Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

June 6, 2015March 24, 2016 / Dora Hiers / 1 Comment

This edition of Exited about Eating features a bonus since we visited two restaurants on a holiday weekend. Our first visit was to the South End of Charlotte to Pike’s Old Fashioned Soda Shop.

Now when I hear Soda Shop, it brings back memories of diners that were located in drug stores forty years ago and this place meets the billing. We visited on a Sunday and they were serving their Brunch buffet which I was eager to try. Service was attentive and friendly, and brunch provided a wide variety of both breakfast and lunch selections and also quite of few sweet options.

For breakfast, the standout item for me was the biscuits with sausage gravy. The biscuits were light and fluffy and the gravy creamy with just the right amount of sausage. For lunch, the broccoli casserole stood out, tender, rich, and packed with broccoli. Also the scones and key lime pie were outstanding choices.

Biscuits and sausage gravy

Brunch buffet

Dora here. Lots of carb heavy dishes, but not enough proteins for me. Some of my faves: blueberry french toast, coffee cake, and carrot cake. See what I mean? 🙂 Flavor was great, but a tad lukewarm for my taste. I’m the gal who orders my coffee extra hot.

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

On Monday of the holiday weekend, we visited Whiskey Warehouse in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood of Charlotte. This rustic looking pub has an industrial feel built into a sports bar with many TV’s and a large rooftop patio.

We started with the Brussel sprouts appetizer, cooked in a white wine, garlic and parmesan reduction topped with bacon jelly. We are really not sprouts fans, but we gave them a try and were not disappointed. They were roasted, smoky and the bacon jelly could easily get addictive. Dora here. Still not a sprouts fan, but this appetizer is a great way to entice kids, er…adults to eat their veggies. That bacon’s like candy!

Brussel Sprouts Appetizer

Since May was National Burger Month, we ordered burgers. I selected the Elvis Burger, topped with peanut butter, bacon and cheese. Now I am a peanut butter lover but have never thought about adding it to a burger but will in the future. This burger was large, juicy, and tasted great. You could taste the peanut butter, but it was not overwhelming and blended together perfectly.

Elvis Burger

Dora here. Based on our friendly server’s recommendation, I ordered the Bistro Burger, topped with caramelized onions, Brie cheese, bacon and a horseradish dijon aioli. Oh my stars! This juicy burger wowed me with robust flavor, the sweetness from the Brie and onions calling out for more bites until all I had left was an empty plate. The hand-cut fries were a perfect accompaniment, and finally, a restaurant that passed my iced tea test with an A+! Adding Whiskey Warehouse to our “must return” list.

Bistro Burger

I would rate this establishment 5 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving outstanding food.

What’s the most surprising topping you’ve ever tried on a burger? Did you like it?

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

May 23, 2015March 24, 2016 / Dora Hiers / 3 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte to Kennedy’s Premium Bar & Grill. This pub is tucked into a neighborhood friendly area that boasts many family restaurants and has a huge outside deck. Dora here. Wish the sky hadn’t been so overcast because I would’ve enjoyed sitting outside on the gorgeous deck.

We started with the Pretzel Bites appetizer served with Queso and Dijon mustard dipping sauces. Dipping in the Queso took the pretzel bites from OK to good. The server warned us that the Dijon mustard was spicy and she was right. Dora here. Phew! Have a tissue handy. The mustard sauce will clear out your sinuses, but I liked it! I was expecting these little nuggets to taste chewy and soft, but instead they were a bit crispy.

Pretzel Bites with Queso and Dijon Mustard

I chose the Shepherd’s Pie with Guinness gravy, layers of beef, mushrooms, carrots, celery, and onions topped with mashed potatoes along with a side of tater tots. The meat was tender and the vegetables cooked so that they still had a crunch. The mashed potatoes were creamy and the tater tots outstanding. My biggest issue with this dish was that it was only lukewarm, causing the flavors not to mix well.

Shepherd’s Pie

My wife had the Fish & Chips, deep fried Haddock, battered with Harp lager, an Irish beer. Dora here. Since Kennedy’s is a pub, I had high hopes for this dish. The fish was lightly battered, flakey and tender. The sweet potato fries were a bit lackluster, and the slaw was just average. Nothing really tantalized my taste buds. And the iced tea? A total loss. Bummer. But then I’m quite sure people don’t frequent this establishment for the iced tea. 🙂

Fish & Sweet Potato Fries

I would rate this restaurant 3 forks out of 5 forks for a family friendly restaurant serving good food.

Do you set expectations for your dining choices based on a review, recommendations from friends, or perhaps from the name of the restaurant?

Kennedy's Premium Bar and Grill on Urbanspoon

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

May 16, 2015March 24, 2016 / Dora Hiers / 3 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to the Dilworth neighborhood of Charlotte and to Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, which is scheduled to change hands for a whopping $21 million soon.

Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar

This family oriented eating spot boasts an industrial feel but includes TVs and a patio to cater to all clientele. Dora here. I think Ernie just got all excited about the diamond plate wainscoting. Reminded him of a fire truck. 🙂 Seriously, folks, Bad Daddy’s attracted all ages, and is in a walkable, bikable neighborhood. Be warned though. Parking is tight, and by Saturday at noon, people were lined up outside, waiting to get in.

We started with the Fried Pickles appetizer. These dill pickles were very good; sliced lengthways, fried very crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The only thing that would have made these better would be a little less salt. Dora here. Anybody else getting tired of seeing fried pickles on here? Note to Ernie: next time go with a different appetizer!

Fried Pickles

I chose the Classic Southern Burger, a basic burger topped with chili, American cheese, relish, mustard and slaw and served on a Brioche bun. Basically a Carolina burger except swap the onions with relish. This burger was huge, sloppy and had to be eaten with a fork. The flavors were outstanding and the chili actually had beans. Tater tots were crispy and had an excellent taste. Dora here. There was nothing basic about that burger.

Classic Southern Burger with tots

My wife had the Frenchie which is a turkey burger with brie, applewood bacon, grilled apples and garlic mayo served on a Brioche bun. Dora here. I was torn on this one because I really was leaning toward the Mama Ricotta’s Burger, just to try it. Doesn’t that sound intriguing? Anyway, the Frenchie with the grilled apples won. The bun was soft and fresh, as if they baked it on site, and the cheese literally oozed from the sandwich. Good thing the tables sport a roll of paper towels because you’ll need ’em. But, let me tell you, the jalapeno honey mustard and bad daddy sauces on the side were ah-mazing! They jazzed this yummy turkey burger to awesome, but too much of a good thing might leave your tongue on fire.