Month: March 2018

R&R Bar-B-Que – Concord, NC

I went to the cutest BBQ restaurant when I visited Concord, North Carolina. R&R Bar-B-Que has been serving fresh Carolina style BBQ for 20 years.

  

As soon as I walked in I noticed a theme to the restaurant, it was all about trains. They had several trains running on tracks that were mounted to the ceiling.

  

The also decorated all the walls with railroad signs. These signs were from all over the country.

  

I was looking forward to having some good Carolina BBQ. What makes Carolina BBQ different from what you get in Texas, Memphis, or Kansas City? The sauce used on the BBQ is vinegar based and Carolina BBQ focus of pork. This is why Carolina style is my favorite, I love pork BBQ.

I ordered the Engineer’s BBQ Plate. This apparently is their most popular dish. I for the slow cooked pork shoulder that was hand chopped rather than pulled. I like it this way because it chops up the bark from the edges into every bite of meat. Their pork was extremely moist and had a wonderful smoky taste. I made sure to eat some plain before I tried their BBQ sauces.

There were three sauces that I tried:

  1. Bar-B-Que: A classic sauce
  2. Sweet Sauce: This was my favorite because of the sweetness. It paired well with the smokiness from the meat.
  3. Sweet & Spicy: This did have a slight sweetness but that was overshadowed by the kick of heat that filled my mouth as I continued to eat the pork.

To accompany the pork BBQ I got three homemade hush puppies. These were fried to a crispy brown on the outside. As I took a bite, the cornmeal flavor came through the soft center. I enjoyed these plain, however, they did taste great dipped in some BBQ sauce.

My BBQ plate also came with two sides. Naturally I got the baked beans. They are a must have when I am enjoying BBQ. The beans were sweet and cooked till they were nice and tender.

The other side I ordered was the fried corn on the cob. The main reason I ordered this was because I needed to know what this really was. As soon as I saw the corn it reminded me of something I could get at a state fair (just minus the stick).

The ear of corn was dipped on a batter that had a little pepper mixed in. Then they deep fried the ear of corn until the batter was crispy. When I took a bite there was a little crunch with a salty taste. That went well with the sweetness of the corn itself. This was a really interesting take for a corn on the cob.

I love trying local restaurants when I am visiting a town or city. R&R Bar-B-Que fit the bill. They had amazing food and a cute theme. The staff was also very friendly. You should check them out if you are in the Concord area. Visit their website at http://rrbbq.net/

Enjoy!

T

J’s Oyster – Portland, ME

I was given another great suggestion of where to eat when I was visiting Portland, Maine. I was told if you like oysters and seafood then a visit to J’s Oyster is a must.

The restaurant is located on the water and does not look like much on the outside. However, when I walked in I was welcomed by all of the locals. This was clearly a great place to hang out. I met lots of really nice people.

I started off with the baked stuffed oysters. These were three fresh oysters that were baked till sizzling and topped with lobster stuffing. These were super-hot when they came out. I had to let them cool a little so I could pick them up.

The stuffing had the consistency of breadcrumbs. There were pieces of lobster meat mixed throughout. These breadcrumbs were then sprinkled on top of the oysters. The topping got slightly crunchy when they were put in the oven. The oysters were tender and did not have a briny taste. The only thing I wish about this dish is that they use just a little less of the breadcrumbs and add a little parmesan cheese.

For dinner I ordered the lobster scampi. The lobster was sautéed with red and green peppers in a butter, wine, and loads of garlic. This was then tossed in angel hair pasta.

There had to be two whole lobster tails in this dish. There was so much meat and each bite was extremely tender. I could not taste the sweetness of the lobster because of all the rich garlic flavor, which I loved. I also really liked having the angel hair pasta because it collected all the extra butter and garlic.

If the pasta was not enough food, a side salad also came with this dish. It was nice to add a little something extra to my dinner.

If you like lobster then J’s Oyster is a great place. They had a full lobster dinner at an amazing price when I was there. The price was less than a filet mignon. And do not worry if you do not know how to eat a fresh lobster that is still in the shell. They provide a placemat with instructions.

The food and company were great at J’s Oyster. The people of Portland have amazing hospitality. I would recommend everyone to check them out. You can see their menu at http://jsoysterportland.com/

 

Enjoy!

T

 

Becky’s Diner – Portland, ME

 

When I learned I was going to visit Portland, Maine I knew that I had to put a fresh lobster roll on my food bucket list. Now I have had lobster rolls before but never in Maine where lobsters are so abundant. Now the problem I had was deciding exactly where to go. So I asked a few locals where they like to go. They all agreed that the best lobster rolls can be found at Becky’s Diner.

    

This place was packed. The parking lot was full and there was a waiting list for a table. Lucky for me, the seats at the counter were first come, first serve. I was able to get a seat there.

While I was waiting for my lobster roll to come out I looked around the restaurant and I noticed that Guy Fieri’s stamp was on their wall. I had no idea that Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives had visited Becky’s. That made my visit even more exciting.

My lobster roll arrived and my mouth started watering as soon as I saw it. There was ¼ pound of fresh picked lobster piled high on a bun. Plus it came with coleslaw and French fries.

You can order the lobster roll two ways – either with mayo or plain with a side of melted butter. I got the mayo version. The creamy mayo paired really well with the sweet lobster meat.

The bun was grilled and had a great buttery taste. They lined the bottom of the bun with lettuce. The lettuce added great crunch to each bite.

This was an amazing lobster roll. I am so glad I stopped by. If you are not into lobster that is ok because Becky’s still has a full menu of other dishes. I noticed that several people were ordering breakfast plates for lunch.

Check them out at http://www.beckysdiner.com/

Enjoy!

T

 

 

Sebago Brewing – Portland, ME

I was visiting Portland, Maine for work. I had been to a few places around town and I really did not feel like venturing too far away from my hotel. Sometimes traveling can take a toll. Across the parking lot of my hotel stood Sebago.

To my surprise Sebago is actually a restaurant and brewery. What better way to end the day than with a beer and some comfort food. I ordered one of Sebago’s IPAs. It was a huge pilsner of beer for only $3.50.

With it being so cold in Maine, I thought the perfect thing to start with would be a hot bowl of clam chowder. The chowder was extremely creamy. It was loaded with fresh clams that were extremely tender.

For my main dish I ordered the crab cakes. They included two huge crab cakes and a small side salad.

The crab cakes were loaded with fresh lump crab meat. They used very little bread crumbs, which is perfect because that allowed the crab to shine through. The meat was extremely sweet and the sauce they drizzled on top added a tanginess.

This was a great place to get a drink and a bite to eat. They have a very extensive menu so there are lots of other options to try. You should check them out at http://www.sebagobrewing.com/

Enjoy!

T

Okinawa – Homewood, AL

I have already written about this little Japanese place in Homewood, Alabama called Okinawa. I had gone there previously for lunch and this visit I was there for dinner. I knew that I would not be disappointed and thought my parents would enjoy it too.

The staff is so friendly. They were so welcoming as soon as I walked through the door. The place was packed for dinner but fortunately they had a table for us.

We started off with the spring roll appetizer. They call them Harumaki on the menu. These are perfect for sharing. They are three spring rolls that are cut in half. They are extremely flavorful with a thin, crispy wrapper. They come with a perfect sweet and sour sauce on the side.

I ordered the Hibachi chicken for dinner. It comes with a lot of food. Needless to say I ended up having a take-out box at the end of the meal.

As with all Hibachi meals it all starts with a bowl of soup and a salad with ginger dressing.

The salad came with a creamy ginger dressing. It still had that little kick with from the ginger that tasted wonderful with the fresh, crispy lettuce.

The soup was fantastic. It had a lot of savory flavor. There were slices of mushrooms and crunchy dried onion pieces. The onions added additional flavor and saltiness. I could have eaten an even larger bowl of this soup. It would have been amazing with Udon noodles in it.

My Hibachi dinner plate came out and the plate was packed with food. There was teriyaki chicken that had a great sweet and salty taste. All the meat was moist chicken breast. The dinner came with two of their grilled shrimp. I love Hibachi style grilled shrimp; the taste and texture is perfect when it is paired with the teriyaki sauce.

Then there are the sautéed mixed vegetables. They offered an assortment of mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, and carrots. These taste amazing with the ginger sauce and the creamy Yum-Yum sauce that they serve on the side.

And of course, no dinner would be complete without fried rice. It is a simple mix of fried egg, rice, onion, and soy sauce. It’s great flavor for just a few ingredients. I could eat fried rice as a meal any day of the week.

I always enjoy my meals at Okinawa, whether it’s a Hibachi dinner or a sushi lunch. They never disappoint me. It is a must visit if you are in Homewood, Alabama. Check them out at http://www.okinawasushiusa.com/

Enjoy!

T

 

Ovenbird – Birmingham, AL

I am always raving about the food scene in Birmingham, Alabama. People just do not think about this small southern city being so dominant in the food scene. I have written about Chris Hastings other restaurant Hot & Hot Fish Club before. Now I had an opportunity to try his other restaurant Ovenbird.

As soon as I walked up to the restaurant’s front doors I could smell the smoker that was outside. It made me so hungry.

They have great outdoor seating, whether it’s at one of their tables or around a fire pit. It was too cold when I visited so I passed on being outside.

When I walked in I noticed they have two large wood fire ovens. It made the restaurant smell wonderful as well as warm it up.

  

I glanced over their menu while enjoying a Moscow mule. Everything on the menu is meant to be shared. This is my favorite way to eat. It allows me to try so many different dishes without getting too stuffed.

First out were the deviled eggs. These eggs were cut completely different from how I normally see them. Instead of long ways from top to bottom, these eggs were cut in half. The egg filing was made with Anchovy and had a nice green color rather than the traditional yellow. The filling was layered on top of Romesco, which is a nut and red pepper based sauce. On top of each was curtido, which is fermented cabbage relish. This reminded me of sauerkraut and added a tangy taste to the egg.

Up next was the tuna avocado toast. The fresh bread was spread with smashed avocado, chunks of tuna, pickled onion, jalapeño radish, and herbs. There was a slight spice to this dish. The tuna was very fresh and tender. It melted in my mouth.

Before I could even finish the tuna toast the shishitos came out. I had never had these before and was excited to try. Shishitos are a sweet pepper and their green color was very vibrant. These were roasted with toasted benne seed, espelette (a French pepper), and egg yolk. The shishitos were very tender and sweet. The roasted skins added extra flavor to each bite.

The roasted broccoli sounded wonderful. Because it would be cooked in one of their fire ovens I knew there would be great added flavor. The broccoli was cooked with brown butter, Marcona almonds, and avocado. The overall taste was both salty and tangy.

The shaved Brussels sprouts acted like a salad to me. The sprouts ere blended with Manchego cheese, buttermilk dressing, and jamon serrano. It was very similar to a coleslaw. The Brussels sprouts were not bitter at all, which is what I was expecting. On top it was accented with a few Mandarin oranges that added a nice citrus taste.

If you like Ceviche I would highly recommend their by-catch ceviche. It was fresh red-snapper, yucca, sweet drop pepper, and lime. The snapper was soft and moist. There was a slight spice to the overall dish which was extremely refreshing.

The last dish out was the beef shoulder. It came on top of roasted vegetables that included sweet potatoes. The beef was super tender. I was able to cut it with a butter knife. The meat was very buttery in flavor. It was a perfect ending to the meal.

They did offer a few desserts but after seven dishes there was no way I could eat another bite. I would definitely go back to try more of the other dishes. My waitress did say that the menu changes so I look forward to the new surprises.

Check out Ovenbird at http://www.ovenbirdrestaurant.com/

Enjoy!

T

 

 

 

Tao – New York, NY

If you have every picked up a Hollywood gossip magazine at some point in time the restaurant Tao has been talked about. Tao is an Asian fusion spot that is always busy and every now and then has a celebrity sighting. Now I did not go to Tao hoping to see someone famous. I wanted to go because Tao was one of the first restaurants I visited when I started traveling to New York over 15 years ago.

When I walked through the door it was exactly how I remembered it. The lighting was dim. There was Asian décor decorating every inch of the interior.

  

The show stopper is the giant Buddha statue. It is almost as tall as the entire restaurant (keeping in mind that this place have 2 levels). Every table in the place can see this beautiful statue.

Their menu has a very large selection of fabulous dishes. You can order everything from fresh sushi to Kobe beef steaks. It was a hard decision but I decided to try a few appetizers and a main dish.

The pot stickers were great to start with. I went for the pork. I think the pork added more flavor to the filling. It went really well with the chili sesame glaze. The pot stickers were pan fried so the outside dough was crispy.

The other great appetizer was the satay of chicken and it came in a peanut sauce. The chicken was thinly sliced and speared on a stick. The chicken was extremely tender and even though the meat was thin, it was still super juicy. The chicken with the peanut accents had wonderful flavor.

For my main dish I ordered the Tao Lo Mein. I was really in the mood for a noodle dish. These tender noodles came with roasted pork and sliced up portabella mushrooms. The mushrooms added a slight earthy taste. The pork was sweet and tender. The sweetness of the pork complemented the salty taste from the soy sauce used on the noodles.

I did save a little room for dessert. I went for the sugar dusted doughnuts. Six mini doughnuts came out speared on a stick.

The dough was light and fluffy. They used a granulated sugar on the outside of the doughnut that added a slight crunch. On the side these doughnuts came with three dipping sauces:

  1. Chocolate
  2. Caramel
  3. Vanilla Cream

The chocolate added a slight bitter taste to the sugary doughnut. The vanilla cream was slightly runny. It was also much sweeter than the other sauces. The caramel sauce was my favorite. It was right in the middle on the sweetness scale. I also thought it tasted best with the fried dough.

Tao is exactly how I remembered it. The food was amazing and the views were entertaining. If you like Asian fusion I would highly recommend going to Tao. It is a true New York experience. They are always busy so I recommend you make a reservation.

Check out their website and menu at www.taorestaurant.com

Enjoy!

T

Arno – New York, NY

New York has so many restaurants. To anyone visiting it can be extremely overwhelming. I have been coming to New York for years and I still find it challenging at times. It is very easy to go back to a restaurant I have been to before. However, part of the fun of traveling is trying new places. That is exactly what I did this trip. I was hungry for a great Italian meal so I checked out Arno. They have been serving homemade Italian for over 20 years.

   

I got there right at dinner time but it was probably a little early in terms of a New York dinner time. The bar was not very full however, within an hour the place was packed. It was a good thing I had a reservation.

  

In glancing over the menu there were several things that sounded wonderful. I had changed my mind a dozen times. In the end I knew whatever I tried would be great.

While making my final decisions, I enjoyed a glass of Riesling. The taste was the perfect sweetness.

I also enjoyed some of their fresh made breads. The taste of the bread made me even hungrier.

  

I started off with the tortellini soup. It was a simple soup, flavorful chicken broth with cheese tortellini mixed in. I enjoyed this because it was simple. It was a great starter because it was not heavy or extremely filling. This is a soup I would be interested in replicating at home.

The main dish I had decided on was the Scaloppine all a Cardinale. They used veal sautéed with white wine, prosciutto, mozzarella, and roasted peppers.

The plate came out with three large pieces of thin veal. The veal was so tender I was able to cut it with a butter knife. The cheese, prosciutto, and peppers were layered on top. That combination of ingredients were full of flavor. However, when that all got combined with the white wine sauce the flavor was elevated to another level. The sauce had a buttery essence that helped make the veal melt even more. I was so glad I chose this dish. I could not stop eating it.

Thought I had eaten a large dinner, I still needed to leave a little room for dessert. Who could pass up desserts when it is displayed so beautifully on a cart right in front of you. Each choice was perfect for sharing.

  

The cheesecake was a must try, especially since I was in New York. It came with fresh berries on the side. The cheesecake was extremely light and fluffy. It was not as dense as other cheesecakes I have had before.

The other dessert I tried was the Napoleon. It was layers of fresh cream custard and crispy pastry. It was difficult to cut without all the custard squeezing out. But it was necessary to eat the custard with the pastry. The pairing was wonderful.

Arno offered an amazing Italian feast. Everything I tried was wonderful. I would for sure go back in order to try one of the other dishes I was considering.  Check out their menu and get hungry yourself at http://www.arnoristorante.com/

Enjoy!

T