Excited about Eating

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 9 Comments

This edition of Exciting about Eating takes us to the High Country and to BBQ-Burgers & Brews Restaurant & Tavern in Boone, NC. This restaurant offers all of the BBQ regulars, cooked “low and slow” plus many unique burgers and a salad bar.

Spacious, rustic interior

For my meal, I chose the B3 Sampler Plate which included baby back ribs and brisket with rosemary fries, creamed corn and a yeast roll. Whenever I visit a BBQ restaurant for the first time, I always like to try a sampler so that I can get an overall taste of all of their food. The star of this plate was the baby back ribs, tender, sweet, and smoked to perfection. The only issue I had with them was I wished there were more. The next highlight? Those fries, fried crispy and infused with rosemary. I should have doubled my order since my wife liked them too. The brisket was moist and tasty, and the cream corn sweet and delicious. Dora here. Those rosemary fries were addictive!

BBQ Burgers & Brews Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Sampler Platter

Dora here. So many great sounding burgers and BBQ dishes, but the pork nachos were calling my name. When they came out, I was a bit surprised at the small-ish dish. In other restaurants, they’re usually piled high on a platter. But, really, this appetizer was the perfect size for one person to consume for lunch. And I did. lol. The chips were light and fresh, the pork tender, and the queso drizzled with a light hand. And the best part? Every bite had something on it. 🙂

BBQ Burgers & Brews Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Pork Nachos, just the right amount of goodies for every chip!

What about you? What new place did you try this week?

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

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 10 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to an old-time diner packed with old-fashioned memorabilia, Troy’s 105 Diner in Boone, NC. This diner has all of the favorites like homemade soup, salads, 1/2 lb burgers, and their famous milkshakes.

Troy's 105 Diner Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Old time diner with all the diner favorites

Dora here. Milkshakes? How come we haven’t ordered a milkshake? Note to self: Must remedy that! Actually, we’ve eaten here a few times now. Right off Hwy 105, they’re convenient and close to our mountain home and have saved us from driving all the way back into Boone or Blowing Rock when other restaurants high on our list are packed. This time we were aiming for Sunrise Grill but did not want to risk a 45-minute wait with two starving grandkiddos. lol. And, when you can’t decide between breakfast and lunch, sometimes you just need a good old-fashioned diner fix!

Troy's Diner Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Sometimes you just need a good old-fashioned diner fix!

I chose the Carolina Cheddar Burger, a 1/2 lb burger topped with cheddar cheese, lettuce, and tomato, and blanketed with chili and coleslaw. For non-Carolinian’s, anything served Carolina style is covered with chili and slaw. The burger was huge, juicy, and messy so that you have to eat it with a fork, but it was great, and as usual, the slaw added the perfect crunch. The onion rings were plentiful and crispy and were the perfect match for the burger.

Troy's Diner Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Carolina Cheddar Burger, huge, juicy and messy, but great!

Dora here. After enjoying their French Toast the last time, I opted for lunch today, the Grilled Asian Marinated Chicken. The chicken was tender and well-grilled, and the pineapple added another dimension. Maybe they should rename it, though, because the Asian marinade was not even noticeable. At first glance, the macaroni and cheese does not look appealing, but it was tasty and cheesy. I would order this again.

Troy's Diner Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Grilled Asian Marinated Chicken…maybe should be renamed because the Asian marinade was so subtle, it was unnoticeable. Overall, though, the chicken was tender and well-grilled.

What’s your favorite diner and diner food?

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

Troy's 105 Diner Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 9 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to a place guaranteed to find a spicy meal, Razzoo’s Cajun Café in the Concord Mills area of Concord, NC. This restaurant offers a variety of entries but, from what I’ve tasted, they all have one thing in common, some level of heat from mild to atomic hot.

Razzoo's Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Razzoo’s colorful exterior

Dora here. I really like their colorful exterior and that continues on the inside with upcycled materials. I also appreciate the ample space between booths and tables and the generous parking. 

Cool interior
Love the upcycled materials

The menu had so many items that I would like to try. I chose the Cajun Combo Skillet, Andouille sausage, shrimp creole, crawfish etoufee, and red beans ‘n rice, with a side of fried okra. Now this was a great dish with varying levels of flavor and heat. My favorite and the spiciest was the crawfish etoufee served on dirty rice, which was loaded with crawfish in a dark roux sauce. This was outstanding, very rich and smooth and just the right intensity. The shrimp creole was great with juicy shrimp and a spicy creole sauce served over fluffy white rice.

Razzoo's Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Cajun Combo Skillet

Dora here. Did I really complain about lack of heat in last week’s dish? Guess Ernie decided to fix that with this week’s restaurant suggestion. Sheesh. :wiping my brow: I’ll tell you right now that I fought ordering a chicken dish off the menu, but eating at a Cajun restaurant calls for stepping out of your comfort zone, right? Well, I veered way out! Usually I don’t order fish because it tends to be too, well, fishy tasting, but the Stuffed Fish was not at all. And if it weren’t for the menu, I might never have suspected that the fish was studded with a subtle shrimp and crab stuffing. The sauce had a smooth buttery flavor, and the fish was tender and flakey with an afterburner kick of heat. Tame, actually, compared to Ernie’s forehead and neck slicker. He could’ve used a towel to go along with his napkin. haha.

Razzoo's Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Stuffed Fish. An afterburner of heat, but tame compared to the Cajun Combo Skillet.

What’s your favorite seafood dish?

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

Razzoo's Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato