restaurant review

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

/ Dora Hiers
This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to to Krazy Fish in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood. We arrived a little before noon on Good Friday and waited a few minutes to be greeted and seated. The first thing we noticed was the eclectic interior combined with junk art throughout the restaurant, and the musty smell was a turn off.
Interior
At the waiter’s suggestion, we shared the Neptune Platter which included fried fish, shrimp, calamari, scallops, and vegetables and also served with Krazy slaw, Mac n Cheese (our choice) and cornbread. Nuoc Cham (at least, that’s what we think it was?) and wasabi tartar dipping sauces were provided.
Neptune Platter

I don’t believe there is any way one person could have eaten this entire meal. It was huge. The fish was tender, the calamari crispy, and the fried vegetables were perfectly cooked with just the right amount of bite, the highlight of the dish. The two negatives of this dish were the Krazy slaw and the cornbread. The slaw had an unidentifiable spice and a “pickled” flavor which made it almost uneatable and the cornbread was very dry. Dora here. I’m not a huge fan of seafood in general, so it takes a lot to win me over. For me, the fish was a bit too fishy, and nothing on the plate really stood out or invited me to come back. Maybe I might’ve liked the grilled platter more.

I would rate this establishment 3 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving good food.Krazy Fish on Urbanspoon

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 4 Comments
This edition of “Excited about Eating” takes us to Pineville to Machu Picchu, Peruvian Cuisine, named after the ancient Inca City near Cusco, Peru. Now I can truly say, I have never had Peruvian food, but I am always up for trying something new and my wife was in an adventurous mood. Dora here. Haha! 

Machu Picchu

Just inside, we noticed pictures of some of the menu items on the wall and a picture page was included with the menu. This was especially helpful for us to understand the menu. Dora here. I noticed something else. The pungent aroma of seafood. And the interior is quite dim.

 I chose the Arroz Con Mariscos which consisted of yellow rice cooked with an assortment of seafood, mixed vegetables and spices. This dish was very good, not too spicy but very moist and tasty, and packed with perfectly cooked seafood. It would have been great if they reduced the massive portion size and included one of the interesting side items from the menu like fried plantains or yucca. 

Arroz Con Mariscos

Dora ordered Bisteck Apanado, lightly breaded deep-fried steak served with white rice and French fries. The star of this dish was the deep-fried steak, which had the right amount of breading, juicy, and so good. It was strange that this dish was served with both white rice and French fries. Dora here. This steak reminded me of Palomilla steak, my favorite dish from when we lived in Tampa. Tender and tasty, and I’d definitely order it again! 

Bistec Apanado

We opted for dessert instead of an appetizer this trip. At our waiter’s recommendation, we chose Alfajores, two shortbread cookies with Dulce de leche in the middle sprinkled with powdered sugar. A nice way to end the meal, just the right amount of crunch and not sweet. The dessert case was full of them, so obviously they sell a bunch. 

Alfajores

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

Have you tried Peruvian food? What’s your favorite dish?

Machu Picchu Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 12 Comments
Terrace Cafe
This edition of “Excited about Eating” takes us to the Terrace Café located in the Piedmont Town Center in the heart of SouthPark. This multi-use Town Center features shops, restaurants, offices, and residential properties arranged in a walkable community.
We arrived at 12:10 on a Saturday to a 75 minute wait. Honestly, we debated leaving but decided to wait and that was a great decision because it turned into a manageable 40 minutes. We had a great view of the industrial style loft area and the charm that comes with this type of structure. 

Terrace Café offers a wide variety of options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. While waiting, we noticed that most of the dishes coming out of the kitchen were breakfast. Although they looked appetizing, we opted for lunch.

We started with an appetizer of Fried Green Tomatoes served with a warm pimento cheese dip. 
Fried Green Tomatoes

The Fried Green Tomatoes arrived quickly and were crispy outside and tender inside with a slight vinegary taste. They were great. Even my wife, who really doesn’t like tomatoes, enjoyed them. I think they could serve the cheese dip on anything and it would be great.

I ordered the Nashville Fried Chicken tossed in hot sauce and served over braised collard greens and mashed potatoes.
Nashville Fried Chicken
The chicken was outstanding, crispy and tender, but the mashed potatoes took the prize as the best component of this dish. They were light and creamy with just enough lumps to let you know they were freshly made. The collard greens were a combination of sweet and vinegary, and tasted great. The portions were huge, and definitely not for someone who doesn’t like heat as the Nashville hot sauce lived up to its name. Dora here. Definitely a “forehead slicker.” lol.

My wife ordered the Chicken Salad Croissant, a Hawaiian version of chicken salad on a fresh croissant served with lettuce and tomato and sweet potato waffle fries. 
Chicken Salad Croissant
The chicken salad, made with cream cheese instead of the normal mayo, included grapes, pineapple, pecans, and mandarin oranges. The sweet potatoes waffle fries were a first for us, but something we’d definitely order again.

I finished off my meal with a Peanut Butter Cup Latte and my wife chose the Tiramisu Latte. Both were excellent and a great way to cap off our meal. Dora here. Lip-smacking yummy!
Tiramisu Latte
Overall I would highly recommend this restaurant for someone looking for a unique restaurant offering exceptional food. I would rate this establishment 5 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving outstanding food.

Terrace Cafe on Urbanspoon