inspiration

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 3 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte to Kennedy’s Premium Bar & Grill. This pub is tucked into a neighborhood friendly area that boasts many family restaurants and has a huge outside deck. Dora here. Wish the sky hadn’t been so overcast because I would’ve enjoyed sitting outside on the gorgeous deck. 

We started with the Pretzel Bites appetizer served with Queso and Dijon mustard dipping sauces. Dipping in the Queso took the pretzel bites from OK to good. The server warned us that the Dijon mustard was spicy and she was right. Dora here. Phew! Have a tissue handy. The mustard sauce will clear out your sinuses, but I liked it! I was expecting these little nuggets to taste chewy and soft, but instead they were a bit crispy.

Pretzel Bites with Queso and Dijon Mustard

I chose the Shepherd’s Pie with Guinness gravy, layers of beef, mushrooms, carrots, celery, and onions topped with mashed potatoes along with a side of tater tots. The meat was tender and the vegetables cooked so that they still had a crunch. The mashed potatoes were creamy and the tater tots outstanding. My biggest issue with this dish was that it was only lukewarm, causing the flavors not to mix well. 

Shepherd’s Pie

My wife had the Fish & Chips, deep fried Haddock, battered with Harp lager, an Irish beer. Dora here. Since Kennedy’s is a pub, I had high hopes for this dish. The fish was lightly battered, flakey and tender. The sweet potato fries were a bit lackluster, and the slaw was just average. Nothing  really tantalized my taste buds. And the iced tea? A total loss. Bummer. But then I’m quite sure people don’t frequent this establishment for the iced tea. 🙂

Fish & Sweet Potato Fries

I would rate this restaurant 3 forks out of 5 forks for a family friendly restaurant serving good food.

Do you set expectations for your dining choices based on a review, recommendations from friends, or perhaps from the name of the restaurant? 
Kennedy's Premium Bar and Grill on Urbanspoon

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 3 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to the Dilworth neighborhood of Charlotte and to Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, which is scheduled to change hands for a whopping $21 million soon.

Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar
This family oriented eating spot boasts an industrial feel but includes TVs and a patio to cater to all clientele. Dora here. I think Ernie just got all excited about the diamond plate wainscoting. Reminded him of a fire truck. 🙂 Seriously, folks, Bad Daddy’s attracted all ages, and is in a walkable, bikable neighborhood. Be warned though. Parking is tight, and by Saturday at noon, people were lined up outside, waiting to get in.
We started with the Fried Pickles appetizer. These dill pickles were very good; sliced lengthways, fried very crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The only thing that would have made these better would be a little less salt. Dora here. Anybody else getting tired of seeing fried pickles on here? Note to Ernie: next time go with a different appetizer! 

Fried Pickles

I chose the Classic Southern Burger, a basic burger topped with chili, American cheese, relish, mustard and slaw and served on a Brioche bun. Basically a Carolina burger except swap the onions with relish. This burger was huge, sloppy and had to be eaten with a fork. The flavors were outstanding and the chili actually had beans. Tater tots were crispy and had an excellent taste. Dora here. There was nothing basic about that burger.

Classic Southern Burger with tots

My wife had the Frenchie which is a turkey burger with brie, applewood bacon, grilled apples and garlic mayo served on a Brioche bun. Dora here. I was torn on this one because I really was leaning toward the Mama Ricotta’s Burger, just to try it. Doesn’t that sound intriguing? Anyway, the Frenchie with the grilled apples won. The bun was soft and fresh, as if they baked it on site, and the cheese literally oozed from the sandwich. Good thing the tables sport a roll of paper towels because you’ll need ’em. But, let me tell you, the jalapeno honey mustard and bad daddy sauces on the side were ah-mazing! They jazzed this yummy turkey burger to awesome, but too much of a good thing might leave your tongue on fire.

Frenchie – turkey burger
And get a grip! Check out the size of this burger!

I would rate this restaurant 5 forks out of 5 forks for a family friendly restaurant serving outstanding food.
What’s your favorite burger joint? How about a fave burger?


Bad Daddy's Burger Bar on Urbanspoon

Crazy about Writing: What Inspired the Harmon Heritage series?

/ Dora Hiers / 4 Comments
It was our granddaughter’s fifth grade graduation. Award recipients pranced across the stage to thunderous applause and hundreds of camera clicks. One particular girl accepted her award and then skipped down the steps, racing through the center aisle all the way to the back to hug her mama. When she finally rejoined her class, sniffles could be heard across the crowded auditorium.
Yeah, I was digging in my purse for a tissue. But my writer’s mind was already at work. Where was her daddy? Why wasn’t he there? How could he miss such a momentous event in his daughter’s life? Was it because of divorce? Could he not get off work? Perhaps he was in the military and currently deployed. The possibilities, the what if’s, continued rolling through my head long after the program was over.
Just a handful of days before this ceremony, we received shocking news that our son’s childhood friend committed suicide. Terribly upsetting because as a twenty something he was just beginning his journey, but also because our lives had been so entwined with his family’s for many of their elementary school years. This, just after learning that a neighbor of ten years committed suicide. An international athlete, a mighty giant devoted to his two kids, and newly divorced.
To honor a shy fifth grade girl and two precious children, who adored their daddy and had to be reeling over his death, the inspiration for my Harmon Heritage series was born. Three siblings whose celebrity father committed suicide leaving them hurting and angry, with more questions than answers, more pain than peace. Rori’s a social phobic, hiding behind a wall of fear, preferring the solitude of animals to the whispers and pointed fingers of blame over her father’s death. Beck abandons his family and the love of his life and wanders for a decade because he fears he carries the same genes as his father. Burk, the oldest and Beck’s twin, feels like he’s the glue that holds his family together and puts his personal and professional life on hold until Rori heals and Beck finds peace for his wandering soul.
Perhaps you’re hurting, the enormous waves of pain dragging you under until you lack the strength to claw your way back to the surface. Or the chains of sorrow shackle you to this moment, blinding you to the promise of a new day, a brighter tomorrow. God, with His knows-no-bounds and nothing-holds-Him-back love, can take those dark places, those huge gaping chasms of loss, and meld them into a beautiful tapestry of healing and peace, of hope and joy.

 Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. ~Psalm 30:5 NLT
Available June 5
with Pelican Book Group
Still stinging from the publicity surrounding her father’s death, social phobic Rori Harmon prefers the solitude of her animal sanctuary, accepting that marriage isn’t in her future. Racecar Driver Graham Decker refuses to be wrangled into a relationship by another money-hungry female. On a philanthropy mission, he arrives just in time to assist Rori with a llama birthing, but his appearance thrusts her into the media spotlight again. Has Graham found a woman who doesn’t care how deep his wallet extends? Has Rori finally met a man who will stick around when times get tough? Is healing for a hurting heart finally within Rori’s reach?