The Cowfish

The concept of this place is pretty brilliant! Burger bar, sushi bar, full bar? Don't mind if I do. You can take all of your friends to this place, even the ones that say, "I don't like sushi. I'm not eating raw fish," yet they've never tried a California roll. Someone mentioned on Yelp that the menu is pretty big. I agree its kind of outrageously large and that usually means lesser quality and a slower kitchen. I appreciate a restaurant that does a small menu phenomenally.

It took about 15 minutes (3 stops by the waitress) and finally her recommendation before I placed my order. I ordered the original cowfish bento box with a Philly roll, slider, sweet potato fries, edamame, and cucumber salad. The sweet potato fries were delicious and the cucumber salad is literally (the original definition, not the new ridiculous one) the best I've had at any sushi bar. Everything else was pretty basic and the service was pretty slow. They messed up my sister's order. My friend and I were nearly done eating by the time she got her meal. The manager brought it out and comp'ed it.

We ordered dessert too! A tower of lemon pound cake, ice cream, whipped cream, and berries. It was amazing. The three of us couldn't finish it! After dessert we waited for our check. We were chatting, but after 30 minutes or more we had to ASK for our check. The atmosphere was nice and maybe I'll try going at a less busy time before I make a final ruling on the service. I'll be back.

SoCo: Jambalaya

I've been craving jambalaya for weeks (probably because I haven't eaten rice in a while). Anyway, I found a few recipes and combined them to create this one. It cam out delicious. Try it!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 large yellow onions, diced

12 ounces andouille sausage, diced

1 large green bell peppers, cored, seeded, and diced

3 medium celery stalks, diced

3 tablespoons of Cajun or creole seasoning

3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes

2 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cups long-grain white rice

1 box (32-ounce) low-sodium chicken stock or broth

2 bay leaves

2 medium scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions:

1. Heat a quarter size amount of the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Season the chicken with one tablespoon of the cajun or creole seasoning. Place about half of the chicken pieces in the pot and cook, stirring rarely, until browned all over, about 5 to 6 minutes. (If your pot is large enough to cook it all at once without crowding, do so). Remove to a large bowl and brown the remaining chicken in 1 more batch; set aside.

2. Add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the onions, scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions just begin to brown, about 6 minutes.

3. Add the sausage and cook until the meat is browned and the onions are very tender, about 10 minutes.

4. Add the bell peppers, celery, garlic, measured salt, and remaining cajun or creole seasoning. Cook, scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally, until the bell peppers have softened, about 10 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste until fragrant. Add the reserved chicken and any accumulated juices and the tomatoes.

5. Add stock or broth, rice, and bay leaves, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer until all liquid is absorbed. Stir occasionally making sure the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Taste the liquid and season with salt if needed; the liquid will give your rice all the flavor it needs. I added cayenne pepper here too. 

6. Remove and discard the bay leaves.  Sprinkle with the scallions and serve.

Feast Food Tour: Local Flavors of NoDa

While in Charlotte Labor Day weekend my sister and I went on a food tour. We toured the neighborhood known as North Davidson. It was a little different from the one I went on in Chicago. We covered a smaller area and had less food (I was still hungry after this tour), but more beverage and just as much history and culture. 

We met at Revolution Ale House where we had pizza and tried craft beers on tap. We were able to tour the kitchen and talk to chef. The pizza was thin crust and absolutely delicious. It is named for the neighborhood, NoDa, and has pulled pork and a balsamic sauce drizzled across the top that plays well with the pork and cheese flavors. They serve a wide selection of local and craft beers. 

Revolution Ale House

The second stop on our tour was The Bodega. This place is pretty secluded. If you don't know the neighborhood you'd probably never find it. Its a small convenient store with beer, wine, and other random goodies like yellow stone ground grits (yes I bought some). It has a deli counter and you can create your own sandwich. The owners are pretty cool people too! Look it up and stop in!

Heist Brewery

Heist Pizza

Heist Brewery seemed like a really cool place. Its a brewery turned restaurant. They make all the beer right there in the restaurant where you can also sit and enjoy artfully prepared foods. The pizza was an incredibly thin crust, crisped to perfection. We had one with duck, a veggie one with eggplant, and one with bacon, tomato, and green onion that tasted like a BLT. All were very good, even the duck which I usually don't eat because of the texture (too fatty). 

Heist is the brain child of a former scientist turned craft beer maker and his friend the chef and caterer. The owner (scientist) was very friendly and we were able to have a nice conversation. I wish we could have stayed longer. I can't wait to go back!

Salud

The next stop we met a man, his wife, and their toddler at Salud. They have a wide selection of local and craft beers. I tried a watermelon and jalapeno that they had on tap. Unfortunately, I tried the watermelon after the jalapeno so I couldn't really enjoy it, but the jalapeno was great. 

FuManChu Cupcakes

In the same space we met a tattooed older gentleman serving up cupcakes made with Guinness. All of his cupcakes are made with booze and definitely unique. You won't get a plain vanilla, chocolate, or red velvet cupcake with this guy. 

The second to last stop was Smelly Cat Cafe. I'm not a coffee drinker, but it's such a cute place. The decor is nice and there's actually plenty of small tables for lingering despite the small space. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable about the products and the beans are all roasted in house. While others in my food tour tried the Colombian coffee, I tried mango iced tea. They also had really delicious no bake treats! Stop in!

Smelly Cat Cafe

The last stop was Dolce Vita, a wine bar, where we tasted multiple wines. A few whites, a couple reds. I was also able to try a South African wine, which I can best describe as exotic. It tasted like safari. In a way that a spiced wassail tastes like the holidays. The flavor was so different from all the other wines I have tasted. I loved it!

Hatch Sandwich Bar

This was my first stop on my North Carolina foodie adventure; thanks to my fellow yelpers! The menu is not huge, but I had a hard time deciding because everything sounded so good. I finally settled on the Pastrami sub because it was all the things I'd never put on my pastrami! I like pastrami simple: tender juicy meat, mustard, pickles and hot peppers.

Hatch makes theirs with spicy mayo, cheese, and tomato; all of which are taboo in my mind. It was delicious! Not overstuffed with pastrami and kind of like a grilled cheese on crack lol. The meat was sliced to order even at the lunch time rush, the cheese was gooey and the bread was warm and crusty. I would never try to replicate it at home but I'd order it over and over again from here! Next time I'd like to try the broccoli and cheese or one of he pulled pork options.

Indian Spiced Chicken with Chickpeas and Kale

This recipe was adapted from a Bon Appetit magazine recipe. It came out a-maz-ing!!! It was so delicious! And not like, this-is-so-good-because-I-haven't-eaten-since-8AM-good, but truly delectable. I'm on a no carb kick so no side dishes for me, but I was filled. I'll probably buy some cauliflower for roasting as a side dish for the leftovers; seems fitting. If you'd like something else try rice, white or brown, or quinoa. Lentils would be an excellent substitute for chickpeas, as well. So here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

4-6 chicken quarter legs
Kosher salt
Coarse ground pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 large onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons grated peeled ginger
2 teaspoons ground curry powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2-3 cups of kale, washed and torn
1/4 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems

PREPARATION

Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 325°. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, sear the chicken, reducing heat as needed to prevent over-browning, until golden brown on all sides, 8-10 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.

Add butter and onions to drippings in pot. Cook, stirring often, until onions are soft and golden brown, 10-15 minutes.

Stir in garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin, and cayenne. Cook, stirring constantly, until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in chickpeas and 2 cups broth. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pot. Bring to a simmer. Cover pot and transfer to oven. Braise chicken until fork-tender, 45-60 minutes.

Using tongs and a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Add kale to pot, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand until kale is tender.

Stir yogurt or sour cream into cooking liquid. Return chicken to pot. Simmer over low heat (do not boil).

Plate and serve with cilantro.

Hickory Square

Fried Green Tomatoes with Pimento Cheese

Steak and Eggs with Hashbrown Casserole

Josh's on the Square is a neighborhood gem! My sister and I had brunch here Sunday. They offer a 3 course meal for $13 and bottomless mimosas for $8. I chose the fried green tomatoes, steak and eggs, and wild berry cheesecake, while my sister had a Cesar salad, shrimp and grits, and banana pudding. 

The fried green tomatoes were topped with pimento cheese which I usually don't care for (forgive me southern people lol) but it was good. The tomatoes were very fresh. Unfortunately, the steak wasn't cooked the way I requested but it was so tender and well seasoned I didn't mind. The eggs were fresh, not egg substitute or cracked into a large bucket and ladled out. The entree came with hash brown casserole that was ok but I've had better. The cheesecake was phenomenal. I wanted to take home the whole thing! It was house-made not the frozen, boxed kind that most restaurants serve.

My sister was nice enough to let me try her grits. I'm pretty sure they were yellow stone ground grits (the best kind). I was pleasantly surprised with the tomato based sauce; it was a different take on a southern classic! If ever in HIckory, NC . . . 

Wild Berry Cheesecake

Sweet Frog

So I'm a Yogurtland fiend!!! I love the flavor options; I love the fact that the flavor options change and I love the selection of toppings. For a while I've been on a quest to find delicious, well priced frozen yogurt comparable to the reigning king, Yogurtland. My sister took me to Sweet Frog.

"This place is super cute!" That's the first thing I thought when I walked inside. If I had a daughter this could be her room. They have a good variety of flavors and the price is great! I tried the raspberry-pomegranate, I loved the tartness; the key lime pie, which was too sour; and the warm macadamia nut cookie, which tasted so authentic. It was swirled with country vanilla, a perfect combo. 

I found one in Baltimore too, I'm stoked!