Month: February 2016

Glady’s Knights Chicken & Waffles – Atlanta, GA

I knew Glady’s Knight was a Grammy award winning legend but I never knew she was a restaurant entrepreneur in Atlanta.

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I love fried chicken – which I have written about on multiple occasions and waffles are a great breakfast food – I had honestly never had the 2 put together until I tried them at Glady’s Knights. This visit re-emphasized to me the importance of trying new things.

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The chicken wings that they serve are truly jumbo wings. These are not the typical wings that you get at a bar when watching Sunday football. The breading on these wings is light but when fried up, it creates a nice layer of crunchy goodness that locks in the juiciness of the chicken. I’m not sure how they get the chicken that juicy but it is pure perfection.

The waffle was just the way I like it – crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside. It would be perfect just on it’s own however, I was there to try something new. I took a piece of the waffle along with a piece of the chicken and drizzled both with the warm maple syrup. What a combination! Each component worked so well together. I know I am late coming to the party but I can’t believe  I never tried this before. It was the perfect blend of sweet and salty.

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I recommend this pairing to anyone who has never had it before. And if you get a chance, try it at Glady’s Knights.  gladysandron.net

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Enjoy!

T

Taco Bus – Tampa, FL

When in Tampa, a stop at the Taco Bus (which is actually a converted school bus) for authentic Mexican food is a must.  What started out as just a food truck has grown into 5 different locations around the Tampa area.

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Their menu is quiet large and includes gluten -free and vegan options. You can choose from classics like tacos, burritos, and quesadillas or  try a torta (which is beans, filling, veggies, and cheese on fresh bread) or a tostada (a crunchy flat tortilla loaded with beans, filling, veggies, and cheese).

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When you know what you want, just walk up to the window and order.

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I wanted to try something different, instead of just getting tacos. I went for the tostada. It was almost like a taco salad, just on the flat tortillas instead of a shell bowl. The fresh fried tortillas were very light and would be wonderful on their own with just a little cinnamon and sugar. I also made sure I got a side of their refried beans and Mexican rice.

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While many customers get their food to go, there are plenty of seats for you to sit and enjoy your food while it is still nice and hot. I wanted to make sure I had the full Taco Bus experience so I stayed to eat.

If you want great Mexican food that is prepared fast and well then you need to stop by the Taco Bus.  taco-bus.com

Enjoy!

T

Whale’s Rib – Deerfield Beach, FL

Nothing tastes better than fresh seafood, and what better place to enjoy it than within walking distance to the beach. This is where Whale’s Rib is located. I had driven by this restaurant for years and never stopped in. What a mistake that was. When I finally went in I realized I had been missing out on some great dishes for years.

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Let’s start with the lobster bisque; most places I’ve had bisque at only offer a slight presence of lobster – but not here. This bisque had large chunks of lobster meat mixed in the creamy broth. I was only disappointed that I ordered just a cup.

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My server recommended I order the “Whale Fries” which are their homemade potato chips. They were thinly sliced and fried to a perfect crisp. They came with a dipping sauce called “Whale Juice”. This was an awesome sauce that is there secret recipe. It was so good I really wanted to know what was in so I could try making it at home but I was not able to convince my server to tell me.

The sauce was so good I got extra and added it to my lobster salad. If you love lobster then this salad is for you. Much like the bisque, there were large chucks of lobster meat that was sweet tasting. I swear I had to have an entire lobster worth of meat on this salad.

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So if you’ve worked up an appetite after swimming in the Atlantic, stop by Whale’s Rib for a great lunch. www.whalesrib.com

Enjoy!

T

The Blackthorn Restaurant – Buffalo, NY

Buffalo, New York, has a rich history that all started as a trading community around 1789. There are many things to do in Buffalo. You can see where Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as President, or walk along the Erie Canal and enjoy a day of shopping. Niagara Falls, one of the natural wonders of the world, is just miles away.

Buffalo is also home to an array of food choices. Most people know about Buffalo Chicken Wings (I previously wrote about the Anchor Bar) but Buffalo is also home to a sandwich called “Beef on Weck”. This sandwich is thinly sliced roast beef with au jus sauce and horseradish, all piled onto a roll.  There are so many wonderful places to try this specialty sandwich and I got to try it at The Blackthorn Restaurant.

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The Blackthorn Restaurant makes you feel like you stepped back in time, back to a time when neighborhood pubs were on every corner. When you walk in you feel like you are at home.

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I couldn’t wait to try the beef on weck. At first I thought it would be like a Philly cheesesteak just without the cheese, however, I was totally wrong. The roast  beef was thinly sliced and tender and it took on a unique flavor when paired with horseradish. I’ve never had this combination before but it worked well on the fresh made roll.

I also made sure to try a cup of the Irish Beer soup. I love soup and thought it would be a nice accompaniment to the sandwich.

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If you are planning on visiting Buffalo, make sure to check out www.visitbuffaloniagara.com to see everything there is to do.

And make sure you save some time to visit The Blackthorn Restaurant  www.blackthornrestaurant.com

Enjoy!

T

Acme Oyster House – New Orleans, LA

Fat Tuesday is a New Orleans tradition. People flock there to party all night long. If crowds are not your thing it’s ok. New Orleans is a food lover’s destination. There are a variety of choices: Cajun, seafood, Italian, sweets – all you have to decide is what you have a taste for.

One of the most famous places in New Orleans is Acme Oyster House right there in the French Quarter. Naturally they have the classic raw oysters or fried oysters but in New Orleans they do something special; they have chargrilled oysters. This is the ONLY way I will eat them.

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The way they are cooked on the grill and topped with garlic butter and parmesan cheese, these tasty treats go down easy. Just when you think one dozen will be enough, you end up ordering another 12. Absolutely wonderful! If you have avoided oysters in the past because you don’t want to eat them raw, then I suggest trying them chargrilled.

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While you are at Acme, try a few of their other specialties. The Boo Fries are a must have – French fries topped with beef gravy and cheese. Perfect in the evening after enjoying the sights and sounds of Bourbon Street.

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While you wait for your oysters to arrive try their fried crawfish tails. You get to taste the sweet meat of the crawfish without out all the work of getting out of the tail yourself.

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Acme is busy all the time but they are worth the wait. www.acmeoyster.com

Enjoy!

T

 

Quanjude – Beijing, China

Chinese New Year is a centuries old celebration of the Chinese lunar calendar. It is a holiday that is rich in tradition and a celebration of ancestors. This year is the Year of the Monkey. You might be familiar with this if you have ever gone to a Chinese restaurant in the US and have seen those placemats with all the different animals on them.

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To say “Happy New Year” in Chinese, there are 2 main dialects:

  • In Mandarin (spoken in most cities in China): Gong Xi Fa Chai
  • In Cantonese (spoken in Hong Kong): Gong Hey Fat Choy

I was very fortunate to get to visit China with my family for a once in a lifetime experience. The fun part for me was experiencing a new adventure in cuisine. To celebrate Chinese New Year I wanted to write about a restaurant that we ate at in Beijing. Quanjude is a popular restaurant because they have an award winning Peking Duck, which is a famous dish associated with Beijing.

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The Peking Duck is a whole duck that is roasted until it is super crispy. At first bite you would have thought the duck was deep fried but it wasn’t; it’s just that crispy from roasting for so long.  What makes this duck so special is how it is presented and served. The duck is sliced right in front of you.

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I could have gone without seeing the ducks head, but I had to experience it the proper way.

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The skin and meat are sliced very thin and placed on a Chinese pancake (made from rice). It is served with shredded cucumber, shredded radishes, and a sweet bean sauce. It’s like a Chinese taco. The sweet bean sauce was tasty that I used it  on some vegetables we ordered.

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Their menu was like a book and there were several dishes we ordered. Thank goodness it had pictures because it made ordering much easier.

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We had this wonderful Chinese cabbage that was sautéed in a garlic sauce. It is definitely a dish I would like to try and make at home.

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There was a great sweet corn soup. It is basically an egg drop soup with corn in it. Very simple and similar to what I have eaten at restaurants in the US.

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Tofu is very popular in China. There were several different tofu dishes to choose from but we went for the sautéed tofu that had red chilies in it for a little heat.

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We also tried a sweet and sour shrimp. Clearly you can tell from the picture it was a family favorite. I couldn’t snap a picture fast enough before the plate was empty.

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For dessert we ordered a pastry. It was a pastry dough stuffed with lotus bean paste. The presentation was so cute – little ducks – and the filling was extremely sweet. I had no idea that a bean could be that sweet.

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Needless to say we were stuffed after this meal. It was completely worth it to get to try so many different flavors.  Not everyone will be able to experience China like I was able to. However, there are many Chinatowns in major cities across the United States and every town has a Chinese restaurant. I would encourage everyone to try something different from the menu the next time you visit. You will be amazed at the flavors and you might just find a new favorite dish.

Enjoy!

T

 

 

Chauhan – Nashville, TN

I found myself in Nashville right after a snow storm. Most places were shut down, but it was a lucky chance that when I drove by Chauhan they were open, and packed with customers. They are one of the newer restaurants in the city, specializing in Indian cuisine. It’s in a restored brick building that adds to the mystery of what is inside.

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When you walk in you are greet with wonderful aroma of spices. The décor had an exotic and romantic feel, with the lighting just right to set the mood. They had these fun digital pictures that were projected on the walls that moved and changed. It made me feel like it was something out of Harry Potter.

Since it was so crowded and I didn’t have a reservation, I found a seat at the bar. It’s where I like to sit anyway because you can watch everything that is going on and strike up a conversation with the other guests.

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They have a wonderful selection of cocktails and beers. Watching the bartender make a cocktail was fascinating – they treated it as a true art form. They have all these different bottles with flavors in them (for example one bottle was labeled orange) that they use in the different drinks. I tried a fruity beer that was similar to a Belgium Framboise.

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For a snack I tired the Tandoori Chicken Poutine. I knew I needed to try their interpretation of this Canadian dish. It was a blend of tandoori chicken, cheese curds, and makhani sauce on top of French fries. The makhani sauce was amazing and made the dish! I could have eaten just the chick and the sauce all by itself.

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The customers continued to flow into the restaurant as I sat there. Every dish that came out of the kitchen looked delicious. This is definitely a place I have to come back to.

If you want to try something very unique in Nashville visit Chauhan: www.chauhannashville.com

Enjoy!

T

Rendezvous – Memphis, TN

If you are on the hunt for BBQ in Memphis you don’t have to look that far, after all Memphis is home to one of the major styles of BBQ in the United States.

One of the must visit restaurants for Memphis style BBQ is Rendezvous. They are famous for the pork ribs – which are charcoal broiled. You can get them with their famous dry rub or “wet” with their homemade BBQ sauce.

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Knowing I would not be able to eat a whole rack of ribs myself – I shared them with the table. The meat was fantastic. It pulled right off the bone.

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I also made sure I saved room for their pork shoulder sandwich. I could taste the smoky flavor in the meat even before I added their BBQ sauce.

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The other cool fact about Rendezvous is that many of the staff members have been there 20-30 years. Several of them are just as famous as the ribs. If you need help picking something on the menu, they can help and their experience will not steer you wrong.

I was also able to buy their dry rub at the restaurant to take home. Turns out you can also order it on-line and have it shipped home.

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Check them out at www.hogsfly.com

Enjoy!

T