food

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 10 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to an old-time diner packed with old-fashioned memorabilia, Troy’s 105 Diner in Boone, NC. This diner has all of the favorites like homemade soup, salads, 1/2 lb burgers, and their famous milkshakes.

Troy's 105 Diner Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Old time diner with all the diner favorites

Dora here. Milkshakes? How come we haven’t ordered a milkshake? Note to self: Must remedy that! Actually, we’ve eaten here a few times now. Right off Hwy 105, they’re convenient and close to our mountain home and have saved us from driving all the way back into Boone or Blowing Rock when other restaurants high on our list are packed. This time we were aiming for Sunrise Grill but did not want to risk a 45-minute wait with two starving grandkiddos. lol. And, when you can’t decide between breakfast and lunch, sometimes you just need a good old-fashioned diner fix!

Troy's Diner Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Sometimes you just need a good old-fashioned diner fix!

I chose the Carolina Cheddar Burger, a 1/2 lb burger topped with cheddar cheese, lettuce, and tomato, and blanketed with chili and coleslaw. For non-Carolinian’s, anything served Carolina style is covered with chili and slaw. The burger was huge, juicy, and messy so that you have to eat it with a fork, but it was great, and as usual, the slaw added the perfect crunch. The onion rings were plentiful and crispy and were the perfect match for the burger.

Troy's Diner Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Carolina Cheddar Burger, huge, juicy and messy, but great!

Dora here. After enjoying their French Toast the last time, I opted for lunch today, the Grilled Asian Marinated Chicken. The chicken was tender and well-grilled, and the pineapple added another dimension. Maybe they should rename it, though, because the Asian marinade was not even noticeable. At first glance, the macaroni and cheese does not look appealing, but it was tasty and cheesy. I would order this again.

Troy's Diner Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Grilled Asian Marinated Chicken…maybe should be renamed because the Asian marinade was so subtle, it was unnoticeable. Overall, though, the chicken was tender and well-grilled.

What’s your favorite diner and diner food?

We rate this restaurant 4 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving great food.

Troy's 105 Diner Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 9 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to a place guaranteed to find a spicy meal, Razzoo’s Cajun Café in the Concord Mills area of Concord, NC. This restaurant offers a variety of entries but, from what I’ve tasted, they all have one thing in common, some level of heat from mild to atomic hot.

Razzoo's Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Razzoo’s colorful exterior

Dora here. I really like their colorful exterior and that continues on the inside with upcycled materials. I also appreciate the ample space between booths and tables and the generous parking. 

Cool interior
Love the upcycled materials

The menu had so many items that I would like to try. I chose the Cajun Combo Skillet, Andouille sausage, shrimp creole, crawfish etoufee, and red beans ‘n rice, with a side of fried okra. Now this was a great dish with varying levels of flavor and heat. My favorite and the spiciest was the crawfish etoufee served on dirty rice, which was loaded with crawfish in a dark roux sauce. This was outstanding, very rich and smooth and just the right intensity. The shrimp creole was great with juicy shrimp and a spicy creole sauce served over fluffy white rice.

Razzoo's Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Cajun Combo Skillet

Dora here. Did I really complain about lack of heat in last week’s dish? Guess Ernie decided to fix that with this week’s restaurant suggestion. Sheesh. :wiping my brow: I’ll tell you right now that I fought ordering a chicken dish off the menu, but eating at a Cajun restaurant calls for stepping out of your comfort zone, right? Well, I veered way out! Usually I don’t order fish because it tends to be too, well, fishy tasting, but the Stuffed Fish was not at all. And if it weren’t for the menu, I might never have suspected that the fish was studded with a subtle shrimp and crab stuffing. The sauce had a smooth buttery flavor, and the fish was tender and flakey with an afterburner kick of heat. Tame, actually, compared to Ernie’s forehead and neck slicker. He could’ve used a towel to go along with his napkin. haha.

Razzoo's Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Stuffed Fish. An afterburner of heat, but tame compared to the Cajun Combo Skillet.

What’s your favorite seafood dish?

We rate this restaurant 4 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving great food.

Razzoo's Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 9 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to Boone, NC and to The Red Onion Café located practically in the shadow of Appalachian State University. This local eating establishment boasts that “An evening at Red Onion Café promises to be an experience to remember!” and they were correct, even though we visited at lunch.

Red Onion Cafe Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

I can’t wait until the temperature warms up so we can enjoy this awesome patio!

Dora here. It’s winter and the planter boxes are empty, but picture this patio with the lights on and colorful flowers lining the ledge. Wouldn’t that just whisper, “Come sit down. Relax. Eat. Enjoy.” I can’t wait until the temperature warms up so we can do just that. During a Sunday lunch, the inside was jammed with regular patrons, and I can see why. With their extensive menu, everyone can surely find something. 

For my lunch, I chose the Baja Fish Tacos, two soft shell tacos with blackened Tilapia, grilled pineapple, spicy cilantro slaw and topped with a creamy sriracha sauce. So with a restaurant named Red Onion, you know I have to try their fried onion rings. Dipped lightly in a homemade batter and fried to a perfect golden brown, they were outstanding! I like onion rings that, when you bite into them, you don’t end up with the entire sloppy onion ring in your mouth while holding the batter in your hand. The tacos were equally great with just a little heat from the slaw and sauce. Excellent choice!

Red Onion Cafe Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Baja Fish Tacos, excellent choice!

Dora here. The Chicken Fajita Wrap was ginormous and loaded with chicken, lettuce and tomato. Cheesy good, but it was missing some heat. I would’ve liked a kick of flavor to give it more depth. 🙂 

Red Onion Cafe Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Chicken Fajita Wrap: Ginormous and loaded with chicken, lettuce and tomato. Cheesy good, but I would’ve liked a kick of heat. 🙂

Onion rings: Thick batter or thin? And where’s your favorite place to get them?

We rate this restaurant 4 forks out or 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving great food.

Red Onion Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato