Charlotte

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to our favorite area of Charlotte, Plaza Midwood and to Kickstand Burger Bar.

Excited about Eating Kickstand Burger Bar

Parking is in the back, so this is actually the back entrance

Large outdoor seating area

This bar type restaurant with TVs at most booths really capitalized on their namesake by hanging bikes all over the restaurant. They are giving away this particular bike.

Excited about Eating Kickstand Burger Bar

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We chose the Onion Tanglers appetizer, lightly breaded thin onion circles fried crispy that melted in your mouth. The dipping sauce possessed a little kick.

Onion Tanglers, just enough heat in the sauce to jazz up your mouth without burning

Dora here. haha, just a little. Enough heat to ramp up your tongue without burning. 🙂 But a tad greasy for my liking.

I ordered the “Build a Dog” with cole slaw and chili. Our server told us that these were Nathan hot dogs so I was confident in their quality. The large dogs, loaded with slaw and chili, were great. The only negative was the standard bun, over toasted and dry.

Build the Dog

Dora here. Bummer. I went with the Trek burger topped with caramelized onions, Gorgonzola, steak sauce, and chipotle mayo. The burger was good, but a bit overloaded with steak sauce. I devoured most of the sweet tater tots, but ditched the syrup. I would’ve preferred a sprinkling of brown sugar rather than syrup. Yeah, go ahead and tell me I’m spoiled. I’ll admit it. 🙂

Trek Burger

Still Dora here. Our grandson really enjoyed his grilled cheese sandwich and was enthralled with the decor. He would definitely vote for a return visit. 🙂 The inside was clean and the service quick and friendly. In Charlotte, the private parking lot is always a bonus.

Do you frequent restaurants because your kids or grandkiddos like them?

Overall, we rate this restaurant 3 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving good food.

This edition of Exited about Eating is back in the US at Amelie’s French Bakery in the NoDa (North Davidson) Arts District of Charlotte. This bakery, that also serves a variety of sandwiches, salads and other specialties, is a go-to place to quench not only your sweet tooth, but also your savory cravings.

Amelie’s French Bakery in NoDa

Dora here. You can say that again. Wait until you catch a glimpse of their dessert counter. Yowza!

Fun, eclectic interior. Order at the counter

I ordered the Provence B.L.T with Red Potato Salad and because I had no idea what a Tartine was, a Ham & Gruyere Tartine. The B.L.T. was served on a crispy baguette with loads of bacon, lettuce, and mayo that combined for the perfect bite, crispy on the outside and loads of flavor on the inside.

BLT with Potato Salad

The Tartine is actually an open-faced sandwich. The baguette was blanketed with ham and melted Gruyere cheese.

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Dora here. Talk about gooey and cheesy delicious!! We could’ve made a meal on the tartine alone! But we didn’t. 😀

The Strawberry Candied Almond Salad called to me. Because you know I’m all for salads with fruit, right? Yum! I added chicken for protein and my mouth exploded with flavor with the almost-sweet balsamic vinaigrette and the crunchy candy almonds. Yum! My only negative about this dish would be that it was entirely spring mix (Ernie calls them “weeds”). I would’ve preferred romaine and should’ve asked for the switch.

Strawberry Candied Almond Salad with Chicken – YUM!

Still Dora, the interior is eclectic and homey, like a family dinner, with all sorts of conversations flowing and swirling around you. Can you spot my sweetheart in this pic? xo

Homey and eclectic

Still Dora. What’s up with the big guy? He petered out at the best part. lol. Of course, we couldn’t pass by that bakery case without ordering dessert–awesome marketing ploy on their part, don’t you think? The Monkey Bread (Ernie’s choice) looks sickeningly sweet, doesn’t it? But so not! So delicate, it reminded me of an apple fritter without the chunky apples. And that’s a coconut macaroon next to it. I admit to being disappointed that it wasn’t dipped in chocolate at first, but one bite of that chewy ball of coconut made up for it. Mmmmm.

Monkey Bread, Coconut Macaroon, Chai Tea Lattes (iced and hot)

Amelie’s definitely made it on our “must go back” list.

Everybody lines up in front of this extensive dessert case to order. Like you could resist, right?

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

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Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers