inspiration

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 9 Comments
This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to Valhalla Pub & Eatery located on historical Brevard Court in Uptown Charlotte. Just a few blocks from Bank of America stadium and Time Warner Cable Arena, this cobblestone courtyard boasts pubs, restaurants, and retail stores in an open-air atmosphere.

Intimate rustic interior
Dora here. The eclectic menu, including a few Scandinavian dishes like meatballs, lured us to this intimate corner pub. That, and it was just a few blocks to walk from the Charlotte Convention Center, where we were around lunchtime. Once we got here, choosing a single menu item was tough. And check out this view from inside! 🙂
View looking out from the pub

The Odin’s Pretzel Bites were topped with melted cheese and garlic, and served with ranch dipping sauce. A variation from typical pretzels, these bites were great and reminded me of garlic knots that you would get at a pizza joint. 

Odin’s Pretzel Bites
Dora here. Not me. I took the first bite, and…hmmm. But they grew on me. I would’ve preferred a jazzy mustard dipping sauce over the ranch. To me, the ranch really didn’t add flavor, so I stopped dipping.

I chose the Freya’s Fish ‘n Chips, Guinness-battered haddock fillets served with my favorite, Tater Tots. The fish was crispy on the outside, light and tender on the inside, and full of flavor. The meal included two large fillets that I could not finish by myself. 
Freya’s Fish & Tater Tots, huge portions!


Dora here. Some of the best fish I’ve ever tasted! And yes, I was more than happy to help Ernie finish. 🙂


I’m a sucker for sandwiches with fruit, any entree actually, especially Granny Smith apples. Add cheddar cheese, bacon, lingonberry aioli, and a heaping portion of turkey, and I was all over The Laghertha’s Turkey Sandwich. Huge, so Ernie had to help me with mine. Fair’s fair, right? 
The Laghertha’s Turkey Sandwich
About the only downer for me was the lack of Sweet n Low. So, if you crave a particular brand of sweetener for your tea, bring your own. 🙂

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

What about you? What draws you in to try new restaurants?

Valhalla Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Sage Advice

/ Dora Hiers / 2 Comments

2016-01-11 14.37.51

“The dog and the rabbit are telling us not to chase unattainable material goals.”
~Kit Williams

“We sleep, but the loom of life never stops, and the pattern which was weaving when the sun went down is weaving when it comes up in the morning.” ~Henry Ward Beecher

Excited about Reading: The Drifter’s Mail-Order Bride by Cassie Hayes

/ Dora Hiers / 2 Comments
Amazon Buy Link

The Cover Story~

He was a drifter, through and through. Could he give up his wanderlust for a mail-order bride he didn’t know was coming? 

Having grown up in the shadow of two beautiful sisters, ‘Scrawny Bonnie’ Blue knows she doesn’t stand a chance at landing a good man in Beckham, Massachusetts. The only way she’ll find a husband is by leaving her family behind to become a mail order bride. But when all three Blue sisters are swept up in a scandal, she has no choice to but to take ‘Gorgeous Gwen’ and ‘Lovely Libby’ with her…kicking and screaming, if she must. 

Bart Dalton would be happy riding the range forever, but his brothers need his help to start a ranch in north Texas. He figures he’ll last a year or so before his feet get itchy again, which his brothers understand. As triplets, they can almost read each others’ minds. Except when his oldest brother ordered three brides for them. It would have been nice to have a little warning about that! 

When Bart’s late to meet the train carrying the Blue sisters, his brothers get first dibs, leaving Bonnie standing alone and dejected once again. It only gets worse when her ‘intended’ finally shows up and balks at the idea of marrying her. The one thing Bonnie has going for her are her wits, and she puts them to good use by proposing a business arrangement that Bart can’t refuse. 

Will Bart go back to his drifter ways, or is the elusive thing he’d searched for all his life sleeping in the next room? 

Sharing my takeaway~

Wow! Where has Cassie Hayes been all my reading life? Lol. I really enjoyed this story, my first by this author. All the characters were unique and well developed, with interesting interactions and dynamics between the Blue and Dalton families from the first page to the last.
Bonnie yearns to find true love, a man who can see past her beautiful sisters. Bart’s not happy with his brother for ordering him a bride. He plans to move on soon and that’s not fair to “Bonnie Blue.” But if he had to pick a bride, he would pick someone just like Bonnie. Petite, feisty, honest, a gal with an adventurous spirit and who’s capable of taking care of herself. And while initially I never would have matched Bonnie up with Bart, Bonnie completes him. And I liked the curveball. 🙂

Great chemistry between the main characters moved this book along at a fast pace. I think it took me a couple hours to finish, and when interrupted, I really looked forward to getting back into it. It’s a sweet, clean read, with a couple overarching themes regarding gossip and life choices. I’ll definitely be reading more by Cassie Hayes.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book while it was offered free on Amazon. I was in no way compensated for my fair and unbiased review.Â