food blogger

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 18 Comments
This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to McKoy’s Smokehouse & Saloon located right off of I-77 and Old Pineville Rd in south Charlotte. 
McKoy's Smokehouse & Saloon
This smokehouse, with both indoor and outdoor seating, reminds me of what a local BBQ joint should look like with wood interior, BBQ paraphernalia on the wall, and loads of TV’s.
McKoy's Smokehouse & Saloon
We chose to share the Living the Dream (LTD) platter, a combination of ribs, pork, pot roast, and smoked BBQ chicken with sides of mac n’ cheese and fried okra. The St. Louis style ribs were great, not fall off the bone as most BBQ restaurants serve, but with a little pull after the bite like KCBS competition ribs. The smoked pot roast was different, something I’ve never eaten. 
McKoy's Smokehouse & Saloon
Living the Dream platter
Dora here. While we were contemplating the menu, I remember commenting that I wished they offered a combo minus the pot roast. But, no matter. I gobbled the pot roast down first! 🙂 And look at that crusty bark on the mac & cheese! Yummy! I’m really not a fan of okra, but their crispy vegies won me over. (Sorry, no pic.) Even with two of us eating off this plate, we still brought home a leftover container with enough meat to make a pot of chili. Sa-weet!

Have you tried smoked pot roast? 
What did you think?
What’s the most unusual smoked meat you’ve eaten?


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

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

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 7 Comments

This week’s Exciting about Eating journeys to the Peculiar Rabbit, a farm-to-fork gastropub in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood of Charlotte.

This neighborhood pub attempts to make everyone feel at home with their comfortable interior and friendly service.

Dora here. Oops. Forgot to snap a picture of that comfortable, inviting interior. I was so impressed with all the beautiful exterior seating.

While we waited for our appetizer, the server dropped off complimentary scones. Fresh out of the oven hot, the coconut pineapple pecan scones melted in my mouth although I couldn’t really taste the pineapple.

Complimentary scones

Dora here. I’d go back just for the scones! Soft, light and delicious!

The Mexican Street Corn Fritters may be some of the best I’ve ever eaten! Roasted corn on the inside, good texture and golden brown on the outside. The honey-lime cilantro aioli paired perfectly with the fritters.

Mexican Street Corn Fritters

Dora here. Such a wonderful blend of textures with the crisp outside and soft inside, and loaded with corn. Loved, loved, loved the lime aioli. 

Mexican Street Corn Fritters, loaded with corn


The Chicken and Waffles dish was huge! Chicken battered in 12 Herbs and Spices, malted milk waffles, Vermont maple syrup and two soft scrambled eggs. The eggs and waffle took a back seat to the fried chicken. Crispy, tender and moist. Outstanding!

Chicken & Waffles

Dora here. I visited Peculiar Rabbit with a dear friend a few weeks ago, and I enjoyed it so much, I was anxious to bring Ernie back. The last time, I sampled the PR Burger. Awesome, btw, but this time I ordered the Chicken Biscuit. A giant cheddar biscuit with fried chicken breast, American cheese, hot sauce and mayo served with crispy breakfast potatoes. Yum! A tad spicy, which I like, but I preferred to eat the chicken and biscuit separately. The breakfast potatoes were tasty with the perfect amount of seasoning. I wanted to cry that I had to leave some on my plate. Maybe the next time we’ll check out that rooftop deck. 🙂 

Chicken Biscuit


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

What about you? Given a choice, do you prefer to sit inside or out?


The Peculiar Rabbit Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 3 Comments
This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to Pelican Café Restaurant, situated in a garden of palm trees and flowers in the heart of Fira, Greece. 

Since we were visiting Greece, I wanted to taste an authentic Greek salad. Let me just say, it was great! Piled high with tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, olives, capers and onions, all of the ingredients were fresh with just the right amount of dressing. An unbelievable sized block of feta cheese topped the salad, at least an inch thick and almost as large as the bowl. An interesting variation from the American version was the lack of lettuce. 

Greek Salad

Dora here. I’m not a fan of Greek salads, so I went with the “Kipos” salad. More my style with lettuce, corn, grilled chicken and figs doused with a citrus and honey vinaigrette. Delish, and another huge portion!

Not knowing the gigantic portion sizes, we also shared a sandwich, ham and Naxo’s cheese on a white baguette. Just as tasty and plentiful as the salads, but the highlight was the fresh baguette, firmer on the outside and perfectly soft on the inside. I could have made a whole meal just off the bread. 

Dora here. What a beautiful, serene spot to linger over a cup of coffee or catch a leisurely meal. If you visit, make sure to include a stop here. Just give yourself a few minutes before you hop on those cable cars down to the beach. 🙂

Um, yeah. 🙂

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

**Bonus**
During our visit to Ephesus, Turkey, our cruise excursion included an authentic Biblical meal at Cittantica Ephesus Park. 

Dora here. How fun! Not quite authentic. No feet washing and they provided utensils. Phew! 🙂
Appetizers included Jacob’s beans (pickled green beans), a block of goat cheese, a garbanzo bean paste (hummus), chive yogurt and leeks. The beans, cheese and yogurt were great. I wasn’t a fan of the paste or leeks. 

The main courses consisted of lamb stew and grilled fish. Now these two choices were outstanding. Never having lamb stew I was a little apprehensive, but to my surprise, it was great. The lamb and veggies were tender, the fish large and chunky, and both tasty and full of flavor.

Dora here. I tend to be a picky eater and a few years ago, I probably wouldn’t have touched anything. But I devoured almost everything and enjoyed the whole experience. It pays to be more adventurous in your eating habits. 🙂

If this food was served at a restaurant, we would rate it 5 forks.

Where is the most adventurous place you’ve eaten?