Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

June 10, 2017June 9, 2017 / Dora Hiers / 3 Comments

When hubby and I first started food blogging, we decided that we would not review a restaurant that fell below a three fork rating. In just over two years, we’ve only experienced three fails. Today is one of those places where we knew from the minute we walked in the door that it wouldn’t be a good experience. The server was grumpy, stone-faced, and rude. A man’s voice could be heard yelling from the back of the restaurant practically the entire time we were eating. Awkward! And, worse, the food was mediocre.

Ernie here: This is kind of role reversal today with Dora taking the lead. The food at the no name restaurant was somewhere between terrible and uneatable. NOTE to self, make sure you check out the reviews before eating at a new restaurant.

So…for today’s edition of Excited about Eating we’re switching gears and reviewing our favorite coffee shop in Boone, Higher Grounds Coffee Shoppe.

Higher Grounds Coffee Shoppe Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Tucked in the corner of New Market Shopping Center

Tucked in the corner of New Market Shopping Center, Higher Grounds is easy to get to and plenty of parking, although you might not snag a close spot especially when Capone’s Pizza finally opens. (CANNOT wait for Capone’s to move in here!!)

Ernie: Now we are talking about a great place to eat! Capone’s is the BEST pizza in Boone.

We’ve been coming to Higher Grounds for years, so we knew we couldn’t go wrong reviewing here. lol. Ample seating. Eclectic and comfortable. Relatively quiet. And always awesome coffee and service.

Ernie: Not sure I would use the term “for years”, but for sure the last couple of years.

Eclectic. Homey. Comfortable. Awesome.

I have tried a few different coffees and liked all of them, but my favorite beverage is the Iced Chai Latte. And, miracle of miracles, they are the only place I know that carries it in DECAF, people! Maybe they just tell me it’s decaf, but it works for me. lol. See all those dark crystals on the bottom of the cup? Yummies, and they are heavenly! Warm at first, but then the ice kicks in, and the perfect strength. It’s probably loaded with sugar, but I don’t care.

Ernie: I chose the same this time and it was equally good.

We rate this coffee shop 5 forks (spoons) out of 5 for a family friendly place serving outstanding coffee.

See all those crystals at the bottom? Heavenly yummies! Best Iced Chai Latte ever! And decaf!

What about you? What’s your favorite coffee or tea? Do you have a go-to coffee shop?

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

May 6, 2017April 14, 2017 / Dora Hiers / 12 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to downtown Salisbury, North Carolina, and to Mambo Grill & Tapas, a restaurant serving Cuban cuisine. Living in Tampa, FL for most of my life, I have had the opportunity to taste and enjoy both Spanish and Cuban food since I was a little guy, and this place ranks right up there with the best.

They don’t open until noon on the weekends, but they fill up fast!

Dora here. We discovered this place shortly after we moved to North Carolina. It started in a tiny spot in a strip store, moved to a larger space on Fulton Street, and now they’ve expanded into this beautiful two-story historic building in downtown Salisbury. With so many businesses downsizing or disappearing entirely over the last few years, it’s heartening to see a restaurant flourish.

For an appetizer, we ordered Yuca Frita served with a garlic and cilantro dipping sauce. The Yuca, a starchy tubular root, was cubed and fried to perfection. Outstanding! Crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside, kind of like a fried potato.

Mambo Grill and Tapas Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Fried Yuca

I chose my favorite Cuban dish, Masitas. Large pork chunks flash fried, topped with garlic and onions, and served with yellow rice, black beans, and plantains. This dish was great! The pork so flavorful and tender that you could cut it with a fork and the rice and beans cooked flawlessly, just like I remembered them from Tampa.

Masitas

Dora here. Y’all, this was such a hard choice! We love, love, LOVE, Cuban cuisine and rarely get a chance to head thirty minutes up the road to Salisbury, so I couldn’t make up my mind between the Piccadillo, Ropa Vieja, and Palomilla Steak. I finally decided on the Piccadillo. Piccadillo is ground beef with tiny chunks of potatoes and bits of olives in a light tomato base. So subtle, if you’re not an olive fan, you might not even know they’re in there. But, oh my, so warm and comforting and exactly as I remembered! YUM! And the veggies? Al dente and screaming with flavor! Where were these when I was growing up? lol. Note to self: MUST make it a priority to come here more often!

Piccadillo, so warm and comforting and exactly as I remembered! YUM!

What about you? How do you like your veggies? What’s your favorite veggie?

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

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

January 7, 2017December 20, 2016 / Dora Hiers / 4 Comments

This edition of Exciting about Eating takes us back to Winston-Salem and to Bib’s Downtown, a BBQ joint whose owner, Mark Little, won the 2013 BBQ Pitmasters and is a regular on the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) competition BBQ scene.

Bib's Downtown Excited about Eating Ernie Hiers

As a KCBS BBQ Master Judge, I have enjoyed BBQ at numerous establishments. I always appreciate good que and was not disappointed at this stop.

2013 BBQ Pitmasters Champion

Dora here. The restaurant was practically deserted the Saturday before Christmas, but hey, everyone was probably out shopping for last minute gifts. (Or all their gifts??) Plus you know we’re earlybirds. Also, this place is downtown. Probably packed during the week, what do you think? (Tell me after you see the pics below. lol) When you’re on wheels, it’s always tough to eat downtown because of parking, but you’ll find spots galore here. Bonus!

Not too packed for an early Saturday lunch.

For our lunch, we shared the half rack of ribs and pulled pork combo, but upgraded the pork to brisket. For sides, we chose white slaw, onion rings, hush puppies, and Texas toast. The standout winner on this plate was the brisket, tender, flavorful, and just the right amount of smoke. A close second was the St. Louis style ribs, cooked perfectly with just a little bite and more than I/we could finish in one seating. The hush puppies were golden brown but with a peppery soft inside, a taste that I have never experienced in a hush puppy.

The standout winner on this plate was the brisket!

Dora here. Just in case you need a better view…(yes, I’m evil like that, lol)

St. Louis style ribs, cooked perfectly with just a little bite and more than I/we could finish in one seating

Wow, just wow! The brisket was amazingly tender, so moist and lean. By far, my favorite over the ribs. I’m not a huge fan of St. Louis style ribs because they tend to be fatty. These were heavier on the meat and the sauce was finger-licking great, so it was easy to overlook the fat. I usually order slaw with my que, and this was sweet but not sugary, nothing to get excited over. But the onion rings? Golden brown excellence! And if a BBQ restaurant can’t serve great okra, there’s no hope for them, lol. No problem here. This okra was crispy and delicious.

What’s your must-have side to go along with BBQ?

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

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Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers