Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

July 23, 2016July 10, 2016 / Dora Hiers / 4 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to Island Hub Restaurant & Lounge located in Charlotte on Monroe Road a couple blocks from Independence Blvd and Wendover Road.

Island Hub Restaurant & Lounge Don’t let the exterior deceive you!

This Caribbean restaurant specializes in Haitian Cuisine including jerks, curries, and other island dishes.

Dora here. Don’t let the rather plain outside deter you from giving Island Hub a try. The interior was nice and clean. But empty!?

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers Island Hub Restaurant

Granted, it’s new, but this place should be jammed!

Where is everybody? Granted this eatery just opened in March, but this place should be jammed! Maybe the lack of patrons has something to do with the neighborhood, which looked a bit…tired. Or it could be that Yelp indicated they open at 11:30 on Sunday, but the sign on the door showed noon. Oops. Whatever, they were accommodating and friendly by letting us in early. Thank you, Island Hub!

After living most of my life in Florida, I have tasted a wide variety of island foods prepared many different ways, so I was optimistic going into this restaurant. For my lunch, I chose my absolute favorite, Griot, fried pork chunks marinated with a seasoning blend along with sides of cabbage and collard greens. This dish was outstanding; the pork was well seasoned, fried to perfection and served with an equally good dipping sauce. The cabbage was great, cooked al dente, with just the right amount of bite and as a twist, included thinly sliced carrots. The collard greens were full of flavor and delish. This place is a gem that’s waiting to be discovered. And we did.

Griot, fried pork chunks with cabbage and greens. Delish!

Dora here. Somehow I knew Ernie wouldn’t share his fried pork chunks. But take a look at that serving size! Sheesh, I only managed to snag a tiny bite. 🙂 So I settled for the Curry Chicken, Mac & Cheese, and Fried Plantains. lol. Just kidding, no settling involved. With a bold, hearty flavor, the chicken curry teased my palate but didn’t burn my mouth. The Mac & Cheese was just the right texture, firm and cheesy, and soooo good. Be aware, though, that the chicken comes on the bone. Doesn’t this picture make you want some? Drooling again…

Curry Chicken with Mac & Cheese and Fried Sweet Plantains. Huge portions. Bold, hearty flavors without burning my mouth. YUM!

Giant portions, great value, and friendly service. Let’s fill this place!

What’s your spice level? Chicken, on bone or off bone?

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

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

July 16, 2016July 15, 2016 / Dora Hiers / 7 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to our favorite mountain getaway, Blowing Rock/Boone area of North Carolina and to The Local.

One block off King with a private parking lot across the street…WIN!

This eating establishment also boasts big screen TVs to watch your favorite sport teams. Located a block off the main drag (King Street), the restaurant gives you the feel of an eatery for locals just waiting to be discovered by visitors.

Dora here. And don’t forget about the dedicated parking lot across the street, FREE. Bonus!

Hubby’s pointing to a dog bowl, letting these folks know The Local is pet friendly!

Dora here. What a wonderful outdoor space. With two garage doors that roll up, it’s a relaxing experience for sure especially when the day is as nice as this. Cool breeze, great food, and it’s PET FRIENDLY! People lined up to sit outside on the patio and I almost felt sorry for the ones who opted to eat inside. Even so, the interior is spacious, clean and beautiful.

Awesome, comfortable interior but everybody lined up to eat outdoors on the gorgeous deck 🙂

The one thing on the menu that drew us to this place was the Asheville County “squeaky” cheese curds. These curds were parmesan crusted and fried, served with a Chipotle dipping sauce. Let me say, we were not disappointed. Great from the first bite, the cheese was gooey, and the batter perfectly cooked.

Cheese Curds Appetizer ~ Soft and yummy!

Dora here. Soft and smokey, melted goodness. Yum, yum!

For my lunch, I chose the Boonie Burger. Smoked pimento cheese, fried green tomato, and dill cole slaw topped a huge patty sandwiched by a soft bun. The mild flavor of the pimento cheese combined with the crunch of the slaw and the juicy patty, this is one burger everyone needs to try. And the sprouts? Outstanding!

Boonie Burger with Sprouts-Outstanding!

Dora here. I ordered the Na’an Traditional Cuban, and boy was it ever! Non traditional, that is. lol. Inside that na’an you’ll find pulled pork, bacon, swiss, pickles and mayo. To me, all the individual elements were great; the pork was tender and juicy, the na’an soft. Unfortunately the bread couldn’t hold up against all that juicy goodness, and the sandwich as a whole needed a jazz of flavor. Overall, not one of my favorite dishes, but with so many other dishes on the menu calling my name, next time I’ll try something else because, trust me, this place is definitely going on our favorites list.

Na’an Traditional Cuban…boy was it ever!

What’s your favorite appetizer?

We rate this restaurant 5 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving outstanding food. Dora here. 4.5 for me, 5 for Ernie. 🙂

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

July 9, 2016June 28, 2016 / Dora Hiers / 11 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating has us stepping out of our comfort zone of concrete and brick restaurants to review a…

Hart’s Soda Shop on wheels

Food Truck.

Now this is no ordinary food truck, since it only sells ice cream. Yes, I said ice cream. We found this “Ice Cream Truck” located at Latta Park, a 32 acre county park in the Dilworth neighborhood of Charlotte.

Latta Park

As the heat of the summer rolls into North Carolina, it just seems right to be enjoying a bowl on ice cream while sitting at a park.

It just seems right to be enjoying a bowl on ice cream while sitting at a park.

Dora here. Ice cream is usually a snack we reserve for late evenings, just before bed, so taking a few minutes to chill outdoors with a bowl of ice cream with the temperature hiking close to ninety was a treat. And Latta Park in the Dilworth neighborhood of Charlotte was so shady and sweet. Surrounded by a grassy berm, parents felt free to kick back and watch their kids play in the enclosed park with squirting water and a nearby playground. Happy squeals, excited chatter and laughter, the chiming of a church bell and a train’s whistle were relaxing sounds. Sunday afternoons don’t get much better than that. Well, maybe throw in a good book and a hammock. 🙂

I chose the Taking Back Sundae, two scoops of vanilla ice cream with a mix of Heath bar, Reeces and Butterfinger bites. The ice cream was good, nothing outstanding, but hit the spot on a hot day in North Carolina.

Hit the spot on a hot NC afternoon

Dora here. The food truck was fun and whimsical with the pop up top. But after seeing Coconut Cream on a Yelp photo, my mouth watering in anticipation, I was disappointed not to find it among their list of sundaes. The Put a Little Pepe in Your Stepe was creamy and smooth, but loaded with too many pretzels for my liking. After I shoved a few into hubby’s bowl, I enjoyed it. But only until I glimpsed the credit card receipt. The $5.50 each jolted me. I’m not overly frugal, but I expect more for our $11 plus tip.

What’s your favorite ice cream treat?

We rate this food truck 3 forks out of 5 for a family friendly food truck serving good ice cream.

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Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers