foodie

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 9 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to Bodegas Kitchen and Wine Bar located in Banner Elk, NC. In the middle of the mountains, this newly-opened tapas style restaurant serves food with a Caribbean fare. Dora here. If you aren’t paying attention, you’ll pass this place. Like I did the first time. lol. It’s tucked back into a corner of Eagles Nest Marketplace.

Bodegas, Fiction Faith & Foodies, Ernie & Dora Hiers

Tucked into the corner

Inside is fresh and clean with ample space between tables. But…

Bodegas, Fiction Faith & Foodies, Ernie & Dora Hiers

Inside is fresh and clean with ample space between tables

I’m really looking forward to sitting outside on this amazing deck when the weather warms!

Bodegas, Fiction Faith & Foodies, Ernie & Dora Hiers

What an amazing deck! I’m looking forward to sitting outside when the weather warms.

For our appetizer, we chose the Brussels Sprouts, fresh and lightly fried, and served with a tangy aioli sauce. The sprouts were outstanding, served al dente with a smoky char and worked well with the aioli. Dora here. I’m not a huge fan of sprouts, but Ernie loves them. The sauce was great, but the sprouts a tad too stiff for me.

Bodegas, Fiction Faith & Foodies, Ernie & Dora Hiers

Brussel Sprouts appetizer

For lunch, I chose the Cubano, a pressed sandwich packed with pork, ham, Swiss cheese, mustard and pickles, and served on authentic Cuban bread. The sandwich was great, loaded with meat and cheese, but the real winner here was the Fire Roasted Street Corn, slathered with mayo and queso fresco cheese and roasted to perfection.

Bodegas, Fiction Faith & Foodies, Ernie & Dora Hiers

Cuban sandwich with Fire Roasted Street Corn

Dora here. Oh my goodness, y’all, check out this ginormous fish sandwich!! Ernie actually took a picture of me trying to eat this monster, but I wouldn’t let him post it. lol. Perfectly fried cod, incredibly soft and the freshest of breads, a delightful crunchy slaw, and amazing flavors…what more could a person want in a meal? I would definitely order this again.

Bodegas, Fiction Faith & Foodies, Ernie & Dora Hiers

Ginormous Fish Sandwich, amazing flavors! I would definitely order this again.

Typically, I only like plantains fried like chips, but our server made these Maduros sound delicious. And, oh, were they! They were fried to give the outside a slight crunch, but inside was soft and sweet, buttery even, with a hint of…brown sugar? Guessing here, but this dish was almost like dessert. Definitely another winner!

Bodegas, Fiction Faith & Foodies Blog, Ernie & Dora Hiers

Maduros, sweet fried plantains. Amazing! Almost like dessert.

Our food came out fast, and our server was attentive and friendly. Their amazing food and impeccable service won us over. Bodegas is going on our “favorites” list. 

What new restaurant have you tried recently? What did you enjoy most about it?

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

 

 

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 9 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to Southern Craft Barbecue, a wood fired smokehouse serving BBQ, burgers, and tacos in a historic downtown warehouse in Johnson City, TN.

Southern Craft BBQ Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers
Free parking lot directly in front of the restaurant.

Dora here. Parking is free directly across from the restaurant, always a bonus in my opinion. I really liked the industrial rustic vibes and the spacious interior. That said, outside of the longer tables in the back for bigger parties, I didn’t see too many actual tables. Could just be because half walls cordoned off the restaurant into sections. We were seated at a high top next to the bar but would’ve preferred a regular table. 

Love the industrial rustic vibe!

For our appetizer, we opted for the Corn Bread Skillet. This corn bread was great if you like it with less sugar and more texture. You could never get enough of the maple butter and the caramelized onions were unnoticeable.

Southern Craft BBQ Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Corn Bread Skillet Appetizer

Dora here. Don’t call me a hater, but this wasn’t a great start for me. No bits of corn, no sugar, and not nearly enough butter. And the caramelized onions? Hmmm. Really?

For my meal, I ordered the BBQ Combo. My two meats were pork belly and burnt ends, and the two sides, fried okra and tater tots. The BBQ was great, the pork belly was fatty and meaty, just like it should be, and the burnt ends were large chunks of flavor with their original BBQ sauce. Both meats were very smoky and tender, and something that I would definitely order again.

Southern Craft BBQ Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

BBQ Combo: Pork belly, burnt ends, fried okra and tater tots

Dora here. They pack quite a bit of brisket between two hefty pieces of Texas toast. The brisket was cooked well, and not fatty or dry like some. It came with a tiny mound of slaw to top and a nice sized portion of seasoned tater tots. More than enough to fill your belly and I actually brought some home.

Southern Craft BBQ Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Brisket Sandwich. Cooked well, not fatty or dry like some.

Still Dora. If you’re in search of a restaurant to hold a conversation, this probably isn’t the spot. But if you want good BBQ and a hearty meal, go for it.

How do you like your cornbread?

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 / 6 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to Zingerman’s Roadhouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This restaurant serves local favorites from all over the US, including grits from South Carolina, crab cakes from Maryland, and BBQ from Carolina.

Zingerman's Roadhouse Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Recognize these two handsome dudes? 🙂

Dora here. Don’t let that picture above fool you. Inside, the place was jammed on a Saturday night, and the picture below is only a small portion of the large restaurant. Even so, our server was friendly and didn’t appear rushed or harried, even offered some helpful recommendations. Kudos!

Zingerman's Roadhouse Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

No empty tables on a Saturday night!

For my dinner, I chose the Chicken Fried Steak, sirloin, breaded and fried, and smothered with chicken gravy. It came with grits, yellow mustard slaw, and bacon braised collard greens. This meal was outstanding. The steak was super tender, adequately breaded, and the gravy was just thick enough to stick to the steak. The sides were great with the greens having that great bacon flavor and the perfect amount of bite.

Zingerman's Roadhouse Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Chicken Fried Steak-outstanding!

Dora here. According to our server, their Fried Chicken Macaroni and Cheese started off as a seasonal dish and was only supposed to stay on the menu for a short time. Ten years later…I can see why it became a regular favorite! This is probably the best mac and cheese I have ever tasted! Thick chunks of tender chicken (mostly white meat–which I prefer), the pasta cooked to the right firmness, and the bechamel divine! If that wasn’t good enough, they go the extra mile and add a nice char to the top. Excellent choice! Go for the large, even if you have to take some home. You’ll thank me later. 🙂

Zingerman's Roadhouse, Fiction Faith & Foodies, Ernie & Dora Hiers

Fried Chicken Macaroni and Cheese, some of the best I have ever tasted!

How do you like your macaroni and cheese? Any particular ingredients you like added?

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

Zingerman's Roadhouse Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato