Jumbo – Hong Kong, China

As I have written about previously, I was very fortunate to get to go to China with my family. One of the cities we got to visit was Hong Kong. It is such a vibrant city that has so much going on. Once you get over the fact that they drive of the other side of the road, it feels a lot like New York City.

There is a famous restaurant that we had to try while we were there called Jumbos. Jumbos is a floating restaurant that has been around since 1976. It looks like a Chinese Imperial Palace that you see in history books.

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In order to get to the restaurant you actually have to take a ferry.

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Jumbos is known for fresh seafood. You can actually walk their fish tanks and pick out the fish you would like them to cook for you. Since I do not like to see my food alive before I eat it, I decided to let the chef pick out my fish.

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We ordered a bunch of dishes for the table to share. They just came out when they were ready which was fun. I actually found myself trying to keep track of everything that we ordered.

We had shrimp chow main. The shrimp was in a great sauce over crunchy noodles. The greens on the side were bok-choy.

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We ordered a seabass with a great garlic sauce. The whole fish comes out – head attached. This was a little freaky to me, but I went with it for the experience.

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The scallops were fresh and huge. They melted in my mouth as soon as I took a bite.

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We ordered a fried rice for the table that was perfect. We also tried fried tofu that was simple but tasted wonderful with all the different sauces from the other dishes on the table.

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It was a really fun dinner and definitely something I would recommend to anyone visiting Hong Kong. You can visit the English version of their website at: www.jumbokingdom.com/eng/main.php

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Enjoy!

T

 

Post Office Pies – Birmingham, AL

The Avondale area of Birmingham is a growing hot spot with breweries, clubs and great restaurants. Post Office Pies is one of these hot spots.

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Not only do they make fresh, homemade pizza in their wood fire oven, they make homemade sausage, meatballs, and mozzarella cheese!

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I started with the meatballs while waiting for the pizza to come out. The meat was extremely tender and moist. I could taste all the fresh seasonings and cheese in each bite.

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There are so many pizzas to choose from on the menu. I went for the “Swine Pie”, which was covered in their homemade pork sausage, pepperoni, bacon, and then topped with mozzarella and fresh basil. I could tell that all the ingredients were fresh simply by the taste. The pork sausage should be an item by itself on the menu – that’s how good it is.  The pizza dough is sweet and cooked perfectly with that added crunch from the oven.

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The pizza was much bigger than I expected which worked out well because I knew I had lunch for the next day. It’s a fun place to go and they are open late which is always a good things for a Saturday night.

See their menu at: http://www.postofficepies.com/

Enjoy!

T

Pepperfire – Nashville, TN

As I tell people visiting Nashville, you have to try hot chicken at one of the many great places around town. I decided to take my own advice and try someplace new – Pepperfire.

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Located in the eastern part of the city, Pepperfire offers a unique dining experience. You walk up to the window to order then sit and enjoy the chicken at one of their picnic tables. The chicken is made to order so you will have to wait a few extra minutes to get your chicken but it is well worth it.

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They have 7 levels of heat to choose from – no heat all the way to XX Hot! I went for Medium because that is currently the max I can handle. I could not wait to bite into the chicken. It smelled so good. It was extremely juicy, especially since it had just come out of the fryer. It was perfection; perfect crunch, perfect taste, and perfect amount of heat!

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What I found out after I finished my chicken is that they have a deep fried “grilled” cheese sandwich called Peppercheese. Just hearing about this I just put Pepperfire back at the top of my list to come visit again.

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Plan your visit at www.pepperfirehotchicken.com

Enjoy!

T

 

Red Mill Burgers – Seattle, WA

When visiting Seattle it’s natural to want fresh seafood. Everywhere you go it’s available. However, sometimes a person just needs a burger. That is why I was excited to find Red Mill Burgers. Judging by the line that was out the door, several other people were hungry for a burger too.

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You need to be prepared for what you want to order when you get to the counter – they move fast. I went for the Verde Burger because it came with roasted peppers and their “mill sauce”. I also got a side of onion rings – I saw many other patrons ordering them and they looked good.

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I was worried about finding a seat since the inside of the restaurant is small. Luckily by the time I got my burger a seat opened up.

The burger was cooked perfectly – extremely juicy and not over cooked. They used pepper jack cheese which paired nicely with the roasted peppers. It was the mill sauce that tied the whole burger together. It added a sweet taste to the slight heat from the peppers.

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I am not forgetting about the onion rings – they were huge. They had a great crispy coating and the onion was sweet on the inside. After eating two I was almost full. They are definitely meant to be shared.

So if your taste buds are wanting something other than seafood check out Red Mill Burgers (except on Monday’s when they are closed): http://www.redmillburgers.com/

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Enjoy!

T

 

Taco Mama – Homewood, AL

I was hanging out with my sister and we wanted to get a quick bite to eat. We decided to try a newer place called Taco Mama. This place had a cool vibe as soon as we walked up. The music they were playing made me feel like I was on vacation. Instead of traditional windows, they had garage doors, which were open because the weather was nice.

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You walk up to the counter to order but they bring your food to you at the table. Since we felt like we were on vacation we knew that fun cocktails were needed. I went for the Sangria and my sister tried the Pomegranate Margarita. Both were excellent choices!

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After looking over all the choices on the menu we settled on sharing nachos. We got to build our own starting with our choice of meat. There were over 8 choices which made it a challenge but we agreed upon chicken. If we thought choosing a meat was hard, it was now time for the toppings.

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They have a ton and it was really difficult not to get every single things on the list especially when you have items like queso and cilantro-lime rice. So we did our best and put together what we thought would taste best. We were not disappointed. Every aspect of the nachos was perfect, right down to the chips that were nice and light. It was the best dish to get and share between two people.

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We had a really fun time at Taco Mama. The staff was friendly and the food was great so we will be back for sure. I would recommend this place to anyone. Check them out at http://www.tacomamaonline.com/

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Enjoy!

T

The Southern Steak & Oyster – Nashville, TN

I was going to a Predators hockey game in Nashville and I got downtown early. Since I had some time till the game started it was recommended that I try the Southern Steak and Oyster. The restaurant was just a short walk from the arena.

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It smelled wonderful as soon as I walked in. The menu was diverse having everything from steak and burgers to hot chicken and Cajun. I was not in the mood for steak but got excited at the thought of oysters.

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I took a seat at the bar because I got to watch them shuck all the oysters. It is cool to me how fast those guys can open them up. I can barely open one. They had several varieties of oysters to try from around the country. When it came to which variety to try, I left it up to the experts to choose for me.

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I went for the Lemon Herb chargrilled oysters and asked them to top them off with parmesan cheese.

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The kitchen grilled them up flawlessly. They were still bubbling when they came out. There was an awesome smoky flavor from the grill and a tangy bite from the lemon that was a nice change from the usual flavor I get.

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Sticking with the New Orleans theme of my dinner I saved room to try their homemade gumbo. The cup was a great size. It was a savory broth with lots of fresh shrimp. It was the perfect finish to my meal.

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If you are in downtown Nashville and want to try a fancy place, check out The Southern Steak & Oyster. http://www.thesouthernnashville.com/

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Enjoy!

T

Shot & Pepper – Franklin, TN

Driving around Franklin I came across a new restaurant called Shot and Pepper. The name caught my attention so I decided to check out the menu.

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The best way I can describe their menu is Mexican with a Southern flare. The atmosphere of the restaurant is inviting because of all the reclaimed wood but also adventurous with all the accents of stainless steel throughout.

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I love tortilla soup so I was happy to get to try theirs. The presentation of the soup was beautiful and it all started with the type of bowl they served it in. The soup was a creamy base unlike a broth that I usually find and that made it very filling. They had nice pieces of fresh chicken throughout the soup too. I ended up eating the soup with extra tortilla chips to add extra crunch.

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So to validate my description of their menu being Mexican with a Southern flare, I knew I had to try their Hot Chicken burrito. The burrito was filled with the chicken and a homemade slaw and topped off with their creamy homemade queso. Their hot chicken was great on its own, not too spicy. Their slaw was a perfect complement to the chicken and it was all kept together with the tortilla shell. The queso was a nice addition to the flavor that you normally would not get with other hot chicken dishes.

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So if you are out and about in Franklin and you get hungry, try something new. Stop by Shot and Pepper www.shotpeppercantina.com

Enjoy!

T

 

Blue C Sushi – Seattle, WA

If you want a fun and different sushi experience then stop by Blue C Sushi in Seattle. When I walked through the door the first thing I noticed was this conveyer belt going around the center of the restaurant which had all of these colorful plates. It was explained to me that the conveyer and the colors were modeled after the subway lines in Tokyo. Completely unique and clever!

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I sat in a booth next to the belt so that I could watch all the action. Different colors plates would go by carrying different dishes like spicy tuna rolls, tempura rolls, edamame; you name it they had it on the belt. Each color corresponded to the price of the dish. If for some reason you didn’t see anything you wanted on the belt, you could order it from the regular menu.

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It was so fun to watch for a dish I wanted to try and then grabbing it off the belt before it passed the table. It became like a game. I was able to have dinner and be entertained at the same time.

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All their fish was fresh, which I would expect in Seattle. I also tried their sesame noodle dish that had great flavor. Their portions from the belt are the perfect size so that I was able to try a few things without getting too full.

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If you are looking for a different experience I recommend Blue C Sushi. They have several locations around the Seattle area and a few locations in California. Check them out at: www.bluecsushi.com

Enjoy!

T

Saw’s BBQ – Homewood, AL

So a few weeks ago I wrote about Saw’s Juke Joint. I enjoyed a great pulled pork sandwich but did not get to try their famous stuffed potato because they had sold out.  So for lunch, I decided to try their sister restaurant, Saw’s BBQ, located in Homewood, Alabama (in the Edgewood area).

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I could smell the BBQ as I walked up to the door. This location is smaller than the other but there is plenty of seating outside if you cannot find a place inside. They are extremely busy during lunch; the line was out the door but the staff was really efficient so the line moved fast.

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They have eight different stuffed potatoes to choose from. When it was my turn to order I went for the pork tater – which has green onions, bacon, and pulled pork layered on top of a giant baked potato and smothered with cheese and BBQ sauce.  The potato was huge. It was a good thing that I did not order any sides.

Their BBQ sauce has a sweet and tangy flavor that pairs so well with the pork. Their pork is so tender and moist and had nice chunks of bark mixed in. The potato is cooked perfectly too, no hard uncooked sections that you can sometimes find with large potatoes. Putting these to ingredients together makes for an amazing meal.

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I was thrilled to finally get to try Saw’s potato. It was worth the wait. Now I understand why everyone recommends them. Check them out at www.sawsbbq.com

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Enjoy!

T

Frankie’s – Shenzhen, China

While on my family trip to China, one of our stops was in Shenzhen, China (a major city in Southern China that is right on the border with Hong Kong). One of the reasons for our stop here was so my father could show us around. He has been doing business in this area for over 20 years.

While getting to explore a different country is exciting, after a certain amount of time it’s only natural to start feeling homesick. This is where Frankie’s comes into play; this is where my father and all other ex-pats come to get a little home cooking. So naturally I could not wait to check this place out.

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As soon as I walked in I could have sworn I was in a bar in Boston or Chicago. There were all the classics: a wooden bar, sports memorabilia on the walls, NFL football on the tv – all to make visitors feel like they were home.

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The atmosphere was just part of the experience, the menu sealed the deal with hot dogs, hamburgers, and French fries, all the comforts of home. I went for the hot dog – grilled up on a toasted bun and covered in homemade relish. Their relish was amazing and extremely fresh. I was never more excited to have a hot dog. Their French fries also hit the spot as they added a little seasoning salt to them. But a classic American meal at a bar would not be complete without a nice cold draft beer! I was very excited the see draft beer.

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We got to meet the manager Clay, who was originally from West Virginia. He has a wonderful establishment that is truly one of a kind in Shenzhen.

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If you find yourself in Shenzhen and you are feeling homesick then you have to go to Frankie’s. They make you feel like you are home – even if it’s just for a few hours.

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Check them out at: www.frankies-bar.com

Enjoy!

T