Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to Cornelius, NC and to Harp & Crown Pub Kitchen. This warm and comfortable pub features Irish favorites such as Shepherd’s Pie, Fish & Chips, and Bangers & Mash.

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Rather unassuming from the front, but just wait!

Dora here. This front entrance does not give you a clue as to what to expect. Wait until you see the patio. Soooooo wish it hadn’t been raining. I would’ve loved to sit outside here. I counted three fireplaces!!

excited about eating, ernie & dora hiers, fiction faith & foodies, harp & crown

So wish it hadn’t been raining. I would’ve loved to sit outside. I counted 3 fireplaces!

The interior was nice and cozy. And packed for 11 AM on a Sunday!

excited about eating, fiction faith & foodies, ernie & dora hiers, harp & crown

The inside was nice and cozy. And packed for 11 AM on a Sunday.

For my brunch, I chose the Shrimps & Grits, a combo of Charleston style grits, shrimp, bacon, and chorizo sausage.

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Shrimp and Grits, outstanding!

This dish was outstanding! Creamy grits, tender shrimp that melted in your mouth, ample sauce, and the sausage packed just the right amount of heat.

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Are you drooling yet? Shrimp & grits, outstanding!

Dora here. Ya’ll know by now that I’m a huge fan of Shepherd’s Pie. If it’s on the menu, that’s what I’m picking. And since I’d seen an intriguing picture on Yelp, I already knew what I was ordering. Shepherd’s Pie. 🙂

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For those of you who haven’t tried Shepherd’s Pie, it’s basically a layer of mashed potatoes smothering a blend of meat and veggies. In this case, hamburger and peas.

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Shepherd’s Pie, what’s underneath that top layer of mashed potatoes

This particular version was not as thick as other variations, and, for me, it lacked a bit in the flavor department, nothing deep or complex in those layers. But that’s all good. Sometimes, like on this rainy day, you just want a dish to warm you up, comfort food, and Shepherd’s Pie is always a good choice. 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! What’s your favorite Irish dish?

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

The Harp and Crown Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to a neighborhood sport’s bar in the University area of Charlotte, Picasso’s Sports Café. This wings and pizza sports bar also features sandwiches, salads, and a list of starters.

Picasso's Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

There’s an outdoor eating area behind those columns. lol.

Dora here. Tucked into the bottom floor of a ginormous shopping center, we almost missed this place. So glad we didn’t because it reminded me of a modern “Cheers.”

Picasso's Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Great place to watch the Panthers play

We appreciated that it wasn’t dark and stale like some sports bars and offered plenty of tables near the windows. With televisions of all sizes, this cafe would be a great place to catch a game, especially if you get there early like us. lol.

As our starter, we chose the Breadstix with homemade dough, topped with mozzarella and cheddar cheese, garlic butter and served with a side of marinara. This appetizer was great, kind of like a cheese pizza with outstanding dough.

Picasso's Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Breadstix appetizer. YUM!

Dora here. Yum. Who can complain about a buttery crust and two kinds of cheese? Not me!

For my lunch, I ordered the Wing & Fry Basket, which included 6 garlic parmesan wings and tater tots. The buffalo sauce mixed in with the garlic and parmesan gave the wings quite the kick, really good flavor. The tater tots were crispy, just how I like them.

Picasso's Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Wings & Fry (tater tots, extra crispy just how I like them!) Basket.

Dora here. The pepperoni roll was a good balance if you’re craving something pizza-ish, not overly doughy or cheesy. But, unless you’re really hungry, you might want to share this jumbo roll. Especially if you order the Breadstix appetizer…carb overload. Don’t judge! lol.

Picasso's Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Pepperoni roll was a good balance if you’re craving something pizza-ish. Not overly cheesy or doughy.

Dora here. We surely missed you!

Wow, it’s so hard to believe that Ernie and I started the “foodies” aspect of the blog over three years ago!  He wanted me to try new places and venture outside my “foodie” box. It worked. 🙂

But now we’re spending most of our available weekends in our mountain home and we’re limited by driving distance during the week. That restricts our opportunities to try new places. Plus we never get the opportunity to go back to some of these places we’ve raved about. So, we’ll be scaling back from our weekly posts. Hope you’ll stick with us!

We rate this sports bar 3 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving good food.

Picasso's Sports Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato