MT) between a book store (which seems to mainly draw business from the crowd of waiting diners) and a home improvement store. The restaurant itself is long and narrow with about 12 tables ranging from 2-tops to 6-seaters. However, you're going to feel a little squished. I felt slightly sandwiched in at our large table next to the register. The walls are adorned in University of Montana memorabilia, vintage advertisements and pictures of such icons as Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe.


Food appearance: Paul's serves up your classic diner fare with a few twists. Don't come in here expecting Michelin Star level plating, it's just not that kind of place. But food all looks appetizing and smells divine.


Food taste: I couldn't go to a place with "Pancake Parlor" in the name and not order pancakes. It's sacrilege! I opted for the 3 Rolled French Pancakes with Cointreau Butter (I told them to hold the cream cheese filling and whipped cream) and a side of hash browns. The hash browns had a great crisp crust on the outside and were moist and tender on the inside. BUT THE PANCAKES THOUGH. My pancakes had about 3 heaping scoopfuls of Cointreau Butter dolloped on top and came with a surprise side of strawberry topping (which I used sparingly). The Cointreau Butter contained all the great orange-y flavor of Cointreau plus fresh orange zest. It was magnificent! The pancakes themselves were a thickness between crepes and a traditional pancake and not nearly as sweet as your traditional pancake (probably because a sweet pancake, plus Cointreau Butter, plus whipped cream, plus strawberry topping and cream cheese filling would result in an instant cavity).

Nate ordered the Chili Omelette with pancakes and it looked like a hot mess. He said it was delicious though.

Come here hungry because the portions are massive.


Service: Since the restaurant is consistently busy, the servers there are slightly robotic in my opinion. Our server seemed to be annoyed when any of us lingered or stumbled on placing our orders - in our defense the menu is more expansive than you would expect and we were all pretty hungry by this point so everything looked delicious.


Cleanliness: Tables were turned over quickly to accommodate the crowd out the door and the restaurant appeared to be clean.


I would recommend a stop to Paul's Pancake Parlor but don't come when you're hungry to the point that your stomach is imitating whale calls. We waited about 30-40 minutes to get a table, waited 5 minutes to get a server, and another 20-30 for our food. By the time my pancakes arrived I was getting ready to munch on the particle board table we were sitting at.


After some tourist sight-seeing (mall, campus, etc.), we attended a departmental graduation ceremony for Nate's little brother during which we met some professors, ate off some veggie trays and cheese plates and mingled while letting Sam soak in the moment.


Our next stop was Kettle House Brewing's Myrtle Street Tap Room. After some confusion as to the location of the tap room (602 Myrtle Street, Missoula, MT 59801), we came upon a non-descript building with horrible and confusing signage -- but some tasty beers.


The brewery itself was JAM PACKED with almost-graduates and their families plus the Friday after-work crowd. I've begun a new trend at breweries - if I haven't had any of their beer before, I order a flight. It's really the best way sample many beers at once, plus flights are usually around $5 for 4-5 4 oz beers! Since at this particular brewery I had no knowledge of their beers period, I let the bartender pick for me. She poured me the Fresh Bongwater Hemp Pale Ale (didn't taste much different than any other pale lager to me), NE IPA (extra hoppy on the nose but not much bitter or hop flavor, easy drinking), Cold Smoke Scotch Ale (probably my favorite of the ones I've tried! Delightfully bitter and malty) and a Sour (tasted like fresh-squeezed lemon juice, but in a good way!).

From left to right: Fresh Bongwater Hemp Pale Ale, NE IPA, Cold smoke Scotch Ale, Sour

After we had our few beers at the brewery, we were all feeling a little hungry. Unfortunately the brewery doesn't serve food. So Sam took us to a brewery/restaurant he couldn't wait to show Nate called Tamarack Brewing Company. I've got to say, one of my favorite things about Missoula was it's walkability! A short 5-minute walk from Kettle House and located in the heart of downtown Missoula, is a 2-floored casual brewery and restaurant that overlooks an adorable park.


Sam immediately ordered Nate a 10-beer flight containing all of their mainstay beers. The flight holder took up the majority of the table space and we came up with creative solutions for holding other items such as an empty keg for the condiment basket and a high chair for various food items.


Décor: We opted for the seat-yourself downstairs bar, we grabbed the first table we could find which happened to be a 4-person high-top. The décor was your typical sports bar regalia - team schedules, multiple TVs tuned to different games, a number of different-sized tables and a large U-shaped bar.


Food appearance: Food was served in extra large quantities on white ceramic plates and paper-lined baskets. Once again, not gourmet plating but does that matter in a sports bar?


Food taste: Unfortunately for us, we didn't know that the portions of each dish were enough to feed a small army and WAY over ordered. As an appetizer, we started out with a basket of BBQ wings which was served with French fries, carrots and celery and some of the creamiest house-made ranch I've tasted AND a 1/2 order of nachos. Unlike your typical nachos, these had cheese and toppings running throughout and not just piled on top. If you've ever been the unfortunate recipient of a tortilla chip sans cheese and toppings, you understand why this is extremely exciting.


I can't believe I was even hungry after these nachos but I ordered their Sweet Potato and Chickpea sandwich. The patty itself was thin and griddled, resulting in a delicious crust, then topped with red pepper aioli, a mountain of sprouts, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers housed in a brioche bun. I ordered a side salad with huckleberry vinaigrette for my side. After the nachos though, I only ate my side salad and saved my sandwich for the next morning.


Service: Our server was definitely overwhelmed but she was attentive and on top of our table's needs.


Cleanliness: The table we sat at, due to the fact we had to grab it before someone else did, wasn't clean but in the dog-eat-dog world of seat-yourself establishments that's often the case.


I would definitely go here again for the giant mountain of nachos and the Sweet Potato and Chickpea sandwich. The restaurant was very vegan/vegetarian/pescatarian friendly with a variety of options to please every palate. However I'd maybe opt to sit in the upstairs dining room to avoid being crammed into a small table just because it's the only one available. You may be wondering, why are there no pictures of this food? Frankly, I forgot to take them and my phone was unreachable.


If you can even imagine it, after dinner we went for ice cream. I know what you must be thinking - does this woman weigh 500 pounds?! How can someone possibly eat that much in one day?! Well, to answer you no, after 3 days of eating almost exactly this decadently I came home with only an extra pound and a half (which as of this morning I am 4 pounds below the weight I left home with).


We wheel-barrowed ourselves over to Big Dipper Ice Cream located at 631 S. Higgins, Missoula, MT 59801. Before we left for Montana, my wonderful Aunt Bev told me that she had visited Missoula once before a number of years ago and discovered a homemade ice cream shop that served up the most spectacular huckleberry ice cream. I wonder if this was the place she went?


The shop itself is small with a few picnic tables set up outside. Out of the 2 times we visited during our stay, there was a line both times. Luckily for us, this allowed us to slightly digest our bar fare before adding ice cream to our bellies. The shop has a variety of standing flavors ranging from vanilla and chocolate to locally sourced coffee and vanilla Resee's; they also offer 3 special flavors daily. You can get your ice cream in a cone (sugar, cake, waffle), a cup, a milkshake, a sundae, dipped and probably a bunch of other ways I didn't even notice.


I ordered a kid's size (easily any regular ice cream shop's single-scoop) of huckleberry in a cup. The flavor was incredible! Fresh, fruity  and the ice cream was creamy and rich. I'm so glad I ordered a kid's scoop because Nate went for a double that was easily the size of 2 softballs.

Don't mind me, I'm just shoveling huckleberry ice cream into my face-hole.

Day 2

Since our bodies were still 2-hours ahead on Raleigh-time, Nate and I woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed at 6:00 AM. We decided to take advantage of our gorgeous surroundings and take a hike up Mt. Sentinel. The hike was beautiful and difficult. I'll let Nate elaborate on all the technical stuff as to elevation and grade and whatever else. All I know is about 3/4 of the way up the steep ridge, I wanted to mutiny and contemplated pushing my husband off the side of a cliff for making me do it. However, I soldiered on to the top and was rewarded with some gorgeous views that pictures just don't do justice.

View from about 3/4 from the top

View from the top - post mutiny

We made the roundtrip hike in about 2 and a half hours. After cleaning up at the hotel, the whole family went to the farmer's market. I wished I hadn't flown and could take some of the delicious produce back home with me! There was everything from spinach and turnips to sun chokes and flowers! There was also lots and lots of food.


After making an initial lap, we stopped at a vegan doughnut stand and ordered 2 of the most decadent doughnuts I've had in quite awhile. Mine was matcha-iced with freeze-dried raspberry dust and black sesame seeds (excuse me while I drool) and Nate's was a chocolate coated and cookie dough filled. I must say, his was slightly under baked, leaving the center doughy but mine was perfect.

After all the richness I needed something tart to wash it all down - Huckleberry Moonshine Lemonade to the rescue! The lemonade was fresh and sour, the huckleberry was a syrup and flavored the moonshine as well, plus booze! It was refreshing and I intend to recreate the experience in the near future.

After the actual graduation ceremony, (it was absolutely beautiful to see Sam's parents swell with pride, by the way) the family and friends of the graduate met up at  El Cazador, a Mexican restaurant at 101 S Higgins, Ave, Missoula, MT 59802. The building the restaurant was in looked vintage with some white tile exterior and a glass façade.


Décor: the restaurant is broken up into 3 dining areas with a small (4-seat) bar. We sat in the largest dining area which is separated by a brick-lined archway. The décor is about what you'd expect from a family-owned Mexican restaurant, pictures of Mexico, plaster fish, Corona drink trays.


Food appearance: the plating here was also standard, brightly colored plastic plates, paper napkins, non-alcoholic beverages served in Pepsi-brand cups.


Food taste: After sampling the salsa and chips (chips were light and crispy - definitely fresh made, salsa was just ok), we ordered several bowls of guacamole. The vibrant green color was enough to send my heart a flutter! The guac was excellent! Creamy, citrusy, perfectly seasoned! AH! SEND ME GUAC!


I ordered the Shrimp Fajita Salad and was most definitely not disappointed. My shrimp (of which there were about 30) were crisp and seasoned in a smoky and slightly spicy sauce. The veggies were tender and flavorful and it was served alongside a fresh pico de gallo (plus more guac!) I could've easily done without the shell though. The tortilla was overly greasy and the sautéed veggies made it soggy anyway. Skip the shell and just use chips.

Service: our server was fantastic! She was attentive, friendly and definitely on top of our needs. Despite the large table (9 people), no one went without drink refills or to-go boxes.


Cleanliness: everything was clean and organized.


After dinner, Nate and I took a quick solo detour to the Montgomery Distillery, 129 West Front Street, Missoula, MT 59802. Unfortunately for us, we didn't realize they closed at 8:00 PM, and it was already 7:45. Our server however said we could order 2 drinks each at once, or order doubles. We opted to get doubles. The distillery tasting room is modern with nods of vintage. There is a huge mirror behind the bar and the tables are unfinished woods and dark metals. There's also a large copper still displayed in the window facing the street.


In addition to selling their own alcohol for purchase in drinks or bottles, there is a small corner dedicated to local craftsmen. You can purchase art, jewelry and perfume made with their Whyte Ladie gin.


Nate recalls visiting this distillery during his first trip to Missoula and tasting the only two spirits they offered at the time - Vodka and Aquavit.

In 3 years they've expanded to include Gin, Rye Whiskey and Single Malt Whiskey.


Nate ordered a double of their rye, which smelled so much sweeter than it tasted. I didn't personally care for the liquor, but I also don't really like ryes...or my whiskeys neat.


I opted for the Go Gingerly cocktail made with gin, ginger, basil and grapefruit. It was delicious and refreshing. I also bought a bottle of gin to take home! Oh! I just realized I also have all the ingredients of this cocktail at home - be right back while I fix one up!

After we were kicked out at 8:00, we returned to the hotel to gather around the fire pit with the family and enjoy each other's company.

Day 3

Day 3 began with another hike, this time up Blue Mountain. After a 45 minute drive up sometimes concerning terrain (washboard roads, snow, mud, narrow two-sided roads, steep drop offs, unleashed dogs), we finally came upon a truck that was about to fall off one of the drop offs and decided to go ahead on foot.  Nate and I wandered around the ridge while everyone else went up to the observatory, which was still buried in a few feet deep of snow. After reconvening about 30 minutes later, we made our way back down the mountain.

As none of us had really eaten anything yet and spent awhile exercising, we were hungry again. We decided to check out Bridge Pizza, this adorable little pizza joint offering dine-in, delivery, and carry-out options has a number of specialty pizzas, salads, sandwiches, burritos and pasta dishes to please any guest.


Décor: there is not much by way of décor. The restaurant has a large wall of windows to allow plenty of natural light and a few pieces of art on the walls. There are 2 picnic style tables set up outside and a number of small tables in the restaurant.


Food appearance: it's truly difficult to make pizza look unappetizing.


Food taste: We ordered a basket of Teriyaki wings, a small Spinach Salad (spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, gorgonzola cheese, fresh apple, candied walnuts and poppy seed dressing) and 2 pizzas - The Orange St. (vegetarian) and the Russell St (non-veggie).


The salad was amazing and since I wasn't partaking in the wings, I didn't have to share it! I do love a good spinach salad, don't you?

The pizzas were both very thin crusts and HUGE. The Orange St. was topped with feta, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts and fresh oregano leaves on a white sauce. My only issue with this pizza was it was desperately craving salt. The feta and the artichoke alone weren't enough to stand up to the white sauce. I think the addition of kalamata olives would've put this pizza over the top.

Orange St. Pizza

Russell St. Pizza

The Russell St. was bacon, chicken, red onion and pineapple on BBQ sauce. Obviously I didn't try it so I'll let Nate explain how that was.


Service: the restaurant is one where you walk up to a counter to order and they deliver the food to you. The girl behind the counter was nice enough. She was a little forgetful though and asked us to repeat our order several times. Food was brought out hot and fresh.


Cleanliness: As there were no servers per se, the guests are responsible for cleaning up after themselves, which can often lead to tables remaining dirty.


If you like interesting pizzas for a reasonable price, check out Bridge Pizza.


After lunch we made our second trip to The Big Dipper, this time I ordered a kid's scoop of El Salvador Coffee (I actually GOT Espresso Heath) with a chocolate dip. The line was especially long and the kid taking our order may or may not have been on a certain illegal substance that makes you forgetful and absentminded. The Heath turned out to be a good addition to the chocolate dip, but I wish I had gotten my coffee ice cream instead.


We got our second wind around 5:00 PM and us youngin's headed over to Big Sky Brewing Company's Taproom at 5417 Trumpeter Way, Missoula, MT 59808. As we forgot that this was a Sunday, the tap room closed at 6:00.


Once again, I ordered a flight. My flight included a huckleberry flavored wheat beer (fruity and refreshing, think shandy), a lime flavored wheat beer (tart like a sour but not as abrasive), a watermelon and cucumber concoction (I took one drink and almost spat it out) and an imperial stout (definitely my favorite of the flight). I ended up ordering an 8 oz stout before the taproom closed.

Top: Huck It; Middle-Left: MerLimeRWeisse; Middle-Right: Watermelon Cucumber Summer Ale; Bottom: Ivan the Terrible

Still feeling like being out and about, we mosied over to Highlander Beer at 200 International Drive, Missoula, MT 59808 to keep the party going! The expansive Taphouse had a number of tables inside, a large U-shaped bar, a kids corner (low key I judge you for bringing your kids to a brewery though) and a beautiful patio alongside the river. Since it was beautiful outside, we were on the patio. And once again, I got myself a flight. My beers included the Strawberry Wolf Point Wheat (fantastic and light), Mount Jumbo Northwest IPA (bitter and hoppy), Grapefruit IPA (like drinking alcoholic grapefruit juice), and the Fortress Rock Imperial Stout (rich, malty, chocolately). The Stout was my favorite, until I stole a sip of the Americano Dark Mild, which was just like drinking a cup of morning coffee! It was excellent! It was wonderful to get to know Sam and his girlfriend a little bit better and in a relaxed setting.

From left to right: Strawberry Wolf Point Wheat, Mount Jumbo Northwest IPA, Grapefruit IPA, Fortress Rock Imperial Stout
Side note: HOW ADORABLE ARE THESE GLASSES?!

In addition to the beer, the Taphouse offers pizza and typical bar snacks.


By 8:00 PM, Mama and Papa Hart were hungry so we picked them up and headed over to The Montana Club, we visited the location at 4561 Reserve, Missoula, MT 59808.


Décor: the interior of the restaurant evokes visions of a log cabin. Light wood exposed ceilings and support beams, stone fireplaces, and portraits of wild horses and open landscapes.


Food appearance: this is definitely the nicest restaurant we ate at all weekend so you can bet there were no plastic plates and paper napkins here. Every dish was plated precisely and elegantly.


Food taste: the menu is expansive with sea food and steaks to burgers and salads. The group ordered the Gryo Mini Taco appetizer, which I didn't partake in, but I tried the Tzatziki Sauce, which was creamy and full of dill.


As I was still full of beer, I ordered from the so-called "Small Plates" menu. To call my Chipotle Salmon small is a joke. This fillet (easily 3 oz) was topped with Chipotle Sour Cream, house made Pico de Gallo and served with a salad, I also ordered a side fries with ranch well because fries with ranch. I think even had I not been filled with liquids I would've been completely satisfied with this dish.

Does this look "small" to you?

Huckleberry Martini - not my style, way too sweet

Everyone else at the table ordered steaks, crab legs or lobster.


Service: We were a tad confused as to who our server was because one girl took our drink order, another took our food order, the first came back to serve us and the second cleared our plates. They were both nice enough and attentive though.


Cleanliness: everything in the restaurant was clean and tidy, as to be expected from a chain restaurant with 6 locations throughout Montana.


I would recommend this restaurant but it feels too..chain-y for my taste. I feel like Missoula had so many adorable little local spots that it almost seemed a shame to give up a chance to go to one of them to go here. But this trip was definitely not about me and I appreciated that Mama and Papa Hart took me anywhere. (THANKS MOM AND DAD! I'M ABSOLUTELY IN NO WAY COMPLAINING)


Monday morning was back to reality. We flew back to Raleigh with no delays or issues, rested up and Tuesday was back to the office.


Stay tuned for some more great reviews, jokes and recipes and as always, thank you for reading!

Oatmeal Cookie Bars

Good morning (again), I know you just read my awesome Falafel with Tahini Sauce post and are anxious to see some more delectable recipes! Well, you're in luck! Read on for a quick and easy cookie recipe utilizing ingredients you probably already have in your pantry!


Oatmeal Cookie Bars

3/4 C baking mix (I used Buttermilk Pancake Mix)
2 C quick oats
1/2 C plain non-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 C canola oil
1/2 C raisins
1/4 C dried cranberries
1/4 C white chocolate chips
1/4 C brown sugar
1 Tsp cinnamon
1 egg


Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9X9 casserole dish liberally with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.


This recipe really couldn't be simpler - mix all ingredients in a bowl until combined. Spread the mixture into your prepared dish and smooth into an even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and a knife can be inserted and removed cleanly.


I cut my bars into 1-inch squares and got about 16 servings out of it.


The bars are chewy, moist, slightly sweet and don't they just sound healthy?!


Enjoy your Monday, readers! Stay tuned for more great recipes and a restaurant review or two!

Falafel with Tahini Sauce

After a weekend of over-indulgence (Saturday was Kentucky Derby AND Cinco de Mayo, mind you), Nate and I wanted something a little healthier for dinner last night. I'm not sure if fried chickpea patties necessarily fit that bill, but they were delicious and I will tell myself that they were healthy because there were so many green things in there.


Falafel


1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 C fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 C fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 Tsp salt
Pinch freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 Tsp chili powder
2 Tsp cumin
2 Tsp baking powder
1/2 C flour
Canola oil, for frying
Pita bread, for serving


In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together onion and garlic until they are finely minced. Add in the parsley, cilantro and chickpeas. Pulse until they are thoroughly mixed and begin to form a paste. Add in the seasonings and stir to combine.


Add in the baking powder and the flour 1/4 C at a time and pulse. The goal is to have the mixture form a "dough" of sorts. You want it to stick together without being too liquid-y.


Remove to a mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the mixture to set-up in the fridge for 1 hour.


After your hour is up, heat about 2 Tbsp of canola oil in a deep skillet set over medium-high heat. Allow the oil to heat for 5 minutes before you put your first batch of falafel patties in. I used a 1/4 C measuring spoon to portion my patties and they came out to be about 2-3 oz each, obviously you can make them smaller.


After measuring out your patties, form them into discs and drop lightly in the oil. Allow them to fry up for 5 minutes per side prior to flipping. My skillet was large enough to allow me to fry 4 patties at once. Remove the cooked patties to a paper towel covered plate to remove any excess oil.


Add 1 Tbsp canola oil to the pan as needed between batches.


Serve up your falafel in a pita with some delicious Tahini Sauce or tzatziki sauce, if you prefer.


I was able to get 5 2-3 oz patties out of this recipe, but obviously I made mine rather large.


Tahini Sauce


I used this recipe for Tahini Sauce and it came out great! I even have enough leftover in my fridge to use for a tasty salad dressing this week!


You may notice that there is no photographic evidence of my beautiful falafel, I will admit that I was far too concerned with stuffing my face than I was with taking a picture but take my word that these were beautifully crisp on both sides and tasted as good as any store bought falafel one could hope to devour!


Happy eating!

Roasted Cauli-Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Good afternoon, faithful readers! Happy Fri-yay and May The 4th Be With You! What? You don't understand my super subtle Star Wars reference?


This week I have been not-so-patiently counting down to my upcoming weekend getaway to Montana and therefore, trying to eat all the fresh fruits and veggies in my apartment before they all rot. It's like a game I like to play with myself...it's like Mission Impossible but instead of dismantling nuclear warheads or whatever those movies were supposed to be about I'm trying to eat all the food I spent money on.


Last night's creation was Roasted Cauli-Steak with Chimichurri Sauce. Whenever I think of cauliflower, I think of a certain internet meme regarding slowly replacing items in your life with cauliflower...there is no more joy or friendship, only cauliflower.


Roasted Cauli-Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Just look at the crispy edges on that Cauli-Steak!

1 head cauliflower cut into thick slices (realistically, you can get about 2 solid pieces before your cauliflower just breaks apart into florets)
Non-stick cooking spray
Salt and Pepper, to taste
2 C parsley, ends trimmed
1 small yellow onion, quartered
5 cloves garlic
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 C red wine vinegar
2/3 C olive oil
1 Tsp crushed red pepper flake
Salt and pepper, to taste


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray.


After you cut up your cauliflower into as many steaks as you can get, arrange them and the remaining florets on the baking sheet. Season both sides with salt and pepper and spray liberally with non-stick spray.


Roast the cauliflower for 25 minutes, flipping half-way through the cooking time.


This recipe really can't be easier...take all remaining ingredients and throw them in the bowl of a food processor. Blitz everything up into not-quite paste like consistency. VIOLA! Really, that's all it takes.


This meal was super filling and the sauce was delicious! We even have a small jelly-sized jar in the fridge with what's leftover to use at a later date!


Enjoy your Star Wars day readers! Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo AND the Kentucky Derby! What a time to be alive!

International Cuisine - Nigeria

Good morning, readers! I have been neglecting you. I've been eating and cooking plenty, just nothing particularly interesting or difficult. Last week Nate went to Cancun for an Engineering conference (poor guy, right?) and I was kicking myself all week for not tagging along - and drowning my sorrows in veggie hot dogs and vegetable wraps. But he's home now and we're equally miserable we're not at the beach!


A few months ago Nate and I decided we wanted to explore new cuisines and take turns cooking for each other. In order to make this venture more fun, we chose to use a random-country-generator to select the country we'd be cooking from. Nate bit the bullet and chose first - Uruguay. He made gnocchi, which (fun fact) is Uruguayan! My randomly selected country was Nigeria and the following is the delicious menu I created and promptly devoured last night. These recipes I adapted from The Vegan Nigerian, her recipes are classic and vegan - both right up my alley for this meal.


International Cuisine - Nigeria

Meat(less) Pies

4 C flour
1 Tsp baking powder
1/2 Tsp salt
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, frozen and cubed
3 Tbsp vegetable shortening, frozen and cubed
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 C ice water, plus more if needed
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp water


2 Tbsp canola oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 small Russet potatoes, peeled and finely diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 lb Soy Crumbles (I used Quorn brand)
3 Tbsp frozen peas
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 Tsp curry powder
1 C water
2 Tbsp melted butter


Begin by making the dough. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, butter and vegetable shortening using a pastry cutter. Cut the fat into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add in oil and ice water and mix until the dough forms a ball and sticks together. Form into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.


Next make filling. In a deep skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the onions and potatoes for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and crisp. Add in the veggie meat, carrots and peas. Saute the mixture for 10 minutes or until the carrots are vibrant and everything is heated through.


Season with salt, pepper, curry powder and vegetable bouillon cube. Toss in the water and cover to steam. Allow the mixture to steam for 5 minutes and uncover for 5 additional minutes to allow some of the water to evaporate. Make sure the bouillon cube is fully dissolved and evenly distributed.


Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and set aside.


After your dough has refrigerated for 30 minutes, cut the disc into 4 equal pieces and roll into circular shapes about 1/8 inch thick.


Spoon about 1/2 C filling onto half of the dough and fold over. I didn't always follow this step, making some of my pies more misshapen than others. Crimp the edge of your dough pieces with a fork to ensure they stick together.


Beat together egg with 1 Tbsp water and brush over the top of the pies. Bake pies for 15 minutes and brush tops with melted butter (I didn't do this, but I definitely should've! Mmmm butter...). Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.


The meat pie is a traditional Nigerian street food, while the original influence comes from the British, the flavors are all West African.


Plantain Fried Rice

2 Tbsp canola oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 plantain, diced
2 C cooked white rice (I used the boil-in-bag variety)
3 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil


In a deep skillet (I used the same one I made the filling in), heat canola oil over medium-high eat. Toss in the onions and plantains and allow to crisp up and brown. I let mine go for about 15 minutes before I even tossed them for maximum caramelizing.


Add in cooked rice and season with soy sauce and sesame oil. Do a taste check for salt level (VERY IMPORTANT).


The Champman

2 C Sprite
2 C orange Fanta
2-4 dashes Angostura bitters
2 Tbsp grenadine
2 oz blood orange vodka (optional)


Fill 2 pint glasses with ice. Pour 1 oz blood orange vodka (if you're making this for the 21+ crowd) in the bottom of each pint glass and top with 1 C Sprite and 1 C orange Fanta in each glass. Add in 1-2 dashes of Angostura bitters in each glass and stir to combine. Using the back of a spoon positioned at the top of the glass, slowly pour in 1 Tbsp grenadine in each glass. The grenadine will slowly flow to the bottom, making a beautiful layered cocktail!


The story is this cocktail was invented by some bartender in Nigeria when a guy said "make whatever you want" but this refreshing punch is enjoyed at festivals and family gatherings alike!


This food was delicious and decadent! I cannot wait until our next culinary adventure to Japan (Nate's pick).


Happy eating!