Excited about Eating

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 9 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to Boone, NC and to The Red Onion Café located practically in the shadow of Appalachian State University. This local eating establishment boasts that “An evening at Red Onion Café promises to be an experience to remember!” and they were correct, even though we visited at lunch.

Red Onion Cafe Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

I can’t wait until the temperature warms up so we can enjoy this awesome patio!

Dora here. It’s winter and the planter boxes are empty, but picture this patio with the lights on and colorful flowers lining the ledge. Wouldn’t that just whisper, “Come sit down. Relax. Eat. Enjoy.” I can’t wait until the temperature warms up so we can do just that. During a Sunday lunch, the inside was jammed with regular patrons, and I can see why. With their extensive menu, everyone can surely find something. 

For my lunch, I chose the Baja Fish Tacos, two soft shell tacos with blackened Tilapia, grilled pineapple, spicy cilantro slaw and topped with a creamy sriracha sauce. So with a restaurant named Red Onion, you know I have to try their fried onion rings. Dipped lightly in a homemade batter and fried to a perfect golden brown, they were outstanding! I like onion rings that, when you bite into them, you don’t end up with the entire sloppy onion ring in your mouth while holding the batter in your hand. The tacos were equally great with just a little heat from the slaw and sauce. Excellent choice!

Red Onion Cafe Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Baja Fish Tacos, excellent choice!

Dora here. The Chicken Fajita Wrap was ginormous and loaded with chicken, lettuce and tomato. Cheesy good, but it was missing some heat. I would’ve liked a kick of flavor to give it more depth. 🙂 

Red Onion Cafe Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Chicken Fajita Wrap: Ginormous and loaded with chicken, lettuce and tomato. Cheesy good, but I would’ve liked a kick of heat. 🙂

Onion rings: Thick batter or thin? And where’s your favorite place to get them?

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

Red Onion Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 14 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to the South Park area of Charlotte and to Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern. What a unique name for a restaurant. This casual neighborhood restaurant offers all of the normal tavern type foods, like burgers, sandwiches and wings, but also some not so typical, like sirloin, pasta, and chicken parmesan.

Rusty Bucket Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

No fretting about parking. Free parking garage right around the corner!

Dora here. With their robust menu, Rusty Bucket has a little something for everyone. In case you’re like us and not a huge fan of brunch, they also offer their regular menu on the weekends, one aspect we really appreciated! I really liked the cozy, casual vibes of this place, and no fretting over parking, either. There’s a free parking garage practically right next door. Bonus! 

Rusty Bucket Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Really liked the cozy casual vibes!

For our appetizer, we chose the Warm Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes with a caramel dipping sauce. These donut holes were great, light and had great favor although not particularly sweet. I was not a fan of the dipping sauce, but if you rolled them around in a plate of sugar, the sweetness level was perfect. Dora here. Cinnamon heaven! The doughnut holes were light and airy, and I was a bit relieved that Ernie didn’t care for the buttery warm sauce because that left more for me! lol. Oh. My. Yum! 

Rusty Bucket Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Cinnamon Doughnut Holes…heavenly!

I chose the Breakfast Burrito from the Brunch menu. Scrambled eggs, sausage, peppers and onions, pepper jack and cheddar cheese wrapped in a tortilla then topped with ranchero sauce and sour cream and served with red skin breakfast potatoes. Now I have had breakfast burritos all over the world but I have to say this one was in the top three of the best I have ever had. The eggs were cooked perfectly, the sausage not spicy, the shell soft, and the ranchero sauce added just enough heat to finish off this dish. I would definitely order this burrito again.

Rusty Bucket Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Breakfast Burrito, one of the best I’ve ever had!

Dora here. What can I say about the Codwich? Oh my word, y’all! The picture doesn’t even do it justice. I could hardly get that giant chunk of cod in my mouth. lol. Huge. Meaty. Delicious! Oh yeah, I would order this again. My iced tea glass never ran dry, always a plus, and service was attentive and friendly. Rusty Bucket definitely made it on our repeat list!

Rusty Bucket Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Oh my stars, this sandwich, y’all! Huge. Meaty. Delicious. The Codwich.

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

What about you? Do you get all excited about brunch? What’s your favorite brunch dish?

Rusty Bucket Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 15 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to Banner Elk, NC, and to The Pedalin’ Pig BBQ, a locally owned and operated restaurant using local sourced ingredients. Besides the normal BBQ options, this regional favorite also offers tacos, salads, and a bunch of different sides.

The Pedalin' Pig BBQ Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Huge with several different eating spaces

Dora here. We’ve eaten at this location a couple of times now. The interior is a bit tired and worn, yet still gives off that homey, comfortable vibe. It’s also huge, with several different eating spaces. But I can’t wait until the weather warms and we can sit outdoors.

The Pedalin' Pig Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Huge interior. Homey and comfy, a bit tired and worn.

We started with the Pork Rinds with “pig spice.” Crispy, full of pork flavor, and as always with pork rinds, it’s hard to stop eating them once you start. Dora here. Actually, Ernie, you started with the pork rinds. Not a fan of pork rinds anywhere. 

The Pedalin' Pig Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Pork Rinds appetizer: hard to stop eating once you start

For my lunch, I chose The Worker’s Lunch Special, which included a pulled pork sandwich with house-made chips, slaw, and a drink all for $6.95, what a deal. The pulled pork was tender, smoky, and full of that wonderful pork bark. The slaw was sweet and made a perfect addition when I added it to my pulled pork sandwich and the chips were light, thin, and flawlessly cooked.

The Pedalin' Pig Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

The Worker’s Lunch Special: Pork sandwich was tender, smoky, and full of that wonderful pork bark

Dora here. Today, the Worker’s Lunch Special came with either brisket or pork. I opted for brisket. Can you believe you can get all this food plus the drink for only $6.95?? The brisket was tender, just enough fat to make it juicy, and blanketed with a light layer of sauce to give it a nice sheen. I don’t care for North Carolina Barbeque Red slaw (with ketchup). This is my favorite kind of slaw, creamy and sweet, and adds a nice texture when added to the sandwich. I only ate a few of the house-made chips, but they were nice and crispy.  

The Pedalin' Pig Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

The Worker’s Lunch Special with Brisket. Such a bargain for only $6.95, including drink!

Which would you choose, pork or brisket?

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

Pedalin' Pig Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato