Check, Please.

Sandwiches in the Spring

2010-04-21T11:25:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite things to do in the whole wide world is eat outside. For some reason, it makes the food taste better and the day seem lighter. It's my dream that one day, I will get to go on a real picnic with the basket, red checked blanket and everything that goes with it.

One beautiful day, I felt the need to eat outside and decided to grab a late lunch/early dinner with an old friend, Brian, to catch up. He suggested a tiny dive-ish place called Piper's Tavern. It lives on Falls of the Neuse Road, about a mile or so past Strickland, on the right.

I drive into Piper's parking lot with my sunroof down and my newest aviators on, and in one of the best moods I can remember. I find Brian on the wooden patio, patiently waiting on me to order. It's exactly what I wanted. Food... outside. We jump right into finding something to eat that way we can move on to catching up. I am super surprised by the menu because this place looks like a bar that would serve more happy hour specials than springtime sammies. They do have the normal bar fare, but the menu is also supplemented with specialty pizza, homemade quiche and broiled flounder.

Brian orders the burger and I go with the Cuban--mainly because most Cuban's are not good and I was looking to find something wrong with it. Oh you know you do the same thing... don't judge me. I'm just honest about it.

The food comes out quickly, or maybe it's just the weather making me lose track. My sandwich comes out hot and gooey with crispy fries. If you've never had a Cuban, they are very interesting. It's a roasted pork sandwich, usually on a crusty roll, with a slice of ham, swiss cheese, lots of yellow mustard and covered in dill pickles. And this Cuban in particular, was really good. There was pickle and mustard in every bit, plus the pork wasn't overcooked and dry. In fact, it was juicy and seasoned, although, I can't quite figure out what the seasoning was.

I'm assuming by Brian's crumb and ketchup-laiden plate that his burger was pretty good too.

So, if you're looking for a low-key lunch, happy hour or early dinner place, Piper's is for you. The food is well-priced, unpretentious and I highly doubt you'll be disappointed. 4 out of 5.

Homemade Heaven...

2010-04-15T09:08:00.000-04:00

Within my first week of working in Raleigh, I recognized a place that folks love to frequent and now I love to frequent. It is called Poppyseed Market. It is not only a restaurant, but also a... wait for it... market. The outside of the building is less than snazzy, housed in a strip mall, but the inside makes up for everything.

Walking in, you feel as though you have stepped into a Mediterranean grocery. Coming in the door there is a huge case of homemade delights--two types of lasagna, homemade chicken tenders, mac and cheese, chicken parmesan, twice baked potatoes and so on. THEN there is a salad case to the right with homemade salads like chicken salad, orzo salad, dill potato salad, egg salad and so forth. To date, I have tried both lasagnas (butternut squash and original), the chicken tenders, mac and cheese, orzo salad, chicken salad and a random bowtie pasta salad that isn't listed. They are literally all to die for. Scout's honor.

TTTHHHHEEEENNNN... there is a soup, sandwich and pizza menu. Incredible, I know. I haven't explored this part of the menu so much. I do know that when you order sandwiches you receive homemade potato chips with homemade ranch. Really, if the chips and ranch are crazy good, who needs a sandwich?!

I think every person in Raleigh, or the United States, needs to visit here and taste a bit of everything. It is really, really phenomenal. 4.8 out of 5.

NOLA Work - Crawfish and Gumbo and Food Shows?

2010-03-30T16:58:00.000-04:00

Last week, I had the privilege of going to New Orleans for work. I was headed to a food distributor show for one of my clients. Two co-workers (Claire and Bryan) and I flew in on Tuesday evening for the Wednesday show. So what is a girl to do in New Orleans with a free night? Eat!!! Of course.

So, Claire, Bryan and I made our way to the French Quarter for a little exploration on a beautiful Tuesday evening. Our cabbie drops up off at Cafe du Monde. There is seriously no better way to start a tour of the French Quarter. We ordered beignets and cafe au lait for a quick snack. Beignets are french-ish doughnuts, fried with powdered sugar on top. The dough is much, much lighter than most fried bread delights. It's full of holes and puffed up areas. They were utterly delicious and light as a cloud. So yummy.

In an effort to figure out where we were wandering to (and to be very touristy), we stopped and got a map. The map lady gave us an amazing recommendation for dinner--Coop's Place. Legend has it this is a hot spot for locals with the most authentic NOLA food available. So after a few more blocks of meandering and a little antiquing, we make it to Coop's Place. There was a line around the block. So we wait and we drink... Hurricanes. Don't judge me... what else are you supposed to do while waiting in line in NOLA?!

We make it in about half an hour later and immediately order a crawfish nugget appetizer and two Coop's Taste Plates to share--A cup of Seafood Gumbo, Shrimp Creole, Cajun Fried Chicken, Red Beans & Rice with Sausage, and Rabbit & Sausage Jambalaya. It would take a hundred years to explain the details for all of these dishes, so I'll just send you to their menu for exploration. I will say that the crawfish nuggets and gumbo needed salt some kind of bad, but after seasoning, it was all pretty tasty. Now, the fried chicken, Red Beans & Rice and jambalaya were phenomenal. I could have eaten that all night long. As far as the Shrimp Creole, I have no idea what that was. Ha! I probably ate it and probably liked it, but there were so many things piled on that plate it was hard to keep them straight.

All in all, I ate a lot of unusual things that I don't normally eat and overall, it was wonderful. (Especially since I went to a food show the next day and literally ate my weight in restaurant tastings.) Next time you are in NOLA, go to Coop's and DEFINITELY go to Cafe du Monde. It's a little touristy, but well worth it.

FREE ICE DAY AT RITA'S!!

2010-03-17T10:16:00.000-04:00

Don't forget the first day of Spring is just around the corner, and you know what that means...

It's Sarah Findle's (@sfindle) birthday!!

And... it's RITA'S FREE ICE DAY! Don't forget to go pick yours up this weekend, and Happy First Day of Spring.

Sunday Brunch and the Sunday Announcements

2010-02-19T13:05:00.000-05:00

Call us jaded, but my three girlfriends and I think it's incredibly entertaining to make fun of engagement and wedding announcements that come out every Sunday. Especially the REALLY sappy ones--the knot.com is also a hot spot of our humor. You may be thinking... "Oh it's just because they aren't getting married yet." But in fact, we are. We are all in the process of or planning to get married. We are just not the MRS degree-type girls. =)

So anyway, we had our girls weekend, lovingly named Yahtzee Weekend, on February 12 - 14 (and again... we all have valentines, so it isn't because we are lonely. It's because we love each other). It's named Yahtzee Weekend because in the dice game when you roll a perfect match with all five di, you get a Yahtzee... or a perfect score... the rest is history. Creative, eh? I know.

On Sunday, we decided to meet at a supposed award-winning breakfast joint... Brigs, off Maynard Road in Cary. I was very excited about trying an award-winning breakfast. So when we arrive, there is a 30 minute wait... fine, right? Because it is going to be awesome. So in the meantime, we break out the announcement section of the paper and read it aloud to one another outside. Maybe we made a scene... don't judge us.

We finally get seated and the server comes to greet us and I'm pretty sure she needed some caffeine, or possibly some speed. We order (left to right in the picture)--Blakely gets oatmeal and hot tea, Becca orders the special cherry pancakes and coffee, I order a KIDS (this will be important later) grilled turkey and cheese with fries and a tea, and Amanda ordered an egg scramble with home fries and a tea. All of this seems pretty normal for a breakfast place.

Well apparently whoever is handing out awards was paid off...

Blakely literally got a small white bowl of packaged, instant oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins on the side--fine, but not award-winning. Seems they would have made homemade oatmeal?

Becca got a short stack with tangy cherry pie filling plopped on top. I tasted it. It was fine. I think the cherries were fresh?

I got exactly what I ordered. A small turkey and cheese sandwich, grilled on wheat bread that I could have made easily in my skillet at home. My anger came later... with the bill.

Amanda's scramble was yummy, but portioned very small, and her home fries had a weird, spicy metallic aftertaste, plus the potatoes were mushy.

I will say this... the sweet tea was good.

The server rarely came back. She did show up in just enough time to hand us our check. Here it comes... brace yourself. I ordered a kids meal. I received a kids meal with kid portions. It was 3.99 on the menu with a possible $1.50 upgrade, if your server was following the rules. I was charged 9.95 for my sandwich... seriously. I should have gotten at least three sandwiches for that. It wasn't even THAT good! I digress...

So the food was not so good, definitely not award-winning, the service sucked and they over charged me. Ummm... 2 out of 5. Well, at least the announcements were awesome.

First Day Lunch... Not So Bad

2010-02-17T09:08:00.002-05:00

So first days anywhere are always stressful and overwhelming, and mine was no exception. Meeting 65 people in about two hours, learning global client nuances, posing for a head shot and trying to keep up (in 15 minute increments) with how my day was spent. Whew. It makes me tired just re-living it.

In most cases for a new job, your boss takes you out on your first day and aagggaaaiiinnnn, mine was no exception. My new boss, Laura, loaded me in her car for a lunch. We pull into a stripmall shopping center, which I have to say, usually doesn't bode well unless it's Chinese food. We walk up to this place called Solomon's. The restaurant is set back in a nook, and uses its sidewalk space as a small patio so you can't really tell you are in a shopping center.

Walking in, it smells heavenly--roasted vegetables, baking bread, toasted spices. For lunch, you order at the hostess counter and then they serve you (but for dinner, it is a sit-down affair). The menu is pretty substantial for lunch, but I have a small obsession with really good falafel. So of course, I order the carb-overload plate--a falafel pita with fries. Aside from the fact that a wrapped falafel pita, rather than a stuffed falafel pita, is incredibly hard to eat, it was pretty tasty.

The falafel was nicely formed and cooked, but a little dense for my taste. It felt more like I was eating a donut hole, as far as consistency. The tahini paste was almost flavorless. I gave up on it after a few minutes and just ate the falafel and pita, which was yummy by itself. Now, the fries were the best part. They were crispy and heavily seasoned... just the way I like them. I left some pita... there were only crispy crumbs left on the fries.

Laura got the French Onion soup and the gyro pita. If you missed my last post on gyro meat making, you should definitely check it out. It's pretty cool. This is one of Laura's favorite places to eat and she is obsessed with the gyro meat here. I didn't taste it, but she LOVES it, so definitely give it a shot.

It pretty much took us our entire lunch hour to consume the large portions of food you get (for a very reasonable price, I might add). So we ate and ran.

All in all, and trying to ignore my first day butterflies, I'd say this place was pretty good... not great, but pretty good. The smells were better than the food. 3.5 out of 5.

On the road again...

2010-02-03T17:06:00.000-05:00

After a snowy move to Raleigh, NC and some heavy debate... I've decided to press on with Check, Please. My sweet readers did some convincing and it was awesome! Thanks y'all!

So this is just a note to let you know that there will be Raleigh AND Greenville posts for a while. Some guest posts and some of my own. I'm excited about this expansion and I hope you keep reading... you never know where your next business trip will take you. =)

Happy eating...

Happy Pie Makes Me Happy... Really.

2010-01-22T09:02:00.000-05:00

I've always thought pizza was pizza. Pizza is good. Pizza is tasty. Pizza makes me happy. At least this was the opinion for most of my life.

I have eaten Papa John's, Domino's, Pizza Hut, Boston Pizzeria (which I don't recommend until the smoking ban goes into effect), Mellow Mushroom (which I do love, but sometimes want normal toppings on my pizza), and I even frequent Pizza Inn. Then, there is Happy Pie. Happy Pie is in a league of its own in Greenville. I have only been to the one on Woodruff Road, but I hear there is one in Simpsonville now.

The facility is clean, bright and all the employees are just happy to be there--there must be some sort of happy dust they use for that. They use the simplest and freshest flavors and ingredients, and I think that is why the pizza is so yummy.

I have been there several times, but most recently went with my Mom. We ordered a large Hawaiian pie and two small salads--she got the house and I went Caesar. Both salads were super tasty and crunchy.

Then the pizza came out all gooey and steamy. Cold pizza is good, but hot and fresh pizza is ridiculously good. The pineapple still had juice in it, and you know it's fresh when it's still juicy after being in a HOT oven for at least 10 minutes.

I would recommend anyone giving Happy Pie a good ol' college try before ordering delivery anymore. It will change your life! The only thing that lacked was the restaurant-y feel of the joint, but HEY... it's a pizza place. What do you expect? 4.25 out of 5.

Table 301 Coupon!

2010-01-21T14:27:00.003-05:00

Table 301 is doing us all a big favor and giving us a bailout... a food bailout! Screw the automotive government bailouts. This one is much tastier! Here is a $25-off coupon to any Table 301 restaurant, and you KNOW how much I love Lazy Goat.

*Photo courtesy of Lazy Goat

Oh No!!

2010-01-06T08:44:00.001-05:00

Sorry about the look of the blog. Apparently the template I was using is no longer available. Keep an eye out for the new look. I will style it up today.

Chri-mah Time's A-Coming...

2009-12-14T08:57:00.002-05:00

Disclaimer: It's Bluegrass.

Growing up, I heard this song... a lot. In fact, it's become a private joke between my Mom and me. We sing it at the top of our lungs, off-key and usually off-beat, during the holidays. We get excited when it's time to sing it every year.

I also get pretty excited about holiday food, as do most other people. It's a lot of warm spices, hearty vegetables and tons and tons of snacks and desserts. To be honest, I think I eat more snack-type food than real meals. Sausage balls, party mix, Muddy Buddies (chocolate, peanut butter and powdered sugar covered Chex), chocolate balls and so much more.

How does your holiday food tradition work out? Who makes what? What can't you live without? I'll leave you with one of my favorite and easiest recipes that makes for fantastic finger food or a yummy breakfast. I always eat this during holidays. There is one thing I change in the recipe--it is for the icing--I don't add butter, but I do add 1/4 to 1/3 teaspoon of Almond Extract. So good!

Please share your favorite recipes with me!!

Justin Wilson Would Be Proud

2009-11-25T09:59:00.003-05:00

How y'all are? If you have never watched a Justin Wilson cooking show, you are missing out... big time. Unfortunately, Wilson passed away several years ago, but his legacy lives on. I used to watch Justin Wilson on PBS every Sunday afternoon. It was tradition. I may have only been 10 years old, but I loved the way he talked. He was Cajun "tru and tru." (Yeah... I tried to write a Cajun word. Let me know how that worked out.)

So recently, when my boss Brett wanted to go eat something different for lunch, I consulted my running tab of interesting restaurants, lovingly compiled by you (my readers). So thanks! We owe this gem to you.

We decided on CHOPS. It was fairly close, just off I-85 on Pelham, right next to the Starbucks and Kinkos. I was a little nervous to go because you guys all know that I'm a spice weenie. I try to pretend like I can handle it, but I just can't. To put it in perspective, I usually request a little barbecue sauce to be mixed in with buffalo sauce to cut the heat on wings, and the only place that won't do that is Hooters, but that's a whole other story. I'll save that rant for another day.

We come in to the tiny restaurant that is filled with coolers and it seems like the kitchen is three times the size of the eating area, which is odd. There is a sweet, quiet lady running around and a man standing in the open kitchen area in the back, stuffing and rubbing down raw, whole birds--maybe it was chicken, may it was something completely different. I don't know and didn't seem appropriate to question him.

We pick a table and sit down and the sweet, quiet lady came over to greet us and explained pretty much the entire menu so Brett and I would know what we were ordering. It was very authentic and we couldn't pronounce some of the words. I chose the Shrimp Etouffee and Brett got the Shrimp Po-Boy.

You would not believe the goodness that arrived at our table a few minutes later. My plate was piled high with white rice, perfect tiny shrimp and spicy white sauce. It came with a side of black-eyed peas and a fresh roll. Brett's what a nice hoagie-style roll with the usual suspects of a po-boy, but with this yummy house sauce. The sauce was mustard-based and pretty spicy, but it was unbelievable, especially on fries.

My Etouffee was phenomenal! It made my nose run but the flavor was so fantastic, I didn't even care. It was flour and butter based, kind of like a gravy, but way better. Brett's po-boy was probably one of the best I've ever had, even from the coast, and those fries... mmmmmmmmm. The fries were the most seasoned fries I have had, and probably the tastiest. I am very excited about my next trip to CHOPS. I'm ready to try everything on the menu.

As far as the service, our quiet and sweet server was very good, but the place has such a laid-back feel that you can get up and get more drink yourself. The owner was also gracious enough to give us the story on his background. I'd give you the story myself, but he tells it with much more flair, so I encourage to go and chat him up!

4.5 out of 5. You will not be disappointed, I GARONTEE! =)

Cucumbers, Olives and Hummus... Oh My!

2009-11-17T08:19:00.006-05:00

Confession: I don't know much about Mediterranean food. I didn't grow up with a lot of it around. Don't cringe, but the closest thing I came to Mediterranean food was Showmars. Ha! I know...

Then one of my friends and favorite swag-tastic colleagues, Kamran Popkin (@swagclub) suggested that we go to Pita House. I've had several folks recommend the Pita House, but I didn't want to go without a seasoned veteran, since clearly my experience with chickpea-related foods is/was limited.

Reaction: Last Friday, Kam and I head off to Pita House, so he could show me the ropes. P.S. It didn't hurt that he came to my office with a flipping BMW M5 for me to test drive. Off we go. When we arrive, I am surprised to see a small counter full of baked goods straight ahead and a picture menu. Thank God for picture menus, since I have no idea what to order. Thankfully, Kam ordered for me and we got a gyro meat combination meal and a chicken combination meal--we shared so I could try it all. We also got homemade lemonade. It's not often that a restaurant still serves homemade lemonade and man, was it tasty.

Side note: Kam gave me a lesson as to how gyro meat is traditionally made. It is slices of beef (or pork) and slices of lamb stacked on top of the other on a rotisserie rod. The slices soon become an oblong shape on the rod. Then it is slow roasted and shaved length-wise. For more information see this video, but the meat is pronounced YHEAR-oo, not jyi-row... what an idiot.

We get our combo plates and I am pleasantly surprised by what I see. Styrofoam compartment plates full of stuff! There is a meat compartment with our requested meats, a cucumber salad compartment and a hummus compartment. Then stacked high on the compartment ridges are huge falafel balls with olives, pickles, lettuce and tomato for dressings. Then comes a side basket of fresh, homemade pita bread. Holy cow, what a plate.

I tenderly try the cucumber salad first. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a huge fan of cucumbers, but the salad isn't too bad--edible for me, which is saying a lot. It is tomatoes, cucumbers and possibly some other veggies dressed in very, very garlicy tzatzki-type sauce. Next I dive in for the hummus. I love hummus... I am also incredibly picky when it comes to hummus. Hummus wasn't bad. It was incredibly fresh with a super fruity olive oil drizzle, but all in all not super flavorful.

So, I slather the inside of a pita piece with the hummus, smash a falafel ball in it and add the best pickles, hands down, that I have ever put in my mouth. They were homemade and phenomenal. My little sandwich was perfect. I would have sat there and eaten falafel and pickle sandwiches all day long. Poor Kam... I don't think he got a pickle that day. Hahahaha...

Lastly, I was treated to a cashew roll--one of those amazing baked goods in the case at the counter up front. It is very similar to baklava, but made with cashews instead of walnuts and rolled into a little cigar. MMMmmm... very rich and satisfying, although not terribly sweet.

The place was packed while we were there. We were lucky and snagged a booth in the back. It is incredibly popular for lunch. There is also another side to the restaurant--a neat marketplace. Fresh olives bins, bags of chickpeas, oils and spices, even (what looked to be used) cookbooks. All shipped from Europe.

So not only was the food amazing, we got to visit an authentic market and were in and out in a flash, zooming back toward Woodruff Road in less than an hour. A solid 4 out of 5.

My name is Melea and I am a Sale Freak

2009-11-05T09:28:00.007-05:00

Discounts, coupons, sales... basically anything with a percentage off, I'm buying. I'll use it eventually, right?! Not to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty good at spotting a good buy. I just got a pair of ALDO suede boots (originally $199) for $79. Yep.

With this also comes a savvy eye for discounted food. I'm not talking about Goodwill-caliber food... I'm talking about yummy specials. I have compiled some of my favorite specials for your use during the week after those looooonnngg days at the office.

Monday:
*Chicora Alley - $1 off well drinks and draft beers; FREE chips and salsa until 7
*Brown Street Jazz Club - $2 draft beers; $4 wine; $5 appetizers (everyday)
*Blue Ridge Brewing Co. - $2.50 vodka drinks all day

Tuesday:
*City Range - $2 martinis and $5 appetizers
*Bin 112 (Greer) - FREE wine tasting
*Happy Pie - Order large or extra large pizza, get a free 2-liter soda (everyday)
*Soby's - 1/2 off bottles of wine

Wednesday:
*Wine Wednesday at Sassafras - 50% off all bottles of wine
*On the Border - 12 oz. margaritas for $3.25; 1/2 off appetizers
*Blue Ridge Brewing Co. - $2.50 pints all day
*Soby's - $3 martinis

Thursday:
*Bin 112 (Greer) - FREE liquor tasting
*Wild Wing Cafe - $2 vodka drinks
*City Range - $3 well drinks; $5 appetizers (everyday)

Friday:
*Wild Wing Cafe - $5 Party Pitchers (You should probably share to avoid the police. haha...)
*Quaker Steak & Lube - 1/2 off 22 oz. draft beers and appetizers; $1 off well drinks (everyday)

Where are your favorite places to get cheap (but really good) food during the week?

Apparently, Models Do Eat

2009-10-19T14:06:00.005-04:00

More than likely you are aware that I had the lovely opportunity to walk in a charity fashion show--Expressions--last weekend. It was an amazing time. I had big hair, fake eyelashes and designer duds. Doesn't get much better than that.

After the show, the after party was at Sassafras. It is located in the square across from Coffee St. and Main, right beside the Gathering (or "G") Spot. The owner, Brant, was a great sport about letting the Expressions crew host their events at Sassafras--we also held the Bachelor Auction fundraiser there.

Sassafras is amazing. I've been there several times, but have yet to blog about it. My most favorite thing is their amazing service. The servers there know more about the food and wine than any other restaurant I've been to. They know what wine goes best with every dish, and usually aren't afraid to give favorite wine recommendations. Also, every Wednesday during happy hour, they have half-off bottles of wine.

Onward and outward... the food. The appetizers, happy hour or otherwise, are almost all good. Although I don't eat pimento cheese, I hear absolutely anything with pimento cheese is great at Sassafras. You should also check out the sweet potato fries. Very crispy and buttery. They also come with a very unique sauce. They call it creole tartar sauce on the menu, but it really tastes like a crab cake remoulade.

My favorite main course is heavenly--Blackened Sea Scallops. The scallops were piping hot with a hard crust on the outside, and a smooth, creamy texture inside. Perfectly cooked. There was a veggie saute to accompany the seafood, served over grits. That was also pretty good, but a little under-seasoned. The part I didn't like (and that I hope they leave off next time) was the spinach. There was a small pile of spinach, which did give the plate a nice color block, but also left a pretty bitter taste in my mouth. Yucky.

So aside from the fact that I ate during my model weekend (GASP!), Sassafras was a great choice. Excellent service and near perfect food. Definitely 4.5 out of 5.

**You can check out the Expressions After Party pictures at Sassafras here: http://www.gvegasnights.com/events/event-pictures/?album=3&gallery=161

Cookies Vs. Cakes - The Showdown

2009-10-09T11:59:00.003-04:00

I may lose a lot of readers today. I like cookies.

So... I like cookies a lot. A lot more than cakes. I will eat almost any cookie that exists--anything except cookies with raisins. (On a side note, raisins look like dead flies and that freaks me out, so I don't eat them.)

Now, cakes are iffy in my book. They are so rich and heavy and kind of make you feel icky if you eat too much. Also, there is almost always icing and that stuff just isn't kosher. It's soooo sweet.

The only cake that I absolutely crave is my Mom's homemade strawberry cake. I get it every year for my birthday and that's about it.

What I want to know is why restaurants are so obsessed with cakes and pies. Why can't you people make me a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies for dessert. I mean, talk about ROI. You can make two dozen cookies for less than $2 at the grocery store... much less a restaurant food supplier.

Cookies is what I really want... really. Does anyone know of a restaurant that serves food and cookies? Not a bakery. A real eatery.

Signed #1 Cookie Lover.

A Little Rain and a Little Garnish Carving

2009-09-30T16:47:00.004-04:00

Ok, a LOT of rain and a little vegetable garnish carving.

This past Saturday, after a dismal day of really ugly UNC vs. Georgia Tech football and not getting out of my jammies all day, Jeremy and I ventured out to get some food. Right now, I'm pretty in love with Thai food, so that's what we went with.

I live on the Greenville side of Greer, pretty close to Pelham Road, so we decided to check out Sweet Basil. I feel like most people have visited one of the two locations--Haywood Road behind City Range, and on Pelham Road at Hwy. 14--so feel free to weigh in here!

We arrive in the bleak, gray weather and are immediately warmed up inside. The dining room is a warm red color with lots of gold. Very nice and cozy, plus it smells amazing in there. We are promptly seated and greeted with water. Without looking at the menu, I quickly order Pad Thai (since I'm still on a "Best of" search) and Jeremy orders Pad See Ew.

The strangest thing though, after ordering, I look up at the TV behind Jeremy's head and there is a tutorial video on vegetable garnish carving. I laughed a little and said I would give Jeremy a play-by-play (since he was watching football over my head). I sat mesmerized the entire meal by this man carving flowers from onions and radishes. He even carved a basket out of a watermelon. Not just a bowl with a handle... I mean, that sucker had lattice work. It was incredible.

OOOooookkk... so back to the food. My Pad Thai was pretty good. I think they must have opened a new bag of bean sprouts for my plate because they were so crunchy and cold. Usually the heat of the noodles makes them warm and soggy, but this dish actually had texture contrast. That was a nice surprise. The chicken was a tiny bit overcooked and I would loved for it to have been spicier. I know you probably never thought you'd hear that coming from me!

In fact, Jeremy's Pad See Ew was better than my Pad Thai. He can't order anything without having my chopsticks in it. It was heavily spiced with ginger and chilies. The flavor was warm and satisfying, almost like a bowl of thick beefy soup. Also, the noodles were wider than I was used to, so it was really pretty to look at. It almost look like filleted calamari tops.

The service was great. Two gentlemen ran the small dining area where we were seated and they split responsibilities. We were never out of water, nor ever bothered by their ever-presence. I am a huge fan of the quiet, worker bee servers. They are polite, but while eating, you never know they are there.

All in all, I would give this place a thumbs up. As far as the price per portion, it's a little higher than I expected (I mean I was wearing a t-shirt for crying out loud), but we both still ate for $35. A lovely 4 out of 5.

Can You Really Go Wrong with Smoked Meat? No, Ma'am.

2009-09-14T08:33:00.007-04:00

I had a really great headline about pork... it was wildly inappropriate. I'll refrain. Hahaha...

If you didn't already know, I'm a little bit of a barbecue freak. I like it a lot. I like most kinds. Ribs are definitely my all time favorite type of barbecue. Dry rub or wet sauce. Southeast or Midwest. I've never met a rib I didn't want to devour.

Apparently there are four regions of barbecue goodness--Texas, Memphis, N. Carolina and Kansas City. I'm going to go ahead and say that I have never been to Kansas City, nor have I ever tried Kansas City barbecue, but it sure does look tasty.

I am originally from N.C. but have since ventured into S.C. for my job. Here in Greenville I have visited some pretty yummy barbecue joints. I'm not sure what counts as S. Carolina barbecue, but I know it's good. Not only do the Q joints around here have great pulled pork, but the sides are usually on point too.
Some of my faves:
*Bucky's - Bucky's Barbecue on Roper Mountain Road has succulent pulled pork and I would bathe in their Sweet Potato Crunch. It's awesome.

*Mutt's - There are a few Mutt's locations, but the one I have visited most frequently is the one on Butler Road in Mauldin. The lunchtime buffet is a great deal. Last time I check it was all you can eat for less than $7. It's all types of meat, sides, dessert and your drink is included. Yummm...

*Henry's Smokehouse - Henry's isn't much for ambiance, but the food is awesome. I love the mustard-based sauce they have for the pulled meat sandwiches. The green beans are generally pretty good too.

You know I'll eat at Sticky Fingers, but as far as genuine barbecue, it left me feeling like I had just been to Applebee's.

I'm sure there are all kinds of yummy Q joints stuck back in Greenville. Be sure to let me know where they are so I can get my fix!

Would You Like Some Rice With That?

2009-08-26T13:48:00.003-04:00

I apologize for not having blogged in a couple weeks. I was in Africa. Liberia, actually. That is on the west coast, at the bottom of the northern bulb of Africa. Clearly, this isn't an official review, but I did want to point out some of the culinary trends that I saw... because they are kind of cool.

First off, Liberians only eat one meal a day. It's around the middle of the afternoon, usually around 3 or 4 p.m. That is incredibly different from the five or six meals that most Americans eat every day. I am so used to eating several snacks that eating one meal terrified me, but really when you are there and immersed in the process, it seems very normal.

Also, within each village, there is generally only one or two kitchens. They are located centrally in the village and the women go to the kitchen to cook for their family units. At any given time, there are groups of women and children hanging out by the kitchen. It's like the water cooler. Haha...

When it isn't meal time, they are roasting various crops for snacking. They roasted a lot of corn and peanuts while I was there, then graciously shared with us. I'm not sure if they always have roasted veggies and nuts lying around, or if they were doing it for our visit.

Now back to the big meal... every meal is rice. Seriously every single one. Steamed, white rice.

They call the topping for rice "soup." Soup is basically some sort of meat, some veggies or beans and water. The meat and veggies vary--fish and potato, chicken and onion, bush meat (monkey, squirrel, snake, whatever's available) and cassava. There was one dish that didn't have soup and that was Jallah rice. The spellings differ a lot, but I think that's the one I saw most often. Jallah rice was so yummy. It was like African Jambalaya.

Occasionally, families will also get cooked cassava greens. They take the leaves of the cassava plants, tear them and pound them in a mortar and pestle until they are little flakes. Then the ladies grind hot peppers in with the cassava flakes. Then the whole spicy mixtures is warmed through in oil. If I'm not mistaken, they generally use palm oil for the cooking because it is so readily available.

There are also a lot of strange delicacies there that I only heard about. One of the most memorable being Bamboo Worms. Apparently, the worms feed on palm oil. So when the cooks prepare the worms for cooking, they slit the bellies open and cook them in their own fat. Eeek.

The people of Liberia were very gracious with their food and always gave my team first dibs. They were an amazing people and I hope to visit them again soon!

Brunch at Mama's House

2009-08-10T09:03:00.003-04:00

I think almost everyone in the Upstate has heard about Elegant Gourmet's trip to Hollywood. They were featured on LIVE with Regis and Kelly last week. It's always so cool to hear about local family restaurants 'making it big.' So, there was no question, I had to go.

My Mom was in town this weekend and she has a similar affinity for yummy brunch food, so we decided to head to Simpsonville and check it out. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, so I have no photos from my visit, but there is a gallery of their photos.

From the street, the hundred-year-old Victorian house is gorgeous and looks like a swanky place. But then, you walk in, and it feels like your Grandma's house after church, from when you were a kid. It's warm and smells of baking bread and there are small wooden table scattered with small groups of people talking quietly.

Standing in the foyer, it's a little confusing, kind of like being a new addition to the family and not knowing the routine. Do you seat yourself or wait to have your seat assigned? Do you immediately help yourself to the amazing buffet to the left or do you have to wait on Grandpa to pray first?

Once we are seated by the bustling owner, Lisa, we order our sweet tea (which was amazing, by the way) and are told to help ourselves. Awesome! Free for all at the buffet! Wait... did I order? What does this all-you-can-eat yumminess cost?

Confused and excited, I crouch and pounce on the first table that houses chicken, steak, mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. I got a little of everything... um... except the veggies. Ha! There was Smoked Gouda and Tomato Bisque Chicken and Steak Medallions with a Bourbon Mushroom sauce. They were both tender and unusually flavored, but both amazing.

Then on to the salad table--potato salad, fruit salad, cucumber salad and my favorite black bean and rice salad. The potato salad was so-so. I could have done without it. Then there was the black bean and rice salad, which I could have eaten until I exploded. It was full of cilantro, peppers and Mexican seasonings.

There was also a breakfast table with egg casserole, coarsely ground grits, homemade biscuits and french toast. The grits were a little too coarse for me. It felt like I was chewing on wet sand, but the heavy gravy's flavor was great--strong and smokey. The egg casserole was good, but it wasn't super special. The Creme Brulee French Toast was strange to me. The flavor was incredible, but it was served up in a bread pudding style and the bread was a little mushy. I guess as long as the flavor's there, it doesn't really matter what type of dish it is, right? The biscuits were perfect. I mean perfect. Small, flaky, warm honey butter... Ugh. So good.

Now to the last table--desserts. I have mixed feelings about the desserts. Do you really need dessert with brunch? The Lemon Poundcake was to die for. The Mixed Berry Cobbler has a breakfast-y feel and tasted a little like Pain Perdu. (I think it was the nutmeg.) The cake and Chocolate Bread Pudding were a little on the sweet and rich side for early morning eating, but I guess some people like that.

All in all, the food here is fantastic. Lisa, was a great server. I do wish there was a little more organization to my experience. It would have been nice to know the price of my meal before we paid. 4 out of 5.

It's A Sip of Wine, It's Summer Tiiiimmmmeee...

2009-08-05T09:48:00.004-04:00

Sorry about the very sorority-like title. I heard Kenny Chesney on the way to work this morning and I have the song stuck in my head. Although, I'm not a huge fan of his Jimmy Buffett Wanna-Be style, it did inspire this post.

Summer is a great time to be out and about in the evenings. There are festivals, cookouts, concerts and baseball games for three solid months (or more if you don't have kids starting back to school). It is such an awesome time to sit outside and well... drink. There's no other way to spin it.

Here are my top recommendations for great drinks for your summer nights.

City Range Cosmopolitan - My favorite server there, Robin, will serve you a fresh and tangy Cosmo. They use fresh lime juice and add a little orange liqueur to the mix, to kick it up a little. The house vodka will suffice and only cost you $3.

Sushi Hana Saki Cocktails - There is a whole list of warm Saki concoctions at Sushi Hana. I know you don't think of warm drinks during the summer, but the mixers are fruity and lighten up the warmth.

Sassafras Wine Wednesday - Wine is half-off bottles on Wednesdays. There is a outdoor patio and a knowledgeable staff. Enough said.

Sabroso Margaritas - Yes, these are unusual, but give them a try. Instead of using margarita mix, they fresh squeeze limes into a shaker, add powdered sugar, tequila and triple sec. They are very tart, which I love, and pulpy like orange juice. If you don't like puply, then head to the new Guadalajara Downtown. They are traditionally (-American) made with a great sweet/sour balance.

Tako Sushi Mojitos - Since I haven't been able to get to Mojito's yet, I will refer back to Tako Sushi. Their mojitos are fresh and minty, but not completely void of a sour tang. I love them for a change of pace.

I hope you give these drinks a try. All of them are a little different than their traditional names and salute a little ingenuity by a bartender somewhere. Let me know about your favorite unique cocktail and I will give it a try.

First Rule of Fight Club...

2009-07-24T10:45:00.008-04:00

...is you don't talk about Fight Club. Well, I'm talking about it. I've been on a hunt for sometime for the best club sandwich in Greenville. Unfortunately, my favorite of all time is located in Boiling Springs, N.C. at a hole-in-the-wall diner name the Quick Snack. I crave this sandwich and I mean crave. It is very simple and made with grilled white bread. BUT (and this is a big but), they use thick cut meat and I'm 98% sure they throw the meat on the griddle before assembling the sandwich, which makes the cheese melt and keeps the bacon warm. That makes me want one right now.

Since the Quick Snack is an hour away, let's get to a place you can visit over your lunch break. Adam's Bistro. It is on Pelham Road, pretty close to E. North. I've had the meat and three, sandwiches and salads there and everything so far has been phenomenal. The atmosphere is nice and warm and the food is fresh. My company also uses them to cater a lot of our meetings and in general, the staff is easy to work with. However, they aren't boasting the best service in town, so don't expect a full glass of tea.

Nonetheless, this is the club to have. The meat is tasty and after eating the whole sandwich, you will be full. And even though this only matters on sandwiches, the fact that the "fixin's" are out-of-the-ground fresh makes all the difference.

Other clubs of merit:

Camille's - Camille's has spunk and that's why I like it. It takes classic cafe and deli food and adds interesting twists. This club is fantastic. It's on marbled bread and covered with bacon-tomato dressing. You need to have it. This almost beat out Adam's, and the only reason it didn't was because Adam's is more classic.

McAlister's - They put yummy honey mustard on it, which gives the whole sandwich a spicy kick. I'm still trying to figure out what spice is in the honey mustard to make it spicy. If you know, please share.

Midtown Deli - I am not usually a fan of Midtown because they are extremely pricey for the portion and the potato salad is pretty gross. The club, however, has a nice Californian twist--avocado.

Any I've missed?

HELP ME!

2009-07-16T09:48:00.004-04:00

So, I've added a few new features to my SWEET (I know, that's so 90's) blog, thanks to my techie friend, Drew. I wanted to bring your attention to the lovely list to the right -------------------------->

This is a running list of places I want to review. Granted, I have been to some of these places, just not with my reviewer hat on, so I will return again soon.

Now I need your help... Give me places you want to read about. Help me add to this list! I want to know about every spot in Greenville. THANKS!

A Cafe Without Sissy Food? Nonsense.

2009-07-10T09:01:00.013-04:00

When you think of a cafe/bakery, you think of Europe, no? Dainty little sandwiches, mixed vegetable salads, smells of coffee and fresh-baked croissants, and thin delicate women sitting around chatting with bags of new Manolos sitting by their feet.

Well, Brick Street Cafe is not really like that at all. It is nestled in a nook off Augusta Road, across from Fluor Field and pretty close to downtown. The neighborhood isn't necessarily an up-and-coming area, but it is charming. Sort of "Old World" Greenville.

In case you were wondering (and you will be if you ever go to this place), the parking is around back and the entrance is UPSTAIRS. I want to clearly make this distinction because I was terribly confused for the first five minutes headed in to the restaurant. I almost caused a five car pile up on Augusta from turning in to the wrong parking lot, almost walked into the bakery downstairs and stood in the doorway like a loon because I wasn't sure if I seated myself. P.S. They seat you.

The inside is also quaint and reminds me of a family-type restaurant in France. There are lots of random photos and artwork on the walls, with tables and flowers scattered at random around the room. There's even a disco ball hanging in the center of the dining room.

My friend Lauren Coggins (I call her L.C. and yes, she loves The Hills) met me there for a Thursday night chat and some dessert, since clearly we are eating at a bakery. L.C. and I are greeted by a strange, skinny man who we loving refer to as "Rrrrrrroche." He fills up our water glasses and we mull over the very eclectic menu. Surprisingly, there is no girly food! It's all steak, pork chops and spaghetti... YUM!

In an effort to "save room for dessert," we decided to share the Shrimp and Grits. We were immediately served complimentary salads and bread, both of which were good. The salad was made of baby greens, veggies and a homemade vinaigrette. It tastes a little like honey mustard, but had more spices. The bread was pumpernickel with soft, sweet butter. Not super complicated, but done well.

The Shrimp and Grits were timed perfectly and arrived right we finished the salads. The portion was split on two separate plates, which was a nice touch until we got the bill--we had a $5 plate charge. I do not understand why places charge a plate fee. It makes no sense to me. We wanted to save room to BUY MORE FOOD. That is for another post...

The Shrimp and Grits were very good and super light. The grits were cheesy and well-seasoned, and there was Andouille sausage cooked in the gravy which gave the whole dish a nice smokey flavor. The shrimp were a little tough, but when you cook them in a grits dish, it's easy to overcook them.

Now... on to Heaven on a plate. Peanut Butter Pie. The homemade pie crust was super flaky and topped with a very thin layer of chocolate. The body of the pie was made of peanut butter mousse. It had the texture of fudge, with the light and airy feel of meringue. The topping was made of chocolate sauce, caramel drizzle and peanuts. Oh. My. Word. I don't even think I need to say anymore other than you need to have this. Everyday.
All in all, I think L.C. and my experience was pretty good. We had good food, a weird server and got a small glimpse of Heaven. The only problems were the price (plus plate charge) and the lack of direction upon arrival. I give it 3.75 out of 5.

Let's Talk Sushi

2009-06-24T13:20:00.007-04:00

There are a lot of yummy things that come out of a grocery store deli. Sushi, however, is not one of them. I find it VERY difficult to head to your local Publix or Bloom and pick up sushi--California rolls don't count since there is no fish in them. There isn't even usually sashimi grade fish at the seafood counter.

That being said, I do think there are a number of really yummy sushi eateries in town. Two at the top of my list are Tsunami and Murasaki. Both are located downtown on the East end. Tsunami is right beside Dixie's Tavern on East North Street. Murasaki is on the corner of Main and Washington Street.

Tsunami is very popular in Greenville and is visited regularly by lots of folks. My favorite roll there is the Greenville Roll--tuna, cream cheese, tempura shrimp and a spicy mayo garnish. Many of their appetizers are great too. I've had the crab wontons and tempura veggies, and my girlfriends and I can't resist them. Tsunami is also great for atmosphere. It's dimly lit with sleek, metallic furniture. The two things I dislike about Tsunami is the service is hit or miss depending on your server and there are never drink specials. ????

Murasaki has a more laid back atmosphere. Most of the restaurant is composed of a long bar, with only a few tables, and it is full of windows to let in tons of light (or peeping eyes, depending on what time you are there). The food quality is fantastic and they really know their wine. Ash and my favorite bartender, D-Rock, doesn't even ask us what we want to drink anymore. He just pours wine to go with what we order. I think maybe his real name is Derek?

Some of my favorite rolls at Murasaki are the Clemson roll (I know... I cringed the first time I ordered it), the Krazy Girl roll and the Easley roll.

I know there are thousands of sushi places tucked away in Greenville--TakoSushi, Sushi Hana...

Where is your favorite and what should i order there?

Is There Gold in My Sandwich?

2009-06-16T09:43:00.003-04:00

Brace yourselves... I'm on a rant.

When did it become OK for deli's to charge a pretty penny for a sandwich? You remember sandwiches, right?! When you were little, your Mom packed your Dad one everyday for lunch--it was two pieces of white bread with mayo, ham, lettuce and tomato.

Understandably, freshness has become a buzz word in the culinary realm. What is not understandable is why I have to pay two extra dollars for red leaf lettuce instead of green leaf lettuce. P.S. They cost the same at Bi-Lo--$1.58 a head. Below is a list of local deli's and the price (not including tax) of their club sandwich--turkey, ham, cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato.

*Midtown Deli - $6.99

*McAlister's Deli - $6.79

*Jason's Deli - $6.59

*Foothills Deli - $6.25

*Two Chefs doesn't even have a club sandwich, but their TURKEY (yes, just turkey) sandwich is $7.25

Just looking at that, it may not look like a lot, but if you figure that a whole pound of turkey at the store is less than $5, it looks ridiculous.

By my calculations (and clearly these are estimated), you can get at least five, if not more, club sandwiches at home for around $13.

Bread - $1.50 per loaf

Lettuce - $1.60 per head

1/2 lb of Turkey - $2.50

1/2 lb. of Ham - $2.50

1 lb. of Bacon - $3.50

2 Tomatoes - $1.00

If you ordered five clubs anywhere, the cheapest you would get it would be $32!!!!

OK, you say you get chips included. That's fine. Throw in a huge bag of Lay's (Salt and Vinegar, of course) for $2.50. That's still around $15.

I understand mark-up and why it is important, but this is out of control. Anyone want to help me out with the logic?

Going Veggie... or not.

2009-06-12T09:37:00.005-04:00

No offense to all the wonderful, tree-hugging, soy-drinking, vegetarians out there. I love you guys. However, I am not one of you. You will probably live to be 112 and never be over 15% body fat, but I love ribs, burgers and BBQ. I did try. Honest, I did.

For lunch last week, Brett (my boss) and I took a news assignment editor from a local television station out for a bite to eat. We settled on The Bohemian, a cafe that boasts organic, regionally-authentic meals. We arrive there and are seated promptly. This is important because this is where the service ended.

I ordered sweet tea, Brett order water and Kim, our news friend, ordered Diet Coke. We get our drinks several minutes later and i took a big swig of my tea to find it was MANGO?! Don't get me wrong, flavored teas can be good, but not when you are expecting real sweet tea. No warning. No 'this has mango flavoring.' YUCK! I immediately changed my order to Diet Coke.

On to the food... Brett's on a diet, so he ordered a Cobb Salad, Kim orders a big beefy burger (which looked fantastic) and I was taking a walk on the vegetarian side and ordered the veggie burger. The food took FORever. Seriously. The menu even had a disclaimer that the food took forever. It said to please be patient. That's ridiculous.

We get our food 30 minutes later and I'm not exaggerating. If you have a strict hour lunch break, I would not go there. Brett's salad looked great and he was in love with it. Kim's burger was the same way. They were very happy with their choices. I, on the other hand, should have chosen something else. I don't want to bash the veggie burger, but it was yellow. Grilled yellow mush on a bun. The taste was strange. It wasn't bad, just strange. The corn was very prominent, hence the yellow color, and there was a strange spice in it. I want to say it was an Indian spice, not curry, but similar? It was edible/eatable and it came with homemade potato chips, which we all know are my favorite. Those were fantastic. Also the ranch dressing was very much homemade and delicious.

I will give the Bohemian an average rating for the ups and downs of my experience. I'm certain there are yummy things on the menu, just not the veggie burger. There is no hope for the service though. I mean, if they upped the service, they would have to reprint the menus. 3 out of 5. Was your experience different?

Quarter Life Crisis

2009-06-01T15:32:00.003-04:00

So, Friday was my 25th birthday, and with that monumental occasion comes some very monumental decisions:

*Is it still OK to buy Ramen noodles?

*Can I still justify eating cold cereal for dinner when I don't feel like cooking?

*Does a Bo-Berry biscuit from Bojangles still count as a serving of fruit (because it should)?
And the most important...

*WHERE DO I EAT FOR DINNER?!

This is serious business. There were several options on the table--Adam's Bistro, Coal Fired Bistro, Sassafrass and I even thought of going back to the Goat--all coming with great recommendations. (Thanks Brett (@BrettTurner) and David (@dwcooper).

With the ever-dooming economy (I can't believe I just referred to the economy, yuck...), I decided to keep my birthday low key. I chose my favorite hole-in-the-wall Thai place--Bangkok Thai on Pelham Rd. It is beside the library and in the same shopping center as Peak Fitness. I go with my Mom, who so graciously drove all the way here from N.C. just to have a massage and dinner with me. Yes, a massage. I had to bribe her with something. =)

We walk in and are immediately seated in the tucked away area where you can sit on the floor. There is also a section to sit at a real table, in case the floor-sitting scares you. The wait staff at Bangkok is so nice and attentive. It seems that they have their own tables, but will visit all tables to check on your drinks.

Mom and I decided to order Fresh Rolls as an appetizer. If you have never had Thai Fresh Rolls, you need to suck it up and try them. Since they are rolled in uncooked rice wrappers, they look a little strange. You can see all the contents of the roll. It is filled with vermicelli noodles, carrots, basil, mint, lettuce and depending on the restaurant, it may contain some shrimp or crab (or Krab... hahaha). It is served with a peanut chili dipping sauce.

Then of course, Pad Thai for an entree. Bangkok holds the record in my heart for best Pad Thai. Also from past experience, the Pad See U (or Ew) and the Curry Massaman is very, very good. Back to my meal... The Pad Thai had perfectly cooked noodles, fresh and crunchy bean sprouts, and was just spicy enough--I always get my spice level at a 2, but it goes all the way to 10. Also, it was served piping hot with chopped peanuts on top. There is something about the balance that Bangkok has between the sour lime, salty peanut, hot chili and sugary sweet flavors. It is just perfect.

The portions are big for the price too. Mom and I both took home enough food for another meal. With our appetizer, two Pad Thais and two teas, the bill was around $26. You can't beat that with a stick.

4.75 out of 5. If you have never been, you MUST go. I have never been to a Thai restaurant that gives so much quality food for the price.

Savannah Fare

2009-05-22T10:20:00.003-04:00

Every year for our birthdays, my Mom and I go on a trip the first weekend in May. That way we can skip the gifts AND get to travel. This year was Savannah. If you have never been to Savannah, it is a super neat place, but very different from older towns along the East Coast. The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is housed downtown and has made quite an impact on the community--very urban and very old world at the same time. It's nothing to see an Emo kid riding a Vespa into downtown to go to class (p.s. Mom and I totally rented Vespas to ride around), while a group of 70+ seniors board a trolley for a city tour. This also brings a different twist to the food--it's like urban home cooking.

Mom and I sampled all types of food and ALL of it was good. I honestly did not taste a single thing in Savannah that didn't rock my face off. I encourage you to go to all of these places if you ever visit Savannah.

First was Cafe Ambrosia (202 E. Broughton St.)--a small, VERY artsy deli/coffeehouse. I ordered a half sandwich (Turkey Pesto panini) and half salad (Caesar). The pesto had to be homemade and I'm fairly certain it wasn't made with all basil. There were a few other light flavors lingering, but I couldn't pick them out. It was all so incredibly fresh!

For dinner on Friday was the Cotton Exchange Tavern (201 E. River St.). Yeeeesss, I know. It's on River St. and that's where the tourists go. Give me a break, I was a tourist! The place has a super laid back ambiance and our server--Miss Ulyssa--was a joy! We ordered Cajun Tortellini and that was the absolute best Tortellini I have ever eaten. I almost made myself sick eating it because I didn't want to stop.

Lunch on Saturday was Thai --Ruan Thai to be exact (17 W. Broughton St.). I'm kind of a Thai fanatic and this place is on point. The lunch special is a choice of dish (Pad Thai, Pad See U, etc), salad and spring roll for... get this... $5.95. Seriously! In a destination city! And boy, it was good. Probably the second best Thai food I have ever had. The salad dressing was homemade with citrus, ginger and cilantro and the spring roll was very fresh and crunchy.

Our last dinner, and consequently our birthday dinner, was a nicer place called Vic's on the River (26 E. Bay St.). The service was fantastic there. The bartenders were very helpful with choosing a wine, while we waited for our table and the servers were very knowledgeable. We ordered a ribeye with macaroni and cheese, and green beans. I know that sounds like a weird combo with a steak, but it was "gourmet macaroni and cheese." Hahaha... riiiiight. It was cooked pretty well and all the sides were perfect. We also had a chocolate cheesecake for dessert. MMmmm... so good. It's making my stomach growl just thinking about it.

Our final eatery for the weekend was breakfast on Sunday--J. Christopher's (122 E. Liberty St.). It was very familiar breakfast food, but it was prepared verywell with super fresh ingredients. I got the granola parfait--which was more like dessert than breakfast--and two eggs. Mom got gravy biscuits. The gravy was full of sausage and tasted homemade. We pretty much shared everything and it was all fantastic.

I can't wait for your trip to Savannah! I hope you are as impressed with the food as I was.

Anything But Lazy... Goat

2009-05-19T08:45:00.013-04:00

A couple times a year, my work life (and subsequently my whole life) becomes so incredibly hectic that normalcy becomes a dream. I just ended one of those weeks. My ad firm does the PR and marketing for the BMW Charity Pro-Am. It is one of the most fun, and draining weeks of my life, filled with celebrities, parties and amazing food. The problem is, I don't have the time or the energy to enjoy it.

My friend/co-worker, Whitney, and I decided to take reprieve from the madness and go to a quiet dinner for two at Lazy Goat on Friday--chosen because it was located right across the street from the Peace Center Amphitheater, that was hosting our Friday night event for the tournament.

Lazy Goat (or the Goat) is on the second and third floors of a building that houses artist studios and a gelato shop (which also happens to be from the Goat). The inside is a open room, almost completely encased by glass with a beautiful view of the Reedy River. There are no bad views anywhere in the dining room. We were promptly seated and greeted by our server. I can't remember her name, but she was delightfully hippie.

Whitney swears by the Goat's mojitos, so of course she orders one and of course I tasted it. It was very, very good. I'm not one for mojitos because I think mint should be saved for gum and toothpaste, but this had heavy lime flavor. I loved it. I tried something a little different. It was called a Ripe-n-Ready. Apart for the almost inappropriate name, it was delicious! Pear vodka, pomegranate juice with a few splashes of lemon.

Lazy Goat serves Spanish-type tapas and smaller portioned meals. Whit and I quickly jump on the food. She chose the braised lamb, I chose the fried goat cheese and we agree that we need some veggie influence and order the hummus as well.

The braised lamb looks a little like stew beef, but tastes way better. It has more of an earthier flavor with Moroccan spices. It is served in a bowl with cucumber yogurt to tame the spice, fried plantain wedges for some sweetness and pita wedges for scooping.

The fried goat cheese is my absolute favorite item at the Goat. It sounds a little weird, but tastes so good. It is mild goat cheese that has been lightly breaded and fried. Then it's drizzled with honey and crushed pistachios. A little tangy, a little sweet and super delicious. The hummus is also yummy. It is very hard to get hummus that has flavor, without being super spicy. The harissa spice that the Goat uses is just enough. It is served with carrots, celery and pita wedges.

Whit and I order one more drink before moving along to the amphitheater. She gets a Ripe-n-Ready and I order a Strawberry Caipirinha--Brazil's national cocktail. I didn't know nations got to choose an official cocktail!! I wonder what the U.S.'s would be? Hhhhhmmm... The Caipirinha was very good, but pretty strong. It is made with cachaça, which is like rum but stronger. The muddled fresh strawberries gave it the little bit of sweetness it needed to balance out the taste.

Let me end by saying that Lazy Goat is one of my favorite spots in town. I have been there several times and have yet to have a bad experience. The food is great, the service is great and the drinks are well-made. I don't know if you can actually obtain a 5 out of 5, but this would be the closest thing to it. How about a 4.95 out of 5?

Cheeseburger in Paradise... with Fries

2009-04-28T09:24:00.005-04:00

Five Guys Burgers and Fries... Ruby Tuesday's Minis... that Grill back home that probably hasn't washed its griddle in 43 years... all amazing cheeseburgers.

I am headed to Five Guys today for my co-worker/friend, Ryan's, going-away lunch. Five Guys is his absolute favorite place in the world to eat. Since I've got cheeseburgers on the brain, I thought I would give a run-down of the best burgers I've had lately:

**Five Guys** Get the Little Cheeseburger with small fries, unless you are a big, hungry man and feel the need to gorge. If you go for lunch, I suggest you get there at 11:30ish because there will be a line out of the door by noon. I've never been disappointed.

**Ruby Tuesday** Ok, maybe the mini-burgers are my favorite because they are so stinking cute. The turkey burgers and beef burgers are similarly yummy. I would recommend either. One more thing about Ruby's is you can get the salad bar and mini-burger combo for one $1 more than the salad bar itself. Two mini's for $1! You can't beat that deal.

**Fuddruckers** I'm sure everyone has been to a Fuddruckers and experienced their burgers. They are tasty, along with the seasoned steak fries. The one thing most people forget is to order your burger from the Kid's menu! It's half the price and the same sized burger.

**Liberty** Strangely enough Liberty has decent burger. I have only had it once, but it was cooked to order (rare, medium rare, medium, etc.) and therefore better than most.

One thing that does surprise me is the lack of a hole-in-the-wall diner with a super tasty burger here in Greenville. Dino's on Butler Road is the closest thing I've come to by way of family diners and the burger there isn't anything to write home about. What are your favorites? Any place I need to be aware of for burger tasting later on?

Almost Famous...

2009-04-17T07:50:00.004-04:00

This isn't a review, per se, but I met one of the coolest restauranteurs in Greenville and couldn't hold it in. My co-worker/friend, Whitney, and I were working with Artisphere at Centre Stage the other day. They were having a press conference to annouce their 2009 events. (P.S. If you've never been to Artisphere, it is super cool, check it out!) Rick Erwin's West End Grille had catered the event. It was very delicious.

Then, from across the room I see him... hahaha... OK, it didn't really happen that way. Rick Erwin walked up to Whitney and me to see if we loved the food and if we had been by the restaurant. We said no and then I muttered the smartest six words I've said in a while--"No, you are on my list."

Clearly this led to a discussion as to why I have a "list." So he gave me his card (SERIOUSLY, GAVE ME HIS CARD) and told me to call him before I came in for my review (CALL RICK ERWIN?! DIRECTLY?)

I'm just sayin'...

Easter Brunch--You Can Drink at Breakfast?!

2009-04-14T08:50:00.004-04:00

So in an effort to round out my many reviews of High Cotton (Dinner and Happy Hour), I figured one more was in order--for the brunch menu. As I previously stated, brunch is my absolute most favorite meal, but I have yet to find a suitable brunch establishment. I was given a tip by my friend, Ryan, to go to High Cotton's brunch. I figured Easter was a good reason to splurge, plus, my Mom was in town.

High Cotton it was.

We arrive at the hostess stand only to be greeted by a smug, forced smile and a 40-minute wait. So, we sit a high-top table near the door which has a pretty nice view, regardless of the lack in prestige. Mom and I decide, since we are splurging on Easter, we wanted mimosas--champagne and orange juice. Our server, who will remain nameless to protect his feelings (Jerry), was less than enthusiastic to be working. Twenty minutes after being seated, we were served our mimosas, water and corn muffins. The muffins were pretty good--moist, chewy and a little sweet. Perfect for breakfast. For our entrees, Mom ordered off the a la carte menu--cheese grits, homemade sausage and the fruit cup. She hates eggs. It's weird, I know. I had the farmer's market omelet with roasted potatoes--spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and goat cheese mixed into the egg.

Mom loved all of her sides (and I did too! hahaha...). The cheese grits were salted enough, which is a hard thing to do with grits. It's always seems like they need more salt. The sausage wasn't awesome, but it was good. It was homemade and had a kick, but I was hoping for more upfront flavor. The fruit cup was my favorite. There was hardly any melon in it. I was very excited since most fruit cups are ALL melon. (P.S. using melon is the cheap way out of a fruit cup since it's so inexpensive). It was full of pineapple, raspberries, blackberries, a little honeydew and covered in raspberry sauce. It was awesome! It was the best fruit cup I have ever had at a restaurant because clearly the one I make at home is better. Although, I don't know if High Cotton should be hanging their hat on a fruit cup.

Enough ranting and on to my meal. It was good. Typical omelet. It had a lot of goat cheese, which was good and bad. Goat cheese is yummy, don't get me wrong, but it also has a strong flavor. When paired with egg, spinach and mushrooms that all have delicate flavors, goat cheese is just about all you can taste. I would suggest toning down the cheese a bit or mixing it with a milder-flavored cheese, maybe some gouda or mozzarella? The roasted potatoes however, we great! They were seasoned heavily and roasted with red peppers and tomatoes. They were unique and a perfect match with the eggs.

Our lovely, exuberant server (sarcasm implied) who will remain nameless (Jerry), only visited our table twice. Once to take our order, once for the check. Good thing we are pretty easy-going gals...

3.5 out of 5 stars. The food was pretty pricey ($9 for the omelet, $15 for Mom's sides and $6 a piece for mimosas) for average taste and the service was really bad. So, if you go for a nice brunch one day, get the fruit, cheese grits and potatoes.

You Can Never Go Wrong with Homemade Chips

2009-04-09T08:14:00.004-04:00

After volunteering, especially with children, I also seem to leave starving. It could be because I'm always hungry, or... OK, it's because I'm always hungry. On Tuesdays I occasionally volunteer at A Child's Haven. They have parenting classes for under-privileged families and I help keep the children while the classes are going on. It's a lot of fun, but a lot of work!

This past Tuesday, my homegroup went to A Child's Haven. True to form, I left with my stomach growling. So I decide food is next on the list. Also true to form, Ashley volunteers to go with me.

We decide on Liberty Tap Room, right beside Fluor Field in the West End. It's sort of a chain, but since the others are several hours away, I'm OK with it.

We are politely seated among the happy hour crowd and greeted by two servers! It's my favorite to have a trainee server. They are so very nice and eager to please. So... we order our drinks--House Cabernet for Ash (surprise, surprise), Vodka-Cranberry for me because it is on special. (On a side note, they bring me two after only ordering one. Apparently Liberty has Two-For Tuesdays and you get two drinks for one. Just thought that may be of interest. *wink, wink*)

We decide to order some of Liberty's homemade potato chips for munching before our meal arrives. Ash orders the Carolina Cobb Salad and I order the Crab Cake appetizer and side salad. I don't know if you have ever had homemade potato chips, but they are so good. Dip those suckers in ranch dressing and you are set. I implore you to try them if you haven't. They are super easy to make at home too, as long as you have a mandolin slicer. (Let me know if you want the recipe.)

Then the salads and crab cake come to the table. Ash loved her salad. How could you not?! It is full of bacon, bleu cheese and grilled chicken. YUM! As for mine, I'm not sure you can mess up a side salad, but the crab cake was pretty good. I wish it would have had a little more crab in it. It had a lot of sauteed veggies and breadcrumbs, which were yummy, but crab IS the main component in a crab cake. I'm going to blame that on the economy. It seems like the cool thing to do.

So, all in all we had great service because there were two of them, GREAT chips because homemade chips are just so stinking good and pretty good salads with a veggie/crab cake. 4 out of 5.

Baby-moon to High Cotton

2009-03-23T08:38:00.003-04:00

This review comes from my good friend, Julia. She ended up having her baby yesterday! Yay!

Saturday night my husband, Josh, and I decided to squeeze in one last date night before our baby girl arrives (due date, this Sunday!) so we thought we would check it out. It was a rainy night so we opted for the complimentary valet parking and checked our coats and then we were off to our table. We had to go downstairs for our table (although I was offered the elevator because of my “condition” which I declined). Our table had a wonderful view of the Reedy River and also a view of the kitchen.

The staff was superb. Our server was very knowledgeable and professional. We were served warm rolls with butter which were okay, not anything special but not bad either. Josh decided to go with a cup of that nights Chef’s Selection soup which was Maine Lobster Bisque ($5) described simply as “buttery lobster meat, scallions”. It smelled delicious but was bland unfortunately.

For my entrée I ordered the Bourbon Glazed Eden Farms Pork Chop ($25) which was served with jalapeño cheddar grits, fried green tomatoes and country ham scallion jus. The grits were very creamy and delicious! I wouldn’t have known they had jalapeno in them if I hadn’t been told, though so, for me, they could have had more of a kick. The fried green tomatoes were excellent! The pork was quite good. They cook it medium unless you specific otherwise and it was as tender as a steak. It was a little too salty for me so I didn’t finish it, but Josh, who loves salt, gobbled up what I didn’t finish.

My husband ordered one of the Chef’s Selections of the night for his entrée, the Skillet Seared Striped Bass ($25). This was served with blacked eyed pea ragout, cornmeal fried oysters and sweet pepper relish. He said the oysters were wonderful and were worth ordering the dish just based on them alone. He isn’t a big fan of black eyed peas so didn’t eat all of those but he finished off the bass which he said was quite good. He said if he had to choose, he preferred the pork but both were very good.

We couldn’t leave without trying out their desserts. They all priced at $7.50 except for the Domestic Cheese Selection which is $11. My husband ordered the Double Chocolate Mousse Pie (white & dark chocolate mousse, Oreo cookie crust, milk chocolate anglaise) which was delightful. I ordered the Domestic Cheese Selection (yes, this was on the dessert menu, not an appetizer) which consisted of 1 piece each of Humbolt Fog, Thomasville Tomme, Marissa and Smokey Blue and was served with 4 toast points, fig jam and 3 slivers of pear and candied walnuts. The fig jam was the perfect complement to the bitterness of the cheeses. I was asked if I would like additional toast points when I had finished all of them and still had cheese left which I declined but thought was nice all the same.

All in all, we would rate it a 3 out of 5, only because the soup was bland, the bread was just okay and the prices were a bit high for the amount of food. We enjoyed our experience, all in all and would recommend it for a nice night out.

Real Southerners Have BBQ for St. Pat's

2009-03-18T10:16:00.004-04:00

Screw stewed cabbage and boiled potatoes... yuck! As a southern lady, I prefer good barbeque (I say with a smirk and my best Scarlett O'Hara accent).

Any holiday and 70 degree weather (or no holiday and 70 degree weather) gives me good reason to hang out in Downtown Greenville. So my partner in crime, Ashley, and I decide to have a beer and dinner at Blue Ridge Brewing Co. It is on the east end of Main St., across from the Hyatt. There are several full-service tables outside, so that's where we decided to eat.

There is an average-sized crowd waiting to be seated, although no sign of a long wait time as several tables were open. Ash and I sit down and wait for quite some time to be greeted and order drinks. When the server arrived, he was breathless, less than friendly and made no effort for introductions. Upon questioning him, we were told to get the "Blonde" beer, and not to get the green beer because it tasted bad. Clearly, we order the Blonde, since it's really our only option compared to bad, green beer. As the server dashes off, we try to order our food--we already have it picked out since it took so long the first time around. The beer was tasty. It was crisp and a bit tangy--Blue Moon tang with a Miller Lite mouthfeel.

We wait for several more minutes before ordering our food. We decide to get the Pulled "Q" Sandwich with fries (well, we didn't really order fries but we weren't given any other options). The wait for the food wasn't very long at all and to my delight, it tasted EXCELLENT. The pork was moist and smokey, and the sauce had a nice kick that hit the back of your throat about 5 seconds after you swallowed. It was so tasty that we both ate our whole sandwiches. There was absolutely no meat or bun left on either of our plates! The fries were really good too--seasoned and super crunchy. We dipped them in the peppercorn ranch to cool the burn from the barbeque.

So aside from the lousy service, Blue Ridge was a great dinner choice. Nice night, crisp beer and awesome barbeque. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. Definitely check it out!

Kiss My Brunch!

2009-03-16T10:40:00.007-04:00

I am a HUGE fan of brunch food. I love the combination of sweet and savory flavors. I love that I can eat poached eggs with crab cakes, or fruit in a mixed lettuce salad. The thought of these flavors may seem weird, but there's nothing else like it!

I went to school at UNC and in Chapel Hill, brunch joints are a dime a dozen and the food is spectacular!! My favorite place to go is the Weathervane (http://www.southernseason.com/cafe.asp). They have incredibly fresh food and the line to be seated is a testament to its popularity. Their menu changes seasonally. My favorite is in the summer, they serve mixed berry pain perdu. You have never tasted french toast this good.

Moving to Greenville from Chapel Hill has been a bit of a shock when it comes to the brunch scene. With Greenville's heavy art scene and group of fine restaurateurs, you would think that someone would make a decent brunch. I have yet to find it. I'm on a quest.

I have yet to be impressed by any of the Stax's locations. They are fine for what they are--diners. I have also been to Mary Beth's, and while they have good (not great) sweet potato pancakes, I think Greenville can do better. Mimi's also has pretty good food but it is a chain, and again, not up to par.

Where's the best brunch in Greenville?! I want to find you!!

A Day of Sunshine and Dessert...

2009-03-11T12:06:00.004-04:00

This past weekend was amazingly beautiful in Greenville--seriously. 75 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. So I met Ash and Aynsley downtown for a stroll and girl time. We walked around for 4 hours!! Long story short, we got hungry and stopped for some BBQ at Sticky Fingers Downtown (which I will not review since it is a chain, although their Pulled Pork Sandwich is on point).

Afterward, Aynsley had to go home with Baby Aiden to put him to bed. Ash and I walked a little more since the night was so beautiful and we stumbled upon High Cotton. It's kind of hard not to stumble upon it since it is smack-dab in the middle of Main Street, and in a very large building. We decided that a drink and a little dessert would be the perfect way to finish the night.

We walked in and the bar area is immediately to the right. It's a long corridor-type area, in the front of the building with one entire wall made of windows. It's really beautiful. There are incredibly high ceilings and custom chandliers that look like small pieces of paper on fire at the end of wires. There was also a live jazz band and they were incredible.

Now... on to the food! Ash is a wine freako, so of course she ordered a Cabernet--at the recommendation of the bartender, Josh--and she loved it. I was in the mood for something a little funkier, so Josh told me to order the Greenville Cocktail. It tastes just like an Arnold Palmer (Sweet Tea and Lemonade mixed). It was made with Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka and several other liquers to round off the lemonade flavor. It was very, very tart but really good.

We order cheesecake for dessert. Classic, yet very easy to mess up. The circular cake was about 3-4 inches in diameter and had crust all the way to the top. The crust was buttery and delicious and the filling was light and fluffy. I'm fairly certain it had sour cream and lemon juice in it because cream cheese alone just isn't that light. It was covered in crushed pecans and, chocolate and caramel sauce for good measure.

Now, I have heard the entree food at High Cotton is average and really pricey--I will review the entire menu of food soon--but the dessert was great! It was a little pricey at around $9 for cheesecake and the drinks were $9 a piece. The atmosphere was great and service was great. I give it 3.75 stars out of 5--I would definitely go back for an after dinner drink.

Thai Top - The "Other" Thaicoon

2009-02-25T16:38:00.007-05:00

So the story goes, there used to be two Thaicoon locations--one in Cherrydale and one on E. North. Both were owned by a couple. Soon, the marriage fell through and the couple split their assets. The husband got the Thaicoon in Cherrydale (and apparently the rights to the name) and the wife got the Thaicoon, now Thai Top, on E. North.

I visited there with two girlfriends in celebration of a new baby and we were all three so excited because we ADORE Thai food. First thing, I noticed the restaurant was completely empty--on a Thursday night, at 6 p.m. I guess that should have been a sign.

We are seated and ordered our food--Julia and I order Pad Thai (a peanut and lime noodle dish) and Lori orders Curry Massaman (a coconut milk and curry "stew" with veggies and rice). We are all three very accustomed to these dishes and it wouldn't be a far assumption to say they are our favorites. The prices seemed a little high for the location and condition of the restaurant at around $10 a plate, BUT the other Thaicoon is priced similarly. During the ordering process we learned their spice rating system was a little weird. Normal rating systems are from 1-10. I normally go for around a 2--I'm a spice wimp. So, I order my Pad Thai at a Spice 2 and the server just looked at me like I was idiot. They scale the spice from 1-3, putting a Spice 1 at around a Spice 4-6 on a normal scale. So, for me it was either no spice whatsoever or burn-my-mouth-off hot.

We get our food and dig in. My Pad Thai was not very good. It was oily and too sweet, maybe from the lack of spice. I kept mixing it up with the lime juice and peanuts hoping it would get better. Lori's Massaman was too spicy and lacked the other "normal" Massaman flavors, so basically she could only taste the curry.

By the end of the meal, Lori and Julia wanted some Green Tea icecream (also one of their favorites) and the server would not serve it to them. She said it looked funny. Uuummm, so I don't know about you, but when you have food that looks "funny" in the kitchen, you don't tell your customers. I would think throwing it away and saying "We are out" would have been the most appropriate response, but what do I know?!

I will never go back to Thai Top and I suggest you don't go either. I give it 1 star out of 5, only because I wasn't hungry when I left. I felt sick, actually.

The Peddler - Valentine Style

2009-02-17T14:01:00.006-05:00

This review comes to us from my friend, Ryan (follow him on Twitter @rdf_pr) and his wife, Danielle. They were lucky enough to visit The Peddler for their valentine's celebration. Below are his comments:

For Valentine’s Day, I decided to take my wife to a place we hadn’t been in a few years—The Peddler Steak House. We went on Thursday night to hopefully avoid some of the Lovers’ Day crowd.

Despite the relatively small parking lot, we were able to find a spot and walked to the top of the hill where the restaurant is nestled in an old stone cottage.

The ambience is comfortable and quiet, with the sultry sounds of Frank Sinatra and Michael Buble gracing the background. The décor has a decidedly lodge feel; there was a bison head over the fireplace in the waiting area. Despite not taking reservations (except for larger groups), the wait was minimal and we were seated. [Odd aside: when we followed the hostess into the room where our table was, who should be sitting at the table right next to us but, yep you guessed it—the in-laws. No coordination, I promise. It was a surprise to my wife where we were going, and a surprise for everyone involved, I assure you.]

Moving along, we availed ourselves of the glorious salad bar (as described by my wife, since I am not much of a herbivore). I had the 12-ounce filet mignon and my wife, the salmon, which she thoroughly enjoyed. The baked potato and sweet potato that came with my steak and my wife’s salmon respectively were fantastic.
The service was fair, though not up to the level I would expect, and had experienced on previous visits. My sweet tea was once refilled with un-sweet tea, and on several occasions our waiter came by to ask if everything was okay and neglected my empty glass. I shouldn’t have to mention that I need more tea when I had just started into my steak, right? Attention to detail. By no means a deal-breaker, though, and another waiter stepped up and handled the refill (twice).

Overall, a wonderful evening at a landmark restaurant that is a must-visit for any steak lover. The generous portions provided at least my wife with lunch the next day. How was my steak? Well, I had no leftovers. I give it a 4 out of 5—only because of the slip in service.

Monty's--By The Mall

2009-02-16T09:44:00.007-05:00

So I am sure that many of you have been to Monterrey's By The Mall on Congaree, so feel free to weigh in on this review.

Walking into the place, (there isn't normally a wait) you are seated promptly in the middle of a very loud room with a few poles to section off the seats. The ambiance is similar to a school cafeteria--loud with groups of people huddled together.

In typical fashion, we were given chips and salsa upon being seated. I know this is a strange question, and it seems to happen at EVERY Mexican restaurant I visit, WHY do they give you spicy salsa and salty chips before getting drinks? By the time water arrives, I down it like I've been at the gym for 2 hours, but I digress...

My friend Ashley and I order Chicken Chimichanga--again typical fare, but it is one of my favorites. It looks and smells YUMMY when it arrives--Fried tortillas filled with sauteed chicken, onion, and chilies, covered with cheese sauce and more salsa. The wait for the food wasn't very long and other than the fact that we had several different servers for the meal, the service was good.

The Chimichanga's themselves were very good, but the rice was overcooked and did nothing to add flavor to the meal. For me, it was just a coolant for the intensely spicy salsa.

On a side note, I would argue they have the best margaritas in town. Very cold, very limey--can't go there without getting one.

I give it a 2.5 out of 5--very typical restaurant with good food, but lacking personality.

Hold On To Your Plates Greenville...

2009-02-09T10:32:00.000-05:00

In the very recent history, a friend of mine and I decided that we should review all of the restaurants in Greenville, S.C. that we visit. To my knowledge, there isn't a food and restaurant critic in town.

Might as well put some good use to all the money I invest in the restaurant industry, right?

Please feel free to suggest restaurants to visit and even your own reviews.

So shine the silver and buff the water glasses because here we come.